MSU

Michigan State is trying to back out of next year's game in Hawaii. Sounds like John L Smith is being a crybaby about it. What a huge surprise. Here's the official line from MSU:

"Obviously, when we signed the contract there was no way to know about new NCAA legislation approving a 12th game," Lewandowski said. "And, we don't feel like it is in the institution's best interests to play 13 games with the time element that our student-athletes already have, so we were not interested in playing a 13th game."

And that doesn't make any sense because they've had Hawaii on the 2007 schedule since 2002. If that was the real reason, they should've just kept their schedule at 12 games instead of adding a 13th and then trying to drop UH. They should just tell the truth -- that John L Smith is too afraid to come down. But they gotta make some lame excuse because of their whiny coach.

UPDATE: Ferd Lewis also wrote a column about it.

It shouldn't be a financial burden for MSU since it need not cost the Spartans a cent. UH was contracted to provide airfare for a 120-member party, 60 hotel rooms for four nights and a $30,000 cash guarantee. Nor was the officiating crew to be an issue since UH has been bending over backwards — way too far, in fact — to give Big Ten teams the neutral crews they have asked for. Wisconsin got one last year and Purdue is due one this season.

It is too bad we probably won't see John L. here. It is more disappointing the Spartans might not be coming, either.