Click here to view my image gallery from todays game.

Well today’s game is against the Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks. I can think of better ways to spend my Sunday afternoon. The game is a 2:00pm start so that means missing most of the afternoons NFL games (Detroit’s is on the road against New Orleans without Suh. The last game of he’s two game suspension for the Suh stomp on Thanksgiving Day).

I don’t expect much from the Mavericks against the Spartan’s. Even though the Spartan’s look a little lack luster, they go on to defeat the Mavericks 110-68, yawn!

At least everyone gets taco’s!!!

Got home from last night’s Mens ACC Challenge about 1:00pm, so slept in past my 7:00 normal wake up. My wife yell’s up to me at 8:30 saying Dan (My photo assignment managing editor) has been calling my phone non-stop for the last 15 minutes. I give a call back to Dan and he’s hoping I’m in the mood to go back to East Lansing AGAIN, to cover tonight’s women’s ACC Challenge.

Tonight’s game is between the visiting University of Miami (Florida) and the Spartan women. Never shot a women’s college game, so this is all new to me. Kind of a late start to tonight game at 8:00pm. Arrived in East Lansing at 6:00 to pick up credentials and parking passes at the Kellogg Center. Great parking, right out in front of Breslin (kind of a big deal when your bring as much equipment as I do to events).

Really enjoyed the game! Miami was ranked # 9 in the country and it showed why. MSU women couldn’t handle Miami speed and athletic abilities. MSU trailed by 10 most of the game and cut it to 7 at one point. But in the end Miami was the MUCH better team tonight, winning 76-60.

Click here to see my image gallery from this game.

Happy St. Andrews Day to you all.

It’s Wednesday night and time for the ACC Challenge. This year instead of getting a Duke or North Carolina (Both we already played this year) we get the Florida State  Seminoles. I arrive in East Lansing at 5:30pm for a 7:30 start. Trying to nail in my white balance for the Breslin. I seattle on 3600K (which I later feel is still to warm). It looks like I’ve been assigned the #4 spot on the north end of the Breslin for the remainder of the MSU home season. Starting to get the hang of the speed of college basketball and the LOUDNESS of the IZZONE.

Keith Appling has a career high 24 pt. and Daymond Green added another 16. As the Spartans held the Seminoles to 49 points and go on to beat the Seminoles 65 to 49.

Fans at the Breslin Center turned their attention to the Big Ten’s championship football game by chanting, “Beat Wis-con-sin! Beat Wis-con-sin!” late in the game.

A fired-up crowd was eerily quiet midway through the first quarter after a Michigan State cheerleader, Taylor Young, fell on her face during a performance.The 20-year-old junior was raised into the air and fell hard onto the court during a timeout. Medical personnel  evaluated the cheerleader and she was strapped to a backboard and her head was immobilized.The cheerleader smiled and stuck both thumbs up when the crowd cheered after she was lifted onto a stretcher.

Well I’m up at 6:30am and out the door at 7:30am to head over to Ford Field for today’s game between the Detroit Lions and the undefeated Green Bay Packers. I arrived early knowing that it was going to be a REAL PAIN getting to the Compuware parking structure, because of the Thanksgiving Day Parade. Traffic was backed up big time. It took me about 35 minutes of detours before arriving  at the Compuware building. Took my shuttle to Ford Field, cleared security and headed down to the field/ media room.

Shot the breeze with some fellow photogs and set up my work area and headed outside the stadium to cover some pre-game tailgating parties.

Alcohol and turkey’s galore!!!

Transmitted pre-game pic’s and headed up to the 7th floor for the saddest media Thanksgiving dinner I’ve ever had. Turkey was gone…I had a little green bean stuff, a  roll, and a cookie. I’m shooting again today with Andrew Webber.

Game was very ho-hum…Lion’s never really got it going. Suh got thrown out of game for stomping on a player. Lots of penalties AGAIN. Green Bay was the better team today.

Lions look SO MUCH better than when I started covering them during the 0-16 season. My hats off to the Lion’s front office and coaches. I look forward to covering them again next season. Today is my last game of the year covering the Lions. My friend Tim Fuller has the last 2 home games against the Vikings and Chargers.

I’m in East Lansing for tonights Thanksgiving day eve game between Michigan State vs Milwaukee. It was a 8:30 start so I’m staying with friend tonight after the game, then early morning wake up to head over to Detroit’s Ford Field for tomorrows BIG Thanksgiving game. MSU had more trouble with the young Milwaukee team than they had planned on. But pull away at the end of game for the win. Looking forward to the 5.5 hour sleep I’m getting tonight.

Well, I spent the night at a friend’s house in East Lansing to cut down on time spent on the road. Game 3 of a 3 Day run. I head over to Ford Field for Carolina Panther’s vs Detroit Lion’s. It was great to see all my buddies from the media area. There’s something special about covering pro football, it’s very electric. Once again shooting today’s game with Andrew Weber.

All eye’s are on the quarterbacks today. Matthew Stafford’s having a great year throwing touchdown passes to “Megatron” and staying healthy. While the “Rookie of the Year” Cam Newton is always smiling. Today’s marks the first Professional meeting of old college teammates. Rookie quarterback Cam Newton and Rookie Lion’s defensive end Nick Fairley.

Newly signed Kevin Smith…YES Kevin Smith had a GREAT day against the Panther’s. Ending up being a barn burner with the Detroit Lion’s winning 49-35

Well my head barely hit the pillow and I’m back on the road to East Lansing again. It’s my last MSU football game of the year.

Lesson learned….spend the night at a buddies house instead of driving home to turn around and drive back 8 hours later.

Getting better at finding my way up to 8th floor to transmit during game, but with todays game spending 20 minute away to transmit, meant missing 2 MSU scoring drives. Game was a blow out. MSU 55 Indiana 3 and the Spartan’s won the “Ole Brass Spittoon”

Click here to view my image gallery from this game.

Friday night in East Lansing. The start of a 5 games in 7 days run for me. 2 home basketball games for the Spartans. 1 Home Spartan Football game and 2 trips to Detroit for the Detroit Lions.

Tonight home opener for Tom Izzo’s Spartans is against Texas Southern. This is my first of many college basketball games. I’ve been to the Breslin before, but only as a spectator. It feels somewhat alien to be sitting on the floor less than 10 feet from the basket. I get back in Grandville from the game around midnight, so I can turn around and head back the next morning to cover Spartan Football. MSU wins this game in a blow out 76-41.

Todays game had great weather!  It was a great day for football.

Getting much more comfortable with my captioning software, but still struggling with making the trip from the field to the press box on 8th floor about 6 times per game to transmit images. Can’t even take the stairs, because 8th floor door is locked. Wish there was a secret elevator just for photog’s.

Coming into this game with mirror-image records, it’s not hard to see why Michigan State (6-2) was a huge favorite over Big Ten rival Minnesota (2-6). But it wasn’t not be so simple. The Spartans are coming off a torrid stretch that culminated with a loss to No. 13 Nebraska, while the Gophers are coming off a win against Iowa.