Michigan State University – Paul MacDonald

A Rose by Any Other Name…

Commitment means everything in college sports. Coaches will tell you that buy in means the world to the success of their programs. Without buy in, practices have less energy and focus, and ultimately teams cannot meet their potential in competition. College athletes are asked to sign a National Letter of Intent committing to play aContinue reading “A Rose by Any Other Name…”

Musings on the 2021 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament

The NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament is now under way. March Madness has already flexed its muscle with several upsets (North Texas over Purdue, Oral Roberts over Ohio State and others), with more to come. There’s so much to talk about regarding this tournament, these are my highlights and low lights. The NCAA can breathe aContinue reading “Musings on the 2021 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament”

Big Ten Football’s Coaching Carousel Going for a Spin

Big Ten football has been notorious for exceptionally competitive games, and national relevance for multiple team members. The league’s relevance took a major hit due to its commissioner, Kevin Warren. The conference’s coaching carousel (both current and future) hasn’t helped the league either. COVID has certainly added difficulty in planning for and directing a season.Continue reading “Big Ten Football’s Coaching Carousel Going for a Spin”

Big Time Fan Bases and the Media Must Lower the Bar

Many fan bases would have us think that they are perennial championship contenders year in and year out for decades on end. However, their perceptions are based upon antiquated successes of yesteryear, opportunistic media, overspending on athletes, and the forgotten reality that other teams are working to build their teams in the face of theseContinue reading “Big Time Fan Bases and the Media Must Lower the Bar”

The Petri Dish of Professional Sports

Welcome to your first Biology 101 Petri dish experiment. The startup of the MLB, NBA, and the NHL seasons has provided a classic laboratory test with elite athletes as the test subjects! These three have provided us with examples of how to reopen, and how not to reopen professional sports. The NCAA will be makingContinue reading “The Petri Dish of Professional Sports”