U-M = Little Brother?

Submitted by AdamBurmeister on
My older brother, who is a big MSU fan, came over this weekend and was showing me something on an MSU message board. There's this whole thread of a little black kid with Mike Hart's jersey and people photoshopping things like Dantonio holding him up and him riding a tiny bicycle and a million other things. Anyways, as he was showing me the pictures, I saw a ton of posts referring to Michigan as "Little Brother" and like "Mike Hart, little brother". I think it's hilarious that MSU's response to us calling them "Little Brother" is basically them saying, "Nuh-uh YOU are" or saying, "That former player who dominated us for 4 years and never lost a game to us...is short." I'm not trying to start an MSU-bashing post here I just thought it was interesting, in a way, their response to Mike Hart's comments, 2 years later.
MGoBoard
Michigan
Little brother
Mike Hart
Michigan State
Dantonio

Tater

August 22nd, 2009 at 12:40 PM ^

Part of me wishes Hart had never made that statement, but he certainly did back it up. After all, Hart never lost to the Spartans, but listened to their incessant trash talk every year. So, from Hart's perspective, MSU was like a little brother who pesters you constantly but loses every physical confrontation. Hart could have kept those feelings to himself, but I definitely understand his choice to make them public. From a 2008 post in a blog called "The Rivalry, Esq (I reformatted slightly):" Statistics Since 1969 Record UM 360-101-8 MSU 220-218-9 Bowl Appearances UM 35 MSU 14 Head-to-Head Matchup UM 24-8 MSU 8-24 Statistics: a Spartan fan's worst enemy.

Joined: 08/13/2008

MGoPoints: 30584

wildbackdunesman

August 22nd, 2009 at 1:35 PM ^

Yeah, Hart should have kept his mouth shut. But it was the MSU players who talked trash first, the Friday before the game using the "Little Brother" phrase to put down Michigan players for their supposed arrogance. What is more, Dantonio is the only head coach that I know of that has engaged in trash talk to a single opposing player. MSU is at least equally to blame.

Joined: 07/16/2008

MGoPoints: 30237

A-train32

August 23rd, 2009 at 12:32 AM ^

but he new he was going to win that game because UofM almost always beats MSU. It is unusual for Sparty actually winning the Paul Bunyan trophy. If you were Mike Hart wouldn't you put the comparison of the rivalry to a relationship between a big brother and a little brother.

Joined: 08/20/2009

MGoPoints: 6

CPS

August 23rd, 2009 at 12:43 AM ^

but he new he was going to win that game because UofM almost always beats MSU. The comment came after the game. You don't really have a point here. It is unusual for Sparty actually winning the Paul Bunyan trophy. Michigan's record in the series is 35-23-2. While UM has the edge, it's hardly been "unusual" for MSU to win. If you were Mike Hart wouldn't you put the comparison of the rivalry to a relationship between a big brother and a little brother. No. Rather than try to get inside Hart's head, I'll base my conclusions on his words. And his words referred to the game. He was not making a larger point regarding the rivalry as a whole. It's been the fans that have made much more out of this phrase than its original context, just like "Michigan Man" and "Those Who Stay Will Be Champions". I'm not opposed to the term "Little Brother" as long as it's used in good humor and not taken seriously or beyond the original frame of reference.

Joined: 10/20/2008

MGoPoints: -405

OSUckSteverMSUcks

August 22nd, 2009 at 12:46 PM ^

11:46 (My time) and we already have a fucking MSU thread. I keep dreaming that the board will someday be able to go 24 hours without a thread about MSU.

Joined: 04/27/2009

MGoPoints: 51

david from wyoming

August 22nd, 2009 at 1:02 PM ^

It's funny. I agree with a lot of what you say on this board, but you seem to try to start a flame war with all of your posts.

Joined: 03/15/2009

MGoPoints: 2981

OSUckSteverMSUcks

August 22nd, 2009 at 4:18 PM ^

that you are the curiously shaped man behind the wheel in this picture... We don't get along so you assume the worst, I have no problem with that. Just know my user name was created for the distinct purpose of mocking some of the MGoIdiots around here.

Joined: 04/27/2009

MGoPoints: 51

OSUckSteverMSUcks

August 22nd, 2009 at 5:16 PM ^

You're more than welcome to scroll past my posts when you see them as well, it may not be as easy as ignoring threads but still feasible. I haven't actually read a single post The Barking Sphincter, King of Belch, McFarlin, Mahorn, or any of those other jokers actually make in ages, I just scroll on past them. Unless they have a score of like -10 or something, then they're fun to read.

Joined: 04/27/2009

MGoPoints: 51

OSUckSteverMSUcks

August 22nd, 2009 at 6:24 PM ^

1. I made the standard, snarky, sarcastic, half serious, have jacktard MSU Obsession comment 2. People tell me to skip the thread, call it ironic that I have MSU in my name 3. I make a sub-mediocre joke about the origin of my screenname. 4. I'm called 13 years old 5. I call someone fat or something like that (This is the peak of maturity right here) 6. I'm told to ignore threads if they bother me 7. I agree I should do that, and advise people to ignore my posts too.../E-slap fight 8. Someone tells us to stop fighting (We already did) 9. Someone asks for a summary 10.I kindly oblige Just another day on MGoBlog, argument peaks to child like maturity and then settles down again.

Joined: 04/27/2009

MGoPoints: 51

bacon

August 22nd, 2009 at 12:53 PM ^

Classic little brother... classic FAIL. Do they have another thread obfuscating their many second-half collapses. Only 2 weeks to go.

Joined: 01/04/2009

MGoPoints: 18646

AMazinBlue

August 22nd, 2009 at 12:59 PM ^

They will try so hard to defend last year's win and prove they are as good or better that they will leave the field with heads down and confidence shattered. Bring it on Little Brother!

Joined: 10/12/2008

MGoPoints: 7197

BillyShears

August 22nd, 2009 at 1:16 PM ^

Why since 1969? That's rather misleading as MSU won National Championships in 62 and 65. It's like when people say UM has only won 1 national championship in the past 61 years when they've won 2 in the past 62.

Joined: 05/27/2009

MGoPoints: 1979

jmblue

August 22nd, 2009 at 2:55 PM ^

Actually, it makes some sense. First, it was 40 years ago, so it's a somewhat reasonable cutoff. More importantly, that was about the time that the SEC integrated, which hurt MSU's football program considerably; they had been one of the few Northern schools to recruit the South and took a lot of black players who had been frozen out of the SEC. When the SEC integrated, MSU's pipeline dried up and their program has never recovered. (BTW, they did not win the '62 title; that was USC.)

Joined: 11/07/2008

MGoPoints: 102715

BillyShears

August 22nd, 2009 at 1:29 PM ^

The National championships sure change. The was the golden era (if you can call it that) of MSU football that we are leaving out. Just to point out that it was an arbitrary cutoff and disadvantageous to MSU.

Joined: 05/27/2009

MGoPoints: 1979

genericmichiganfan

August 22nd, 2009 at 1:37 PM ^

At the end of the day, his record against MSU is still a perfect 4-0. I realize they hate him, but it's just laughable when they make fun of him as a player considering he rushed for like 668 yards or something in 4 games against them.

Joined: 02/16/2009

MGoPoints: 1880

Big Boutros

August 22nd, 2009 at 2:02 PM ^

My uncle went to Michigan State. He is an awesome guy. He has come to Ann Arbor twice to tailgate for the State game during my studency here (NEW WORD!) and he always gives me burgers. I don't call him Little Brother because he is my uncle so that would be incorrect. We have fun and then we go to the football game and then we high five.

Joined: 07/08/2008

MGoPoints: 23338

AdamBurmeister

August 22nd, 2009 at 2:45 PM ^

Haha I don't know if this is a joke or a for real, sort of, "Grow up" kind of statement. If it's a joke then it's for real really funny. I don't call my older brother "little brother" either. Mostly because I'm 5'8" 155lbs and all of my 3 brothers (1 is younger than me) are each over like 225 (and a little taller)...but also because just because they're MSU fans doesn't make them MSU. They didn't play there they just cheer for them. But you guys really high five after U-M/MSU games?

Joined: 02/04/2009

MGoPoints: 6