One is Kevin Pauga to MSU men's basketball. The former student manager and crackerjack video coordinator (2004-08) is back as director of basketball operations.
Pauga spent last year as the Big Ten's data analyst. His wonkish crunchings appeared here more than once. He replaces Richard Bader, who is now MSU's director of sport operations -- a redefined position in the athletic department -- and will be involved with all 25 sports.
The other is Matt Millen to football color commentary. And he'll be doing college football. And he'll be doing Big Ten football. That's very likely at least, since he'll be Sean McDonough's partner on ABC afternoon games, as announced today by ESPN. So don't fret, you won't have to go without his genius any longer.
(For the record, he's a pretty good football analyst).
Apologies to Pauga for weaving Millen into his announcement. Also for the record, I'd feel more comfortable with Pauga building my NFL franchise.
Matt Millen should do us all a favor and go into hiding. He has already mae his football contribution with the Lions. We all know how that went. Why not switch to analyzing ice dancing, Matt.
Posted by: CanBum | July 09, 2009 at 05:41 PM
Millen was the best.
Sincerely,
Losing
Posted by: Stone | July 09, 2009 at 06:15 PM
Pogo got vids baby !!!
Posted by: Tanfan | July 09, 2009 at 07:04 PM
i don't want millen anywhere near Spartan Stadium...everything he touches turns to losing...
Posted by: kmarv | July 09, 2009 at 07:33 PM
KP my former RA!
Posted by: gerrard | July 09, 2009 at 07:37 PM
Joe, your stock had already crashed in my book, now you have gone lower than GM by tricking us to read about that person who should be stepping on an IED in Iraq. Many boos and hisses to you
Posted by: Jerry landry | July 09, 2009 at 08:18 PM
Congrats Kevin and Richard!
I agree with Joe that Millen is pretty good as a BROADCASTING football analyst. Somewhere though his on-stage analyses get lost before he applies them to "real life" situations. Maybe he's just better with tactics and strategy than with personnel evaluation.
Posted by: Michael Motta | July 09, 2009 at 10:48 PM
For those of us with a short memory, Matt Millen is a great broadcaster. Not good, but great.
Personally, I can set aside any ill feelings I have toward him because, well, I can't ever bring myself to care about any professional sports teams more than I do Michigan State.
I would much rather spend my time listening to Matt Millen than Ginger Pam from ESPN. She's awful, has red hair, and wears purple suit jackets.
In the not distant future, MSU will be nationally broadcast games; we won't have to listen to the B-team from ESPN+
Any new recruiting news? I thought I heard something about a White decommitment (to AA?)
Posted by: wonderbread | July 10, 2009 at 01:18 AM
Pam Ward is fine. There are plenty of male broadcasters who are no better than she is.
Big Ten football games haven't been on ESPN+ for quite awhile. The Big Ten Network picks up games generally after ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2 get theirs.
Posted by: Michael Motta | July 10, 2009 at 08:09 AM
Pam Ward and fine should never under any circumstances be used together in the same sentence. There are plenty of male broadcasters who are way better than she is...I have muted every single one of the games she has called over the years...I can't tell if she sounds more like my aunt or my uncle...Replace her with ANYBODY!
Posted by: YTRAPS | July 10, 2009 at 08:44 AM
Matt Millen's an egotistical jerk. On a flight from Allentown, Pa to the D, he TOLD a friend of my daughter to get up out of her seat and move so he could sit next to his wife. He did not ask, he demanded. What little respect I had for him crashed and burned.
Posted by: bathcitybill | July 10, 2009 at 09:10 AM
I think it's a shame that we have to deal with Matt Millen on any level after what he put Lion fans through for his tenure. Everytime I hear his name mentioned, its just a strong reminder how little chance the Lions have for success as long as WCF Sr. is still in charge
Posted by: Stan | July 10, 2009 at 09:52 AM
Mellen mess up Lions baby !!!
Tanner on fire baby !!!
Posted by: Tanfan | July 10, 2009 at 10:39 AM
No one has done well with the Lions since the current Ford family bought them. Also, a question we should ask ourselves if we had to walk a mile in MM's shoes; Would'nt you be a bit of an arse if you had to work for that disoragnization too?
Congratulations a to MSU & KP for reuniting.
Go Green!
Posted by: MayoSpartan | July 10, 2009 at 11:45 AM
what happened to Chris Spielman, I think he does a great job.
Posted by: gogreen | July 10, 2009 at 12:47 PM
I didn;t like Pam Ward when she first started; a female football announcer??? Her voice grated on me. But over the last couple of years, I realized she is very insightful and more importantly, she watches and discusses the game rather than going off on some tangent telling stories and ignoring the game like some of those jackasses
Posted by: drmuffin | July 10, 2009 at 12:55 PM
I agree with the pro-Pam Ward crowd, I think she does a very good job of play-by-play, and I think most of the sentiment against her has to be rooted in the unfamiliarity of a female voice calling football. Ward-Spielman and Ward-Bentley are both strong announcing teams, IMO.
Posted by: Joe Rexrode | July 10, 2009 at 01:04 PM
I agree with the Pam Ward s***s sentiments. We turn down the volume at the sports bar when she is the announcer. Musberger isn't much better.
Posted by: Trophy | July 10, 2009 at 01:29 PM
Pam does a good job. Her voice is just a little monotone. Musburger is the one I don't like listening to.
Posted by: beee-dubbb | July 10, 2009 at 04:16 PM
"I agree with the pro-Pam Ward crowd, I think she does a very good job of play-by-play, and I think most of the sentiment against her has to be rooted in the unfamiliarity of a female voice calling football. Ward-Spielman and Ward-Bentley are both strong announcing teams, IMO."
A lady and former linebacker with Michigan ties, that's what I like.
No, she perfectly okay. Musberger is a nightmare.
Posted by: witless chum | July 13, 2009 at 04:55 PM