quick hits

• Brett Favre "officially" retired today. It will be extremely weird not to see #4 behind Center at Lambeau in sub-freezing weather. I do not believe Aaron Rodgers is the QB of the future for the Packers; rather, I think it will be the young draft pick that arrives a few years from now in Green Bay.
• I've learned to look at my team more subjectively than anything else in Spring Training. For example, I have no idea how J. D. Drew has been performing down in Fort Myers the past few weeks, and I don't care. What do I care about? He's walking around the clubhouse these days, joking with Papi, Lowell, and Youkilis. He's talking to reporters, giving them insight and stories. He's smiling. He appears excited to be there. Also, and probably as a rationale for everything last year, Drew's newborn baby is no longer in intensive care and undergoing surgery, which is great. All of these signs lead me to this bold prediction: J.D. Drew has a kickass bounceback year in 2008(.300/.450/.425).
• Speaking of subjective Spring Training notes, I was kinda irked by Papelbon's public comments the other day about his contract status. I feel that until a player's first arbitration hearing(or the contract agreed to that covers arbitration), he shouldn't wine, speak, or voice any of his feelings about his contract or what he's worth. You are under the team's control during this time, so just deal with it. But thankfully, the Sox and Paps agreed to a 1-year deal today worth around $775,000 with incentives. This takes him through one year of aribitration, and I think it's a great deal for Paps, considering he's only a year removed from shoulder injury. The Sox will lock him up long-term in the next few years.
• Every game in college basketball should have SOME form of video cameras there to document the action for the public, either later via the internet or at primetime Sportscenter. Case in point: I will never see the hilights of the Dawgs' heartbreaker at Vanderbilt last night. Yeh, I probably don't want to relive what I heard on the radio, but I just want to see how close Shan Foster was from his OWN three-point line when he drained those last 7 3's. Ridiculous.
• Believe it or not, my parents have not been to one MSU baseball game during the entire 14-year era of Horne children on this campus. I went many years ago, but I haven't been to a game since I've been in school here. So to remedy the problem, my parents are coming up for a weekend series in April against none other than those pesky Vanderbil Commodores.

-RBDS1
Currently Drinking: Lazy Magnolia Southern Pecan...I love coming home.

The Bulldogs Ride to March

I have been absent on here for far too long, especially considering the (relatively) amazing football season MSU experienced and our very aggressive run at the SEC West title in basketball. That being said and excuses aside, I'm back baby!

The Bulldogs have thrown together a great year of basketball. Aside from our loss last week at Oxford, I have not been (too) displeased with our on court showing. At Arkansas is always tough for us, but we made that one up and the UT game could've gone either way there at the end and our poor freshman made a freshman mistake.

We face Auburn today, then an extremely tough road schedule (Florida & Vandy) before finishing up the season at home against LSU. Speaking of Vandy, did anyone watch that game last night ? Pretty incredible. In true basketball fashion for a big game, the Commodores' fans decided to all wear the same color to the stadium. Which is it going to be, black or gold ? Oh, I know! How about WHITE. That way on television it is a stadium full of white shirts with the expected visiting UT crowd wearing orange. That's a stadium full of UT colors... aren't Vandy students suppose to be smart? Poor choice. However, they did come out the gates blaring and barely gave Tennessee time to catch up before pulling away for the win. That is going to be a tough game for us.

Yes, March brings March Madness. My second favorite time of the sports year (if you don't know what's my first, stop reading this, go stand in front of the mirror, and punch your teeth out). If we can win at least two more games we should be making an appearance at the NCAA tourney. No more NIT crap, please. Stansbury has become state's winningest basketball coach this season so I hope we can reward him with a trip to the big show.

not for the faint of heart

I think we can all agree that out of the 4 major sports in America(or 5, if you count soccer), hockey is by far the most dangerous. If you happen to disagree, then just read on. In case you haven't heard by now, during this past Sunday's contest, Florida foward Richard Zednik was cut my his teammate's skate as he(the teammate) was upended. I present to you some of the cameras that caught the action.

Please be advised that these videos are quite graphic.

Now another look with bettter resolution. I suggest just going to the 1:20 minute mark on the video. Again, this one is VERY graphic. Just watch what happens right before(and after) he hits the ice.

And just for an historical perspective, check this video out from 1989; the goalie is Clint Malarchuck of the Buffalo Sabres, which is exactly the same team that Zednik and the Panthers were playing on Sunday. WEIRD.

Currently Drinking: Earl Grey tea with honey(I feel terrible)

Prospect Primer

A good primer before the season. Baseball America says we have the 2nd best farm system in baseball(shocker), but here's a quick writeup and overview of it. Might wanna write down some of the names, as you are sure to see them in a big league Sox uni this summer.

Baseball America Top Red Sox Prospects

Currently Drinking: A nice hot Latte

Boston's painful fall

The city of Boston just can not catch a break in the sports world.

ESPN Page 2: Caple: Beantown Blues

*Thanks to the Horne for his find- now if we could just get him writing some posts

Dog Day Afternoon

But this one did not star Al Pacino. No, this Dog Day belonged in the hands of the MSU football and basketball players. Much more so on the gridiron than the hardwood though.

#22 Alabama arrived early yesterday morning to face one of only three teams in the SEC that hasn't been ranked this year, us. This Mississippi State Bulldog team has looked better and better every game this season though, won big games against giant killers Auburn and Kentucky, and was coming off a by week of what I'm sure was colossal walrus sized work outs.

By 11:05 AM, Davis Wade Stadium (pictured above) was at a new school record capacity of 56,188 and nearly one out of three people had a cowbell in hand. There would be no cries for more cowbell this day.

In an immediate disappointment, freshman QB Wesley Carroll threw an interception on his first attempt, not only turning the ball over to the Tide in our territory but quelling Carroll's quest for the NCAA freshman record for most attempts without an INT of which he was just two shy. Our namesake shining through, the Bulldog Defense held Bama to a field goal and got the ball back in our hands.

After two more FG by Bama and only one from State, Alabama fought it's way to inside the MSU 10 yard line where a touchdown seemed imminent. After two battles at the line trying to run the ball into the end zone, a third down call for a throw led to the day's game changing play. Bama's QB is rushed and scrambling, and in his attempt not to be sacked, hurls the ball into the end zone and into the waiting arms of a Bulldog defense-man. With one good block, the ball is returned 100+ yards for a TD and the lead after the extra point. And this was all with less than 20 seconds in the half.

Coming out after halftime, the dawgs were rejuvenated. Allowing only one more field goal from Alabama and tacking on an offensive touchdown, the Bulldogs finished the final drive of the game with a sack that had been brewing all day, to let time expire.

Bama fans sure were proud of their million dollar coach, but our Alabama alumni coach, for the second year in a row, knew what it took to take Saban down.

Go Dawgs!
and not to let our basketball team go unnoticed
Go Dawgs!

the World Series in 50 seconds

It was fast. It was painless(for the Sox). And it was oh-so-glorious. We now sum up the last leg of the 2007 Red Sox Championship run...

I am sure Trevor will have a season recap soon. I'll give my thoughts when I have no more work to do (read: mid-December).

-RBDS1