Ok to continue Little Brother chatter?
It has been suggested in earlier posts that we should stop referring to Sparty as Little Brother. I say it is too late; that it has been woven into the rivalry fabric forever. I have tried to recall similar insults involving us or any of our rivals that have faded over the years but nothing comes to mind.
August 13th, 2009 at 7:16 PM ^
errrrr.........which I taught in 1889 at old University Hall.
Although I appreciate your psych reference, I'd prefer to make my own diagnosis..... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleon_complex
August 13th, 2009 at 7:21 PM ^
Ben Stiller, FTW!
August 13th, 2009 at 6:45 PM ^
MSU gave us the arrogant asses label LONG before the little brother label was even thought up. Sparty has been running that one into the ground since the beginning of time.
I never minded the little brother nickname for them. It always ticked them off. It's also pretty accurate seeing they would have to beat us 38 years in row just to tie up the series.
August 13th, 2009 at 6:57 PM ^
We all know that there is an academic pecking order in this state and that the reality is, most who go to State either didn't get in to Michigan or didn't apply to Michigan because they knew they wouldn't get in (yes farmers and vets are the exception). Its not arrogance, its reality. The same is true in MANY other states (The Berkley, UCLA comparison is nearly identical, Berkley is the better school although UCLA is still very strong, unlike State which US News & World Report gave the worst ranking of the 11 Big Ten universities). UNC and NC State work the same way (both with academics and sports).
August 13th, 2009 at 7:06 PM ^
That's what we used to chant in ~2000. I don't know if it is still around, but my guess is that that is the attitude that little brother comes from.
GO BLUE!
August 13th, 2009 at 8:11 PM ^
Yeah, the past couple of years while I was an undergrad, we used an iteration that was almost exactly the same:
"If you can't get into college, go to State."
I'm all for keeping the moniker Little Brother. It suits their whiny, complaining temperament quite well, and will continue to do so for the forseeable future.
August 13th, 2009 at 8:16 PM ^
There 4146 colleges and universities in the United States. Michigan State is number 76. Come the fuck on.
August 13th, 2009 at 10:13 PM ^
...or any of the other derisive names for various schools. That is what rivalries are all about: talking trash and hoping "your" team puts its money where your mouth is on the field.
It gets tiresome sometimes, and sometimes people get carried away; but it is, for the most part, good, clean fun.
And it certainly beats the fuck out of "down in front."
August 14th, 2009 at 12:56 AM ^
I was just laughing. I thought it was funny. They got excited. It's good. Sometimes you get your little brother excited when you're playing basketball and you let him get the lead. Then you come back and take it from him.
His explanation:
I referred to them as little brothers because I had heard them say in different clips, 'We're not Michigan's little brother,' so I was just saying what they had been saying.
Lest anyone forget, the original quote referred to Michigan's 2007 comeback against MSU. UM was down by 10 halfway through the 4th, went on to win 28-24, and extended MSU's losing streak to 6 games. We've made a lot more out of the "Little Brother" comment than it's original context, which was a single game in which UM gave them the lead only to take it back. It's not a statement about the quality of their school, their academics, or even the history of the rivalry.
August 14th, 2009 at 6:39 AM ^
I'm glad someone finally pointed out what you did. It has never been a "nickname" for them at all, and was never used or said until Hart went Brain AWOL and forgot that he was a senior who would leave that remark behind for other UM teams to either back up or eat. So far: EAT. Yeah, it sent Dantonio into the Prozac aisle at a local pharmacy (after they let him out of the straight jacket), but MAN talk about giving the other side something to pin up on the wall for years to come. In other words, there's no fucking history behind it and it is retarded.
And talk about givning stupid Michigan fans something to walk around saying or posting all the time even when it needs to be put on mothballs at least until Rodriguez beats Dantonio a couple times to reassert UM's dominance in this rivalry.
August 14th, 2009 at 4:33 PM ^
No, people used it before then. It just wasn't a huge internet meme until that game.
In Hart's defense, our players have talked shit after victories in rivalry games all the time. Woodson did it after every OSU game. Better after than before, I suppose.