What is "Little Brother?"
February 18th, 2015 at 11:13 AM ^
February 18th, 2015 at 10:44 AM ^
When one person feels they have a rivalry with another far superior person. The superior person usually doesn't know about it or feel that the little brother is any kind of a threat. The little brother usually puts forth maximum effort in meaningless situations in order to get the feeling of a win over his rival.
February 18th, 2015 at 10:45 AM ^
February 18th, 2015 at 12:33 PM ^
Exactly. It riled and continues to rile them up so much because they absolutely know that it's true.
It's the perfect description of MSU and they know it.
There is a reason you don't see Michigan fans getting incredibly defensive whenever anyone calls us arrogant, wine and cheese types, because we know it's kind of true. Hell, we even make fun of ourselves over it. You don't see that sort of thing happen with Sparty.
February 18th, 2015 at 11:58 AM ^
Mic drop
This man wins.
February 18th, 2015 at 2:25 PM ^
Not only did he go 4-0 against them, he also rushed for 168.5 yards/game in the four games against them. If they weren't the little brother, they would've been able to tackle him.
February 18th, 2015 at 10:47 AM ^
Limpdick broomheads just doesnt have the same ring to it as little brother does.
February 18th, 2015 at 10:57 AM ^
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February 18th, 2015 at 11:11 AM ^
limpdick broomhead turd burglers
February 18th, 2015 at 2:37 PM ^
Yeah, me too. It certainly would make for an interesting stadium chant:
"Limp-dick broom-heads!" (clap clap clap-clap-clap)
"Limp-dick broom-heads!" (clap clap clap-clap-clap)
But just watch: some marketing major will make an alternative fight song out of this and I'll never see a dime.
February 18th, 2015 at 10:47 AM ^
No offense Jonny, and if you want to learn more about it, google will do the job, but no good can come from having this discussion. I hope this thread is gone soon.
February 18th, 2015 at 10:51 AM ^
February 18th, 2015 at 9:37 PM ^
Well in football it's now
Lose
Lose
Lose
Lose
Win
Lose
Lose
So yeah win or lose i guess......
February 18th, 2015 at 10:48 AM ^
phrase that has absolutely no meaning within the rivalry right now. it is a played out, completely irrelevant narrative.
Facts:
1. Michigan State has a strong football program that will likely find its level as a Capital One bowl type program without much staying power after Harbaugh and Penn State are up and running at full strength. The Michigan v. Michigan State football game will continue to be a dog fight, but Michigan State has not "overtaken" Michigan as the headline-dominant program within the State.
2. Michigan basketball has made vast strides at closing the gap on Michigan State, but over the last 20 years, Michigan State has entered the basketball "blue blood" type programs that will compete year in and year out for conference titles. Michigan will compete and will make runs, but anybody waiting for MSU to nosedive and become irrelevant is going to be waiting a really long time. No, they are not going to "suck" next year, they are going to again be Michigan State.
The "little brother" thing is just a continuing attempt at a narrative that does not apply anymore. Both Michigan and Michigan State have impressive football and basketball programs. Full stop.
February 18th, 2015 at 10:58 AM ^
February 18th, 2015 at 11:04 AM ^
it actually isn't. It was first used in the context of a football rivalry and, while some people have tried to derive some kind of expansive meaning from that can apply to academics and overal status, such attempt are misplaced. Everytime anybody from Michigan State begins to brag or act on par with Michigan fans, Michigan fans play the card because, lately, it is the only card we have to play. When you hear a Michigan State fan dogging you because they beat Michigan in football, it is not because they have an "inferiority complex," it is because they just beat Michigan in football for like the 8th straight time and they are enjoying the win.
If anything, "little brother" has become Michigan's sports inferiority complex. I wish it would go away and never be spoken again.
February 18th, 2015 at 11:19 AM ^
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February 18th, 2015 at 11:40 AM ^
Avatar is "Hate Sparty" and you think Michigan State has an inferiority complex about Michigan? State punked us last night. It happens. Don't take every thing so personally and don't start shit on the blog because of it.
February 18th, 2015 at 11:04 AM ^
February 18th, 2015 at 12:20 PM ^
I find it funny that you call out "Facts" to then follow it with mostly predictions and conjecture.
February 18th, 2015 at 10:56 AM ^
It's a never ceasing inferiority complex, less due to their success and more due to the longevity of ours and the fact that they have to compete for resources and attention in a close-proximity geographical rivalry.
Now, delete your post. No need to discuss MSU, let's worry about us.
February 18th, 2015 at 11:02 AM ^
February 18th, 2015 at 11:05 AM ^
Little Brother is an underground hip hop trio based in North Carolina. Consisting of Phonte, Rapper Big Pooh and DJ 9th Wonder, LB gained critical acclaim within the underground community until ultimately breaking up to pursue other solo/collaborative projects eariler this decade.
February 18th, 2015 at 11:35 AM ^
February 18th, 2015 at 11:42 AM ^
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February 18th, 2015 at 11:09 AM ^
also...
February 18th, 2015 at 11:12 AM ^
and misinterpreted from day 1 because they have a massive inferiority complex.
February 18th, 2015 at 11:14 AM ^
That is what makes Sparty such a douche.
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February 18th, 2015 at 11:29 AM ^
Please delete this thread, mods.
February 18th, 2015 at 11:29 AM ^
Little Brother has nothing to do with results on the field. Little Brother is the absolute perfect description and summation of all things Spartan whereas Michigan is concerned.
They're always going to be far more obsessed with us than we are with them.
They're always going to be judging their successes next to ours as opposed to judging them by who is the best.
They're always going to have an inferiority complex because we're the flagship state school, as well as the number one public school in the country.
They're always going to be Litte Brother, and honestly, their behavior in victory tends to drive that point home more than their behavior in losses.
February 18th, 2015 at 11:44 AM ^
February 18th, 2015 at 11:55 AM ^
How do you guys pull tent stakes out of the turf at UM Stadium? Oh wait, that was in E. Lansing.. Err and that was you.. NM.
February 18th, 2015 at 12:36 PM ^
...And everyone here hated it, was thoroughly embarrassed by it, and decried it as soon as they found out it happened.
That's the type of thing Sparty eats up.
February 18th, 2015 at 7:24 PM ^
February 18th, 2015 at 1:02 PM ^
February 18th, 2015 at 11:32 AM ^
Not sure about ya'll but I love my little brother and have zero rivalry with him. Eight years apart and aside from some good natured wrestling that's about all I have to make me mad at him.
I hate State football. They aren't our little brother, they should be nothing more than a speed bump to us every year. I like the OSU rivalry a lot and obviously I always want to beat OSU, but I like the competition in that rivalry (same with Notre Dame). Sparty, screw em. We should go back to winning the vast majority of games and having the losses feel cheap, like Sparty Bob or whatever. I wish we beat em 42-0 for every game played from now til the end of time.
February 18th, 2015 at 12:11 PM ^
Why did you post this?
February 18th, 2015 at 3:39 PM ^
to a Jeopardy Answer such as "Term for the inferiority complex of a rival fanbase",
to which Alex would reply, "Yes".
February 18th, 2015 at 11:36 AM ^
other than the fact that most of the kids in my high shcool went to MSU. Beyond that, they are in the same state and their admission standards are lower.
February 18th, 2015 at 11:42 AM ^
Little Brother loses games with depleted squads and steals late in the game.
February 18th, 2015 at 11:47 AM ^
1) it's a moderately clever comment on their obsession with being considered equal to uofm.
2) it cuts deep but not in an offensive way
3) it pisses them off even during a period where there is no reason they should care what we have to say based on the current ebb of the rivalry
February 18th, 2015 at 11:48 AM ^
MSU reminds me of another high school down the road from where I graduated from. They would view the football game against us as their biggest rivalry game but we would view it as just another game.
February 19th, 2015 at 10:51 PM ^
Did you guys get destroyed year after year in high school too? Maybe you should have taken it more seriously.
February 18th, 2015 at 12:01 PM ^
a childish, offhand comment that will live in infamy, responded to with an even more childish comment by a coach who should have known better. All generations of both teams will live & die by that one comment. Other than that, it didn't mean shit.
February 18th, 2015 at 11:55 AM ^
Just a little known fact:: Athens was a place of higher learning (like Michigan). Michigan State went with Spartans as their nickname because the Spartans fought the Athenians. Their inferiority complex has been going on for years.
February 18th, 2015 at 3:01 PM ^
Athens could mean anything... lol
February 18th, 2015 at 12:05 PM ^
Spartans secretly love the fact that Mike Hart called them "Little Brother". It validates the fanbases cultural narrative of innumerable slights and injuries, real or imagined, visited upon them by Michigan, dating back to the founding of the University. It gives them permission to be as boorish as they want to be because, after all, "Michigan started it".
Nevermind the reality that the number of times MSU players or coaches have disrespected Michigan publicly in the media vastly outnumbers the incidents where Michigan has disresprected them.
Do I think Mike Hart was an asshole for what he said, and throwing it out there when he wouldn't have to back it up on the field in the future was weak sauce? Yeah, but the continued strategy of Spartans casting themselves in the role of the agrieved party at the hands of mean old Michigan is tired and patently false.