No DVR at my house. I’m not even a football fan, though I have been eyeing the free-falling Lions and the interesting developments of the Falcons.

I’m watching the Wings-Hawks game, come hell or high water.

Posted by Alan from Atlanta on 12/08/08 at 03:08 PM ET

Didn’t the Spartans lose 45-0 to Penn State..? Why would anyone watch them.....Watch the Wings/Hawks and at 4 pm turn on the Penn St / USC Rose Bowl game to watch some real football....How come nobody ever complains about all the pointless bowl games but they love to say the NHL season is too long....oh that’s right ESPN televises 70% of these rediculous bowls

Posted by kevin from boston on 12/08/08 at 03:16 PM ET

Kevin -

You’re dissing a 9-3 team, with 2 losses coming to Top 10 teams and the third on the road to a hot opponent at the start of the season?  How many did BC lose again?…

I’ll be watching both as best as my remote control will allow me, much to wife’s dismay I’m sure..

Go Green, Go Wings.

Posted by Primis on 12/08/08 at 03:28 PM ET

Sorry...good teams do not lose 45-0...I’m not one who gets suckered by the college football hype...BC is not a great team but they did lose their #1 QB with three games left and still made the conference championship with a freshman QB...College football is basically about playing a bunch of crappy teams to boost your record while at the same time getting the talking heads to hype you into something you are not...and voila...a New Years Day Bowl. There are so many 6-5 teams in Bowl games that its a farce...a three loss season is nothing to get excited about

Posted by kevin from boston on 12/08/08 at 03:46 PM ET

Kevin, if you were from Michigan, and knew just what Michigan State has endured since Nick Saban cut-and-ran, you’d understand.

There’s no doubt that Sparty is in a different class than Penn State and Ohio State. And there’s no doubt that the Big 10 is lucky if it’s even the third best conference in football, behind the SEC and Big 12, so that’s not even saying much. But the Spartans have finally have two seasons of consistent improvement, two bowl games, and have a coach that actually is acting like he wants to stay and build a program, instead of use it as a springboard to bigger and better things.

For the first time in a long time they are the unquestionable best team in the state. That’s big for them as well.

I think it’s likely that they will probably lose the Capital One Bowl. I think it’ll probably look like the preseason game with Cal where they hung tough, played well, but in the end even superior coaching couldn’t overcome the rift in talent between the teams. But it is still a MASSIVE step in the right direction even playing on New Year’s Day for MSU.

You just have to put it in perspective.

That said, I’m not an MSU alum, I just understand it because I work with a number of MSU alums and keep an ear on Big 10 sports.

And with all that said… there’s no doubt I’ll be watching the Wings. The only thing I’ll let come between me and my Wings is weddings and funerals.

Posted by Nathan on 12/08/08 at 04:06 PM ET

Screw football. Its a fascinating game and all, but the hype and presentation just pisses me off.

I’ve got pond hockey tentatively scheduled for new year’s day, but if that falls through, I’ll be watchin the Wings v Hawks for sure.

Posted by Nate A from Detroit-ish on 12/08/08 at 04:08 PM ET

I’ll be watching the Hawks-Wings game praying that the ice is in some kind of respectable condition so that half of the team doesn’t pull their groin resulting in sub-standard play the next month.

Posted by halomasterd4n on 12/08/08 at 04:32 PM ET

Son of a bitch, oh well. I’ll be going back and forth between the games but the Wings are first priority. And for the record we did not lose 45-0, we lost 49-18, still and embarrassing loss, but still a huge year for the Spartans, who no one in their right mind would have thought we would finish the season 9-3. Its a special year for us since its the first time in a long time that the Spartans are the best team coming out of Michigan. And our first Jan. 1 bowl game since I think 2000. So yes there is a LOT to get excited about this 9-3 year.

Posted by Sp4r7an on 12/08/08 at 05:12 PM ET

I am going to be working both Christmas day and New Years day and I built my own PVR for situations like this.  I won’t be recording the football though. 

Go Wings!!

Posted by 13datsyukfan13 from Mid Michigan on 12/08/08 at 05:34 PM ET

Michigan States bowl game is just like the Wings in the outdoor game, its something that doesn’t happen very often..

Posted by yzerman19 from Nashville on 12/08/08 at 06:34 PM ET

If both my parents when to University of Michigan, am I supposed to hate Michigan State or Ohio State worse? I forget.

Posted by PJ from San Jose on 12/08/08 at 07:03 PM ET

You are supposed to hate your parents. Jk jk. UM people would probably say Ohio State, but it depends on the sport. Some say the UM-MSU rivalry in hockey is the biggest and OSU-UM in Football is the biggest.

Posted by Sp4r7an on 12/08/08 at 07:14 PM ET

The MSU-UM rivalry on ice has lost some of its venom, unfortunately.  It used to be bigger.

Same for MSU-UM hoops—UM’s been so bad for so long now that you forget how heated it was.  You forget that the Spartans National Championship team dumped the Wolverines by like 50 and wouldn’t let up even when Izzo was trying to get them to simply because they kept seeing that block “M” on the other team’s chest.

And you guys keep forgetting: where’s Notre Dame fit into all of this?

Posted by Primis on 12/08/08 at 08:49 PM ET

This is the reason that I’ll go to the bar where I can watch both games, side-by-side.  Go Wings!  Go State!

Posted by clemshady from Greenwood, SC on 12/08/08 at 11:09 PM ET

Well, I do like MSU but it’s no contest.  I have 2 tickets to the Classic....but I gave them to my son (the hockey coach) and nephew (who lives downtown Chicago).  I’m going to watch the game from the comfort of my recliner.  Now, if they had used Soldier Field instead....

teri

Posted by teri from Chester, NS on 12/09/08 at 12:00 PM ET