It's been a long day. And tomorrow will be even longer because I have to be up at 6 a.m. Somehow though, I find myself in my dorm near midnight thinking about what I have to say today. No, this isn't gonna be my Greg Byrne entry. That one is going to take some time and I just don't have it tonight. Maybe this weekend I'll have time to sit down, collect some thoughts, and blog about my feelings toward our new A. D. Tonight I'll take a look at how we're stacking up in basketball this season. Right now, we are tied atop the SEC West at 4-1 with LSU. Technically, we are in 2nd because they did beat us. Let's look ahead to this weekend's matchup. We play host to the rebels of Mississippi. A team that has lost 3 of 5 starters for the entire season, all to ACL injuries. For the first time in history, I actually feel a little sorry for the poor rebels. I have never known a team to lose that much and still be competitive. It is my belief that if the rebels had those three guys then they would run away with the SEC West, and possibly win the overall SEC Championship. Chris Warren, their speedy point guard, may be the best at his position in the SEC. He alone would have made that team a favorite to win the West. Anyway, injuries happen, and the teams that overcome them are the truly great ones. Mississippi just doesn't have the depth on their bench to overcome the loss of three starters.  Anyway, as far as the game on Saturday, the only major contributer from last year's team that is playing this year is former Florida transfer David Huertas.  The guy has a pure stroke from behind the arc and if he catches fire, it could be a long day for us.  I honestly feel like this will be a big win for us, though.  Mississippi lacks the fire power that we have.  They have nobody that can match up with Jarvis down low.  It will be virtually impossible for them to score in the paint, unless they play smart and get Jarvis in foul trouble early.  That is really their only chance.  The game is in Starkville and will probably be the biggest and rowdiest crowd this year for us.  Especially considering the fact that I'm sure some creative State students will have signs or something big planned for estranged rebel coach Andy Kennedy.  More on that in a minute though.  We have four starters that can all handle the rock and all shoot the lights out on certain nights, let's hope Saturday is one of those.  Plus we have sufficient depth to really put it on them.  I expect us to rain the threes on them.  At least 10.  I figure Ravern will go off again and have 20 or so.  Barry (Randy), Phil, and Swat will all be in double figures.  Bost will have 10 assists.  Ro will hit a 3, Benock will hit 2 threes.  Basketball is just simply a game of matchups.  We have a favorable one against these rebels.  I don't see a position on the floor where they are stronger than us.  Without their three injuries, it would be different.  

Now, if our shooters come out cold and stay cold then we could be in for a long day.  If Randy and Ravern aren't hitting anything early on then that evens the playing field.  The key to this game is putting the rebels away early, much like LSU did to them at the Sad Pad a few weeks back.  If we let them hang around then we may be in for a rude awakening.  Much like what happened to Kentucky the other night.  Kennedy is a great basketball coach and he will have his bunch ready to play.  We are the better team, without a doubt.  But, if one or two of their shooters get hot then they could very well be in  the game late (see Shan Foster last year).  And we all know that when we are playing basketball the game is never really over because of our inability to hit free throws through the years.  Nonetheless, I still expect us to play great basketball Saturday.  We have had a week off, we are playing on our home court, and the Hump will be rocking.

As for Andy Kennedy.  What a situation he has himself in.  Whether he punched the cabbie or not, what was this clown doing out at 3 in the morning the night before a game?  He was at a bar for God's sake!  What kind of example was he setting for his team?  The guy is a great basketball coach, look at the turnaround he has done to the rebels pathetic program.  Still, though, I wouldn't want an alcoholic leading the basketball team of my school.  Kennedy just can't get rid of his ways from the old days under Bob Huggins at Cincy.  You have to start partying old man.  It's time to be responsible.  I mean, apparently your sex life suffered as pointed out by your wife's lawsuit on the cabby.  Wow, man!  That's embarrassing.  Anyway, I hope I don't see you out on the town Saturday after your blowout loss.  I know that it is likely I might see you at the Bin or at Rick's, but I hope not.  I hope you've learned your lesson Mr. Kennedy.  

On Deck: Recruiting Wrap-up, Baseball Preview

The Croom Years

Let me start with this. Sylvester Croom is a great man. In short, he did what we needed him to do. Well, sort of. He came in and replaced probably the best coach in MSU history in Jackie Sherrill. (Old people, don't give me the Darrel Royal crap. He left us. While he is one of the best coaches in the history of the game, he didn't accomplish those feats here.) Jackie put us on the map. Before Jackie, we had been to 6 bowls in history. In Jackie's first 10 years, he took us to 6 bowls. Whether he did it by questionable means or not, he won football games. Something that our fanbase had never been used to on a consistent basis. He brought in talent and won with stellar defenses and an efficient enough offense. Enough on the JWS history lesson though.

Croom stepped into a tough situation. He had no head coaching experience whatsoever and was raised on the roots of the Bear Bryant pound and grind brand of football. He was traditional to say the least in his coaching philosophy. He came hear with the intentions of cleaning up the program. He did that, with a few exceptions, i.e. Mike Brown incident (though I think Brown is a good person, he just screwed up). Croom brought boys into his program and did his best to turn them into successful men. He did not recruit just on talent alone. He wanted guys that could play football, and be an asset to the community. I applaud him for that. However, he was hired to win football games, and get MSU back to Atlanta. He was unsuccessful. Some say he needed more time. Some say he had some bad luck. Well, folks, numbers don't lie. His offense were pathetic. His teams only finished better than 100th in total offense just one season throughout his tenure. While I agree that defense wins championships, I'd be willing to bet that no team has ever won the SEC title with an offense that ranked as low as ours did. Croom was too stubborn to change his philosophies. Football has changed since the days when Bear Bryant ruled. You can no longer win with the run-up-the-middle-two-plays-then-pass-on-third-and-long-offense. Look at the two teams that were in the national championship this year. Both scored nearly 50 points a game.

Getting away from the offensive woes. Another excuse some fans pose is that he was left with no talent. In no way, shape, or form is that excuse plausible. Jackie's last 3 recruiting class all ranked in the top 25. One finishing around the top 10 I believe. Croom ran most of them off. Rightfully so in the case of Nick Turner, but some of the others, he simply refused to play them because they weren't his recruits. Take for instance the curious case of Keith Andrews. 5-star kicker out of high school. Every Saturday during warmups I would watch this kid boot balls 20 yards further than his counterpart. I watched him nail 55 yard field goals before the game. Still, though, Croom sat Andrews on the bench in times of clutch field goals like the 2006 Egg Bowl (that one still baffles me). Anyway, it was this hard-headedness that ultimately summed up his demise as a coach.

He also was not a fan's coach. Countless times he would not answer fans' questions in call-in shows. He never once explained his play-calling stupidity. What he failed to realize is that it is the fans that pay his salary. And in the end, it is the fans that demand the athletic director to make a change. In the defense of Croom, he was thrust into a tough situation. It is hard to compete against the Alabama's, Auburn's, and LSU's of the world week in and week out. But the coaches that can go to a place like Mississippi State and accomplish that are the truly great ones (see paragraph 1). Honestly, Croom just wasn't ready for the job. He should have never been hired in the first place. Alabama didn't think he was good enough to be their coach so why did MSU give him a chance? Simply because that's the position Larry Templeton was put in. Templeton was forced to make a decision in a hurry, one that would give national exposure and one that would hopefully lighten the probation that was soon to be inflicted upon the program. Croom was the right choice for that. National publications applauded us for hiring the SEC's first black coach. And the hiring also put the NCAA in a tough position regarding the probation that was forthcoming. They couldn't be too harsh on the SEC's first black coach.

Croom's tenure here was full of disappointments. The losses to the Maines, UABs, Tulanes, and Houston are just a couple of examples. Another one could be the 2008 spring game. One that ended regulation in a tie. How pathetic. Croom refused to cut loose assistants when it was obvious a change needed to be made. The run, run, pass, punt offense got old after a while. I was tired of it. I mean, the guy ran Jerious Norwood between the tackles for Christ's sake. Yeah it worked ok, but Norwood could have had 500 or so more yards with a little diverse play calling, maybe with some options or sweeps thrown in there. He tried to turn a playmaking quarterback in Omarr Conner into a pocket passer. The guy simply just didn't have a clue. On the bright side, though, there was the 2004 upset of Florida, a game I will never forget. The 2005 Egg Bowl, where Jerious showed out in his final game as a 'Dog, was one that had me in tears when they called him for senior night. Seeing Jerious carted to the locker room in the 3rd quarter, only to see him come back 10 minutes later to slam the door shut on the rebels in the fourth. And of course there was the 2007 miracle season. One that was supposed to be the turning point of the program. Honestly, take away the Pegues pick-6 against Auburn, the AJ pick-6 against 'Bama, and the Pegues punt return against the rebels and we go 4-8. The offense didn't win any big game for us that year and that was in part, due to Croom.

Anyway, the man is gone now. He could probably honestly care less about MSU now. He is a tider at heart. Good for him. I will thank him for putting together the bulk of the recruiting class we are about to sign. But other than that, have a nice life Mr. Croom. Oh, and one last thing, for God's sake, put your cap on straight.


On Deck: Greg Byrne starts with a Bang, Diamond Dog Preview, and a Recruiting Wrap-up.

Bulldog Outlook

John Cohen, Dan Mullen, and of course Rick Stansbury. As of this moment in time, I really do not think our sports teams could be in better hands. One is proven to be a top notch basketball coach and recruiter. Another is proven to be a top notch baseball coach and recruiter. The other is proving right now to be a top notch recruiter and has proven himself to be one of the best offensive minds in all of college football. Two of these coaches have yet to coach a game. Another has won over 200. I will guarantee this though, John Cohen will catch Rick Stansbury some day in the not so distant future. While it is virtually impossible for Mullen to accomplish that, I do expect him to lead us back to the glory days of the '90s.

First off, let us start with the constant. Rick Stansbury has been a feature of Bulldog Basketball since early in Richard William's tenure. While Williams was one heck of a coach, the behind the scenes guy was Stansbury. The guy that put all the recruits together for Williams to coach was mostly Stansbury. He worked his arse off to get top-quality players to come to Starkville. Stansbury played as big a role in getting us to the Meadowlands in '96 as Williams did. And since Williams departure, Stansbury has made us a staple in the national college basketball picture. How did he do that? Recruiting. And if it wasn't for a few guys jumping to the League early then I have no doubt that Rick would have gotten us back to the promise land of March's Madness. I know, I know. Rick has yet to get past the 2nd round. But fellas, let's look at this. In '02, we played Texas in Dallas in the round of 32. '03 we got knocked off by the best mid-major in the tournament in Butler. '04 we ran into the hottest team in the country in Xavier and let's face it, probably not a team on the planet would have beaten the Musketeers on that day. In '05 we drew Duke, in Charlotte. Two words, JJ Redick. And after a 2 year absence and some rebuilding, we played Memphis to the best game they had until the Championship. Honestly, we have just had some bad draws. While Stansbury's teams usually start slow, they always finish strong. Look at this year. We still have a really good shot at making the Dance and an even better shot and defending the West for our 3rd straight title. Put coaching aside for a moment. Would it be possible for us to have a better man leading our program? A family man with three wonderful kids, and a devout-converted Bulldog wife in Meo. If you ask me, our basketball program could not be in any better shape. And if we don't get it done this year, in '09-'10 we could be a contender not only in the conference, but in the national picture as well.

On to Coach Cohen. It was obvious who the choice for our next head baseball coach was gonna be. While Coach Polk wanted Tommy Raffo, much of the Bulldog faithful wanted a proven ex-Bulldog. And can you be more proven than a National Coach of the Year award? I don't think so. Coach Cohen took a perennial loser in Kentucky to the tops of the best baseball conference in the world. He had a couple of top-5 recruiting classes there as well. While he has yet to coach a game in maroon, I don't think there is any doubt that Cohen will lead us back to the national spotlight in baseball. Soon enough, our team will always be a contender for Omaha, if not already. Soon enough, the crowds will flock back to the Dude like the days of old. Soon enough, the SEC will be scrambling to try to catch back up to MSU in baseball like the rest of our conference brethren did throughout the '80s and '90s. I really think we are on to something here. Heck, even after the worse year in recent history, our team looks to be solid this year. We have depth all around the field and the only weakness may be in left-handed pitching depth. We very well could make some noise this year. And if not, then watch out for next year and the year after and the year after, etc. We are going to build a dynasty here. And it starts on Feb. 20. Coach Cohen brings a totally different style of play than did our legend, Ron Polk. This super aggressive style will use baserunning and small ball, combined with the slugging of some power hitters, to put a lot of runs on the scoreboard. Opposition will have to put a lot of runs up to hope to beat us. I'm telling you this, for the first time in a while, I am really excited for baseball season. Things will be vastly different. And without disrespect to Coach Polk, things will be better.

On to the newest member of the group. Dan "the Man" Mullen is taking a football program that has been near the cellar of the SEC since 2001. He replaces Sylvester Croom, a man of character, however, not a FBS (Division I) quality coach. I'm not gonna rant on about Croom's failures, I'll save that for later. What I will discuss is the task ahead of Mullen and my feelings toward the hire. So far, I would give Greg Byrne an A+ on this hire. Yet again, I feel he hit a home run. Dan Mullen's grade so far would also have to be an A+. In a short amount of time, he has put together what looks like a great staff of coaches. He has held a top 20 recruiting class together, of which much credit is due to Croom, Rockey Felker, and Reed Stringer. Since his hiring he has rallied fans around the state and the southeast with his explanations of the spread offense and his talk of consistently having a nationally ranked recruiting class. Before he has even coached a game, Mullen has re-energized much of the distraught Bulldog fanbase. I'm excited about our football program for the first time since the days of Jackie Wayne Sherrill. I actually think we will be back in Atlanta sooner rather than never. I expect this season to be a rebuilding type of year. We are still weak on the offensive line, but we have play makers. Oh, and we will be developing a real quarterback for the first time in my life. Good times are ahead for Mississippi State football. "Dan is the Man" to take us there. Now whether we're a stepping stone or not, doesn't matter to me. All I know is that for Dan to leave, he will have to get us back in the national spotlight. It's only a matter of time now.



Coming Soon: The Croom Years, a baseball season preview, and a Recruitin Wrap-up.

State of Bulldog Sports

Let's rewind to one year ago. How great was it to be an MSU fan? We had just come off a stellar postseason run in baseball that took us all the way to Omaha. Our football program had its first winning season since 2000 accompanied with a Liberty Bowl victory. Our basketball team was on a 9 game winning streak, starting 5-0 in the SEC (the last of which was a complete thrashing of the rebels). Times had seemingly never been better. Fast forward past basketball season.

The agony began with the first losing season for MSU Baseball in over 30 years. We saw the departure of a legend in head coach Ron Polk. I admire that man. I have met him several times and he has greated me with a handshake and smile each of them. Coach Polk had a great run here and I was sad to see it end, but, I along with thousands of Bulldog Faithful realized that it was finally time for him to go. Baseball season was a disappointment. The one sport that we had always looked forward to through those tough football and basketball years had for once, let us down.

Throughout the summer, there was a buzz for football. I was jacked for it. I just new we would be bowling again, my expectations weren't as high as some, but I did predict at least a 7 win season. Well, I was wrong. It started with the loss to La Tech. Yes, Louisiana's Bulldogs. I honestly believe that that loss set the tone for how the season was going to go. The players were knocked down and never really got back up. We were embarrassed by the rebels in the Egg Bowl and I knew it was finally time for a change. Croom was now out. Rightfully so. The man did basically all he could do. He just was not an Xs and Os coach. He had no clue on offense. Look at our statistical rankings in that category. In a word, Pathetic. In a few words, Piss Poor. We were let down by our coaching staff, not our team. More on that at a later date.

So on to basketball. We knew it was going to be a rebuilding year, somewhat. Still, basketball has been our bread and butter for this entire decade. I was upset by the early season losses to the likes of Charlotte and San Diego. Those are inexcusable losses for a program of our stature that plays in the best conference in all the land. Still, though, this team has rebounded nicely. This group of young guys is off to a 4-1 start in conference play and is in a two-way battle for the West Crown. I credit that to the wonderful coach we have in Rick Stansbury. His teams drastically improve throughout the season under his guidance. He teaches all these young talented players we have how to play together. This team can only get better, and while they may not be great this season, next year's team has the ability to be a Top 10 contender.

So you have it. The state of our three major sports teams at the moment. Well, sort of. There is a very good outlook for the future in all three sports. I will soon get to that. It's time for supper so I gotta jet.

Oh, and even though times may have been tough over the last 9 months or so, remember, things could be worse. You could be a rebel.

Welcome!

Ok. So I figured I'd give this blog thing a shot. First, a little bit about me. I am currently a student at The Mississippi State University. I figure some loyal MSU fans out there may want to read a State student's take on Bulldog athletics. I have some inside access to MSU sports. I will never reveal my sources but I will say that you can trust my stuff. If you choose not to believe it then oh well, good for you. If you realize that I know what it is that I am talking about then good for you, too. Here's the deal, I'm semi-obsessed with sports, particularly MSU sports. While this blog will mainly be about State, I will sometimes post my opinions on other happenings in the sports world and possibly other current events going on around real world. I may update this multiple times daily, maybe once every few days, and it's possible I could get lazy and fail to update it for a week or so. If you don't like what I post or have a different opinion on something then feel free to email me and I'll attempt to discuss it with you in a civil manner. Also, I am a college student. I may at times use some offensive language and possibly be negative about a team or coach. Before anyone gets pissy, let me clarify this. I pay my own way to MSU with various scholarships and such. I have been a Bulldog since birth. I have suffered through the agonizing defeats of the UABs, Maines, and La Techs of the world. I have also been overjoyed with the thrill of going to Omaha, Atlanta, and the Medowlands. I was brought up throught the glory days of MSU sports. I am a 90s kid. We have been to 4 CWS's, 7 bowls, and twice appeared in the Sweet 16 in my lifetime. Therefore, I was a spoiled fan growing up. I absolutely hate losing and will express that throughout my time on here. I can't stand seeing our teams underachieve year in and out. If you have a problem with my negativity, tough shit. I don't care. I want what is best for MSU and will NOT settle for mediocrity. As of right now, though, I am tired. I had a wild night partying in the great city of Starkville and I want to go to sleep. So now you have my introduction and Good Night.

Upcoming: Over the next few days I will post my feelings on the current state of MSU athletics and my opinions on certain hot topics in sports.