Izzo Follow Up

Gotta get the unofficial sponsor out of the way real quick... let's ask the wife since nothing is coming to mind.

Me: Who do you want for the unofficial sponsor of the blog?
Wife: What is it about?
Me: Izzo.
Wife: Can we do Gatorade?
Me: Why Gatorade?
Wife: Because it's new.
Me: Gatorade is new?
Wife: Yeah, there is a before, during, and after Gatorade.

I'm now enlightened enough to know that, aoccording to our unofficial sponsor, I should have brought three different bottles of Gatorade to the gym this morning for the sweat I barely broke.

Izzo announced today that he was staying at Michigan State, which wasn't surprising. I was in Detroit for a wedding last weekend, and a little surprised at how my State friends seemed resigned to his leaving. They were generally bitter about it, but understood why he was going if he went. If he had gone without LeBron, the forgiveness would have been out the door, though. It was pretty cool to see the vigils being held for him up in East Lansing, begging him to stay. You gotta believe that had some influence on his decision.

In the end, it seemed like Izzo was who we thought he was (Dennis Green reference intentional. Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_N1OjGhIFc). He comes across as loyal and true to the school, and I liked his statement about being in East Lansing for life. I believe that to be true. Everyone knew/hoped-for-the-love-of-all-things-sacred-in-sport he was only going if LeBron went back to Cleveland. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity that just wasn't there. And for the first time in a very long time, it wasn't about the money. And yes, that shiver in the sole of your foot is hell beginning to freeze over.

Don't kid yourself that he would have stayed if LeBron was guaranteed back with the Cavs, though. Izzo himself said as much on Mike and Mike this morning where he admitted he had contact with people in LeBron's camp. That went something like this:

Izzo: Let's cut the B.S. I didn't need all this fancy bull crap, private jets, nice dinner, whatever. I only ordered that $5,000 bottle of red to see how tight Gilbert was. Is LeBron going back to the Cavs?

LeBron rep: Yes, LeBron is going to give up all this media attention and hype so you can decide what to do. Are you f-ing kidding me? We have meetings with Jay-Z, Michael Bloomberg, Halle Berry, and whoever that girl was on the cover of Victoria's Secret last month, all next week. Me and my boys are gonna talk LeBron out of every decision he makes for the next three weeks.

Izzo: I am so loyal to Michigan State.

However he got back to MSU, I'm glad he did. The university and he should be like Dean Smith and UNC, Coach K and Duke. That would have been a tough one to explain to 7-12 year old Spartan fans. Though I'm sure the liquor stores and bars wouldn't have minded that inevitable 247% sales increase the week after he had left.