MSU survives another scare

A win is a win, but these one point victories by Michigan State elevate my blood pressure level to a skyrocketing level.

Last night the Spartans battled their way to a 57-56 win over in-state rival Michigan (referred to as scUM on Twitter during the game). Kalin Lucas made a go-ahead jumper with 3.5 seconds left to win the game for the Spartans.

The Wolverines had a chance to win when DeShawn Sims had a shot roll off the rim on an alley-oop pass with 0.9 seconds left. There was some contact on the play, but hey, this is the Big Ten.

Turnovers continue to be the thorn in the side of the Spartans. Having 18 turnovers in a game against Wisconsin, Purdue or any future opponents aren’t going to cut it for Izzo. I know with the Spartans being more of an uptempo team, some turnovers are going to occur. The key will be limiting the mental error turnovers.

I still like the Spartans chances of winning the Big Ten. They still have the tough games against left on the schedule that include at Wisconsin, Illinois, Penn State, Indiana and Purdue. Don’t be quick to overlook Penn State and Indiana, both are tough places to play and they always give the Spartans their best. Having to only play Ohio State once and at home is a relief. I think that MSU, Wisconsin, Purdue and Ohio State could all have a chance to do some damage in the NCAA tournament.

Over the next few weeks everyone will get a chance to see what type of team this is and what type of leader Kalin Lucas can be. He showed great poise and confidence in this last game and I’ll be looking to see that mentality in each in every game.

Great people make great agencies

I had the opportunity to interview at an agency in Chicago this week. It was a great experience and I met some great people.

People may argue this, but I’ve always believed interviewing to be a two-way street. As much as you are trying to fit in, the other party should fit in with you as well. I’ve always preferred interviewing with the people you’ll actually be working with on a daily basis.

Another point of the interview I enjoyed was the straightforwardness of both people I had the pleasure of meeting. There was no sugar coating of any sort and I have a great respect for that. I’m at the point where I’m familiar enough with the positions and job descriptions of advertising agencies, with slight differences depending on the agency. I didn’t have to spend a lot of time going over the position, which I enjoyed. I was able to ask questions on a more personal level and about the agency. Both interviewers had worked in big agencies before and I was able to ask what they preferred about their current situation in a smaller environment.

I had a great opportunity to work at Pace & Partners, a smaller agency. I was able to experience responsibilities that I would not have exposure to until probably two years or so at a larger agency. In the long run I think this is very beneficial, I’ll be able to step in at a moments notice at a future opportunity. I highly recommend new grads to seek both big and small agency opportunities. I know most recruiters scan your resume and look for that big name to catch their eye. However, if you can sell your accomplishments at that level, you should receive consideration.

I am looking to hear back about this interview in the near future. I felt very comfortable in that environment and there is great opportunity to grow professionally.

NYE 2010

New Year’s Eve 2010 was nothing short of memorable. Great friends, times and memories.

If you’ve read my prior post “What is your NYE tradition?”, you’ll know the logistics of the tradition started by a very close group of friends. There were a few additional faces, but they didn’t skip a beat with the rest of the group. One group had left from Detroit and another group from East Lansing. We both arrived on the evening of the 30th. A friend had informed us that it was $1 beer night at a bar called Duffy’s. What he did not tell us until we were at the door was that it was a U of M bar (WOOF!). However, being who we are we bit the bullet.

The next day we had 2 more friends join us and we checked into the hotel. We all split some Lou Malnati’s pizza, by the way was some great Chicago deep dish. We all started to get ready and just hang around the rooms, the calm before the storm some would say.

We all headed down to the party and checked out everything. We started taking a few pictures and did a little gambling in the VIP lounge. Two friends won a decent sum of money, one lost a small sum. Right before midnight we all headed up to the main room to watch the ball drop and celebrate as a group. There were additional circles of friends that joined as well. We rang in 2010 with a Pitbull concert shortly after the ball drop.

The day of January 1st was spent watching college football and a little bar hoping. The next day, Michigan State was playing at Northwestern and the football team was playing in the Alamo Bowl later that night against Texas Tech. This was essentially the makings of a perfect day for me, MSU sports all day! The basketball team struggled at times but was able to pull away. The same could not be said for the football team. They hung in the game from start to finish, but couldn’t overcome a strong Texas Tech team.

Overall the weekend was a great experience and I’ll be carrying these memories for a lifetime. I know I’ll never be able to put a value on lifelong friendships, they mean more than anything in this world.

The Little Caesars Bowl

I went to my first college bowl game this past weekend. It was the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, formerly the Motor City Bowl at Ford Field. The game pitted Ohio University against Marshall University. This was also my first time in a suite at Ford Field, it was a great experience.

A good friend of mine was given several suite tickets from her boss at Skyline Outdoor Advertising. She thought I would be interested in going and wanted to thank me for finding her the graphic designer job at Skyline. I had no affiliation with Ohio or Marshall, other than watching “We Are Marshall”. I knew it would be fun and I always like getting to downtown Detroit when I get the chance (yes I just said that).

The game started off looking like it might be a blowout with Marshall up 21-0, but Ohio made it into a game. Marshall was able to prevail with a 21-17 win, but the game had exciting moments.

The suite was very nice and it was with a great group of people. Another friend had never seen a football game at Ford Field, I chirped in “Detroit Lions fans haven’t either.” I’m hoping the Ohio and Marshall fans walked away with a great experience of the city as well, we all know Detroit could use some great word-of-mouth.

What is your NYE tradition?

It was senior year at Michigan State University, the last hurrah. The future was fast approaching with God knows what. No one was scared of what the future might hold, we just realized we wouldn’t be all together at Rick’s American Cafe every Saturday night.

November was rolling around and a group of friends and myself starting thinking, what could we do to make sure we never lose touch. A proposed idea was to always spend New Year’s Eve together as a group.

A lot of thought went into our NYE plans. First we had to select a destination. We opted for Chicago since we were all still in school and it was an inexpensive travel option. Next was the location. There were so many options in Chicago. We narrowed it down to a top 3 and finally selected a party at the Hilton Chicago.

One of our friends actually lived near the city, so we were able to head down a night early. We had a great home cooked meal and then just relaxed watching TV and chatting away. The next day we went around downtown and walked around until we could check into our rooms. Absinthe had just become legal in the United States, but was only sold in major cities. Chicago happened to be one of the major cities, and at the risk of being labeled unsocial we thought we would give it a try. Naturally, they put us on the news.

We finally arrived at the hotel. Started to get ready and waited until we could go downstairs to the party. Since there was only a small group at the time, we were essentially “forced” to meet people. We had a lot of fun meeting new people and taking a lot of pictures. My favorite part was one of my best friends dancing and blowing the ass out of his dress pants. Everyone was dying laughing. Luckily he had another pair and came back to the party like nothing happened. The party ended up being a great time and we rang in our first successful New Year together.

Celebrating 2009 would take us to NYC. We had a friend who was now working there, so it was great to visit and celebrate. Now we didn’t go to Times Square like most people do for NYE in New York. We attended a party at Webster Hall with a live performance by Lady Gaga, when she was still considered “normal”. This party was less formal and reminded me of just one large fraternity party. The host was tranny meets Barnum & Bailey. However, overall the party was a lot of fun. For 2 years in a row I was able to spend NYE with a great group of friends.

Now that brings us to 2010. Our group has increased and we’ve even added a Notre Dame alum (I know shame on us, be he would have fit in great at MSU). We’ll be at the Hilton Chicago again, but this party will be a little different. It is the Official Playboy New Year’s Eve Celebration ft. Pitbull. I can only expect to have a great post coming soon.

While writing this I came to a conclusion. As a Spartan, your heart never leaves East Lansing and your body only takes a vacation.

My hunting season summary

I just completed my hunting season. It was unsuccessful in terms of deer tags filled, but overall was a great experience.

Living in Michigan has provided great opportunities to hunt both private and public lands. This year I have been able to hunt in the Upper Peninsula, Backus Creek State Game Area and Murphy Lake State Game Area. It was my first time hunting each area.

My first bow hunt of the year took place at Backus Creek State Game area in Roscommon County. This was my first experience on state land. I was pleasantly surprised with how well managed the DNR has kept the area. They have also planted large food plots in several places which allows for a healthier deer herd. I saw a decent amount of deer over the weekend, but none in bow range. It’s not always about the thrill of the kill in hunting, just seeing the deer provides an indescribable rush of adrenaline.

My second bow hunting trip brought me into the Upper Peninsula for the first time. I was able to go on a trip with my dad and a really good friend of his. We stayed at this family friend’s cabin just outside of Marquette. Let me tell you, it is truly God’s country in the U.P. The views from the mountains were absolutely breathtaking. This time I would be hunting on commercial forest land. I had no idea what to expect hunting in the U.P. for the first time. It was not long until I saw movement, however, it turned out to be about a 250-pound black bear! I was a little nervous at first, but my heart was racing as the bear was as close as 15 yards. Needless to say I didn’t see any deer that day. I did however start to see deer periodically. A few came in range and as I started to stand to shoot the deer noticed movement in my direction. I wasn’t able to even attempt a shot that week but was thankful I had the opportunity to see a bear up close and hunt the U.P.

My entire muzzleloading season took place at Murphy Lake State Game Area in Tuscola County. I did some brief scouting earlier in the year and had a general idea of the area. I went back after firearm deer season and found a great spot to hunt. I anxiously awaited opening morning and hoped for the best. Opening morning I was blessed with some light snow cover. The air was cold and crisp. Time passed slowly and I was able to catch a beautiful Michigan sunrise. After a few hours I called it a day and headed back home and got ready for the evening hunt. The evening hunt didn’t provide any more excitement other than the occasional squirrel or upland bird. I hadn’t seen much recent sign in the area but still decide this spot was a good option and I hadn’t seen other hunters anywhere in my vicinity. I hunted the majority of the season without much luck. I had started to see more tracks in my area but never any deer during my hunting trips. I decided to move my position, but still stay in the same general area. I was now facing northwest and looking down over a swamp. The last day provided the only deer I saw the entire season. I saw one in the morning that came well within range, but left shortly after. At night I saw two deer, but they were gone about as soon as I saw them.

This season provided a lot of first time experiences and I’m thankful for that. I love spending time in the outdoors whether it be hunting or simply just taking in the area by walking. This also allowed me a lot of time to think and reflect on a variety of topics. I thought about potential jobs, goals I wanted to accomplish and how to meet them. I heard earlier at a presentation that a watched pot never boils. Hunting was a great escape for me to take a step back and save my creative juices for the next great opportunity that comes along in the near future.

A little bit of everything

I haven’t had too much to update about over the last few days.

I just attended graduation at Michigan State University for Nicholas Visconti, my fraternity little brother. He was on Homecoming Court and was also awarded Outstanding Senior. In January he is moving to Minneapolis to begin working at Target headquarters.

During my time off I’ve been able to enjoy hunting more regularly than in the past. I’d still rather be working, but I’m trying to make the best of the situation.

The job hunt still continues. Sending in your resume and receiving a rejection letter is like expecting sex and walking away with a hand job. I’ve found some great opportunities that I’ve been very interested in pursuing, but to no avail. Too damn bad for them.

I’ll work on having more exciting posts in the near future.

If you thought Detroit was “dead” you should have been @ The D Show

Last night was the 3rd Annual D Show, also my third attending. It was held downtown at the Max M. Fisher Music Center.

My favorite part of the show is seeing all the great work coming out of this blue-collar city. However, this year I was very impressed with a video tribute during the award ceremony for George Katsarelas, an executive creative director at Leo Burnett Detroit who passed away this summer. Katsarelas had been chairman of the council that oversees the D Show. Now I didn’t know him personally, but I remember him speaking at previous events. Just from listening to him speak, I knew he was a great person to model in the industry. This tribute also highlighted his humorous side and his brilliant, creative mind. One line I recall was commenting on how cool he was; “George didn’t need skinny jeans to be cool… he just was” While there was a fair share of skinny jean, black rimmed and spiked hair colleagues in attendance, you don’t have to be like that to be considered creative. Some people even looked like a long lost Jonas Brother (sorry had to throw that it there, no disrespect).

On a brighter side; Mark Ford, a division president at Time Inc., announced during the ceremony who won the advertising campaign contest to “sell Detroit”. Campbell-Ewald was the winner of the advertising campaign contest, which is aimed at keeping young creative people to live and work in Detroit. I was very pleased with the advertising community joining together for this initiative. Even though Campbell-Ewald won the competition, I hope all the agencies can work cooperatively to draw top-notch talent looking for a challenge.

Minneapolis recently launched a similar campaign, called “MinneADpolis”. A group of agencies worked together to highlight the great work of the industry and all the great aspects of living in Minneapolis.

Now Detroit might be a hard sell at the moment, but after last night I can assure you there is still oil left in this well.

Adcraft PM presents “Wine of the Worlds”

I recently attended “Wine of the Worlds” hosted by Adcraft PM at D’Amatos. The committee did a great job on the event.

I’ve been trying to get more involved in the Detroit advertising community after a little bit of an absence. I enjoy the events and the people I have met at these events. While I don’t expect to “land” a job at any of these events, it’s a great way to hear other people’s stories.

Luckily I was able to be introduced by a friend to some other circles of her friends. I met a very friendly and helpful guy from Doner. He was previously in finance and had just recently made the career switch to advertising. He was in a similar position as myself, attending events solo. He pointed out that it could be nerve-racking at times, but once you start meeting people it becomes easier to mingle and make contacts. He also suggested business cards, which I just received this week.

This week I’ll be attending the 3rd Annual D Show. I’ve been to the previous two and enjoyed them tremendously. I always enjoy seeing cutting edge advertising and creativity from the city of Detroit. I’m also glad that Detroit is making a push to attract creative people. This will only make the agencies stronger and more competitive nationally.

Izzo begins Final Four runs in November

Tom Izzo prepares his team for deep tournament runs with a diverse and challenging non-conference schedule

Tom Izzo has built a great program in his tenure at Michigan State University. His run to the National Championship game last year was absolutely amazing, gaining the support of many Michigan residents and shocking many in the college basketball world.

What makes Izzo so successful in the tournament? Great coaching? Great players? Along with this combination is the willingness to play a rugged and tournament tested non-conference schedule. In some years this has resulted in slow start out of the gate. While this can be irritating to fans, I see no complaints in March and April when the team is still playing.

Exposure to great teams and coaches early in the season is a great test to prepare for tournament games. Win or lose, Izzo is able to test his players and give them a great learning experience to learn from. Playing North Carolina, Texas, Florida and Gonzaga this year will present the team with challenges in each contest.

I’m expecting this team to play tough down the stretch and making another strong tournament run. With the experience and confidence of the players and the basketball genius of Izzo, I don’t expect anything less.