Dantonio: "When you work 85, 90 hours a week..." (aka dead horse beating)
From the Detroit News:(http://www.detnews.com/article/20090930/SPORTS0202/909300331/Michigan-S…)
Dantonio told his players Sunday the importance of a game like this and its meaning is why he prefers to recruit Midwestern players.
They tend to appreciate a week like this more than others, he said.
"When you work 85, 90 hours a week to prepare for one single moment, you tend to remember those things," Dantonio said. "This will be no different."
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Ah, fun. I'm sure Dantonio was referring to his own work week, but... still...
EDIT: My own take is that Dantonio wasn't taking a shot at the U-M/Freep issue; he was just talking about his own work week. But of course it's funny that Saint Dantonio can talk about 90 hour weeks and no one in the press bats an eye. And yes, I do think this is beating a dead horse, but I couldn't resist.
September 30th, 2009 at 10:05 PM ^
on this one. I am sure he is talking about the hours the coaches are putting in. Di*k! That is a lot of hours to put in to still lose the Paul Bunyan trophy.
September 30th, 2009 at 10:16 PM ^
That's one way to call attention to your program. Granted the attention of the NCAA is probably not the kind of attention he was seeking at the start of the season.
September 30th, 2009 at 10:18 PM ^
MSU practiced on Sunday too.
Ofcourse, since MSU is preparing 85-90 hours for one single moment, I assume the moment MD is talking about is the moment that they hand back the Paul Bunyun Trophy.
September 30th, 2009 at 10:20 PM ^
They only care if winners break the rules
October 1st, 2009 at 12:17 PM ^
So that's why they came after our team when our most recent record was 3-9. Not saying we broke the rules (we didn't), but man . . . talk about hitting a guy when he's down.
September 30th, 2009 at 10:31 PM ^
but that is in no way a shot, veiled or otherwise, at Michigan's recent practice "scandal." He's saying they, Michigan State, put in a lot of work to prepare for this one game, which, like, yeah.
September 30th, 2009 at 11:06 PM ^
I think what the OP meant by the last sentence is that MD spent that much time preparing and not his team. Because had the team practiced that much...well, you know.
EDIT: in response to mad magician
EDIT EDIT: Eh, maybe not what the OP meant. If MD did mean that as another backdoor slight, then boo MD.
September 30th, 2009 at 10:36 PM ^
Oh Mark..
Everyone knows you can't recruit outside of the Midwest. Don't give us some horseshit excuse about liking to recruit the region because they understand a single game out of the season.
September 30th, 2009 at 10:39 PM ^
I caught that backdoor smack talk as well. Clearly kids from Florida are incapable of understanding a Michigan rivalry when compare to kids from, say, Illinois. Actually, kids from Florida probably understand in state rivalries better than most midwest kids.
September 30th, 2009 at 10:41 PM ^
Do players in parts of the Midwest other than Michigan really follow this rivalry?
September 30th, 2009 at 10:54 PM ^
no one outside of the state of Michigan cares about this rivalry. And that's ok. How much do you care about Texas/Texas A & M, Oregon/Oregon State, Cal/USC? There are only a select few rivalries that resonate on a national level. In-state rivalries are big, well, in-state, but matter little outside the border.
Upon re-reading that article, I will concede that Dantonio saying he prefers to Midwestern players seems pandering (gotta give MD one thing- he knows his fan base and what things to say to get on their good side); it is a certainly moronic sentiment, and possibly a veiled shot at Michigan. As we all know, State doesn't recruit outside the Midwest because they can't, not because they hold some noble preference for Midwesterners.
October 1st, 2009 at 2:00 PM ^
have a big axe to grind against msu, but over time, especially recently, their coach, his comments, reactions and his childishness and banter against a player make me loathe the team and want him to fail
September 30th, 2009 at 11:21 PM ^
There are always exceptions, but I think he's right that most players from the state of Michigan care more about the rivalry than those from outside the state. If he's using it to pander to potential in-state recruits or motivate his team, so be it. He's doing what somebody in his position should.
I'd rather have good players, wherever they're from, than players that care about the rivalry. That goes for the OSU and ND rivalries, too.
October 1st, 2009 at 8:00 AM ^
A smart man does not get into a spitting match with a 20-year-old opposing player, nor does he say things like "No pun intended, but we were up 10 with seven minutes to go."
October 1st, 2009 at 12:29 AM ^
Historically, since the beginning of the Bo era... Michigan has had 2/3 of its roster from out of the state of Michigan....
and has lost what 8 of those games in 40 years vs. MSU?
It doesnt matter where the players are from...they "get it" and usually win the game.
October 1st, 2009 at 3:14 AM ^
Freep already proved that MSU is in compliance with NCAA rules.
October 1st, 2009 at 6:14 AM ^
The comments that were taken down from the MSU website work out to a 70-hour work week over five days, and would work out to 84 over six days, so maybe Dantonio just slipped.
AFAIC, Dantonio is saying what any coach in his position would say. He is trying to spin the fact that he is too lazy and lacks the leverage to recruit the South or the West into a positive. He apparently does this believably enough in living rooms to get a lot of midwest recruits.
Basically, this game is the game where the veracity of his statements is put to the test. It means more to him than any other because it makes a liar out of him every time UM wins, as if he hasn't already made one out of himself. I suppose, in some bizzare, convoluted way, he thinks his mighty Spartans are fighting for "truth."
Eeeew.
October 1st, 2009 at 6:16 AM ^
MSU wouldn't go over 20 hours a week and the NCAA survey of thousands of players and over 600 schools that suggests the national average is 44.8 hours a week is somehow wrong.
The only explanation is that Dantonio's obsession made him prepare for UofM the past 4 weeks instead of ND, Wisconsin, CMU and Montana State.
October 1st, 2009 at 7:35 AM ^
Dantonio is saying that he, himself, is putting in 85 to 90 hours a week.
October 1st, 2009 at 7:48 AM ^
That could be, but it is hard to tell based on how it is written. I also doubt Dantonio would slip up and lose his edge that he can negative recruit with about not going over 20 hours.
Hard to tell if he is talking about himself or his team:
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October 1st, 2009 at 5:18 PM ^
i agree that midwest kids probably care more about the rivalry, but do we care if they care? or do we care if they are better football players and produce a win on the field. funny, i thought the idea was to have the best players and win the games.
i'll take the fact that we don't have a losing record against any rival as evidence that our plan is superior, oh shit was that arrogant?!