Sometimes it’s hard to say goodbye: MZone, you’ll be missed

When I started this humble little blog some two years ago (and I just realized TNL's B-day is coming up) I would read a couple blogs on a daily basis and one of my daily reads was the MZone. Yost and the boys did a great job of mixing meaningful football analysis with loads of comedic brilliance. From co-ed showdowns to photoshopped gems MZone did it with a flair few could match. Unfortunately, the members of MZone dwindled down to one and Yost found it too difficult to continue to pound out the daily posts by his lonesome.

Thus, rather than ever get to a point where people say, "Man, the MZone used to be so good. But now it sucks giant, Michigan-owning Buckeye nuts," I'd rather end it here on a high note and the old vaudevillian credo of "Leave them wanting more...caption contests and Photoshopped gems." And while I won't say never in terms of the MZone returning somewhere down the line - or in some other incarnation - if the passion returns, right now it's time to simply say farewell.

Before I started this blog I e-mailed Yost and asked for some advice not actually thinking I'd get a reply. To my surprise I immediately got a return e-mail with loads of tips on starting things up. Yost e-mailed me several times answered all my questions and was very helpful and for that I'm immensely thankful. While some bloggers strive to be EDSBS I wanted to be the next MZone (yeah, yeah, I know I fell way short). I had no intention of becoming a professional writer I just wanted to talk football and hopefully make some people laugh along the way. Yost was unique in the world of Michigan bloggers, he had no problem questioning and often criticizing Michigan football on and off the field. While others toed the company line and defended everything Michigan did, Yost called a spade a spade and I always respected that.

So a great blog has come and gone and I, for one, will miss it. Thanks MZone for a great three year run, and oh by the way Colin Cowherd is still a dick.

Blog Chips

-First the unpleasantness... Penn State Tight End Andrew Quarless has been yet again suspended from the football team.

Penn State tight end Andrew Quarless has been suspended indefinitely for an unspecified violation of team rules, according to football team spokesman Jeff Nelson.

Quarless joins five other Lions who have been at least temporarily removed from the team for infractions since Jan. 25... This isn't Quarless' first visit to coach Joe Paterno's doghouse. The 6-foot-5, 252-pound sophomore sat out the first two games of last season after he was issued an underage drinking citation in August... He returned to a starting role but was often a nonfactor, catching just 14 passes for 205 yards and two touchdowns.

But hey, he still had a great freshman season.

-Now that we've got that out of the way onto the fun stuff. I would be remiss if I did not mention that one of professional football's greatest has official retired yesterday.

After flirting with retirement for years, Brett Favre means it this time. The Green Bay Packers quarterback quit Tuesday after a 17-season career in which he dazzled fans with his grit, heart and rocket of an arm.

"I know I can still play, but it's like I told my wife, I'm just tired mentally. I'm just tired," Favre, a three-time NFL MVP said.

Forget his rocket arm or no-fear attitude he displayed on a weekly basis, I'll remember Favre for all the poundings he took and yet gutted his way off the turf and back into the huddle. He IS the definition of guts. I know it has nothing to do with Penn State but you have to take a moment and tip your hat to greatness – congrats Brett Favre, you made Sunday's a little more fun to watch.

-Speaking of tipping your hat to greatness I want to end by acknowledging two of my Big Ten blogging brethren for their efforts this year: Black Heart Gold Pants won the 2008 CFBA Best New Blog and our dear old friend Mike has won the Best Big Ten Blog. BHGP deserves it simply because they are fucking funny. That expletive is totally necessary and I think I've made my point – read them, like every day.

As for Mike: what more can I say, the man breathes, eats, sleeps, and lives Penn State. I have no evidence of this but I wouldn't be shocked in the slightest if he and the old lady knock boots to the Penn State Blue Band CD – not shocked at all. Here is his humble (there's a surprise – isn't he always!?) acceptance speech.

But I plugged along because I love Penn State football. It's my hobby. It's my passion. I did it for my fellow Penn State fans like me who crave Penn State content 365 days a year. About six months after starting HTTL is when Peter approached me about coming on with SBN. So in August of 2006, Black Shoe Diaries was launched to a shaky start and the rest is history.

I remember Mike from his Hail To The Lion days and he's come a long way and made quite the success of it. It's very difficult coming up with content on a day by day basis and Mike makes it look easy.

I think shortly after I started up HTTL is when The Nittany Line and Run Up The Score started up. The three of us grew our blogs together. We encouraged each other. We bounced ideas off each other and RUTS soon came up with the idea to start the Blue White Roundtable. I consider Chris and Galen two of my best friends in the blogosphere. Thanks, guys.

The feeling is 100% totally mutual and it's been easy navigating the blogosphere when you have two skilled co-pilots pointing out the way. I've managed to meet Mike at one of his Penn State tailgates and he's just as transparent in life as he is in his blog – he's a great host and a very pleasant person. I'm excited about his win in particular because these award thingies are usually popularity contests among the bigger blogs but it's great to see the blogosphere pick one of the little guys. Congrats BHGP and congrats BSD!

Blog Toss

Work and charitable events have taken up a lot of my time lately so I'll let the internets and other bloggers pick up the slack for me.

Go Blue!
Two Michigan players were arraigned on charges stemming from an assult on another student on St. Patrick's Day. Starting Tight End Carson Butler and reserve DB Christian Richards attacked a 20-year-old Michigan student in an acquaintance's dorm room Saturday. The victim told police his attackers already were in the room when he arrived and that he did not know why they were repeatedly punching him. That's nice, I can see that scene:

Unsuspecting victim: Hey guys, what's up…Ouch Ouch Ouch. STOP HITTING ME!

In addition, MZone is reporting that defensive end Eugene Germany was ticketed for marijuana possession last month - that's the trifecta.

Gaydar defined
EDSBS recently had a post asking for nominations for their Punchout 64 – an alternative to March Madness in which the "only criteria for an entrant would be a deep, unabiding yen to punch the person in the face repeatedly." The usual funny stuff from Orson and the gang but, like often, the nominations in the comments were great – there's some serious hate there. Now of course JoePa made it a couple times and I'm fine with that, some hate Papa Joe but I took SERIOUS exception to one really amazing nomination from reader sandman227:

Sandra Lee: You just know she's such a whore
Giada De Laurentis: Besides the fact that she can't actually cook (just reads the script), whoever produces her show seems to think that we'll be mesmerized by close-ups of Giada chopping carrots, zooming in on boiling water, and soft framing flour dust rising in the air. Unwatchable

Alton brown, however, is the man….

Note to men everywhere: if you are tuning into Everyday Italian to actually watch cooking AND the first thought that comes to mind when you see this piece of Italian cheesecake is the urge to punch, congratulations: you are officially gay. You are steeped in gayness. Notice sandman227 also hates Sandra Lee, who looks like she's trying to smuggle two watermelons in her shirt but Alton Brown however, "is the man." Indeed – not gay at all.

Somewhere there is food in this picture, but I'll be damned if I can find it.

Wrongfully charged for smuggling many times

Drinkin' and drivin' don't mix, bloggin' however….
Black Shoe Diaries had a busy weekend and well… just take a look for yourself. While there take a look at this, Penn State is going to have a Rap Contest… no seriously… a Rap Contest… in the middle of Pennsylvania. I will have to work on that in the not too distant future but Mike has done a great job so far.

BIG-time update: Rene Portland, women’s basketball coach at Penn State for the past 27 years, has resigned effective immediately (Kudos BSD for getting to it first). Rene has had a lot of success over her career at Penn State but it was time for both parties to go their separate ways. The dark cloud of prejudice was hanging over a program that prides itself on inclusiveness and it was affecting student body support. Good luck to Rene.