By Paul M. Banks
Welcome to a new quasi-weekly feature where we discuss some of the biggest topics in the Michigan State Spartan world, including the insight and observations of legendary MSU coach Tom Izzo. This installment highlights his charity free shooting contest against close friend, and Illinois Head Coach, Bruce Weber.
University of Illinois men’s basketball coach Bruce Weber recently challenged Michigan State University coach Tom Izzo to a free throw contest immediately following the live broadcast of ESPN’s College GameDay pregame show Saturday morning.
Izzo, a friend of Weber’s known for his free throw shooting marksmanship, has accepted that challenge. Each coach will shoot 10
free throws. The losing coach pledges to raise a minimum of $5,000 per missed shot for Coaches vs. Cancer through appearances and other tie-ins during 2010.
My money is on Izzo because (as you’ve probably seen that Big Ten Network promo a million times) he supposedly shoots one hundred free throws a day for the past 30 years or so. He does this because he missed a critical free throw in the state of Michigan championship game or something like that.
But no matter who wins, it all goes to a great cause. Weber and Izzo are two of the nation’s top Coaches vs. Cancer advocates. Weber earned the Coaches vs. Cancer Champion Award, the award for the coach who most vigorously raises funds for the cause, in 2007. Izzo earned the same honor in 2009.
“The ESPN broadcast allows Tom and I a great opportunity to show our passion for Coaches vs. Cancer fundraising as well as give people a sense of the rewarding friendships that exist within the coaching community,” Weber said. “This should put an exclamation point on the College GameDay event for Fighting Illini fans and put the spotlight on Coaches vs. Cancer once again. I’d love to see a sea of orange fill Assembly Hall for College GameDay in the morning and come back for the sold out game Saturday night.”
Doors will open for the broadcast at 8 a.m. Saturday. Free admission and free parking apply both to the show as well as the Weber-Izzo shootout. State Farm will donate $1 per fan in attendance to the Orange Krush Foundation, the Illini student-run charity, for each person attending the GameDay show on Saturday morning.
“When Bruce asked me to participate, I said I’ll do whatever you want me to do,” Izzo said. “We’re going to have a great time competing against each other, plus educate people about our shared commitment to the fight against cancer. It’s something Bruce and I both believe in and this is a great way to let people know how much the cause matters to us.”