March Madness

How about those Spartans?!?!

Once again, Tom Izzo, Mr. March, has them playing their best ball of the season and they are on the way to the Sweet 16 again. That seemed a long way off in January or early February, but it just shows again that Izzo has forgotten more about basketball than I will ever know.

And this team has really caught on with the fans. Even the 28mm variety. Even the 95th Rifles had to pause to watch yesterday's game! Appropriate that they are dressed in green, no?

Actually, this was a Black Powder game put on by Jon at Rider's in Flint. For the second year in a row, it conflicted with a Spartan game. Than goodness for smart phones and NCAA March Madness apps. The outcome this year was a little better, too, with the huge win over Virginia.

I'm sure they would have set up large screen monitors in the Spanish villages to watch, just like they do for soccer, had they been able to. Right?

More on the actual game later, but I just liked this photo and had to get it posted. Go green!!!

But Shouldn't They Be Red?

OK, a slight diversion. For Spartans of the Michigan State University variety, it's Michigan week. This year's big game is Saturday at noon in East Lansing. This year, Nike, as part of its ongoing campaign against good fashion, has provided MSU with one of its Pro Combat uniforms. Here's what Nike has to say about it:


Like the ferocious Spartan warriors of ancient Greece, the Michigan State University football team views every game as a battle, requiring the right equipment and attitude for victory. Accordingly, the Spartans are one of nine teams chosen to wear the innovative Nike Pro Combat system of dress for the 2011 season. When the gates lift for their battle against archrival Michigan on Oct. 15, the Spartans will sport a unique design with bronze colorways, honoring the heroic armor of their historic namesake. Bronze is visible throughout the uniform, adding an authentic strength and durability synonymous with the Spartan name. 

The uniform's overall innovation starts at the baselayer, as strategically placed seams, pads and cooling zones help minimize distraction and optimize protective coverage. It features customizable protection, incorporating a thin, incredibly strong carbon fiber plate. This symbolically mirrors that of the Spartan shield, which is emblazoned on the right of the baselayer. The Nike Pro Combat Deflex padding, combined with strategically placed cooling zones helps wick away sweat to keep competitors cool, while the Flywire-threaded collar allows for more breathability, enabling that extra push needed during the rigors of Saturday battle. 

Echoing the cry of King Leonidas, the back of the collar is inscribed with the words "Molon Labe," the Spartans' defiant challenge to the competition to "come and get them!" Gloves complete the traditional Spartan headdress look. Armed with intensity and determination, MSU will fight on the battlefield until the last team is standing. 

Now, I'm all for the Spartans embracing authentic Spartan attributes as they strive for victory against the hated Wolverines from Ann Arbor, or as they like to call it, the Athens of the Midwest. But as a gamer, I just can't help but ask in the interests of accuracy, shouldn't the uniforms be red? And where's the lambda?