Importance of Home Court Advantage.

Photo Credit: http://brianbarrons.typepad.com/

Home court advantage is crucial in the game of college basketball. The roar of a crowd can intimidate even the best of basketball players. Fans yell, scream, hoop 'n holler, all for the sake of pulling their team to victory.

Some schools have great home court advantages, but you wouldn't expect them because they are small schools, or just not in the national spotlight.

But where does the Izzone ranke amongst the best? According to collegehoops.net they are third. Not too shabby for the Green and White.

MSU has one of the best home court advantages, and the best student section in the Big Ten. That's not just me, that's a consensus by the folks at collegehoops.net, according to Dan Daitchman of collegehoops.net

The student section of a college basketball game is crucial to any team that wants to make a run at championships. If you can't win at home, then you're going to struggle putting together winning seasons.

Michigan State has put together winning season after winning season. Back to Back trips to Final Fours, a national championship in 2000, a 366–146 record under head coach Tom Izzo

Crowds are important factors in games. Why do you think Duke, North Carolina, and MSU are good every year? Because they win at home. Why do they win at home? Home Court Advantage. Without the Izzone, there's no home court advantage. Without home court, MSU isn't nearly as good a team as it is at home.

Don't let anyone tell you differently, home court advantage matters.

Inside the Izzone

Oh the Izzone, it's quite an experience. There's nothing quite like 2,000 plus students jumping and screaming in unison to try and get the opposition to make a crucial mistake. It's what makes college basketball an experience like no other.

I remember my first trip to the Izzone. It was last year, we were playing Florida Gulf Coast. The Izzone made junior guard Reed Baker the main target of it's harassment. Baker was a transfer from Michigan. The Spartans won a lot to very little. The highlight of the game was when freshman guard Sherwood Brown was on the line for two free throws.

A young, belligerent bearded freshman started chanting "LISA LESLIE" Everyone in our corner picked it up, and it started to spread. By the time he was about to take his second free throw, the entire Izzone had picked up the chant. The young Sherwood Brown couldn't help but crack a smile while on the line.

Every trip I've had to the Izzone since has been an amazing experience. It's what make college sports great. The camaraderie is unmatched. The atmosphere is electric. It's thousands of people rallying under one cause: Victory for MSU.

The Izzone is something special. It's an experience like no other, and something I've always wanted. I am an avid sports fanatic, and the Izzone is the perfect for me. The atmosphere is like nothing I've ever experienced, and I recommend it for every Spartan.

This is what the Izzone is about...

The Walk That Saved a Life

Photo Credit: Scottcounseling.com

The trick with this blog post is to find links, but with the story I chose to cover for this assignment, I must tell this story.

First I'll tell you that the signs of depression are easy to see. People become less interested in things they had passions for, start giving away items, start talking about death, and many other signs. There are other physical signs of depression as well. The key is knowing how to react to the signs of depression.

But anyways, the story that I must share with everyone.

I know someone, it was his freshman year of high school. He was at a school he had no interest in going to. He wanted to go where his friends were going bu this parents sent him somewhere else. He was alone, hopeless, and depressed. He had no friends in high school and none of his grade school friends had kept in contact with him. He was desperately alone.

He spent countless nights crying himself to sleep, just wishing that he had one thing to look forward to. He got cut from the freshman soccer team, had no friends at school, and started his high school career by getting the worst grades of his academic career. He felt like a total failure in every sense of the word.

One night, he decided he was just going to leave. He was tired of lying in bed feeling hopeless, and so he got out of bed and left. Didn't have a gameplan other than getting out of the house. He was in a shady part of the city, so maybe he would run into some trouble, that way his death would be a tragic accident and he'd be remembered for that, not suicide.

He didn't find any trouble on his walk... He found hope.

While on his walk he came across a man, the man stopped and said, "Young man, what's wrong?"

My friend stood there silent.

The man said back, "I can feel your pain just by walking by you, please, take this, read it and remember this."

The man handed my friend a piece of paper that said "The Lord is my rock and my strength." It dawned on my friend that he had given up hope in life, and in God, but God had not given up hope in him.

My friend's life has completely turned around since that day, and now he shares his stories with those who feel hopeless. That even in our darkest times, there is always a light.

So please, make yourself aware of those that are depressed and suicidal. You could be the one to save a life.

To Write Love on Her Arms...

To Write Love on Her Arms is a non profit organization who's goal is to spread awareness of depression and suicide. Depression affects so many people across the country, and it can easily be helped in many cases.

The goal of TWLOHA is to show people suffering with depression that they are not alone, that they are loved, that there is hope. TWLOHA over the past four years has responded to 150,000 messages from 40 different countries. TWLOHA provides support for anyone and everyone. From the one's suffering from depressed, to the families of suicide victims, anyone with questions or concerns can message TWLOHA for help. It started four years ago as a way to send a message of hope to a friend.

Why do I support TWLOHA? Because I have always tried to preach the same message that TWLOHA has preached. I've always tried to be a source of support to any friend in need. I've been depressed, I've felt hopeless, and I've felt all alone in this world. These are feelings that I would never want anyone to feel. That's why I stride to always be there for anyone, whether it's my best friend or someone I just met. Sometimes, all it takes is knowing that there's one person out there that actually gives a damn about you, so I always make sure the people I am close to know how I will always be there for them.

I don't write love on my arm to bring attention to myself, I do it to bring attention to the issue at hand. I've had friends and family suffer from depression. TWLOHA Day is about showing those that feel alone in this world that they aren't. Someone one friday came up to me (they declined interview and requested anonymity) and she asked me about Love on my arm. I told them the story behind it and she gave me a hug. She then began to share her story with me about how ever since she's come to MSU, she's felt more alone than ever. Surrounded by thousands of people but not knowing anyone was a rough transition for her.

I told her that she may feel like it, but she's not alone, and I shared her some of my stories. I felt the impact I made in her life, and it's those kind of moments that I live for.

I encourage you guys, to check this out, I've been following this for about a year, changed my life, and I hope it changes your's too.
Remember, spread the love, make a difference in someone's life by letting them know that they matter and that they are loved.

Live Event Part 2

Credit: thebleacherreport.com

Michigan beat Illinois on Saturday to get themselves bowl eligible for the first time under Rich Rodriguez. It took three overtimes, but Michigan actually pulled it off. Despite giving up 45 points, (not counting the overtime points, I don't count those because the other team always starts at the 25, so it's too easy to score.) Despite turning over the ball five times, despite giving up a ton of yards and big plays, Michigan managed to pull out the win.

This game was a fun game to watch, for those that hate defense. Although, even though it wouldn't seem like it, there were a few kew stops in this game. Michigan held Illinois to field goals, which ended up being key. Michigan's offense as dynamic, as always, gaining 419 yards through the air and 257 on the ground.

Michigan put up 45 points in regulation, and 67 points overal. The 67-65 game was the highest scoring game in Michigan history. The atmosphere in the stadium was not quite like any other stadium in the country. 111,000 plus fans on the edge of their seats, all knowing how much was riding on this game; Rich Rod's job, bowl-eligible season, what could be a four game losing streak. Michigan.

Roy Roundtree set the Michigan record for receiving yards in a game 246 yards on nine receptions and two touchdowns. Roundtree had a fantastic day and no one in the Illinois secondary could cover him.

The Wolverines got their win to make themselves bowl eligible. I expected Illinois to win, but they proved me, and a lot of other people wrong. They hung tough, faced much adversity, and still managed to win in triple overtime. Denard left with a possible concussion. Tate came in and fumbled on his first play, but Michigan still managed to bear down and get the win.

This is a good win going forward, especially since there's only one game left they have a legitimate chance at winning.

Live Event 1

Photo Credit: thesportsbank.net

The Michigan Wolverines are taking on the Illinois Fighting Illini this Saturday at the Big House in Ann Arbor. A must win game for the struggling Wolverines. All they need is one win and they're bowl eligible, and looking at the remaining schedule... this might have to be the game.

Michigan is coming off a road loss in which they fell down big but came back to make it interesting, but still lost by double digits. The amazing Michigan defense was torn apart by stud quarterback Matt McGloin, 5 star recruit, everyone wanted him... For those of you that don't know, he's a redshirt sophomore, walk-on quarterback from Scranton, Pennsylvania, yes that Scranton.

The Illini are a good defensive team, and they have a good offense. Nathan Scheelhaase is a quarterback, so therefore he will have a big game. The Michigan defense is horrendous, 88th in the country in points against. I expect Illinois to be able to move the ball up and down the field against that "defense" and I use that term lightly.

The good news for the Wolverines is Mike Martin should be good to play, but unfortunately for Michigan Fitzgerald Toussaint and J.T Floyd will be out. Floyd is done for the season with his ankle injury. A defense that's already bad in secondary is losing the one decent corner. Which spells disaster for the defense.

SO who's going to win this one? Illinois. Michigan just does not have the talent on defense to stop anyone. Michigan will score, but Illinois will score more. They are solid on defense and offense, and Michigan is just so bad defensively.

Unfortunately for Rich Rod, this game could decide his job. If he loses this game, he is done, finito. If he loses, he will be fired at the end of the year. Done, count it, chalk.

This is a must win game for the Wolverines.