Where to Watch the MSU Game this Weekend

Michigan State University basketball fans will visit Reno's Sports Bar in East Lansing for Saturday's NCAA Final Four contest, and the big screen will make coach Tom Izzo look like he's right there in the room.

Izzo will be in Indianapolis when MSU squares off against Butler University at 6:07 p.m. sharp on Saturday, but he actually has spent plenty of time at Reno's Sports Bar. That's the site of his weekly Monday radio show, The Tom Izzo Show, featuring call-in questions and comments.

"We have seating for about 150 people, and people usually need reservations to get in," says Stephanie Anderson, the establishment's general manager.

The same could be true for Saturday's Final Four game, but with a weather forecast for unseasonable temperatures above 70 degrees, Reno's Sports Bar is among dozens of establishments that will have a rare opportunity to accommodate extra fans by opening their outdoor decks for NCAA basketball.

Sports Bar or Home Viewing?

Why not just sit at home and watch the game?

"For me personally, the energy when you watch it here is just insane," Anderson says. "People are on the edges of their seats, chanting, 'Go green, go white' (MSU's colors). It may not be the same as watching the game at the arena, but the energy is just as intense, and this way you can have your drinks and eat your food."

Operators of sports bars in metro Detroit, 70 miles southeast of the Michigan State campus, chime in with similar themes.

"We will have the MSU flag hanging to greet you," says Harry Kefalonitis, owner of Harry's Bar & Grill in downtown Detroit. "There will be a sea of green and everyone will be in a good mood, chanting and singing the Sparty song. We'll be serving up Sparty shots and Southern fried wings for $7 a dozen."

Izzo's Michigan State teams have made their way to the Final Four during six of the past 12 years, more than any other school. Standout players Durrell Summers and Kalin Lucas are from Detroit, although Lucas is out with an injury. Jon Crandell is from suburban Rochester Hills. Draymond Green is from up Interstate 75, in Saginaw.

A year ago, MSU's Final Four games were at Detroit's Ford Field, within shouting distance of Harry's Bar & Grill.

"There's a hometown feeling to this," Kefalonitis says. "Last year, I cannot tell you what the Spartans did for Detroit. There were people who maybe could have gotten into Ford Field, but they came back here to watch it because it's more fun here."

Get a Deal on a Meal

One of the two Detroit Pub locations is near Ford Field, with the other in outlying Clinton Township. Co-owners Paul Mauk and Jim Fong will serve up a 6-ounce fillet mignon, shrimp scampi or chicken marsala for $6.95 with corn cobs and potatoes on the side.

"People ask how we can do it, but we aren't trying to make a million bucks, especially in these economic times," Mauk says, referring to unemployment rates that are 14.6 percent statewide and nearly twice as high in the city of Detroit.

"You can forget all of your problems when you come to the Detroit Pub," Mauk says. "It's a blast when all of the patrons get together to cheer on the Spartans and all of our other teams."

As for unemployment, Mauk says the Detroit Pub focuses on Michigan-made products. Home state Faygo pop is mixed with vodka for a Grape Bomb, a Creme Soda Bomb or, Mauk's favorite, a Rock 'N' Rye Bomb.

Green Drinks Come Naturally

Bookies Bar & Grille, also in the shadows of Ford Field, doesn't rely on St. Patrick's Day-style green dye to serve up MSU green drinks. Owner Mark Jerant says a shot of Green Apple Pucker or Midori will do the trick naturally. His 16-foot projection screen, surrounded by "all kinds of plasmas," will allow even a fan enjoying two or three Green Apple Puckers to remain focused.

"There's nothing like the good roar of the crowd," Jerant says, regarding the alternative of watching at home. "There's nothing like being surrounded by 300 fans who are cheering for the Spartans right along with you."

The Puck Stops Here

Even the so-called "hockey bars," geared mainly to the Detroit Red Wings, are getting in on the act. There's Hockeytown Cafe and there are two locations for Cheli's Chili Bar and Restaurant, owned by Chris Chelios, a retired Red Wing. Managers at these establishments say they will show the Sparties on some of their TVs, while hockey action remains available on other screens.

Where to Go to See the Spartans

Following is a guide for where to go for the big game, Michigan State vs. Butler University, on Saturday at 6:07 p.m. Out of respect for the MSU campus, this listing begins with the Lansing area and then makes a segue toward metro Detroit.

-- Reno's Sports Bar East, 1310 Abbott Road, East Lansing, 517-351-7366, renossportsbar.com.

-- Reno's Sports Bar West, 5001 W. Saginaw St., Lansing, 517-321-7366, renossportsbar.com.

-- Dublin Square Irish Pub, 327 Abbott Road, East Lansing, 517-351-2222, dublinsquare.net.

-- Harrison Road House, 720 Michigan Ave., East Lansing, 517-337-0200,
harrisonroadhouse.com.

-- Rick's American Café, 224 Abbott Road, East Lansing, 517-351-2288, ricksamericancafe.com.

-- Rick's American Café, 611 Church St., Ann Arbor, 734-996-2747, ricksamericancafe.com.

-- Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar, 360 Albert Ave., East Lansing, 517-333-2999, buffalowildwings.com.

-- Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar, 22216 Michigan Ave., Dearborn, 313-359-1800, buffalowildwings.com.

-- Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar, 1873 E. Big Beaver Road, Troy, 248-743-1299, buffalowildwings.com.

-- Harry's Bar & Grill, 2482 Clifford St., Detroit, 313-964-1575, harrysdetroit.com.

-- The Detroit Pub, 1326 Brush St., Detroit, 313-963-3500, detpub.com.

-- The Detroit Pub, 33401 Harper Ave., Clinton Township, 586-791-1288, detpub.com.

-- Bookies Bar & Grille, 2208 Cass Ave., Detroit, 313-962-0319, bookiesbar.com.

-- Cheli's Chili Bar & Restaurant, 47 E. Adams Ave., Detroit, 313-961-1700, chelischilibar.com.

-- Cheli's Chili Bar & Restaurant, 21918 Michigan Ave., Dearborn, 313-274-9700, chelischilibar.com.

-- Hockeytown Cafe, 2301 Woodward Ave., Detroit, 313-965-9500, hockeytowncafe.com.

-- Post Bar, 408 W. Congress St., Detroit, 313-962-1293, postbar.com.

-- Post Bar, 22065 Michigan Ave., Dearborn, 313-277-3524, postbar.com.

-- Post Bar, 22828 Woodward Ave., Ferndale, 248-546-7678, postbar.com.

-- Post Bar, 42785 Grand River Ave., Novi, 248-465-9600, postbar.com.

-- Post Bar, 3880 Lapeer Road, Auburn Hills, 248-370-8909, postbar.com.

-- Starter's Bar & Grill, 4501 Woodward Ave., Detroit, 313-831-3100, startersbarandgrill.com.

-- Champps Americana, 301 W. Big Beaver Road, Troy, 248-526-0333, champps.com.

-- CK Diggs, 2010 Auburn Road, Rochester Hills, 248-853-6600, ckdiggs.com.