ROBERTS' RUMORS...LiVe For TodAy!!

Greatest Wedding Day Burn Ever!! She Shouldn't Have Done That...

2009-05-21T19:08:00.000-04:00

Greatest Wedding Day Burn Ever!! She Shouldn't Have Done That...

KRIS ALLEN WINS AMERICAN IDOL!!

2009-05-21T11:35:00.002-04:00

Well as you probably already know by now, Kris Allen upset Adam Lambert last night to win Season 8 of American Idol.

The show was great and the guest stars made the two hour finale a sight to see. Instead of recapping in detail a show that you either watched or didn't care to see, I stopped in just to report who won and to let you know that I will be doing a follow-up story on the new American Idol.

I am going to write about the past winners and where they are at today and I will also be following Kris Allen and report on his progress over all. Until then though, my writing about American Idol will slow down.

I hope you all enjoyed Season 8 of the show, I know I did. And congratulations to the winner this year...Kris Allen. I'll be back soon with more on Kris. Have a great day, and thanks for reading! ~ Scott

The Finals - American Idol

2009-05-20T06:31:00.005-04:00

On American Idol last night the two remaining contestants sang for the title! Kris Allen and Adam Lambert sang the finale with the intentions of trying to be the American Idol Season 8 winner.

The show hosted three rounds of performances with each of the two contestants singing in each round.

In the first round each contestant performed a repeat of their favorite song they did previously in the season. Adam Lambert sang Tears for Fears' song "Mad World" again and he did a great job! Kris decided on the Bill Withers tune "Ain't No Sunshine" while playing the piano. Kris did a great job also on his first song.

In the second round the contestants had to sing a song that was picked by the show's creator, Simon Fuller. Adam Lambert was required to sing the Sam Cooke R&B song "A Change Is Gonna Come." Although many may think this is not Adam's kind of music, he did a fantastic job and with this song I think he sealed the win in the competition!

Kris on the other hand was required to sing "What's Goin' On" by the great Marvin Gaye. Although the judges felt like Kris' performance was "lightweight" I really think it showed us the kind of artist Kris is going to be and I also think he really did a good job with this one.

The third and final round was slated to be the most interesting because both singers were required to perform a song that was written by this years' new judge, Kara DioGuardi. I didn't particularly like the song, and I actually think BOTH singers butchered their performance of it just a bit. In my opinion, this was a bad way to end the show, but really....who am I right?

So all in all I think...drum roll please...Adam Lambert should win this competition. Surprised? Nah! I think this based on the whole competition AND based on last night's performances too. I AM going to say something here that may surprise you though, "DON'T BE SURPRISED IF KRIS ALLEN ACTUALLY SNEAKS OUT THE WIN THOUGH" after America votes!

This guy has had votes when you didn't think he should have gotten them. Last week was a perfect example of this for me. So, I will leave this and be back tomorrow with my final story about Season 8 of American Idol. It's been great writing about this, it really has.

And we will see tonight on Fox at 9pm who wins this season, but my pick is Adam Lambert! I hope you all have a good day and I hope you enjoy the show tonight. 'Til tomorrow, Roberts...out!

AI UPDATE!! Final Three Performances

2009-05-13T09:53:00.010-04:00

Last night on American Idol the final three contestants performed for the right to be in the finals next week. With only three performers left, each of the contestants had to sing two songs to try and stay alive!

The first singer up on the show was Danny Gokey. In this first song, Danny was required to sing a song that judge Paula Abdul picked for him. And the song he sang was Terrance Trent Darby's, "Dance Little Sister." I didn't think this was a good song for Danny, but I do think he did a good job especially for the opening of the show.

Next, judges Kara and Randy picked a song for Kris Allen. They picked the song "Apologize" by One Republic and Kris did a great job with this song while playing the piano.

After this it was Adam Lambert's turn. Adam was required to sing the song "One" by U2 at the request of judge Simon Cowell. Although I really didn't like the changes Adam made to this song, as always, he did a great job singing it.

In the second half of the show Danny was asked to sing first again, this time with his own selection. And with this he chose to sing "You Are So Beautiful" by Joe Cocker. I think Danny showed his singing talent in this performance. I wasn't crazy about the arrangement, but he did sing well!

Kris Allen was next with his second song of the evening. He too was able to chose his own song and he chose to perform a complete accoustic guitar version of Kanye West's song "Heartless." I liked the arrangement of the song and I think Kris did a great job singing.

Then to round out the show, Adam Lambert chose to sing "Cryin'" by Aerosmith. Now I really did not like the way Adam changed this song at all, but of course he did a crazy good job of singing! If this guy doesn't make it to the finals next week, it will definitely be a bad mark on the show overall.

So who's going home on tonight's show? I think if America votes it correctly it will be either Danny Gokey or Kris Allen. But, this is a tough one for me between these two. So I am going to just say that AMERICA'S VOTES will send Danny Gokey home tonight, whether it be right or wrong.

I think Kris' song choice will keep him in the contest. And he was lucky enough to get the One Republic song from Paula Abdul for his first song too. Singing the more popular songs should help keep Kris in the contestant and moving to the finals.

Because of that, I'm going with Danny Gokey to be the contestant that is sent home tonight. But I could be wrong? Let's all watch Fox at 9pm tonight to find out. Feel free to disagree with me here, and oh, even though I picked Gokey to go home tonight, I didn't necessarily say it was the RIGHT choice! Have a great day! ~ Scott

For Today, I Love The Serenity Prayer

2009-05-11T13:41:00.000-04:00

If you could all take a moment with this, I think you will be happy that you did. This is certainly a great way to start your day, and something to remember throughout many days. I hope you enjoy! ~ Scott

For Today, I Love The Serenity Prayer

Top 5 Ways To Impact Someone Else's Day...

2009-05-11T13:35:00.000-04:00

Top 5 Ways To Impact Someone Else's Day...

IT'S MOTHER'S DAY YO!!

2009-05-10T10:56:00.004-04:00

Hey everybody, I want to apologize for not bein' around here lately, I don't have to explain how life is do I? Anyway, I just wanted to make sure that everyone wishes their mother a Happy Mother's Day today.

If you are reading this now and have not done this yet...please leave! You have to love your mother! Moms, whether they are perfect or not, carried you inside of them for months on end and ultimately were responsible for us our whole lives.

EVERYBODY LOVE YOUR MOTHER TODAY!! WISH HER A HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY and maybe even do something for her to make her day special. I hope you all have a good rest of the weekend, and remember, if you want to keep reading, go to: www.hubpages.com/profile/scottaye73. LATER!! ~ Scott

American Idol...Only Three Left!!

2009-05-07T00:39:00.014-04:00

Last night on American Idol one contestant's journey came to an end, and today there are only three performers left going into next week's competition.

This week has been tough for me because I did not predict this one correctly at all. Yesterday I picked Kris Allen to go home, and America's votes actually sent the last remaining female contestant home last night, Allison Iraheta.

The remaining contestants are Adam Lambert, Danny Gokey, and Kris Allen. I certainly had this one all wrong, and in my opinion, the rest of the voters did too.

Allison goes home and the other three contestants will be participating in a "go to your hometown" special next week. That means that each of the remaining three contestants will go back to their hometowns and visit, and that visit will be televised next Tuesday.

Back to last night's show. The show featured artists No Doubt, Chris Daughtry and American Idol's own, Paula Abdul performing. The entertainment on the show was great. No Doubt on their Reunion Tour was good, Chris Daughtry was great, and Paula Abdul showed off her stuff again...showing again that some things MAY just last forever!

Anyway, let's all say "We're Sorry" to the Allison Iraheta fans out there, that's not how I would have called this one at all. But don't worry about Allison, this girl will be cutting a record soon.

That's the American Idol recap for this week. I'd like to say good luck to Adam Lambert, Danny Gokey and Kris Allen next week. Of course I will be watching and giving you my predictions again then. Goodbye for another week Amercian Idol, I will be writing about you again next Tuesday!

Make sure and check in on this blog the rest of the week though, I have some good topics coming up. Thanks for reading! ~ Scott

American Idol Recap!

2009-05-06T07:00:00.004-04:00

American Idol has only four contestants left and those four sang last night to try to avoid elimination on tonight's show. As the show gets closer to the end, it is becoming more critical that each performer show their best in front of the world!

Last night, the show's performances began with Adam Lambert. Adam sang, "Whole Lotta Love" by Led Zeppelin. This is the first time a Led Zeppelin song has ever been sang on American Idol and Adam did a great job. My opinion still remains the same on this guy, he should win this competition.

Next up was Allison Iraheta singing "Cry Baby" by Janis Joplin. Honestly I've been waiting for Allison to be able to do a Janis Joplin song, and last night's performance proved how great she really is. She sounds like Janis! And this girl is only 17 years old...wow is all I can say.

Following Allison's song, there was a duet from Danny Gokey and Kris Allen. They sang "Renegad" by Styx. They admitted on the show that it was very hard for them to pick out a song together and I think it showed. I did not really like this duet, although both guys are very talented for sure.

Kris Allen came to the stage next singing "Come Together" by the Beatles. I have to agree with the judges this week who were not in favor of Kris' performance. We'll see how he fairs in the voting tonight, but I don't think he will do very well.

Then came Danny Gokey singing "Dream On" by Aerosmith. Danny just did not impress last night. His last note of the song was crazy with "several different notes jumping off" according to judge Randy Jackson. Danny is definitely a talented guy, but last night he did not show his best as far as I am concerned.

Last on the show was Adam Lambert and Allison Iraheta' duet. They sang "Slow Ride" by Foghat. This duo tore it up last night and sounded great. Paula Abdul suggested that these two sing a song together on their first albums, and I would have to agree, that would be a great.

So with only four contestants left, I will be picking a top and bottom TWO instead of three. And this week my top two are Adam Lambert and Allison Iraheta, landing Danny Gokey and Kris Allen in the bottom two. I'm sure this is no surprise to anyone if you saw the show last night.

The problem is, now I have to pick who is going home on tonight's show! Danny Gokey has never been in the bottom three, but Kris Allen gets votes from the young ladies, just for being Kris!

This is a tough one for me but I'm going to have to send Kris Allen packing tonight. Kris has had a great run, and I'm sure he will make a record being as talented as he is, but realistically, he should not finish this competition higher than any of the other three contestants that are left.

So tune in tonight at 9pm on Fox to see if I did indeed get this pick right. Then as always, I will be back tomorrow to discuss the results of the elimination show. Until then...Roberts, OUT!!

If You Ever Wanted To Write...Here's Your Chance!

2009-05-04T07:13:00.002-04:00

Have you ever thought of being a writer? I want to talk about an opportunity that presented itself to me over this past weekend. I have no idea why this had never shown itself until now, but if you like to write, you must check out www.hubpages.com.

I do not have a degree in journalism and would be considered a 100% freelance writer, but at www.hubpages.com you can be the kind of writer you want to be and the writing "community" is very strong there.

Because there are so many writers there you can read articles on just about any topic, and you can also generate income with your own writing. The writing is graded by a grading system and it really inspires you to write your best material.

I'm not going to tell you everything about the site that I have figured out in the last day in this blog post, because I believe you should see it yourself. And while you are there, go ahead and check out what I've done since yesterday! Click on this link here www.hubpages.com/profile/scottaye73 and tell me what you think.

I hope you all have a great day today, and feel free to ask me any questions about hubpages or anything else you would like. Thanks for reading! ~ Scott

Matt Giraud Gets Fifth Place...American Idol

2009-04-30T10:59:00.005-04:00

Well it happened. Our local guy Matt Giraud performed for the last time as a contestant on the American Idol stage last night. Matt is a local hero now and will be preparing himself to go on tour with the American Idol Top 10.

It's ironic that Matt leaves on "Jazz Week," considering his background. But I do believe that America's votes were correct and that Matt should have finished in fifth place. Fifth place? On AMERICAN IDOL? What an achievement.

To go back to my picks before the show yesterday, I did say Matt Giraud would be going home, but I did not call the Top and Bottom two correctly. As it turns out, Allison Iraheta and Danny Gokey received the most votes on the show last night. And it was Adam Lambert and Matt Giraud at the bottom with Kris Allen in the middle of the Top 5.

The reason I was not right was the positioning of Adam Lambert! I think everyone was surprised when Adam was not the top vote recipient like he has been for at least five shows in a row. In fact, not only was he not the top vote-getter, he was in the bottom two.

Or maybe the American Idol folks just decided to play with us all to make the show just a little more interesting? I think it's possible! Anyway, now there are FOUR contestants left and they are Adam Lambert, Allison Iraheta, Danny Gokey, and Kris Allen.

I do believe that America has this vote correct, and these contestants are the most deserving of the Top 4 honors. It should be a great show next week, I hope it is as good as this weeks show! I'm sure with this Top 4, they will not disappoint.

That's it for Amercian Idol this week, be sure to see what I cover tomorrow! Thanks for reading. ~ Scott

Top 5, Idol Recap...

2009-04-29T09:13:00.015-04:00

Ok, if you watched last night's American Idol on Fox you saw a great show! The Top Five remaining contestants performed last night to try to avoid elimination in the competition...and wow did they ever?

The first singer up last night was Kris Allen singing "The Way You Look Tonight." Kris did a great job with the song, his best performance yet if you ask me. I do think this guy will make a record, but he doesn't possess the vocal talent of a couple of the other contestants.

Next up was Allison Iraheta with "Someone To Watch Over Me." Allison just turned 17 years old this week and man oh man, the sky is the limit for this girl. I think Randy Jackson said it best when he said Allison came out "sounding like Pink, with about nine more octaves" of range! This girl is awesome and I hope she makes it to the finals.

The third contestant out of five to sing was K-Zoo Michigan's Matt Giraud. Matt sang "My Funny Valentine." Due to the fact that Matt is a music major at Western Michigan University, I would have thought that this "Jazz Week" would have been his strong suit. Simon Cowell was the only judge that liked Matt's performance? I would have to agree with the other judges on this one...I didn't think Matt was great. Matt's performance was good, but nowhere near the other competitors' performance last night.

After Matt came Danny Gokey. Danny sang "Come Rain Come Shine" and this guy ripped it up! Danny gave what I thought was his best performance to date. He had the crowd standing and screaming at the end of his song. I didn't really believe this guy to be a true threat of winning up to this point, but after what I saw last night, he may be trying to prove his critics wrong. NICE JOB DANNY!!

And lastly, Adam Lambert belted out ANOTHER stellar performance and captivated the audience performing "Feeling Good" (the muse version). Did you notice I said he was "performing?" I do believe Lambert WAS "showboating" a bit with the last note of his song, but I really can't knock it either.

This guy was awesome again and actually sounds like a young Freddy Mercury (from Queen) to me. Can you see Adam Lambert singing Bohemian Rhapsody? I definitely can. Or how about a cross between Freddy Mercury and Steven Tyler (Aerosmith)? Either way, my opinion has not changed after last night's show, this guy should win this competition hands down.

With that, I am going to pick my top and bottom two contestants. And those are Matt Giraud and Kris Allen at the bottom with Adam Lambert and Danny Gokey at the top. That puts Allison SAFE right in the middle. So who is going home tonight?

You heard it here first, Matt Giraud will be going home after tonight's show. Like I said, his performance was good, but nowhere near the other competitors' on last night's show. And really Matt, who can be upset about being in the Top 5 of American Idol?

It's been an awesome season, it was an awesome show last night, and I honestly can't wait for some of these records to come out of the Top 5...THAT'S IT, EVERYBODY WINS...NOW GET IN THE STUDIO!! 'Til tomorrow...Roberts OUT!

Lions Pick Stafford...No. 1 Overall Pick

2009-04-27T09:34:00.003-04:00

The first pick of the NFL draft went to the Detroit Lions this year because of their 0-16 season last year. The Lions have agreed to contract terms with University of Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford. The deal is reported to be six-years, $78 million, with $41.7 million guaranteed.

Stafford was consistently mentioned as the possible No. 1 overall pick since he announced after the college season that he would be leaving Georgia after his junior year to enter the draft.

Stafford is 6' 3" tall and has the size needed to be an NFL franchise quarterback, and the arm strength to go with it. He did throw for 3,459 yards and 25 touchdowns in his junior year at Georgia. And, he ended his college career with 250 yards and 3 TDs while winning the Capitol One Bowl MVP.

I think Stafford will be the "franchise" quarterback and fulfill the dreams of this organization if the organization develops him correctly. But the history of this organization is that they ruin careers and don't have a clue what they doing with the players they do get. Oh and if you disagree, please don't make me talk about Barry Sanders...I'm STILL mad about that one.

C'mon Lions!! Don't ruin this guys' career!! He should start about two to three years from now if done correctly. Let Daunte Culpepper run this sub-par team this year and let the "franchise" quarterback develop. Early signs point to Stafford starting at some point this year though, because that's what the Lions do...and that's why they are so bad. Thanks to the Ford ownership of this team, it's hard being a Lions fan.

Detroit Tigers...will they be back this year?

2009-04-27T09:24:00.002-04:00

The Detroit Tigers went to the World Series a few years ago and are back this year trying to do the same thing. The Tigers are currently 10-8 and are leading the American League Central Division going into today's game against the New York Yankees.

This year the Tigers do have good pitching and what could be a solid run scoring attack if the players play to their potiential. The Amercian League Central Division looks weak this year and because of this, I believe the Tigers will win the division and go to the playoffs again.

But I don't think they will have enough to go all the way this year. It's very early into a 182 game Major League Baseball schedule, so injuries and many other things could affect their season positively or negatively.

But this early in the season, I'm going to predict they will go to the playoffs this year! And if you know me, you know I love the Old English "D" (Tigers Logo), and you know that I will be rooting, hoping for, and planning on the Tigers to have a great season. GO DETROIT!!!

Detroit Red Wings Are Still Resting!!

2009-04-27T09:10:00.002-04:00

The National Hockey League Playoffs are in full swing and the Detroit Red Wings are resting! That's because they swept their first round Playoff Series 4-0 and are waiting for the next opponent.

Detroit grabbed a #2 seed in the Western Conference with a 50-21-10 record and 121 points overall this season. The Red Wings are gunning for another title this year and the way the playoffs are going so far, it looks like they could be the front runners in that quest.

The Detroit Red Wings have been a dominate force in the league for a long time now, and no one wants to play them right now. ALL HAIL to the Red Wings! My prediction is they might just do it again this year! ALL THE WAY!! GO WINGS!!

Pistons Fans Have Had A Good Decade!!

2009-04-27T08:45:00.004-04:00

I briefly want to talk about the Detroit Pistons today. Yesterday the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Pistons, 99-78, to eliminate them in the first round of the NBA Playoffs with a 4-0 sweep of their Playoff Series.

Although the Pistons are done for this season, you have to be happy as a Pistons' fan about the past decade and how they have done.

Until this year the Pistons had seven straight 50+ win season, and have now made the NBA Playoffs for the 8th season in a row.

Recent trades have put the Pistons in a position of rebuilding now, but this team still has some good players and I fully expect them to rebound quickly from their poor play this season. Thanks Pistons organization for a great decade of basketball, it's been great being a Pistons fan.

American Idol...Giraud Lives To See Another Day!

2009-04-23T10:09:00.008-04:00

Well well, if you watched American Idol last night you are probably as shocked as I am about what happened on the show. It was an amazing sequence of events that kept the local contestant Matt Giraud in the contest and part of what is now the final five contestants left.

The show last night recapped the night before as usual, but 15 minutes into the show, Lil Rounds was singing her "goodbye to the show" song. Then in true form, they made us all sit and wait nearly the remainder of the show to see who the second person to be removed from the competition was.

First, the top three performers on Tuesday night's show were Adam Lambert, Danny Gokey, and Kris Allen. My daughter Jenna and I picked Lambert, Allison Iraheta, and Kris Allen in our picks yesterday.

What we found out very quickly with that is that our bottom three wasn't quite in tact either. Our bottom three picks were Lil Rounds, Anoop Desai, and Matt Giraud with Matt and Lil Rounds going home.

It looked as though Jenna and I had nailed it for most of the show until Ryan Secrest announced that Allison Iraheta was in the bottom three with Anoop (after Lil had already been sent packing). I believe this was a huge shock to most people watching the show, when Allison and Matt were standing side-by-side, and Matt was declared safe!

Then, the inevitable happened, Anoop was sent home. So the bottom three were actually Lil Rounds, Anoop Desai, and Allison Iraheta with Lil and Anoop going home. Matt Giraud will live to see another day in this competition and is now one of only five contestants left on what is no doubt the biggest stage in the country...NICE JOB MATT!

This has also proven that the judges "save" was worth something, because the country was sympathetic for Matt and kept him another week. I'm sure all of the five contestants left realized last night that anything can happen and they should all be on top of their game next week, which is "Jazz Week."

I hope you enjoyed the show as much as I did. And I want to thank my daughter Jenna for bailing me out on this one and helping me make the picks this week. I will be back next week on Wednesday with more American Idol talk.

Everyone, have a great day! ~ Scott

A.I. recap...from Jenna Roberts!!

2009-04-22T09:52:00.009-04:00

I first want to apologize for my lack of writing lately. Life has filled my time to an extent where this just wasn't happening, but I'm back! With life being so busy, I actually missed most of the American Idol show last night for the first time in quite awhile.

I did get to see performers six and seven...Matt Giraud and Anoop Desai. But this was not enough for me to make an accurate call on who will stay and who will go on tonight's show, so I had to call my daughter, Jenna Roberts, and get her to help me with this one.

As you know, because of the judge's save of Kalamazoo's own Matt Giraud last week, two contestants will have to go home on tonight's show instead of the usual one per week. Honestly, it seems that one contestant is destined to win, another would probably win if that contestant wasn't in the competition, and the bottom three are still the bottom three.

Talking with my daughter Jenna last night after the show, here is her top three and bottom three on "Disco Week" of American Idol.

The top three are Adam Lambert, Allison Iraheta, and Kris Allen. This Adam Lambert guy is in his own league, and unless something very drastic happens he will win this competition. I didn't even have to see his performance last night to know that he is still number one in this competition. He can actually afford to have a bad week at this stage of the competition, but apparently last night was NOT a bad night for him yet.

Allison Iraheta is 16 years old! And if it wasn't for Adam Lambert, this girl would probably win. In fact, she's the only one that still has a remote chance of pulling off the upset at this point. Kris Allen is a very talented guy on the instrument (guitar) and I like some of the arrangements that he's put together, but he just doesn't have the vocal strengths of his counterparts Adam and Allison.

This puts Danny Gokey in the middle, in no-man's land, right between the top three and bottom three, but still safe for another week of competition. And that brings me to Jenna's bottom three in the competition.

The bottom three are Anoop Desai, Lil Rounds, and Matt Giraud in that order. I saw Matt's performance and thought he rebounded very well with "Stayin' Alive" but the judges didn't really like it. Anoop's performance was mediocre at best in my opinion, but Jenna mentioned that may not matter because of the "lack of" in Lil Rounds performance.

So which two will go home tonight? Lil Rounds and Matt Giraud. It's sad to me that we probably just watched the last performance of the local guy, but unfortunately if that's true, I think America has it right at this point. There is a chance that Anoop and Lil Rounds will go home, or Anoop and Matt Giraud, but we're goin' with Lil and Matt.

So that's it for this week's recap, please let me know if you agree or disagree. I want to thank my daughter Jenna Roberts for providing the "expertise" on this post today, I would not and could not have written this without her!

On another note, I hope you all have an excellent "Earth Day" today. Let's all do ONE thing to help do our part today to save mother earth and maybe, just maybe this will make a difference. I'll be back tomorrow to talk about what will be the final FIVE contestants on American Idol. Until then, have a great day!

MATT GIRAUD...One more week!

2009-04-16T09:25:00.007-04:00

Last night on American Idol the results from America's voting were once again in line with my prediction yesterday. 'Lil Rounds and Matt Giraud were the bottom two performers and Matt received the lowest number of votes from the nationwide poll.

But if you watched the show last night, you saw the judges excercise their opportunity to save a contestant with Matt, they saved him! And because of that, Giraud lives to see at least one more week in the competition and does not go home just yet.

It was an emotional ending to the show with the save from the judges, but it also means that next week two contestants will leave the show instead of just one. Next week is also "Disco" Week" which should make it very challenging for all seven trying for the top spot.

Can I give you my bottom three for next week right now?? I'm sorry, it's tempting, but I am going to watch the show next Tuesday night on Fox at 8:00pm before I do that.

One more thing to mention is the top three from this week. Those were Adam Lambert, Allison Iraheta, and Kris Allen. With this being true, that means I personally picked the top two and the bottom two correctly in yesterday's post. I guess that indicates that the rest of American and I are pretty much on the same page as far as the competion is concerned.

Tomorrow I will be continuing my "Music/Timeless" post with Part II. So make sure and check in to see what songs I am posting tomorrow and to see if you agree. Have a great Thursday!

IDOL RECAP...Matt Giraud's Bad News

2009-04-15T12:14:00.010-04:00

Well American Idol showed itself again last night, and because of my love for music, I have to give you my opinion on the show. This one today though is very tough for me because of the performance of the hometown guy, Matt Giraud.

I want to apologize first for not recapping last night's performances like I did last week (see last Wednesday's post, "AMERICAN IDOLizer...here's your recap"). Due to time constraints, I will only be giving you my top three and bottom three this week. I can thank tax season and a few other things for that, I apologize.

Anyway, I should mention that the Idol contestants were all required to perform a song that came from the cinema last night. With this, movie director Quenten Tarrantino guest starred and helped the contestants prepare for the show.

In preparation for the show, it looked like Kalamazoo native Matt Giraud would have a strong showing with his Bryan Adams tune, but in my opinion he fell short compared to the other contestants.

Out of the other contestants, the strongest was once again, LA's own Adam Lambert. This guy ROCKED a Bon Jovi song in his own unique way and still remains the #1 contestant. In a VERY close second with her performance last night was Allison Iraheta. For a 16 year old or any age, this girl is awesome and is going to make records!

In a distant third for LAST NIGHT'S performance, I have to go with Anoop Desai. Now I really haven't been big on this guy, but thought he did a great job last night.

I don't know that I'll be as lucky as last week calling all of the top three and the bottom three correctly, but my bottom three performers this week are Matt Giraud (I hate this!), 'Lil Rounds and Danny Gokey...yes Gokey!

Danny Gokey was good, but not good enough to be above my top three this week OR that Kris Allen guy who always seems to get the votes know matter how he does?? With only seven contestants left, it's getting much easier to be in the bottom three.

'Lil Rounds has huge problems picking songs and just didn't hit the notes last night. Although she has a great soulful voice, she is blowing this competition for herself and beginning to faulter under the pressure.

And Matt Giraud just didn't nail it last night. I believe the guy has alot of talent, but like I've said before, this is not a talent show, this is a singing competition. Sorry Matt, but unless America decides to slide 'Lil out before you (which could happen!), it's time to get ready for the top 13 tour. I think Gokey is safe, but in the bottom three with 'Lil and Matt.

I will address more tomorrow when I recap tonight's show. Maybe America will be thinking that everyone ELSE is voting for the show favorite Adam Lambert and he will get the least amount of votes tonight, but that would be wrong and the judges will save him. Ok people, that last line was a joke.

Until tomorrow, Roberts...out!

Easter, The Complete Story...

2009-04-11T13:05:00.006-04:00

The quoted portions of this text come from Charles Henderson at The GodWeb. That's because I could not have done a better job with this subject. Take it away Charles:

EASTER: THE BASICS

"The date of Easter in 2009 is April 12 for Catholics and most Protestants. For Eastern Orthodox Christians it is April 19. (For an explanation of how the date of Easter is calculated, continue reading.)

Easter, the most important holiday for Christians, commemorates Christ's resurrection on the third day following his crucifixion. So important is the resurrection to Christians that it has been said that every Christian worship service is a celebration of the resurrection. For the original Easter story as told 2000 years ago by the gospel writers, Matthew and John. These accounts of the resurrection are read every Easter Sunday in Christian churches around the world, and this has happened every year for two millennium."

HOW EASTER GOT ITS NAME

"For several hundred years, Easter was not called "Easter." Prior to the fourth century, Christians observed Pascha, Christian Passover, in the spring of the year. Adapted from Jewish Passover, Pascha was a festival of redemption. As Jews, these early followers of Jesus celebrated both their liberation from slavery in Egypt, and their new liberation from the power of death itself.

As Christianity spread throughout the Roman world, however, the celebration became more and more a distinctly Christian one. But there also developed some disagreement about when and how the holiday should be observed. One of the principal reasons for organizing the council of Nicea in 325 CE was to set a firm date for the celebration.

Though the record is not complete, the church fathers were intent on making the holiday into something that those acquainted with the gods and goddesses of the Greco-Roman world be comfortable with. Thus the festival came to be known as "Easter," a name derived, some think, from "Eostre," the Mother Goddess of the Saxon people in Northern Europe; others suggest it was derived from an ancient word for spring "eastre." Without doubt some elements of pre-Christian religious practice have been incorporated into the Easter traditions."

HOW THE DATE OF EASTER WAS SET

In 1582, Gregory XIII (Pope of the Roman Catholic Church) revised the calendar for use by people all across Christendom, resulting in a new set of dates for Easter. Universal adoption of the Gregorian calendar occurred slowly. By the 1700's, though, most of western Europe had adopted what came to be known as the Gregorian Calendar.

THE RULES FOR DETERMINING THE DATE OF EASTER

"Easter falls on the first Sunday following the first full moon that occurs on or after the day of the vernal equinox; the vernal equinox is fixed as March 21. There are some highly technical rules for determining the actual date of the full moon, but when you take all this into account the result is that Easter can never occur before March 22 or later than April 25. (Eastern Orthodox churches use a variant of these rules that result in those churches celebrating Easter on a different Sunday.)

The following are dates of Easter from 2007 to 2015:

2007 April 8; 2008 March 23; 2009 April 12; 2010 April 4; 2011 April 24; 2012 April 8; 2013 March 31; 2014 April 20; 2015 April 5."

To calculate the date of Easter in ANY given year.

For more on the Eastern Orthodox Easter

Actually, Easter is not a Sunday, it's an entire Season.

For the full Easter story as told by the gospel writers Matthew and John.

Sermons For the Easter Season

This is a little background on the holiday of Easter. I hope you liked this it as much as I did. Much thanks to Charles Henderson. I will be taking a day off tomorrow to honor Easter and my next new post will be on Monday, in a couple of days. Have a great rest of the weekend, and whatever you chose to do, I hope you enjoy your holiday.

Good Friday To You...

2009-04-10T09:19:00.005-04:00

Good Friday is a Holy Day (or “holiday”) celebrated by many Christians around the world. Followers of Jesus Christ recognize Good Friday as the day when Jesus was crucified and buried in a tomb outside Jerusalem.

Most Christian denominations believe that Jesus rose from the dead three days later on what is now celebrated as Easter Sunday, referred to by some as “Resurrection Day.” The events of Jesus’ conviction, his beating by Roman guards, and his rejection by friends and enemies add to the meaning of Good Friday.

Some believe that “Good Friday” is a variation of the expression “God Friday,” while others accept the holiday name with the meaning that the Friday before Easter is “good” for those who follow Jesus Christ and share the hope of eternal life in Heaven with Him.

So, Good Friday is a day of reflection on the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. It occurs two days before Easter is celebrated, which makes the actual date of Good Friday different each year. Unlike other days that are considered holy by Christians, Good Friday is never “celebrated.” Instead, it is observed with a number of different ceremonies in different parts of Christianity.

Most Christian congregations hold either prayers, meetings or gatherings in churches on Good Friday, but in most cases, it is not considered mandatory to attend these meetings. Even in the Catholic Church, no one is obligated to attend Mass on Good Friday, in fact, a true Mass does not take place. There is usually no communion, but usually a reading of the New Testament account of Christ’s crucifixion, and many prayers.

Also, for Catholics, Good Friday is sometimes a day of fasting. Especially during the three hours between 12pm and 3 pm. For Christians who observe Good Friday, the day is one to reflect on the sacrifice Christ made so that all people would be welcomed into heaven.

While many may read the parts of the New Testament dealing with Christ’s death, some find this part of the New Testament extremely tragic and almost overwhelming. In places like Poland, "representations of the tomb of Christ may be set up and people may spend the night mourning Christ’s death at them."

Some people also argue that the focus on Christ’s death on Good Friday is only important in so far that it allows people to understand that Christ rose from the dead. The actual crucifixion is far less important and diverts focus from the life of Christ. They would say that putting emphasis on the crucifixion and accounts of it tend to focus on the evil done to Christ rather than the good Christ did.

In many countries, Good Friday is a national holiday. Banks may close, and "it’s not uncommon in predominantly Catholic countries for all businesses, like pubs and restaurants to close" as well. This is the case in Ireland, where drinking on Good Friday is considered "sacrilege."

In the United States, it varies as to what businesses are opened or closed. Most school districts close on Good Friday, but this varies from district to district. If the district is located in an area with a large population of Catholics or Christians who attend church services on the day, normally schools will close because too many children would be absent. Catholic and Christian schools almost always close on Good Friday.

Good Friday is a special day to some and others do not change anything in their daily schedules or routine to recognize the day. Whatever it is you do or don't do, I hope that Good Friday is truly a Good Friday for you. And just a note, I will be discussing the Easter holiday and the meaning of Easter in my upcoming posts. Have a great start to the weekend.

Scott MacIntyre...OUT!!

2009-04-09T09:57:00.005-04:00

I'd like to say a couple of things about American Idol this morning. This is a direct quote from my post yesterday concerning what would happen on the show last night:

"So there you have it. My bottom three...Scott MacIntyre, Anoop Desai, and Lil Rounds, with Scott at the bottom and in that order."

Well the rest of America agreed with me when they voted and Scott MacIntyre, from Scottsdale, AR did go home last night. Also, rounding out the bottom three was Anoop Desai, and Lil Rounds.

I sat here last night watching the show in amazement myself and how it unfolded exactly as I had predicted yesterday. I texted back and forth with my daughter, Jenna Roberts, and had fun with that too. My favorite text of the night to her was, "You're dad is approaching awesome-ness." Of course it was a joke, but it almost appeared that way as I was nailing it right on the head!

Scott MacIntyre on the other hand did NOT nail it right on the head and emotionally stirred the hearts of everyone watching as he was voted off of the show last night. MacIntyre came to the show with a visual impairment, a great sense of humor, and talent to go with it.

Watching him receive the news that he was going home, even after singing again last night to try to save his spot, was definitely a little moving because he was just that likeable. But think of it this way -->he will still be travelling around the country with the Top 13. He will be on an album for that. And being in the Top 8 on this show will most likely give him a shot at making some kind of record deal for himself.

Then there is the fame of being on talk shows and the opportunity for a book deal. This show propels people into what they want if they are good enough. And I believe Scott MacIntyre has enough talent to do something and succeed further with this opportunity. Nice job Scott, sorry to see you go from the show. But like I said, this IS a singing competition, not a talent show, and because of that, the voting was correct and the right person went home last night.

So that's going to be my coverage of American Idol for the week, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. I look forward to covering the Top 7 in the competition next week. Peace!

AMERICAN IDOLizer...Here's Your Recap!

2009-04-08T10:23:00.012-04:00

I have always loved music. Music has played an important role in my life. Over the years I have analyzed music, mixed music, played music, sang and wrote music. This is what I like to do! And that's probably why I really like the #1 Vocal Talent Show in the world, American Idol.

Last night on American Idol the last eight remaining contestants sang in front of the world to avoid going home. Each contestant had to sing a song from the year they were born and I have to admit that watching this made me feel a little old!

And as always there were some good performances and some not so good performances. And here's my view on how that all shook out:

The show began with 28 year old Danny Gokey from Milwaukee, WI. Danny sang a remade Mickey Gilley version of the song "Stand By Me" from 1980. Aside from the fact that this song was actually written in 1961, not 1980 (the year Gokey was born) I think it was a good song choice for him. This guy has so much emotion when he sings and I think it's great. He has a raspy voice that is just him and his performance last night should move him into the top 7.

Kris Allen, 23, from Conway, AR was up next singing Don Henley’s “All She Wants To Do Is Dance" from 1985. I actually was impressed by the arrangement and the song. I thought Kris did a good job and has come into his own over the past two weeks. But I guess this shows why I'm here, and the judges are there.

After Kris came Lil Rounds, 23, from Memphis, TN singing “What’s Love Got To Do With It” by Tina Turner. Now I do believe that Lil has "Mad Skills" as judge Randy Jackson put it, but on this one last night, she absolutely butchered this song in my opinion. It's too bad too because this girl has a great voice. But who is helping her pick these songs? Unfortunately I think we will see Lil Rounds in the bottom three tonight, not because she is bad at singing, but because she is not correctly showing what she can do as an artist. Shame, shame, shame.

Next up, Anoop Desai, 21 years old from Chapel Hill, NC. Anoop sang a Cindi Lauper song, "True Colors." This is a GREAT song for sure, and Anoop actually did a good job of singing it. As soon as I heard the song choice, I thought, "This could be an immediate ticket home for him." But not so fast! He did a very good job of singing...in a singing competition! But I still think Anoop will be in the bottom three with his performance last night. Anoop can sing, but I don't think he shows enough star power to go much further in the competition.

Scott MacIntyre, 23, from Scottsdale, AZ was next singing Survivor’s “The Search Is Over." This is the guy that I think should go home tonight. Scott is a very talented guy, especially considering his disability, but American Idol is not a Talent Show, it's a Singing Competition. And for his singing, I think he should round out the bottom three and probably go home tonight. Nice job though guy! Top eight of American Idol is great!

Next up was Allison Iraheta, 16 years old from Los Angeles, CA. This girl made a great song choice with Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me" because she actually sang it better than Bonnie herself. Yes, I said it. Can you believe this girl? I can only imagine how her career is going to explode in a couple of years when she's 18!! Born in 1992, maybe my son, who was born in 1993 will run into her down the road some day? I'm old, Allison is young, and she could win this competition if it weren't for one of the other contestants named Lambert.

But before I get to Lambert, the 23 year old Kalamazoo, MI guy Matt Giraud, sang “Part Time Lover” by Stevie Wonder. I have to admit that I'm a little partial to this guy because he is local to me. But aside from that Matt did do a great job with the song and showed that he could actually sing even the low notes good. Matt made a better song choice last night than what he has been making the past few weeks, but still not great. Matt! We're rooting for you here in Michigan! Crank it man!!

And then, to wrap up the show there was the super star Adam Lambert, 26 years old, from Los Angeles, CA. I'm sure most of you would agree that this guy hands down should win this competition. What he showed last night is that he can pick a bad slow song, Tears for Fears' song “Mad World,” (using the Gary Jules arrangement) and still tear it up. This Lambert guy doesn't have to do another slow song in the whole competition, he proved last night that he can do anything. And getting the most votes from America the last three weeks in a row, should prove that I'm not the only one that thinks he should win this year. This guy is awesome!

So there you have it. My bottom three...Scott MacIntyre, Anoop Desai, and Lil Rounds, with Scott at the bottom and in that order. Lil shouldn't be there, but the whole idea here is to make a record after the show, and she's not proven that she will be able to do that.

My top three after last night...Adam Lambert, Allison Iraheta, and Danny Gokey. Let see what the rest of America thinks tonight at 9pm on Fox. 'Til tomorrow, Roberts....out!

Some Guys Are Idiots --> Chris Brown, Howard K. Stern...

2009-04-07T12:06:00.011-04:00

Ok, as Chris Brown (19 years old) went to court yesterday to plead "not-guilty" in his felony case and Howard K. Stern goes today to hear a verdict in his case, I have to sit back and reflect upon what makes the R&B Singer (Brown) and the Attorney (Stern) nothing but a couple of idiots!

As you probably already know, Chris Brown was charged in March by Los Angeles County prosecutors with "felony assault likely to cause great bodily injury and making criminal threats." If convicted, Brown could be sentenced to probation or up to five years in prison.

What was this guy thinking? His victim was his girlfriend (at the time), Robyn Rihanna Fenty or Rihanna as we know her. This whole thing was reported to have blown up over a text message Brown received from an ex-lover. Rihanna read the text and began to fight with Brown. Then Brown reportedly beat her causing injuries that made it so "neither singer performed at the Grammy Awards hours after the beating, and both were also no-shows for the Kids' Choice Awards show March 28."

Now, sponsors have stopped using Brown, some radio stations have stopped playing his music and some broadcasters have even started playing an anti-Chris Brown song created by the little-known dance group Jump Smokers.

This guy is truly an idiot that needs anger management help in my opinion. Your career has taken off, you have a beautiful girlfriend who doesn't need your money bro, you have the world by the tail and you screw it up by getting so angry you can't help yourself but to beat her?? COME ON MAN!! It's because of this, that I support the following song by the Jump Smokers as shown on YouTube, check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UW_MoEe5ryQ

Now this Howard K. Stern fella is another guy that had it made then ruined his life for a stupid reason. As you know, Stern was the attorney and cerimonious husband (not an official wedding) of Anna Nicole Smith, former Playboy Bunny and Reality TV Star.

Stern graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California Berkley in 1990 and received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of California Los Angeles. He was admitted to the State Bar of California in February 1994 as an attorney.

"Stern's law firm first handled Anna Nicole Smith's modeling contracts in the mid 1990s. When she fought for the fortune of her late husband J. Howard Marshall, Stern presented her direct examination at the trial. "

Then the reality TV series started for Smith and Stern and Stern let his lawfirm dissolve...IDIOT! Then when Anna Nicole Smith passed away of an overdose of prescription drugs back in February 2007, Stern tried to get custody of Smith's infant daughter who he thought was his daughter. At this point three other guys close to Smith came out and said the baby could be theirs because they were ALL sleeping with her at that time.

I feel gross even talking about this. But to top it all off, Howard K. Stern is now likely to go to jail for a very long time because "on March 12, 2009, Stern and two doctors were charged with conspiring to furnish drugs to Smith before her death in 2007. Stern was released on bond" and goes to court today.

GOOD LUCK GUY!! You are truly an idiot!! You had the world by the tail, you worked hard your whole life to get where you were at and then threw it all away over a woman! Why? Why? Why? You and Chris Brown might be able to hang out in prison and trade stories soon? But my guess is not.

Mainly because Stern will likely go to jail, and I'm betting that Chris Brown only pulls probation at most because of who is and because of his age. MAN!! For me, you both have proven to me and to the rest of the world watching that you qualify for today's post category...Some Guys are Idiots!!

Bitter Tuesday, NCAA Championship Defeat...

2009-04-07T00:24:00.012-04:00

Well, here we are Sparty's. The Michigan State Spartans (31-7) were defeated last night in the NCAA National Championship game against the North Carolina Tarheels (34-4). As I predicted yesterday, the North Carolina Tarheels are now the Champs.

I TOOK North Carolina and the 7 and 1/2 points that the Vegas Line gave, and I won that bet. But, I lost the Over/Under bet that had a Vegas line of 152 and 1/2. I lost this because I took the Under on the 152 and 1/2. There were 161 points scored in the game. I guess I credited the Spartan defense that brought them to the Championship Game just a little too much.

One other bet that I had was with my son, Grant Roberts. I had the pleasure of watching the Semi-Final Game with my son Grant this past Saturday where Michigan State beat the UCONN Huskies in convincing fashion.

On Saturday, I bet Grant that the Spartans would lose that game, and I lost that bet. But I won my money back last night on a "double or nothing" National Championship bet. Grant, I have to appreciate your dedication to your Michigan State Spartans. Next year just may be your year with almost all of the Spartans' roster returning to play again.

But for now, this is what I will call "Bitter Tuesday." To repeat my post from yesterday, "this is a day that will not make any Michigander feel good." So now, we can focus on other things and enjoy the fact that this Spartan team made it much farther in the NCAA Tournament than anyone ever expected.

There really is no reason to discredit the Spartans today, because a win against North Carolina would have been quite a miracle. And then again, with 21 turnovers in the Championship Game, it would have been difficult for the Spartans to beat anyone last night.

But don't worry too much about this, because NEXT year I have figured out that my Michigan Wolverines will be better and the Spartans of Michigan State will be too. But, North Carolina is the best team in the country for now. North Carolina 89, Michigan State 72 for the 2009 NCAA Championship.

PARTING SHOT: I am so glad this Tournament is over. Michigan State, I have to give you props on how you handled yourselves in this years' Tournament for sure. I really do not like the North Carolina Tarheels, and I hate the fact that they won the Championship this year. But if Michigan State can keep Tom Izzo as Coach and stay away from injuries, I predict THIS year that they will be running again for a title next year. Don't doubt that. Don't doubt this team. Because as the North Carolina seniors would tell you this year, it is through many failures that we learn to succeed. Michigan State, consider this a building block, a learning experience, a falling short, on the way to a Championship year next year...goodbye Hansbrough...go to the pro's now where you will struggle to be a star!

IT'S CHAMPIONSHIP monDAY!! NCAA Men's Basketball...I'm Picking The Winner!

2009-04-06T09:49:00.002-04:00

Well, it's time. Tonight the Michigan State Spartans (31-6) will play the North Carolina Tarheels (33-4) in the NCAA Championship Game, tipoff at 9:21pm EST on CBS. As promised, I will make my pick, which I feel very secure in, by the end of this posting.

Over the past couple of days I have recapped the Semi-Finals, and shown how both teams got here. Now, it's pick time, and it's game time! Living in the Eastern Standard Time Zone, I am wishing the game didn't start so late tonight, but I'll live with it!

At the end of this game, which will be very hard fought by both teams, there will be ONE National Champion. And that champion will be the North Carolina Tarheels. Sorry Sparty's. I'm not doing this just because my work bracket has MSU playing UNC in the Final Game and Carolina winning. I'm not doing this because North Carolina was the unanimous preseason No.1 team in the country.

I'm not doing this because UNC absolutely DRILLED MSU back in December. I'm doing this because of now. As bad as I can't stand it, as much as I don't like the Tarheels, they have the better team and they are ready for this. THIS STAGE is exactly why some of the Carolina players chose to come back to school last year after losing in the Semi-Finals.

North Carolina 79, MSU 64. And then, the Tarheels better cut the nets down in a hurry and run behind their tight security right to Detroit Metro in an effort to get out of Detroit alive. This will be one of the worst places for a North Carolina win. I would say that Tarheels are only behind Buckeyes, Fighting Illini, Hoosiers, and maybe Duke Blue Devils on the "Don't Like This Team" list in Michigan.

But no matter how you slice it, no matter how you dice this one, tonight's game looks very unlikely to leave any Michigander feeling good. So I guess that means I better go call Vegas right? Because I'm taking North Carolina and the 7 and 1/2 points, and the Under on 152 and 1/2.

Parting Shot: Ok, this post doesn't even make me feel good. This is the kind of pick that will make friends not like friends, and family mad at each other for awhile. SPARTANS! PLEASE prove me wrong. IZZO! Does your gameplan consist of knocking out Tyler Hansbrough and Ty Lawson? PLEASE say it does? I'm sorry friends of mine out in East Lansing and the surrounding areas, there's not a single stat that MSU can compare to UNC with. But I will say this, if David beat Goliath, this could happen, and I hope it does! Bring on all the haters now...

Some Sunday Stats To Think About, NCAA Championship...

2009-04-05T10:01:00.008-04:00

Good morning. I know not everyone that reads this is a sports fan, but right now with the NCAA Championship game being played in my home state, in Detroit, Michigan, and also the fact that one of our teams, the Michigan State Spartans, is in the game, I have to talk about this until Tuesday at least!

So the NCAA Championship game is scheduled for tipoff at 9:21pm tomorrow night, Monday, April 6th, 2009 on CBS. The Michigan State Spartans (31-6) will be playing the North Carolina Tarheels (33-4) in what should be a closer game between the two teams than what was played back in December of this season.

Vegas odds show North Carolina as a 7 and 1/2 point favorite going into Monday night with an over/under (total points scored in the game between both teams) of 152 and 1/2. With that, I tried to figure out why North Carolina was the big favorite, and when you look at this game on paper it's apparent. Here are some things to think about, facts, when thinking about this game.

Back in December the two teams played in what was a home game for Michigan State. At the time North Carolina was ranked No. 1 and Michigan State was ranked No. 13. North Carolina was undefeated at the time and MSU was coming off an 18 point loss to Maryland, at home, the week before on November 27th.

The Tarheels crushed MSU by 35 points, 98-63. That game was brutal for the Spartans who were without the services of their big man, Goran Suton, due to a sprained left knee. MSU Coach Tom Izzo was quoted after that game as saying, "You didn't see our real team tonight, but our real team might have lost by 20...they're (UNC) definitely one of the best teams I've seen in my years at Michigan State." Maybe because that was the second worse loss in Spartan history under Izzo, the worse being a 36 point loss to Iowa back in 1996, Izzo's first year. The only bright spots in the previous matchup were Raymar Morgan who scored 21 and Chris Allen who scored 16. Big Ten Player of the Year, Kalin Lucas, was 2 of 10 for 6 points in that contest.

So those are some thoughts of the previous matchup between the two teams this season, what about the teams against everyone else? Here's how they got here:

Michigan State's Tourney Wins:

Beat Robert Morris 77-62, First Round
Beat USC 74-69, Second Round
Beat Kansas 67-62, Sweet 16 Game
Beat Louisville 64-52, Final 8 Game
Beat Connecticut 82-73, Semi-Final Game

North Carolina's Touney Wins:

Beat Radford 101-58, First Round
Beat LSU 84-70, Second Round
Beat Gonzaga 98-77, Sweet 16 Game
Beat Oklahoma 72-60, Final 8 Game
Beat Villanova 83-69, Semi-Final Game

Michigan State's Losses This Year:

Lost on Nov. 27th vs. Maryland 62-80
Lost on Dec. 3rd vs. North Carolina 63-98
Lost on Jan. 21st vs. Northwestern 63-70
Lost on Feb. 1st vs. Penn St. 68-72
Lost on Feb. 17th @ Purdue 54-72
Lost on Mar. 14 vs. Ohio St. 72-80

North Carolina's Losses This Year:

Lost on Jan. 4th vs. Boston College, 78-85
Lost on Jan. 11th @ Wake Forest, 89-92
Lost on Feb. 21st @ Maryland 85-88
Lost on Mar. 14th vs. Florida St. 70-73

With this game looking a little lop-sided in favor of the Tarheels on paper, the questions that remain are this? Have the Spartans improved enough to dominate the Tarheels with their defense? After all, beating two No. 1 seeds in the tournament is impressive. Are the Tarheels going to lose the rebounding and turnover edge in the game and still dominate the game in score like they did against Villanova last night?

Tomorrow I will let you know what I think, because even with all of this I have pointed out above, I still haven't completely made up my mind on this one. Mainly because this is my home state, and the Spartans are the only team I would ever actually root for when my Michigan Wolverines are watching on TV like me. I will explain my decision either way when I make my pick tomorrow, online, in front of everybody.

PARTING SHOT: This game looks like a freakin' disaster on paper for the Sparty's out there! But honestly, so did the Kansas game, in which they came back from 13 down to win very impressively, so did the Louisville game, where the Spartans dominated all game, and so did the Connecticut game, where the Spartans had an answer for EVERY UCONN run. COME ON MICHIGAN STATE!! Why are you making this pick so hard for me?? I can't believe this! Honestly, only the Spartans could even entertain the idea of making this a hard pick for me. That's why I temporarily feel good here being a Michigan Fan, because if I was a State fan, I'd probably being going out of my mind right now. I'll just sit back at home here, like my Wolverines are doing, and try to figure out if THEY are going to be any better next year! Later!

Sparty Was Impressive In Semi-Final...

2009-04-04T23:30:00.001-04:00

Ok, so the Spartans of Michigan State University played basketball today at Ford Field in Detroit, MI only 75 miles from their campus in East Lansing, MI. They were playing a National Championship Semi-Final game against a very tough No. 1 seeded University of Connecticut team, better known as UCONN.

If you ask me, the Spartans have made their way through this NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) tournament with defense, and today was no different. The win today was impressive. Their defense was impressive. And the way they continued to control the tempo of the game was impressive.

No doubt the Spartans deserve credit for the way that have progressed through this tournament and the way they beat UCONN today. The Spartans are making the whole state of Michigan proud right now. BUT HOLD ON!! Tomorrow I'll get more in depth on this subject in preparation for Monday when I predict the winner of the National Championship game against North Carolina.

PARTING SHOT: Please understand that this might be the most love you will ever get out of me Spartan fans, because I am University of Michigan fan, and this one is tough for me. But I gave credit where credit is due. Enjoy it, let's live up this victory!! But don't ask Vegas about the National Championship game, because I just saw the opening Line for that game and umm...oooooh....YEAH!! ENJOY THIS VICTORY!!