dinkmctip

August 6th, 2009 at 4:14 PM ^

Yes, I posted one of them. It was more of a feeling of what he was saying than ZOMG worried/concerned for anything they do. I'm just tired of taking shit from hypocrites who have no idea what they are talking about. (Both parents and siblings went to MSU)

sjs1984

August 6th, 2009 at 3:43 PM ^

It's just like a Big Brother.... to let little brother feel like he is gaining on him, coming close to winning..... Then slamming the door shut, in his face, fingers in the door jam !!

zoltan the destroyer

August 6th, 2009 at 3:48 PM ^

I thought it was pretty dumb. How can you consistently misspell "propaganda" in a rant about just that? Also, the author exhorts us to chastise our MSU-obsessive brethren... and then proceeds to provide a metric fuckton of detail about a bunch of Sparty crap that no one cares about.

Consider this your chastisement: D+

GOBLUE4EVR

August 6th, 2009 at 4:06 PM ^

that link and read it every day leading up the state game this year. other brian i wanted to give you a standing ovation for that, but i don't think my dogs would have understood.

from now on when one of the many douche bag state fans that i know run there mouths to me i am going to give them the link to your rant. this way i won't get frustrated when i have to explain everything to them twice.

richarjo

August 6th, 2009 at 7:00 PM ^

Whooo cares.

Story:

I was at Cedar Point, having a good time, wearing the block M, when a couple of state fans start giving me shit. I ignored them for a while, but they seemed to always make it to whatever line I was in so that as we made our way back and forth they could get there jabs in. Note that this was even before the beat us this year. So finally, I just said enough and told them just to stop (they were starting to say shit about the gf). So finally, I ask, "Are you guys even in college?" Didn't hear another word.

All I'm saying is that if we are talking about State it's a waste of our time. No explanations needed. We all know how it goes with the State folk. So whoo cares.

bronxblue

August 6th, 2009 at 4:58 PM ^

Great post.

I think the big problem with BOTH fan bases is that the vast majority of idiots who spout off for either school comprise an immensely small segment of the population. Having gone to both schools, I can attest that most fans are reasonably intelligent and thoughtful, not prone to overreaction and unsubstantiated mudslinging that you see and hear on the blogs and radio. Taking the Freep as an example, the worst offenders are the same 4-5 people, who probably go on those boards looking to stir up trouble. Sure, the rivalry lends itself to passionate rants and finger-pointing, but I think fans of both schools would agree that they respect the other school and their programs, even if UM has been more dominant in football and MSU has been more dominant in basketball.

I would love it if MSU is able to become more of a player in the Big 10 and in national recruiting, as that would make the Big 10 a better conference and, I hope, push UM a bit in their own backyard. Because if MSU starts putting together better teams on a consistent basis, I think that will help to push UM a bit more than they currently are by OSU/PSU.

The King of Belch

August 6th, 2009 at 5:21 PM ^

I was going to dock you for the gratuitous "I went to both schools" (or even the gratuitous mention of graduating from either one as if that has any importance to a post), but then I agreed with your take that most fans are rational enough not to really get worked up one way or another.

I usually think college graduates lead lives that preclude sitting on message boards all day frothing at the mouth in dick measuring contests. Ans they probably have more interesting stuff to do than sit on hold for 2 hours just to tell Mike Valeni he is an asshat.

But I goota tell you--I think the Sparty fan base has received a shot in their collective arm from last year's win and the percieved foibles of "DickRod" and has become mostly intolerable. I also disagree with your last point. Sure, UM can be pushed a bit by Sparty, but they will NEVER be more motivated or pushed than by a desire to keep up with, or ahead of, PSU and OSU. UM gets back to that level, and Sparty, by definition, is irrelevant. I think Sparty, all perception aside, is still the ankle biting chihuahua to UM's Bigger, Badder dog, and the true push or motivation for UM comes from Columbus--as it should.

By the way, I think I'm going to -1 anybody who utters any derivative of the phrase, "That being said" ZOMG is that putrid.That kind of quasi-half-intelligent summation is SOOO Scout Posting Guy; it's not something that should pollute this blog.

bronxblue

August 6th, 2009 at 10:52 PM ^

I guess your post was a compliment, but boy did it take a long time to get there.

I think you are understating the UM/MSU rivalry a bit. Beating OSU is always the goal, but the reason it has taken on heightened value over the years is because that end-of-the-season matchup tended to decide the Big 10 and the Rose Bowl berth. If OSU or UM were to become perennial second-tier teams, I think the passion behind the rivalry would subside a bit. People care about beating OSU because there usually is quite a bit riding on that win - an undefeated season, a trip to a BCS bowl game, etc. Turn OSU or UM into Iowa, though, and I'm not sure the mythology surrounding the game rises to the level it has.

I stand by my earlier assertion that a better MSU makes UM better. The same goes for a better PSU, Purdue, Wisconsin, Iowa, etc. A more competitive Big 10 makes everyone better. But if MSU can actually make this a rivalry, I think you'll see the passion between the two schools ratchet up more than you think.

And for the record, is it really that unlikely that MSU could not one day become a top-3 team in the Big 10? People keep trumpeting PSU as this established winner, but they have won a total of 2 Big 10 titles this decade, and have a combined record of 66-44 (and that includes two seasons where they went 11-1 and 11-2, respectively). Iowa - 2 Big 10 titles and a record of 69-43. Heck, even MSU, which went through perhaps its worst stretch in recent memory under Bobby Williams and John L. Smith, still finished 53-53 since 2000. So I do think that a strong MSU could still challenge UM in the Big 10, and that challenge in-state would only be a benefit for UM.

wolverine1987

August 6th, 2009 at 5:35 PM ^

Even GS in his rant referred a couple times to what Spartan fans would say, to which I say "who cares?" Other than reading the occasional MSU article, I literally have never visited an MSU site, and never cared to debate other teams fans on other sites. Maybe I'm not typical, I have no idea. But one thing I hate: the stupid name calling from both sides. I hate "O$U" just as much as I hate "scUM." IMO they both are idiotic, unless you are 15 or so.

jamiemac

August 6th, 2009 at 6:24 PM ^

I feel safer already. Thank you so much for fighting them over there, so we dont have to fight them over here.

Only piece of advice: Break out the Red Wings gear, will ya!?!? I mean they won in 2008. I dont know how old you are, but there have been three other Cups in the last 10 years.

Be proud of your franchise, bro. I know I am. We're fans of one the best run franchises in all of pro sports, fer gawd's sake!!!

Elno Lewis

August 6th, 2009 at 6:41 PM ^

Sparty still has their basketball team.

boy, are their feelings ever gonna be hurt if when start popping them in bball.

wlvrine

August 6th, 2009 at 7:34 PM ^

I obsess over Michigan
I loathe the Buckeyes
I detest Notre Dame
I have a strong dislike for Michigan State

There is no question more and more Michigan fans are obsessing over Sparty. Some pay close attention to everything Sparty says. Others go so far as to actively search the web for Sparty news. They want to know everything about what Sparty is doing. What he is saying. And who he is saying it to.

I'm not that person. This is the only website I visit when I want to hear/talk about college football.
Specifically: Michigan Football.

If it were not for the MSU threads that permeate this website I would be blissfully unaware of what Sparty is up to.

saveferris

August 6th, 2009 at 8:06 PM ^

...was glorious. As a M fan who has tired of a year of Spartan silliness, Other Brian has vented the collective spleen of Wolverine Nation. Now let's start the season already!

The Other Brian

August 6th, 2009 at 8:21 PM ^

By the way, and we probably knew this already, but...some Spartans are not very smart readers. Of the comments left so far (I'm letting them stew for now before publishing or rejecting), there are multiple ones by MSU fans expressing their displeasure with what I've said.

...Or at least I think they're MSU fans. I'd like to get my hands on the MSU student directory and look up Mr. "Anon Y. Mous" to see if he's really a student there.

But hey, Coach Dantonio posted a comment too! Except his comment was sort of murky, I can't tell if it's bashing me or praising me.

kriegers

August 6th, 2009 at 11:00 PM ^

I didn't know Carr disliked Mallett. Does anyone know the details of how that came about? Seems like the coaches get to know the players fairly well during the recruiting process, but maybe Mallett changed after arriving on campus? Details anyone?