Bitter Sparty Quote about the Big Chill
Didn't think I saw this posted before but I stumbled onto this article about the Big Chill on ESPN http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=5910000 .
The gist: that the game was just a novelty act and does nothing for the sport.
and of course.....who else to add their two cents but Sparty A.D. Mark Hollis who is always quick to try to denigrate any accomplishment by Michigan:
"When we did it in 2001, it was like the Apollo mission," said Michigan State athletic director Mark Hollis, who, as an assistant athletic director in 2001 spearheaded the Cold War that attracted 74,544 fans to Spartan Stadium.
Since then, we've seen games at Lambeau Field, Fenway Park and Camp Randall Stadium in Madison. College hockey takes the spotlight briefly. The crowd scatters, the rink is torn down, and the lasting impact on the college game and its growth is difficult to measure.
"Now, it's like the space shuttle," Hollis said. "They're taking off and landing and you don't even know it. It's becoming routine."
Hollis you whiny cry baby, if you didn't notice the Big Chill, you're blinded by your hatred or were the fireworks for those five goals not bright enough or loud enough for you to notice. Go back to your room.
December 13th, 2010 at 5:48 PM ^
step off on the space metaphors, hollis.
December 13th, 2010 at 5:49 PM ^
clearly, our very own space emperor needs to pay him a visit
December 13th, 2010 at 5:50 PM ^
His may have been something akin to "first in space," but that would make us more like Neil Armstrong, not that anybody remembers him, because at that point, several people had been in space already. It was common-place to travel to space.
December 13th, 2010 at 5:51 PM ^
Space bitches space
December 13th, 2010 at 6:08 PM ^
Sorry no idea what that acronym means.
December 13th, 2010 at 6:14 PM ^
NSFSRK
December 14th, 2010 at 10:26 AM ^
buzz, your girlfriend. woof!!
haha love the pic
December 14th, 2010 at 11:00 AM ^
I'm just so happy to have been a part of the genesis of this.
NSFH... genious.
December 13th, 2010 at 6:10 PM ^
How is that NSFW, its an alumni showing off in her cool job. She's pretty, but I don't see anything scandalous there.
December 13th, 2010 at 6:16 PM ^
It was a whole thing.
December 13th, 2010 at 6:18 PM ^
if i told you its a joke, would it be funny then?
December 13th, 2010 at 6:29 PM ^
all by herself?
December 13th, 2010 at 8:12 PM ^
...latin may not be a dead language, but it's on life support.
December 13th, 2010 at 8:38 PM ^
Since there is only one of her, she would be an alumna.
December 13th, 2010 at 6:37 PM ^
If your wife is looking or not.
December 14th, 2010 at 2:48 PM ^
Hate to be a stickler, but that picture is part of the NASA microgravity project where student engineering teams get to fly their projects on a C-9 microgravity flight through NASA. Only undergraduates are allowed to be on the flight (meaning that I being the team's graduate supervisor was not allowed to experience microgravity), so not an alum in that picture. For the one person out there who is curious here's a link http://microgravityuniversity.jsc.nasa.gov/
December 13th, 2010 at 6:07 PM ^
if, ummm, you know, like the "mile high club", only in space?
December 13th, 2010 at 6:29 PM ^
I like space bitch but she doesn't look like a typical Michigan gal...where is the ballast? She must be grad student from CA...
December 13th, 2010 at 10:52 PM ^
to hit that with no gravity
December 14th, 2010 at 10:06 AM ^
She's my best friend from college, so I can point her to this post and maybe she can answer you directly. You've taken this too far, guys. Enough. This picture was never intended for this crap. It's an innocent picture celebrating an academic achievement by a student. Leave it alone.
December 13th, 2010 at 10:53 PM ^
thats how cool
December 13th, 2010 at 5:55 PM ^
Not at the fact that the Big Chill was uber successful, but that the University of Michigan literally owns space. Let me draw you a little picture:
+
= Space, Bitches. Space.
December 13th, 2010 at 7:45 PM ^
What Sparty fails to realize is that the conventional wisdom was that we needed two in-state teams in order to sell out the Big House and make this event a success. When MSU returned many of the allotted tickets they were sold to Michigan fans and the event remained wildly successful.
Now that we know that we can sell it out, WITHOUT MSU, we can do it again with the team of our choice. This event needs to happen every 4 years, no sooner. The event needs to maintain its novelty, and it needs to be something that every Michigan senior has the ability to play in if he stays for four years with Michigan Hockey.
December 13th, 2010 at 8:45 PM ^
1. the state of Michigan loves it's hockey
2. UM Hockey is a relatively strong seller (for college hockey, anyway)
3. It's a unique event, and a chance to be part of the largest crowd to ever watch a hockey game.
4. Tickets were fairly cheap, giving more incentive to buy them.
The game would have been that big if we had been playing a contender (ND or Miami - OH) or even a middling CCHA team.
December 13th, 2010 at 10:51 PM ^
you beat me to this, by a long time.
But honorable +1 for you since I can't actually do that yet.
December 13th, 2010 at 5:49 PM ^
5-0
That is all.
December 13th, 2010 at 5:52 PM ^
You put a fucking ice rink outside. You know, like how the sport was first played.
And don't compare Apollo missions, Hollis. Until you have a grad, let alone A WHOLE CREW fly a space mission from your school you can sit in the corner and shut up.
December 13th, 2010 at 7:35 PM ^
This should be our school commercial forever. Really, how are we ever going to top this?
December 13th, 2010 at 10:23 PM ^
The ones they've produced since then pale in comparison. Hence, no awesome EDSBS references that will go down in internets history either.
December 13th, 2010 at 8:45 PM ^
That's bad-ass.
December 13th, 2010 at 9:11 PM ^
That was awesome! Thanks for posting that!
December 13th, 2010 at 5:51 PM ^
There seem to be many fine whines out of EL lately...most of them involving their poor, disrespected football team (and yes, I realize that our football team got thumped this entire season). They even have a billboard by the Rose Bowl, in effect, complaining that they aren't playing there. You can find more whine in the Detroit News today where they complain about the lack of respect from game-pickers, none of whom think State will beat Alabama (mostly because they aren't idiots). Alas, when a team lucks into a handful of wins, has one of the weakest schedules in the conference and loses by 30 to Iowa...no respect shall follow.
Of course, Hollis and company probably aren't complaining that they're the only 3-loss bball team in the top 25.
December 13th, 2010 at 5:57 PM ^
December 13th, 2010 at 6:30 PM ^
I hope Alabama absolutely destroys them so they will shut up.
December 13th, 2010 at 6:45 PM ^
I'd be shocked if anything else but that happens.
December 13th, 2010 at 7:28 PM ^
I like to think that a Wisconsin grad paid for the ad just to show that even though they lost to State, they are going to the Rose Bowl. Thats what I would do
December 13th, 2010 at 10:12 PM ^
that shows the MSU-Iowa score superimposed on a picture of a Capital One credit card.
December 13th, 2010 at 6:12 PM ^
Can we get a t-shirt at the MGo store with something to the effect of "East Lansing Vineyards: Home to the Finest Whines in the Michigan"?
I'd buy one...
December 13th, 2010 at 5:52 PM ^
If memory serves me correct, the MSU's AD comments are kinda taken out of context here. I believe he was also replying to when we might see another outdoor hockey game or if it'll be held every year. To get that many people to an outdoor event, you need a gimmick like first time at Wrigley, Lambeau, or biggest crowd to ever witness such as teh Big Chill. Non-hockey fans won't come out every year for this, and that's what I believe he was referring to with the space shuttle analogy. How often do you watch the shuttle lift off? Compare that to to 60's when they were new, what % of America do you think watched that shuttle take-off?
December 13th, 2010 at 6:02 PM ^
I don't mind Sparty-bashing but we should keep it for when its deserved. He wasn't really dissing theBig Chill in the slightest, at least as I saw it. Context is everything.
December 13th, 2010 at 6:08 PM ^
And I think we'd do well to mitigate the reflexive "Sparty" sneering. It's as if we're behaving like the little brother.
December 13th, 2010 at 5:52 PM ^
In other news, the MSU Athletic Department is still searching for grieving families willing to spend the estates of their recently deceased fathers on highway billboards. Inquire within.