Replays of the fall show one of the cheerleaders hitting the arm of another lifter, causing 20-year-old junior cheerleader Taylor Young to crash face-first onto the hardwood floor.  She would remain on the ground for several minutes and was eventually stretchered off the court and taken to a nearby hospital, but not before giving the fans a thumbs-up as they cheered her on during her departure.

Reports from Michigan State athletic director Mark Hollis have since indicated that Taylor is “okay” and in stable condition, and we couldn’t be happier to hear that.

Get well soon Taylor, and we hope to see you back on the court cheering on the Spartans very soon.

Here is a look at the incident.

Update!  This image from Taylor’s father’s Facebook account makes it appear as though Taylor is fine and has left the hospital in good spirits.

Obama did try his hardest to shake as many hands as he could both before and after Saturday’s game, but as you would imagine, there were plenty of hands that were left hanging.  Interestingly enough, we have a video compilation of people being stiffed for handshakes by Obama.

Check it out.

To this day, this game remains as the highest-rated college basketball game in history.  Much hype was given to this game by the media because each team had a superstar, Michigan State’s Magic Johnson and Larry Bird of Indiana State.  Both players led their team in scoring in the game, but it was Magic’s 24 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists that ultimately took home the title for the Spartans.

For the next 10+ years, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird would go head-to-head a number of times including three times for the NBA championship.  Magic’s Lakers would come out victorious twice in 1985 and 1987 and Bird’s Celtics would win it all in 1984.

Here is the final minute of the 1979 NCAA championship game

Notable Birthdays

Marcus Allen: NFL – Born March 26th 1960 (age 50) in San Diego, California

John Stockton: NBA – Born March 26th 1962 (age 48) in Spokane, Washington

Mike Peca: NHL – Born March 26th 1974 (age 36) in Toronto, Ontario

Last time we touched on this subject, it was the proud supporters of the Miami Hurricanes that were in our spotlight.  Ths time we turn our attention to the men and women of Michigan State University.

It was a muddy day in East Lansing prior to the Spartans game this past Saturday against their inner-state rivals, the University of Michigan Wolverines.  That didn’t stop the partying however.  In fact, it seemed to have only made things that much more interesting.

With the rain pouring down, puddles grew larger, and one area in particular seemed to have collected some additional liquid from brre bottles and cans, as well as the bodily fluids from hundreds of fans in attendance.  It was the perfect place for a some mud wrestling.

After some delay in trying to convince a few females to enter into the cesspool, a brave young man takes initiative and gets a female to join him (3:00 mark).  It looks like it will be a friendly encounter until he picks her up and slams her into the muddy waters.  That was just the beginning of another four minutes of mayhem.

There is just something about a female draped in mud that can be quite sexy at times.  This could have been one of those times, until you realize that there is a lot more to this mud than just dirt and water.

Hat Tip – [Busted Coverage]

So in honor of attending the 2009 NCAA Basketball Finals in Detroit, Michigan this past Monday and witnessing some of the most oddly dressed Michigan State Spartans fans. We decided it was best to compile a list of the Top 10 Ways How Not To Support Your Favorite Sports Team

What has possessed these fans to support their teams in such an awkward fashion?  I guess we may never know.

Lets take a look at the top 10.

10 – Spartans And Leafs Fan – After spotting these 2 fans in the hotel before the game the idea clicked to create this post.  At first thought the Spartans fan was a  girl but after I asked to take a picture of them I realized that the Spartans fan was a man.  Go figure!!!!!

9 – Indianapolis  Colts #1 Fan – Sometimes the best questions are the ones not asked, enjoy the picture of the biggest Indianapolis Colts fan in the world.

Indianapolis Colts #1 Fan

8 – Utah State Aggies Fan “Party At Tummi Yummies” – An aggies fan tries to distract the attention of a player shooting a free throw after being fouled.  The over sized fan definitely got the camera guys attention, I just wonder what he meant by “Party at Tummi Yummies?”

Utah State Aggies Fan "Party At Tummi Yummies"

7 – 0-16 Detroit Lions Tattoo – Find something common in this post so far??  Michigan fans.  This Lions fan is something special to say the least.  Getting a 0-16 Detroit Lions tattoo on his chest in his remembrance of the perfect losing season goes down in the history books as one of the dumbest things ever done.

Detroit Lions Fan Gets 0-16 Tattoo

6 – South Carolina Game ‘COCKS’ Fans - What better way to support your Universities football team by getting 5 of your closest friends to paint a letter spelling ‘COCKS’ on their chest.  Take a look at the 5 women on top of the “K” and the “S”, it seems to us that they are enjoying the 5 Cocks!!!

South Carolina Game 'COCKS' Fans

5 – Naked Soccer Fan – Sometimes I wonder about soccer fans, but this one tops the list.  I have no clue what this guy is doing in the stands with his pants down, but I hope the stadium has banned him from all future games.

Naked Old Soccer Fan In Stands

4 – The Man Cheerleader – I’m glad that alot of thought goes into some fans attire before attending a sporting event.  I think this guy had one to many cold beverages before leaving his house and decided to wear his daughters cheerleader’s outfit.

The Man Cheerleader

3 – #3 Dale Earnhardt Shaved Back – What other way to remember fallen driver Dale Earnhardt’s #3 car at a race? Might as well just shave the hair on your back with the number 3 in it like a t-shirt jersey.  His wife/girlfriend must be proud.

#3 Dale Earnhardt Shaved Back

2 – University Of South Florida Fans Are A Little Weird – You see this is what the South Florida heat does to you.  2 of the fans attending the game are dressed in green and yellow sparkling paint and third fan is dressed in a coconut bra covering his man boobs. Hmmmmmmm, I wonder what their frat parties are like?

University Of South Florida Fans Are A Little Weird

1 – Weird Spartans Fan At Ford Field – Getting into Ford Field for the 2009 NCAA Basketball final on Monday and looking for our seats in the nosebleed section these 2 Spartans fans jumped out in front of us wearing full green body tights and green shorts that were about 5 sizes to small.  Why and what for? We have no idea but we think these 2 guys lost a bet with their friends.

Weird Spartans Fan At Ford Field

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

The story of the game was none other then forward Raymar Morgan who broke out of his slump and lead the Spartans with 19 points, 9 rebounds and 1 assist in the win, making him “The Stat Line Of The Night” for Saturday April 4th, 2009.

It’s nothing but good news now. Lucas scored 21 points, Raymar Morgan broke out of his late-season slump with 18 and nine rebounds, and the smaller Spartans ran roughshod over Hasheem Thabeet and Connecticut in an 82-73 upset in the Final Four on Saturday night.

“It means so much, so much,” said Magic Johnson, who sat just a few rows behind the Michigan State bench Saturday night. “It’s been all bad news the last couple of years.”

Spartans hush Huskies, please partisan crowd by reaching title game – [SportsLine]

The rivalry between the 2 inner state teams got ugly in the last minute of the game.  Michigan Wolverines defenseman Steve Kampfer was hit from behind by States Andrew Conboy (If you watch the video closely it reminds me of the Todd Bertuzzi on Steve Moore hit from behind).  As Steve Kampfer laid on the ice, forward Corey Tropp of the Michigan State Spartans came in and two hand slashed him while he was down. Kampfer laid motionless for about five minutes before being helped to the dressing room by teammates.

“What happened near the end of the game this weekend is not the way in which we want our hockey program represented,” Comley said in a statement. “We cannot condone their actions. We felt that we had to send a strong message that this behavior will not be tolerated.

“However, one thing needs to be clear — this was an incident that was an emotional, split-second action, for which these players are being punished. I don’t want this to be portrayed that this was anything premeditated or that any single player was targeted.”

MSU coach Rick Comley has suspended the two hockey players, Corey Tropp and Andrew Conboy for the remainder of the season.

It just boggles my mind that something like this could happen during a college hockey game.  There were times during my hockey career that while on the ice I felt I needed to get someone back.  It never crossed my mind to use my hockey stick as a weapon.  Making a clean hit or fighting the player was the only way to to solve a problem during a hockey game.

It’s nice to see that coach Rick Comley has suspended these players for the remainder of the season, but if I were the coach these 2 hockey players would never suit up again for the Michigan State Spartans in their college career.

Spartans Player Hits and Slashes The Wolverines Player During The Game

Todd Bertuzzi Hit On Steve Moore

“It may not go in the record book like a national championship, but it was like a national championship environment,” Michigan coach Red Berenson said.

7 years later and 2 NHL Winter Classic games in the books, the city of Chicago will host the 3rd ever Winter Classic at Wrigley Field.  The game will face the Chicago Blackhawks and the Detroit Red Wings. 

The hottest ticket in Chicago, crews are working frantically to finish all the construction for the game for January 1st.  Construction crews will work from December 15th-31st, having 3 days off at Christmas to change the baseball diamond into an ice rink.

So far everything seems to be going ok, except for one little accident.  The Zamboni driver forgot to check if the flatbed truck was level on the ground before driving it off the truck.  The Zamboni fell off the truck and nobody was injured.

If you are interested in watching the transformation live on web cam be sure to check out at NHL.com.

All the information below is provided by the NHL

Here’s a look at some of the interesting numbers pertaining to the Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic between the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks at Wrigley Field on Jan. 1, 2009.

1 — NHL games played at Wrigley Field (as of the drop of the puck for the 2009 Winter Classic).

2 — Players in 2009 Winter Classic who played in 2008 Winter Classic (Detroit’s Ty Conklin, Chicago’s Brian Campbell).

2 — Times Detroit and Chicago have met in the Stanley Cup Final. Chicago won in 1934 and in 1961.

3 — Outdoor NHL games that Red Wings goalie Ty Conklin will have played in should he appear in the 2009 Winter Classic. Conklin played for Edmonton in the Heritage Classic in 2003 against Montreal and for Pittsburgh in the inaugural Winter Classic against Buffalo).

3 – Stanley Cups won by Chicago (1934, 1938, 1961).

4 — Current NHL goaltenders who dressed for but did not appear in previous NHL outdoor games (Jocelyn Thibault, Mathieu Garon, Stephen Valiquette, Dany Sabourin).

5 — Seconds between goals scored by Detroit’s Norm Ullman against Chicago’s Glenn Hall on April 11, 1965. That still stands as the record for the fastest two goals by one player in NHL playoffs history.

6 – Number of sweater numbers retired by each franchise.

13 – Combined number of Norris Trophies won by the two franchises. Red Wings have won eight (six by Nicklas Lidstrom). Blackhawks have won five (Pierre Pilote won three).

13 – Combined number of Calder Trophies won by the two franchises. Blackhawks have won eight (Patrick Kane, in 2008, was the most recent). Red Wings have won five (Roger Crozier, in 1965, was the most recent).

15 — Combined number of Hart Trophies won by the two franchises. Red Wings have won nine (six by Gordie Howe). Blackhawks have won six (two each by Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita).

16 — Combined number of Vezina Trophies won by the two franchises. Blackhawks have won 11 (Charles Gardiner and Tony Esposito each won three). Red Wings have won five (three by Terry Sawchuk).

18 — Combined number of Ross Trophies won by the two franchises. Blackhawks have won 11 (four by Stan Mikita). Red Wings have won seven (six by Gordie Howe).

22 — Degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature of an NHL sheet of ice.

22 — Wheels on the specially-built refrigeration/construction truck that traveled from its construction site in Mobile, Ala., to Chicago — with a stop in Atlanta — to haul state-of-the-art ice-making and ice-monitoring equipment to the Winter Classic.

23 — Degrees Fahrenheit, or -5 Centigrade, the average daily temperature on New Year’s Day in Chicago over the last 30 years according to the National Weather Service. The average high is 30 F (-1 C). The average low is 15 F (-9 C).

50 — Combined number of television cameras that will be sprinkled around Wrigley Field by CBC, NBC and the NHL Network.

52 – Age at which Gordie Howe played his final NHL game, making him the oldest man to appear in a League game. Still-active Detroit defenseman Chris Chelios is the second-oldest player in NHL history — he turns 47 on Jan. 25.

53 — Length, in feet, of the world’s largest mobile rink refrigeration unit, specially built for the NHL Winter Classic.

68 — Combined number of shutouts legendary goaltender Glenn Hall recorded for the Red Wings and Blackhawks. Hall had 17 shutouts in 148 career games with Detroit and then 51 more in 618 games with Chicago.

79 – Number of current NHL players who have dressed for a “major” outdoor game — 2001 Cold War (Michigan-Michigan St.), 2003 Heritage Classic, 2006 Frozen Tundra Classic (Wisconsin-Ohio St.), 2008 Winter Classic.

288 — Miles from Joe Louis Arena in Detroit to Wrigley Field in Chicago

502 — NHL-record number of consecutive complete games played by goaltender Glenn Hall from the beginning of the 1955-56 season with Detroit through the first 12 games of the 1962-63 season with Chicago.

701 – Regular-season meetings between the Red Wings and Blackhawks (as of Jan. 1).

1,767 – NHL games played by Gordie Howe, the most in NHL history. Detroit’s Chris Chelios had played in 1,616 NHL games — the most among active players — entering this season.

1926 — The year of the first Blackhawks-Red Wings game (Detroit won, 1-0, on Nov. 24 at Chicago Coliseum).

1957 — The year in which CBS televised the first network hockey game in the United States. The Rangers defeated the Blackhawks, 4-1, on Jan. 5 in New York with Peter Puck making his broadcast debut.

20,000 — Gallons of water needed to create an ice surface two-inches deep on Wrigley Field (NHL rinks normally are 1″-1.25″ thick).

41,000+ – Fans expected to attend the game.

Top Heisman Running Backs Candidates:

1. Javon Ringer (Michigan State Spartans) - Michigan State is 9-2 for the first time since 1999 and atop the Big 12. Javon Ringer has been instrumental to the Spartans success, carrying the ball on average 32 times a game and 99 rush attempts ahead of the next nearest back at 353. This gives the Spartans a clock eater in the backfield. Ringer also leads the country in rushing touchdowns with 20 and rushing yards with 1548. His stock also rises if they can manage to beat PSU in the season finale and win the Big 12 for the first time since 1990. If Ringer does turn out to be only a runner up in the Heisman race he is still going to make a great NFL back with his workhorse numbers.

2. Kendall Hunter (Oklahoma State Cowboys) - This guy is a special running back, in only his sophomore season Hunter and the Cowboys stayed undefeated through the first 8 games of the season before falling to a No. 1 and No. 2 in back to back weeks. Playing at Oklahoma State, the same school as the legendary Barry Sanders, Hunter may surpass some of Barry’s numbers. Hunter is currently fourth in the nation in rushing with 1332 yards, but has gained those totals on only 199 attempts, that’s an average of 6.7 YPC. To put his numbers in perspective if he had as many attempt as Javon Ringer, Hunter would have 2364 rushing yards based on average. He also has 13 rushing touchdowns and has caught 12 passes for 110 yards. Hunter will be a fixture in the Cowboys backfield for years and will be playing on Sunday’s if he stays healthy.

3. Shonn Greene (Iowa Hawkeyes) – The Hawkeyes have stayed close in every game they have played, they can thank Shonn Greene for that. Greene has rushed for at least 100 yards in every game this season and has totaled 1374 rushing yards thus far, which puts him third in the country. His 6.1 yards per carry is impressive considering he has 226 attempts on the season. Greene also has contributed 13 rushing touchdowns to the offense but may not get enough votes because of the team he plays on. He stands only 5’11″ but weighs in at a bulky 225lb, Shonn will be scouted carefully and they will love his quickness and cut back ability.

Honorable Mentions: Donald Brown (Connecticut), LeSean McCoy (Pittsburgh), MiQuale Lewis (Ball State)

Check back tomorrow for our College Football Heisman Watch: Wide Receivers

We have some interesting games now that inter-conference play is well under way, the rivalries are getting more and more intense as the games have more meaning down the stretch.

Our record now sits at 5-7, but following this week we will crack the .500 mark to move to 8-7.

Let take a look at this weeks College Football Free Picks for week 9.

1. Virginia Cavaliers @ Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (-14, O/U 41)

Pick: Virginia Cavaliers +14 – We like the Cavaliers this week against the upstart Yellow Jackets, the Cavaliers are coming off their biggest win of the season beating the Tar Heels in overtime. Georgia Tech is playing some of the best defence in the country, however the Cavaliers have been playing some good football themselves, winners of three straight which includes victories over Maryland, East Carolina and North Carolina. Play the points with the Cavaliers and expect a low scoring game.

2. Georgia Buldogs @ LSU Tigers (-1, O/U 50)

Pick: Under 50 – What were the line makers thinking setting the line so big? Trust me they know what their doing, however, I can’t help but to play the under for the game. both defences have the potential to lock down against any offense in the nation, I will hope they lock down this week. Play the under the it’s way to high for a game of this stature.

3. Michigan State Spartans (-4, O/U 45) @ Michigan Wolverines

Pick: Over 45 - We like the over for this game as these inter-city rivals are always geared up for these games. The coaches also anticipate these games as bragging rights and recruiting within the state of Michigan is always at stake.

Remember to check back next week with out College Football Free Picks.�