Expect 'great things' next year from Titans, really
Michael Martinez
Issue date: 4/15/09 Section: Sports
As the "Go green!" of the Spartan faithful turned from an enthusiastic cheer of expected victory to a desperate plea for the clock to hit zero at the NCAA Championship game April 6, I couldn't help but think that MSU's tournament run and UDM's 2008-2009 sports season had more than a few similarities. A lot of hype - with poor final results.
Following the lead of the residents of East Lansing, everyone in the state was swept up in a tornado of green and white as the Michigan State Spartans suddenly became "our" team.
Even devout Wolverine fans started paying a little more attention to Izzo's crew as they advanced farther and farther in the Big Dance.
By the time the Spartans and Tar Heels suited up for the final game of the season, every single eye in Michigan was on the Spartans, and no one in their right mind was betting against them. It was their game to win.
They had fought past three number-one seeds, carrying the honor and pride of the troubled host city on their shoulders all the way to Ford Field. They were supposed to dig deep and pull out one more win against a favored opponent. But they didn't.
Most fans didn't have time to finish their five dollar hot dogs before it was clear that the green and white confetti would not leave the rafters that night. It was a pretty pathetic ending to the buildup of the preceding days.
At first glance, the same can be said for UDM.
At the beginning of the season, "change" was the popular buzzword around campus, and not just because of the soon-to-be-elected President's campaign slogan. New coaches, logos, teams, fields and players were supposed to revitalize nearly every sports program.
Basketball was supposed to matter again. Softball was supposed to surprise. Soccer was supposed to build on previous seasons. Even lacrosse was expected to at least be competitive.
What was the end result of all of that hope and excitement?
In basketball, the men finished with the same 7-23 record as last year, and while the women's team showed promise at times, it couldn't break the .500 mark, and finished with just 12 wins.
Following the lead of the residents of East Lansing, everyone in the state was swept up in a tornado of green and white as the Michigan State Spartans suddenly became "our" team.
Even devout Wolverine fans started paying a little more attention to Izzo's crew as they advanced farther and farther in the Big Dance.
By the time the Spartans and Tar Heels suited up for the final game of the season, every single eye in Michigan was on the Spartans, and no one in their right mind was betting against them. It was their game to win.
They had fought past three number-one seeds, carrying the honor and pride of the troubled host city on their shoulders all the way to Ford Field. They were supposed to dig deep and pull out one more win against a favored opponent. But they didn't.
Most fans didn't have time to finish their five dollar hot dogs before it was clear that the green and white confetti would not leave the rafters that night. It was a pretty pathetic ending to the buildup of the preceding days.
At first glance, the same can be said for UDM.
At the beginning of the season, "change" was the popular buzzword around campus, and not just because of the soon-to-be-elected President's campaign slogan. New coaches, logos, teams, fields and players were supposed to revitalize nearly every sports program.
Basketball was supposed to matter again. Softball was supposed to surprise. Soccer was supposed to build on previous seasons. Even lacrosse was expected to at least be competitive.
What was the end result of all of that hope and excitement?
In basketball, the men finished with the same 7-23 record as last year, and while the women's team showed promise at times, it couldn't break the .500 mark, and finished with just 12 wins.
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