I don’t think we’ve ever seen a player who continually battled through injury and setbacks the way Delvon did and no one ever heard him complain about any of it. In today’s “me first” culture that we have seen in collegiate sports, Delvon bucked the trend and showed what it really meant to put a team, program and University in front of his personal accomplishments. I can personally say that the values that Delvon has shown over the last few years exemplify the true meaning of being a Spartan.

It’s been a privilege getting to know Delvon and I’ve enjoyed the conversations and time off the court with him as much as watching him play. I can guarantee that when my son is old enough he will hear the stories of Delvon’s personal sacrifice and toughness.

I want to thank Delvon for making our program better and continuing the traditions that were set forth long before I got to MSU. It’s an honor to have him as a part of our Spartan Family.

Growing up a Spartan fan I held Smitty in the highest regard as an athlete, I was in owe of the things he could do with a basketball, I wished I had a shot as smooth as his and a hesitation move that nobody can stop to this day. As I began my career at MSU I still looked up to Smitty as a basketball player but the more and more I got to interact with him the more I began to look up to him as a person. I’ve had the chance to meet a lot of people of the years and very few have the humility, thoughtfulness and grace of Steve Smith.

It’s understated the time he takes with each and every player that has passed through the Breslin Center. Quick to share a story, advice or let you know when you weren’t playing up to the potential he saw in you. Even when your career is over he always makes time to find out how you are doing and if their is anything he can do to help. I hope that one day I can be remembered for making the same impact by giving back to the community and University.

The House of Sparta

Do You Hold A Key?

There is a magnificent house that stands atop a high hill.

This house is home to the greatest Spartan Legends.

To talk about us is to drain the vocabulary of superlatives.

We are driven self starters who arrive early with a dominating attitude.

We have a steadfast focus to improve, excel and win.

We believe in hard work, sacrifice and we persist boldly until each mission is accomplished.

We are tough. We do our best regardless of circumstance and opposition.

We welcome confrontation and respond to challenge.

We train to the highest standards of relentless effort, precision execution,

inspired coaching and selfless unity.

We are the best of the best.

We trust our abilities, skills and instincts.

We never hold back and always take the leap of faith to see what we’re capable of achieving.

We embrace pressure and battle with an uninhibited joy.

We have faith in our leaders and believe with conviction in ourselves.

We take responsibility for our roles, goals, failures and successes.

We are committed to the plan and always support our team.

We have a group ego and have confidence in the power of oneness.

We prepare for glory in honor of Sparta and the warriors who’ve come before us.

We train passionately with pride and compete hard for the Spartan nation

who makes us a thundering force.

We stand shoulder to shoulder, sacrifice personal glory for group mission, overcome injuries and obstacles to show up anytime and anywhere…and we dominate.

We are the underpinnings of the Spartan Empire – We are Spartan Legends.

Are You One Of Us?

Tim ‘Red’ Wakeham – Spartan

Winners and Losers : Their Key Traits

Part IV : How to Tell a Winner from a Loser:

A winner know that to forget and what to remember; a loser forgets what he should remember, and remembers what he should forget.

A winner seeks for the goodness in a bad man, and works with that part of him; a loser looks only for the badness in a good ma, and therefore finds it hard to work with anyone.

A winner admits his prejudices and tries to correct them in making judgements: a loser denies his prejudices, and thus becomes their lifelong captive.

A winner in not afraid to contradict himself when faced with a contradictory situation; a loser is more concerned with being consistent than with being right.

A winner feels challenged when odds are against him; a loser is always looking for “the edge.”

A WINNER APPRECIATES the irony of fate, and the fact that merit is not always rewarded, without becoming cynical; a loser is cynical without appreciating the irony of fate.

A winner possesses ideas; a loser is possessed by them, and so, even when successful, remains their slave

A winner knows how to be serious without being solemn; a loser isoften solemn as a substitute for his lack of capacity to be serious.

A winner looks it over; a loser looks it up

A winner rebukes and forgives; a loser is to timid to rebuke and too petty to forgive.

A winner recognizes that the only true authority is moral authority; a loser, having little of this, tries to assume more external authority than his character can handle.

A WINNER TRIES to judge his own acts by their consequences, and other people’s acts by their intentions; a loser gives himself all the best of it by judging his own acts by his intentions, and the acts of others by their consequences.

A winner feels that his past failures have contributed to his success; a loser feels that his past failures blocked his success.

A winner does what is necessary with good grace, saving his energy for situations where he has a choice; a loser does what is necessary under protest, and has no energy left for moral decisions.

A winner accepts the fact that, finally, no mortal can know who the real winners and losers are; a loser thinks that status and power and applause confer a kind of immortality upon him – and never wonders what the lessons of crucifixion might be.

“Teamwork is working together — even when apart.”

Working on a team is a funny situation. A successful team consists of a group of individuals that come together to work towards a common goal. They possess one focus and are willing to sacrifice personal glory for the good of the team. It takes complete and total commitment from everyone to accomplish the goal, but it only takes one person to destroy everything. Our basketball program at Michigan State exemplifies this idea in my eyes. I’ve been a part of teams that have total focus and we were able to have success as a result. However, I have also been on teams in which one person was a cancer that was able to infect the minds of other players. This always made for a tough season.

When I was playing for MSU, I was always amazed at the atmosphere inside our program. It’s one of the few places where people that grew up in the inner city and people that grew up on a farm can become the best of friends. Growing up in Flint, I went to school with all types of people and I was able to learn and develop my interpersonal skills. Basketball does the same thing; it puts so many different personalities together that you learn from. I can’t say it’s always pretty. I’ve seen and been involved with plenty of arguments and physical altercations with my teammates because we had a differing opinion on something. But if you’re all committed 100 percent to the goal and vision, the little things don’t cause big issues.

An office presents a similar dynamic in a group of people from different backgrounds all working for the same organization. In our office we have people from different geographic regions, age ranges and specialties. You have to be committed to the mission set by your leadership and maintain the right chemistry for continued growth. Also, similar to the teams I played on at State, one person can infect the others in the office and cause fractures within the infrastructure of your business.

In closing, the quote I started this post out with explains exactly what I mean. I don’t care if you hate your coach/boss, co-workers/teammates and/or company- don’t become the person that splinters the other members of your organization. Have enough respect for yourself to stay committed and do what you can to help other people be successful.

Tim Bograkos is the Student/Young Alumni Coordinator for the MSU Alumni Association. He graduated from State in 2004 with a BA in Advertising, then in 2005 with a BA in Communications, then again in 2009 with a Master’s in Sports Administration. While a student at MSU, Tim played on the basketball team and was fortunate to win a big ten championship and go to two final fours during his time on the team. He went on to play as a professional for two years before returning home to MSU. You probably know him best as the “Sixth Option.”

Showing up to the high school that day I knew it would be a great event and very touching, I never thought that I would learn any lessons from an 8th grade girl. One of the girls in the school decided that she wanted to be a part of the event and raise money. In turn for her raising the money for cancer she was going to shave her head. Her parents told her she had to raise $300 and she could do it, her total was more than $900. Pretty inspiring to see an 8th grader shaving her head the day before their school dance and the entire school erupted showing support.

Being able to put aside your personal insecurities and give to something bigger than yourself is a lesson that most 8th graders haven’t learned yet. It’s impressive to think back to how you felt at that age and if you would have been able to put yourself in an awkward position to benefit someone else.

To get involved with the St. Baldrick’s foundation check out the website http://www.stbaldricks.org and join in for one of your local events.

There are few times in our life where we have a chance to disconnect from the world and really spend quality time with the people we love. Normally we are sitting around our dinner tables or living rooms with the tv on, our lap tops open and a cell phone attached to the palm of our hands. We spend more time connecting with people virtually and less time in conversation and discussion of what’s really going on in our world today.

Last week gave me an opportunity to spend five days with two people who could care less with what is happening on Facebook or how your twitter klout could become beneficial for you in the future; my Yia yia and Papou (Greek for grandma and grandpa). I traveled to Arizona to live the retired life with them and in the process I learned a thing or two.

Every morning I would wake up to a fresh grapefruit waiting for me on the kitchen table and this was the start of my daily education. My Papou would soon join me at the table while Yia Yia milled around the apartment and he would begin to talk about what was going on in the world. He covered topics from the civil unrest in Libya and Egypt to the pending NFL lock out… They seemed to have knowledge about everything happening in the world. We talked about the importance of family and the excitement they both felt for my unborn child. I heard stories from his time in WWII and found out how much of an athlete my Yia Yia had been at Ohio State… all of these lessons and tidbits I may never had learned had I decided to bury my head in my phone to watch the changing twitter stream or Facebook news feed. Instead I spent that time learning about our family and the lives of the people who started it all.

The time I got to spend with my grandparents really taught me the value of family and how important it is to have a break from the chaotic hustle and bustle of the everyday work place. It’s easy to get caught up with the constant connectivity that we all deal with in our lives. Taking the time to appreciate your loved ones not only gives you insight into the extraordinary lives that they may have led and also helps center you around what’s truly important. Enjoy your clan, network, tribe or family and remember that you will always need them.

That’s what makes this season so difficult for everyone both physically
and emotionally. I must first clarify that I will always have
unwavering support for Coach Izzo and you guys. I know the amount of
work that has gone into the off-season workouts and the countless hours
of practice and film work that you guys and the coaches are continuing
to put in. No one in the country is going to outwork the MSU basketball
program and that has been proven over the years. I feel a sort of
defense mechanism when it comes to the constant criticism that this team
is getting. I feel an overwhelming urge to defend our program and the
players. It’s like listening to someone talk about your little brother,
you want to stand up and fight to defend your family.

At this point I find myself straddling a very difficult fence. On one
side, I am extremely proud alum of Michigan State and our basketball
program. On the other side I’m very disappointed in some of the things
that seem to be happening this year. It appears that, in some sense,
this team has forgotten what kind of program they signed up to play for.
I prided myself as a player who protected the core values that our
program stands for every time I stepped on the court. At this point,
I’m far less concerned with wins and losses and all I can hope is that
we finish the season with the same intensity as Scotty Skiles, with the
swagger of Steve Smith, and the true grit of Antonio Smith and Mateen
Cleaves.

I hope you all realize that you have a group of former players who will
always be there through thick and thin, who have gone through tough
seasons, dealt with the relentless media scrutiny and will never turn
our backs. This program is bigger than any one player and bigger than
any one season. Remember, as this quote says, you are the men in the
arena… just make sure when you feel triumph or failure, you have done
so with your face marred by dust and sweat and blood due to your
unwavering EFFORT.

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the
strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them
better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena,
whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly;
who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort
without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the
deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends
himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph
of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails
while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold
and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” – Theodore Roosevelt

Jones_Drew32 Maurice Jones-Drew
Hey I think the urban meyer rule is effect right now… When the going gets tough……..QUIT..

Jones-Drew went on to say that he was only joking and his true intent was to take a shot at Florida. Little did he know that once he sent that tweet he would soon be suffering the backlash of Bears fans around the country and his tweet and this story would be picked up by multiple media outlets and showcased around the world. According to the Associate Press MJD is quoted as saying “I threw out this joke and the backlash came in. I tried to make it right, but it backfired.” Here is the link for the entire story http://bit.ly/geX85x

Both athletes and fans need to realize that in today’s world of connectivity someone is always going to be listening or watching. It’s very easy for something you type to be misunderstood and not come across the same way as if you said it. You have to be extremely careful with what you put out for the public because a small flame can turn into a wild fire. Before you hit that button make sure you understand the consequences you might face and determine whether or not it’s really that important to share that thought.