A Maize & Blue Sparty mascot? In 1967 there was - thanks to my brother Charlie
I first posted this back in 2013 and then again in 2020. Being hate week and all I thought I'd give my brother another shout out for his contributions to the rivalry way back in the day.
The dapper young student at the far right of the Ann Arbor news story is mGrowOld's even older brother Charlie (UM undergrad at the time, eventual graduate UM Dental School class of 1972). In 1967 his fraternity brothers went to East Lansing and stole Sparty before the game and returned it, painted with the correct, and as all would agree, much better colors, at halftime during the game itself.
Unfortunately it didn't help much as Michigan lost 34-0. But for a day at least Sparty was Maize & Blue!
October 17th, 2023 at 11:56 AM ^
They did get their revenge some time later.
October 17th, 2023 at 12:13 PM ^
That would be a fake "Michigan mascot" that MSU trots out when we play in East Lansing so Sparty can beat him up.
October 17th, 2023 at 12:37 PM ^
Was the costume bought at Wal-Mart by chance?
October 17th, 2023 at 1:15 PM ^
First time I ever noticed that fake mascot was 2003, the Chris Perry 200+ rushing yards game. ABC came back from commercial and immediately showed a closeup of that thing. Everyone was like…what the hell is that?
October 17th, 2023 at 2:25 PM ^
51 carries for Mr. Perry that day if memory serves?
October 17th, 2023 at 7:30 PM ^
51 carries for 219 yards.
October 17th, 2023 at 12:27 PM ^
College was, is, and always will be the greatest time in the world.
October 17th, 2023 at 5:37 PM ^
October 17th, 2023 at 1:02 PM ^
Your brother Charlie is a good man. I remember this from 2020. I'm thinking this should be a mandatory post of yours every year. Thank you.
October 17th, 2023 at 1:04 PM ^
Post this every year, it is fun.
Also, we need more Murderwolf threads.
October 17th, 2023 at 1:09 PM ^
Agreed.
October 17th, 2023 at 1:10 PM ^
Oh - for the days when pranks involved painting - and, perhaps - "borrowing" a mascot for a few days and eventually returning it to the team.
By the way - the MSU Spartan - never looked so good.
October 17th, 2023 at 1:55 PM ^
We lost to MSU in 1967, 2013, and 2020? STOP CURSING US!
October 17th, 2023 at 3:24 PM ^
We'll break the trend this week. Don't worry.
October 17th, 2023 at 5:04 PM ^
We were just plain bad all three of those years, so it's possible it's not actually mGrowOld's fault.
October 17th, 2023 at 2:31 PM ^
File this under things that were considered harmless fun in 1967 that would get you charged with multiple felonies today.
October 17th, 2023 at 3:23 PM ^
My grandpa would complain about kids these days and how bad we were and then tell stories of purposefully bumping a teacher's car with his model T as they drove down the road as if it was harmless fun.
He once was so bad in elementary school they locked him in the crawl space for the whole day. That'd make national news today, he said his dad spanked him for being bad enough to make the school do it.
October 17th, 2023 at 3:31 PM ^
i can hear your grandfather now, when your dad got home, "fetch me my switch, boy. you and i are going to have a talk...'
October 17th, 2023 at 3:49 PM ^
Getting paddled in school (me twice in the 5th grade in 1971) was never as bad as the inevitable ass-whooping I'd get at home for 'inconveniencing the teacher'.
October 18th, 2023 at 7:57 AM ^
I used to work at an automotive assembly plant. Do NOT agree to have a “conversation” with anyone in the parking lot or elevator.
October 18th, 2023 at 9:13 AM ^
have had many of those types of 'conversations'.
dads are different though. there's not a 'choice' that i was giving out to the kids (really, the boys. our girls never really needed that kind of discipline, and i left that up to mom)
October 17th, 2023 at 6:37 PM ^
I learned it was smart to pretend cry when Mom spanked me because when I giggled Pops was going to bring the pain.
Now if I had time I would stuff some t shirts down the back of my pants for padding. Which I’m pretty convinced made him laugh after he left the room.
October 17th, 2023 at 7:45 PM ^
My dad had a maize and blue tank top that said “MICHIGAN STATE”. He claimed there was a fraternity at MSU whose national colors were maize and blue. A friend saw it and got it for him on a lark. He used to wear it while mowing the lawn. It was a good conversation starter, if nothing else.
October 17th, 2023 at 10:19 PM ^
That was a great thing your brother did. Hopefully some intrepid young Wolverines will pull of a similar maneuver someday.