HERE ARE THREE FINALISTS FOR THE 2013 "chUMp of the Year"

We've reached the final round of voting for the 2013 "chUMp of the Year" award. There are three finalists from which to choose:

DAVID BRANDON

DESMOND HOWARD

TAYLOR LEWAN

Brandon and Lewan earned "chUMp-of-the-Month" awards in 2013, while Howard was recognized for "dishonorable mention" in a September that was filled with chUMpy behavior.

The two "dishonorable mention" awardees who fell out of the competition were Fitz Toussaint, Royce Jenkins-Stone, and Brady Hoke. Here are the reasons why they were nominated and subsequently passed over for "chUMp-of-the-Year":

FITZ TOUSSAINT was named "chUMp-of-the-Month" in October, for opening his big mouth before playing MSU and calling Spartan Nation "Little Brother. Apparently, he just couldn't help himself. But he got punked-out on game-day and basically lost his job afterwards, so we'll just call that enough punishment for one chUMp.

ROYCE JENKINS-STONE was named "chUMp-of-the-Month" in November, for openly assaulting Ohio STATE kick-returner Dontre Wilson after a wicked horse-collar tackle that was not penalized since the game was being played by "Michigan Rules" in the Pig House. (They've been known to use their own rules before.) When you watch the video of the incident, you can clearly see a group of UM players surround the OSU player as the play ends, standing over him and shouting trash at point-blank range. But it was Jenkins-Stone who jumped on Dontre Wilson and started to fight him in broad daylight. However, this punk took a dive straight into obscurity after that game, so we'll just call this a case of chUMp-and-run. 

BRADY HOKE was mentioned in dishonor in December, for repeatedly claiming a broken foot is actually "a case of "turf-toe". Forget the donuts and the headsets and the assistant coaches and all of that stuff, what about outright LYING TO THE PUBLIC? Devin Gardner was on crutches, in a walking-boot, and not practicing for weeks, but Hoke kept telling everybody it was all due to a case of "turf-toe". Then, practically at the last second before the bowl game, word comes out that Gardner broke his foot against Ohio State. In other words, not turf-toe. So it's fair now to say that Brady Hoke is a big fat liar. But since he has delivered 11 losses the past two years, we don't want to ruffle his feathers too much, so we'll let him get back to "his work".

We request your comments to help select the 2013 Winner! Please click on "1 comment" below and vote for any of these candidates.

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SPARTANS HAVE WON SIX RIVALRY GAMES IN A ROW OVER WOLVERINES

If it feels like MSU is on a hot streak, you're on the right track. The women's basketball win over Michigan last weekend marked the sixth consecutive victory by the Spartans over the Wolverines in six different sports.

The field-hockey team started the streak on October 11, followed by the B1G showdown on November 2 in Spartan Stadium. Men's soccer continued on November 9, Volleyball scored a major road-win on November 27, the Hockey team got the upset on December 28 at Comerica, and now the women's basketball team has made it a half-dozen wins in a row.

Here are the six victories in the last three months:

MSU 3, UM 2

WOMEN'S FIELD HOCKEY

October 11 @ East Lansing

MSU 29, UM 6

FOOTBALL

November 2 @ East Lansing

MSU 2, UM 0

MEN'S SOCCER

November 9 @ East Lansing

MSU 3, UM 0

VOLLEYBALL

November 27 @ Ann Arbor

MSU 3, UM 0

ICE HOCKEY

December 28 @ Comerica Park

MSU 79, UM 72

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

January 12 @ Ann Arbor

The Spartans will try to make it seven in a row on January 25 when men's basketball hosts Michigan at the Breslin Center.




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SPARTAN WOMEN WIN ANOTHER RIVALRY GAME AGAINST MICHIGAN

The Michigan State Women's Basketball team defeated Michigan on Sunday in Ann Arbor, 79-72. The game broke up a two-way tie atop the B1G standings, leaving MSU alone in First Place with a 3-0 record.

The win makes the Spartans 22-2 over the past 24 games against UM. But it didn't come easily, as what looked like it may be a cakewalk nine months ago turned into a white-knuckle thriller. The game was tied at 65-all in the final minutes, before MSU pulled away to the finish line.

Michigan State now holds a 47-game lead in the all-time series against Michigan, with 63 wins to only 16 losses. This is the only meeting scheduled between the teams during the regular season.




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THESE ARE YOUR SIX SEMI-FINALISTS FOR THE 2013 "chUMp-of-the-Year" AWARD

Voting has begun for the 2013 "chUMp-of-the-year" award, with six nominees reaching the semi-final round. 

There were four "chUMp-of-the-month" awards last year, and all monthly winners are automatic qualifiers for the annual finals. The 2013 "chUMps-of-the-month" were:

SEPTEMBER - DAVID BRANDON

OCTOBER - FITZ TOUSSAINT

NOVEMBER - #59 ROYCE JENKINS-STONE

DECEMBER - TAYLOR LEWAN

The two other semi-finalists were drawn from the "dishonorable mention" recipients from last year, and they are:

Brady Hoke
Desmond Howard

The two "dishonorable mention" awardees who fell out of the competition were Denard Robinson and Jalen Rose.

Denard Robinson was mentioned in dishonor for calling MSU his "little brother", after he finished 1-3 against his #3 rival, scoring two touchdowns while throwing five picks in four games, along with just over three yards per rush. He was eliminated because we enjoyed beating him down so much that we just want him to move along. 

Jalen Rose was mentioned in dishonor for advocating that amateur sports become professional, perhaps to justify his former status as an amateur/professional in "college". The former crack-house visitor needlessly took a shot at MSU, proving that he is a chUMp acting like a "Michigan Man". Rose graduated from the University of Maryland in 2005. He was eliminated because he's an absolute Turkey and we wish he would just cluck-cluck himself.

So here, in alphabetical order, are your six semi-finalist nominees for the 2013 "chUMp-of-the-Year" award:

David Brandon

Brady Hoke

Desmond Howard

Royce Jenkins-Stone

Taylor Lewan

Fitz Toussaint

We will accept your comments to help narrow down this list to three finalists. Please click on "3 comments" below and add your two-cents-worth on any of these candidates. The semi-finalist list will be posted this week.

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MICHIGAN ADMITS MISTAKE BY FIRING AL BORGES

It's been fun to watch the wolverine faithful work themselves into a frenzy over the firing of Al Borges and the nearly-immediate hiring of Doug Nussmeier. Seems like they are now just one baby step away from that ever-elusive national championship. Or so they seem to think.

While they are busy celebrating all of the wonderful things they expect to come, some may hearken back to the promise of Al Borges, sung by the same people just three years ago in Ann Arbor. The moment Brady Hoke was hired, folks began speculation that he would bring "his offensive coordinator" with him from San Diego State. Barely hours later, Borges was named as the man who would do this-and-that-and-the-other-thing and it would be nothing like RichRod. Hoo-hah, it was only a matter of time before the next NC.

Now Borges is on the road and in comes a former Michigan State assistant - - - under John L. Smith, no less - - - and media reports indicate that Doug Nussmeier may now be more prominent to Michigan Football than the Donut Enthusiast. When asked to explain the situation, Hoke had no comment, refusing to answer the many questions reporters directed to him. When asked to explain why Hoke had no comment, David Brandon said Hoke is the Coach, bla-bla-bla-bla, this is Michigan, yada yada yada, and thanks for all coming here today.

Hoke, you'll recall, is the same guy who said he "anticipated" all coaches returning, when asked about possible changes a month ago. (He's also the guy who consistently described the broken foot of Devin Gardner as "turf toe".) But Brandon said it was Hoke's decision, and lauded him for leadership. Even though he didn't answer any questions. Uh-huh.

So there are many reports calling into question the state of things in Denmark with the crazy processing of the new guy. But at least one Spartan, former quarterback Drew Stanton, thinks enough of Nussmeier to commend him for his new job:

“You see how he’s progressed, and his name is starting to get mentioned with big-time college football head coaching jobs,” Stanton said. “I know he’s thrown his name in the hat for a couple other head coaching jobs. He’s going to make a phenomenal head coach sometime. But I think (Michigan) is a great stepping stone for him, to be at a premier college and have some success with an offense.”

So, let's get this straight: Hoke said he didn't anticipate any such changes, but then showed great leadership by firing the assistant he brought with him to the job on the promise that he was the right guy, then when asked to explain the decision he refused to answer, which his boss says is a sign of great leadership, and a former star quarterback for his main rival says UM is a "stepping stone" job move.

In any case, Michigan is openly admitting the mistake they made three years ago when Hoke selected Al Borges for he job. Knowing that, they are trying to spin the situation into a major positive, but this time some of the major media are having troubles with the smoke-and-mirrors routine, at least for now.

And Gardner continues to wear the walking boot. Nasty case of turf-toe, I hear.




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2013 "chUMp of the Year" VOTING TO BEGIN THIS WEEKEND

You can cast your vote for the 2013 "chUMp-of-the-year" award this weekend, with six nominees to be announced on Sunday. Watch this web site for details.

There were four "chUMp-of-the-month" awards last year, and all monthly winners are automatic qualifiers for the annual finals. Two other chUMps will be selected from the "dishonorable mention" recipients for a total of six semi-finalists. Three finalists will advance to next week, with a winner to be named next weekend.

The 2013 "chUMps-of-the-month" were:

SEPTEMBER - DAVID BRANDON

OCTOBER - FITZ TOUSSAINT

NOVEMBER - #59 ROYCE JENKINS-STONE

DECEMBER - TAYLOR LEWAN

Those cited for "dishonorable mention" were:

Frank Beckmann
Lloyd Carr
Brady Hoke
Desmond Howard
Denard Robinson
Jalen Rose
A.J. Williams

Based on early returns, we will remove three of the "dishonorably mentioned" to leave eight candidates to be narrowed to six this weekend. The three who have been taken off the first ballot include:

1. A.J. Williams, because all he did was go out drinking with a bunch of Buckeyes after a ballgame, which is similar to what Taylor Lewan did, except Lewan was punching and stomping on them while Williams was playing quarter-bounce (then driving). Williams is out because he's young and stupid, though he still qualifies as a chUMp.
2. Frank Beckmann, because all he did was print an incoherent rant about some social situation that was far over his uneducated head. That's what he gets for working in a university setting without a university degree. Beckmann is out because he's old and stupid, though he is undoubtedly a chUMp.
3. Lloyd Carr, because he wasn't arrested for drunk and disorderly like Gary Moeller. He just mumbled some crazy musings about retirement life or something. Carr is out because he's an old fart, and because if the UM intelligentsia can give Carr the heave-ho from coaching, we can chuck him from our contest.

So the weekend ballot looks like this, with candidates listed in alphabetical order:

David Brandon
Brady Hoke
Desmond Howard
Taylor Lewan
Royce Jenkins-Stone
Denard Robinson
Jalen Rose
Fitz Toussaint

We will accept your comments to help narrow down this list to six semi-finalists. Please click on "1 comment" below and add your two-cents-worth on any of these candidates. The semi-finalist list will be posted this weekend to start the formal voting period.

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HEY MEDIA: MSU ACTUALLY DEFEATED OSU ON TUESDAY NIGHT

The Michigan State Basketball team scored an upset victory over 3rd-ranked Ohio STATE on Tuesday night, but you might think that MSU was blown-out from listening to the post-game coverage and commentary. All we hear about is how the Buckeyes made a 20-3 run in the final seven minutes to tie the game.

The Buckeyes made a great comeback, no question. But it came right after the Spartans had trashed them. The visitors climbed out of the garbage can just in time to tie it up. Bully for Brutus. It's been heavily reported that OSU almost scored at the end to win. But MSU almost scored two baskets in the first half that would have made overtime unnecessary. So what? The game is basketball, not horseshoes or hand-grenades.

What about the 55-38 run made by the Spartans over the previous fifteen minutes of game-time? How about the 72-68 "run" over 45 minutes of regulation? Isn't the point to score more points at the END of the game? Why is the winner being represented as a failure?

No media group has presented this game as a great win for Michigan State, asking Tom Izzo how it feels to be in "the driver's seat" of the conference race. Everybody heard about the "men and the boys" comment, and the performances by Adreian Payne and Keith Appling have been well documented. But the overall tone and tenor of the post-game media coverage has been largely about Izzo's temper and how close Ohio STATE came to winning. Even though they didn't win and Izzo didn't even get a single technical foul. And the Spartans sit undefeated at the top of the standings with two road wins in hand.

The media tries to portray Michigan State as failures at every possible opportunity, but you don't have to open wide and swallow what they're dishing out. There were a lot of circumstances and close-calls (and non-calls) but the big story is that MSU WON THE GAME.




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