I missed almost the entire first half of the MSU/Youngstown State game because my cable provider, Xfinity, deemed it necessary to not only show the Michigan/Akron game on the primary Big Ten Network channel, but on both of the overflow BTN channels. I'm assuming this was Xfinity's decision, or maybe it was the Big Ten Network. Either way, I found this to be disappointing. Still, I probably can't fault BTN/Xfinity too much, because the Michigan/Akron game was exciting and without a little homecooking that saved the Wolverines' hides, may have been the biggest college football upset this side of 2007's Appalachian State/Michigan game...(and Appalachian State was arguably a much better team than Akron).
Not having the MSU game on television forced me to do what I used to do in the old days, listen to the game on the radio. (At least the first half of the game, that is). So I had George Blaha and Jason Strayhorn describing the laugher at Spartan Stadium while Michigan was fighting for its life on my TV.
I don't know what the takeaway is from MSU's 55-17 win over Youngstown State. I suppose it was the best case scenario. Connor Cook, in his first start, played extremely well and, at the very least, saved Damion Terry's red shirt from being removed.
It was good to see MSU's offense with a pulse, and to see the receivers make catches. Yes, it was only Youngstown State, but it was still an encouraging sign.
After last year's CMU game, I lauded the play of Macgarrett Kings. For some unknown reason, Kings was not heard from again after that game. Against Youngstown State, Kings was the leading receiver and is, in fact, leading all MSU receivers in yardage. He has good hands and is shifty and elusive. At this point, the Spartans can use all the help they can get at receiver, and Kings provides hope at that position.
And hey, it turns out MSU has tight ends after all. They even showed up to make some catches on Saturday.
Next on the docket is Notre Dame.
I have absolutely no idea what to expect in this game. Is Notre Dame as mediocre as they have appeared in their first three games? It's hard to believe they are. Will MSU's offense continue to make the strides it displayed against Youngstown State? or is that performance, indeed merely fool's gold? It's still extremely difficult to gauge MSU's team, or have any sense of how much Notre Dame has dropped off since last year's strong season.
I've heard it said before that, for Michigan State, the result of the Notre Dame game is often an indicator of how the rest of the season will go for the Spartans. I think using this game as a barometer for the rest of the season is overstated. In 1986, the Spartans beat the Irish 20-15 at Spartan Stadium, but went on to a mediocre 6-5 season. The following year, MSU got run over by Tim Brown and ND, a game that started off badly and never got better--but MSU went on to win the Big Ten and go to the Rose Bowl. In 1998, MSU massacred the Irish 45-23 in East Lansing, but went on to a lackluster 6-6 season. In 2011, the Spartans were routed in South Bend, but ended up playing for the Big Ten title. So my point is, you just never really know.
That said, it's always great to beat Notre Dame, and MSU hasn't done it since the Little Giants play of 2010. With the Irish off the schedule for the next two years, it'd be awfully sweet for the Spartans to knock them off this season. I don't think anyone wants that more than Mark Dantonio.
So regardless of what happens this Saturday at Notre Dame, there's no point in getting either too high or too low.
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Thursday, September 12, 2013
Is it Terry time?
Well, it's Thursday and I'm finally posting in here.
At this point, I don't have much to add to what has already been said about MSU football and its putrid offense, which continued its...er, "offensive" ways against South Florida in a lackluster 21-6 win. It was a game in which, once again, the Spartan defense outscored the offense.
So, the quarterback carousel continues. Now, reports are that Connor Cook will get the start Saturday against Youngstown State, and freshman Damion Terry may get playing time as the backup quarterback.
I'd hoped that Terry would be red shirted this year, but I suppose desperate times call for desperate measures. And speaking of "desperation," it does seem odd to use that word for a team that HAS won its first two games--but this is despite the offense performing appallingly bad against two extremely weak opponents.
I don't expect Damion Terry to be the savior. That is expecting way too much from a true freshman. But if he could at least provide a spark, as well as a true passing and running threat, that could be a positive step. Maybe Terry can also inspire his teammates, in particular the wide receivers, to play better as well.
I don't have much hope for Connor Cook. Hey, I would love for Cook to start the YSU game and perform great and eliminate all quarterback questions, but based on how he's looked in the first two games of the season, there's no indication that will happen.
But really, the problem is more than the quarterbacks. This team has NO tight end, and has receivers that have a difficult time "receiving" anything. They continue to struggle to get any separation from defenders and even when they do, they can't hold onto the ball.
The thing is, the offense doesn't have to be great. It just needs to be adequate or average. With MSU's defense, that's all that may be necessary in order for this team to have a good season.
There's a part of me that thinks that it would be just MSU's luck that, in the season they have one of their best defenses ever, they are saddled with possibly the most inept offense in program history.
At this point, I don't have much to add to what has already been said about MSU football and its putrid offense, which continued its...er, "offensive" ways against South Florida in a lackluster 21-6 win. It was a game in which, once again, the Spartan defense outscored the offense.
So, the quarterback carousel continues. Now, reports are that Connor Cook will get the start Saturday against Youngstown State, and freshman Damion Terry may get playing time as the backup quarterback.
I'd hoped that Terry would be red shirted this year, but I suppose desperate times call for desperate measures. And speaking of "desperation," it does seem odd to use that word for a team that HAS won its first two games--but this is despite the offense performing appallingly bad against two extremely weak opponents.
I don't expect Damion Terry to be the savior. That is expecting way too much from a true freshman. But if he could at least provide a spark, as well as a true passing and running threat, that could be a positive step. Maybe Terry can also inspire his teammates, in particular the wide receivers, to play better as well.
I don't have much hope for Connor Cook. Hey, I would love for Cook to start the YSU game and perform great and eliminate all quarterback questions, but based on how he's looked in the first two games of the season, there's no indication that will happen.
But really, the problem is more than the quarterbacks. This team has NO tight end, and has receivers that have a difficult time "receiving" anything. They continue to struggle to get any separation from defenders and even when they do, they can't hold onto the ball.
The thing is, the offense doesn't have to be great. It just needs to be adequate or average. With MSU's defense, that's all that may be necessary in order for this team to have a good season.
There's a part of me that thinks that it would be just MSU's luck that, in the season they have one of their best defenses ever, they are saddled with possibly the most inept offense in program history.
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Worst fears confirmed (Michigan State 26, Western Michigan 13)
The offense was more putrid than I ever could have imagined.
MSU's offensive ugliness, combined with the weather delay that pushed the game well past midnight, plus the Big Ten Network losing its feed for several minutes, made me simply turn the game off in the second half and watch Breaking Bad instead.
Then I went to bed after checking the score on my phone. I'd had enough. Call me a terrible fan, but I couldn't subject myself to the horror show anymore.
Where does one start with this offense? The receivers look like they haven't progressed from last year. In other words, they still can't catch a ball to save their lives.
The best catch of the day was Kurtis Drummond's one-handed interception of a WMU pass. In fact, MSU's defense outscored the offense, 14-12.
Andrew Maxwell has a great arm, but I think I can beat him in a sprint. He also still seems to think that every pass has to look like a Max Scherzer fast ball. Connor Cook, on the other hand, is a good scrambler with some speed but his passing ability is closer to Ricky "Wild Thing" Vaughn from the movie Major League.
On a positive note, the defense was excellent. But unless the offense improves to at least respectability, this team is looking at another 6-6 season.
MSU's offensive ugliness, combined with the weather delay that pushed the game well past midnight, plus the Big Ten Network losing its feed for several minutes, made me simply turn the game off in the second half and watch Breaking Bad instead.
Then I went to bed after checking the score on my phone. I'd had enough. Call me a terrible fan, but I couldn't subject myself to the horror show anymore.
Where does one start with this offense? The receivers look like they haven't progressed from last year. In other words, they still can't catch a ball to save their lives.
The best catch of the day was Kurtis Drummond's one-handed interception of a WMU pass. In fact, MSU's defense outscored the offense, 14-12.
Andrew Maxwell has a great arm, but I think I can beat him in a sprint. He also still seems to think that every pass has to look like a Max Scherzer fast ball. Connor Cook, on the other hand, is a good scrambler with some speed but his passing ability is closer to Ricky "Wild Thing" Vaughn from the movie Major League.
On a positive note, the defense was excellent. But unless the offense improves to at least respectability, this team is looking at another 6-6 season.
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Tomorrow the roller coaster starts up again
I've spent the last four months not thinking much about MSU sports, which explains my absence from this blog. I've spent the summer watching Tiger baseball, reading, and catching up with Breaking Bad on Netflix (and thoroughly enjoying the final season of the series). I've also taken up running, and my exercise regimen has occupied a good portion of my thoughts and energy this summer.
To tell you the truth, I'm still not that excited about college football season...but I'm slowly getting there. By Friday evening, I may be fully in football freak mode. But for now, I'm not quite feeling it.
The Spartans take on the Western Michigan Broncos tomorrow in the first game of the 2013 campaign. It will most assuredly be a sweltering Spartan Stadium and I'll be happy to watch the game in the air-conditioned comfort of my living room. I'm sure that at least some of my humdrum attitude towards the beginning of football season has to do with the hot and humid weather that has been hanging around mid-Michigan for the last week.
Now on to the 2013 Spartan football team:
As usual, I enter an MSU football season with guarded optimism. There are so many unknowns and what-ifs with this team, that's hard to know exactly what to expect. At least the coaching staff finally decided on a starting quarterback, but who knows how long Maxwell keeps the job. (For what it's worth, I'm rooting for Maxwell). MSU fans have to be encouraged that Damion Terry was so outstanding in camp that he pushed the other three quarterbacks to step up their game. At the very least, this bodes well for the future. I'm looking forward to 2014 and beyond when Damion Terry should be leading this offense.
The defense should be excellent--that at least seems to be the only known quantity with this team. But I'd like to see them create more turnovers this year, thereby creating more opportunities and shorter fields for the offense.
How will the receivers do? They improved slightly as the 2012 season went on, and Aaron Burbridge and Keith Mumphrey stood out. I've also heard that DeAnthony Arnett has shown improvement. I hope that Bennie Fowler can have a big senior year and perhaps Macgarrett Kings (who looked impressive to me in last year's CMU game) will get a chance to shine.
Okay, hold that thought. I'll try to get back to this later...
To tell you the truth, I'm still not that excited about college football season...but I'm slowly getting there. By Friday evening, I may be fully in football freak mode. But for now, I'm not quite feeling it.
The Spartans take on the Western Michigan Broncos tomorrow in the first game of the 2013 campaign. It will most assuredly be a sweltering Spartan Stadium and I'll be happy to watch the game in the air-conditioned comfort of my living room. I'm sure that at least some of my humdrum attitude towards the beginning of football season has to do with the hot and humid weather that has been hanging around mid-Michigan for the last week.
Now on to the 2013 Spartan football team:
As usual, I enter an MSU football season with guarded optimism. There are so many unknowns and what-ifs with this team, that's hard to know exactly what to expect. At least the coaching staff finally decided on a starting quarterback, but who knows how long Maxwell keeps the job. (For what it's worth, I'm rooting for Maxwell). MSU fans have to be encouraged that Damion Terry was so outstanding in camp that he pushed the other three quarterbacks to step up their game. At the very least, this bodes well for the future. I'm looking forward to 2014 and beyond when Damion Terry should be leading this offense.
The defense should be excellent--that at least seems to be the only known quantity with this team. But I'd like to see them create more turnovers this year, thereby creating more opportunities and shorter fields for the offense.
How will the receivers do? They improved slightly as the 2012 season went on, and Aaron Burbridge and Keith Mumphrey stood out. I've also heard that DeAnthony Arnett has shown improvement. I hope that Bennie Fowler can have a big senior year and perhaps Macgarrett Kings (who looked impressive to me in last year's CMU game) will get a chance to shine.
Okay, hold that thought. I'll try to get back to this later...
Friday, April 26, 2013
Terry McClowry, R.I.P.
I just heard that former Michigan State linebacker Terry McClowry died on April 21. McClowry was a member of the 1974 Spartan team that defeated Ohio State, 16-13 in one of college football's biggest upsets. On the Buckeyes' final drive, McClowry had a near interception that would have most likely ended the game right then and there, and spared everyone the long and drawn out controversial ending (and at least some of Woody Hayes' temper tantrums). In fact, if instant replay review existed in 1974, it's likely the call on the field would have been overturned.
McClowry had a great game that day, and in its November 18, 1974 article about the game, Dan Jenkins of Sports Illustrated referred to him as the defensive player of the game.
I don't know much about McClowry's post-MSU life, but I did learn that he was married to the same woman for 33 years and was a loving father of four children. By all accounts, he was a wonderful guy. Rest in peace to a great Spartan.
(For those interested, here's a link to the SI article about the 1974 MSU/OSU game):
The Touchdown that Didn't Count (MSU 16, OSU 13)
McClowry had a great game that day, and in its November 18, 1974 article about the game, Dan Jenkins of Sports Illustrated referred to him as the defensive player of the game.
I don't know much about McClowry's post-MSU life, but I did learn that he was married to the same woman for 33 years and was a loving father of four children. By all accounts, he was a wonderful guy. Rest in peace to a great Spartan.
(For those interested, here's a link to the SI article about the 1974 MSU/OSU game):
The Touchdown that Didn't Count (MSU 16, OSU 13)
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Back for a little spring housekeeping
It's been about two weeks since I last wrote in this blog. At that time, I was lamenting the fact that Michigan was playing in the national championship game, and considering the possibility of a life in hiding if they won. (Tongue firmly in cheek).
Well, lucky for me and most of Spartan Nation, the Wolverines lost. But I'm here to give the Wolverines their props for a great tournament run and peaking when it mattered the most. Congratulations Michigan on a great tournament (but I'm happy you didn't win the whole thing. Call me petty, but that's where I stand).
So now the college basketball season is over, and the college sports season as a whole is slowly winding down.
Overall, it was a good year for the MSU men's basketball team. Quite frankly, I thought they overachieved. I had no idea how they would perform without a great leader like Draymond Green, but the team exceeded my expectations. A game out of first place and a Sweet Sixteen finish in the tournament isn't too shabby. We already know that Gary Harris is returning for his sophomore season, and if Adreian Payne also comes back--this is still up in the air as I write--I can see the team being a definite Final Four contender in 2013-2014.
***
I had intentions of attending the MSU spring football game yesterday, but the weather was abysmal. Call me a bad fan, but I had no desire to sit in Spartan Stadium and suffer through mid-30 degree temperatures. The game was televised on the Big Ten Network anyway, so there was little need to schlep over to campus to see it.
It's very difficult to glean anything from the spring game, since it's just a split squad game with the quarterbacks not "live." (If the defenses look great, does that just mean the offenses are bad? The spring game presents that type of conundrum).
From what I could see, the defense looked good, which wasn't a surprise. The White team defense had an interception and a fumble recovery that both went to the house for touchdowns. Max Bullough looked beastly, and should be poised for a big season in 2013.
None of the three quarterbacks really stood out. All three had their share of good and not-so-good plays. The position is still up for grabs, as far as I can tell.
Riley Bullough looks like a viable option at running back, with this straight-ahead bullish running style.. Nick Tompkins and Jeremy Langford had a few nice runs, but this is yet another position with a giant question mark looming over it.
There also seemed to be far too many dropped passes by the wide receivers, and that was disappointing. But Keith Mumphery, Bennie Fowler and Aaron Burbridge all had some "wow" moments, and were the game's standouts at receiver. In addition, DeAnthony Arnett had a splendid touchdown catch in double coverage and A.J. Troup had a nice hitch-and-run for a touchdown. This is a position with talent, and there is hope that these guys will perform much better than they did last season.
Overall, the game left me (and probably most Spartan football fans) with more questions than answers. The one thing we can count on is that the defense will be outstanding once again.
I have to give a special mention to Kirk Cousins, who was the color commentator on the BTN broadcast. He was outstanding, and there really doesn't seem to be anything this guy can't do.
***
Last year, when basketball season ended, I had intentions of posting periodically during the summer. Of course, I didn't do that at all. I won't make any promises or guarantees this time, though I doubt anyone is waiting with bated breath for my musings. We'll see how inspired I am, and whether I can ever find an open computer in this house.
So, for now, so long. If I'm incommunicado during the summer, I'll definitely be around in the fall.
Well, lucky for me and most of Spartan Nation, the Wolverines lost. But I'm here to give the Wolverines their props for a great tournament run and peaking when it mattered the most. Congratulations Michigan on a great tournament (but I'm happy you didn't win the whole thing. Call me petty, but that's where I stand).
So now the college basketball season is over, and the college sports season as a whole is slowly winding down.
Overall, it was a good year for the MSU men's basketball team. Quite frankly, I thought they overachieved. I had no idea how they would perform without a great leader like Draymond Green, but the team exceeded my expectations. A game out of first place and a Sweet Sixteen finish in the tournament isn't too shabby. We already know that Gary Harris is returning for his sophomore season, and if Adreian Payne also comes back--this is still up in the air as I write--I can see the team being a definite Final Four contender in 2013-2014.
***
I had intentions of attending the MSU spring football game yesterday, but the weather was abysmal. Call me a bad fan, but I had no desire to sit in Spartan Stadium and suffer through mid-30 degree temperatures. The game was televised on the Big Ten Network anyway, so there was little need to schlep over to campus to see it.
It's very difficult to glean anything from the spring game, since it's just a split squad game with the quarterbacks not "live." (If the defenses look great, does that just mean the offenses are bad? The spring game presents that type of conundrum).
From what I could see, the defense looked good, which wasn't a surprise. The White team defense had an interception and a fumble recovery that both went to the house for touchdowns. Max Bullough looked beastly, and should be poised for a big season in 2013.
None of the three quarterbacks really stood out. All three had their share of good and not-so-good plays. The position is still up for grabs, as far as I can tell.
Riley Bullough looks like a viable option at running back, with this straight-ahead bullish running style.. Nick Tompkins and Jeremy Langford had a few nice runs, but this is yet another position with a giant question mark looming over it.
There also seemed to be far too many dropped passes by the wide receivers, and that was disappointing. But Keith Mumphery, Bennie Fowler and Aaron Burbridge all had some "wow" moments, and were the game's standouts at receiver. In addition, DeAnthony Arnett had a splendid touchdown catch in double coverage and A.J. Troup had a nice hitch-and-run for a touchdown. This is a position with talent, and there is hope that these guys will perform much better than they did last season.
Overall, the game left me (and probably most Spartan football fans) with more questions than answers. The one thing we can count on is that the defense will be outstanding once again.
I have to give a special mention to Kirk Cousins, who was the color commentator on the BTN broadcast. He was outstanding, and there really doesn't seem to be anything this guy can't do.
***
Last year, when basketball season ended, I had intentions of posting periodically during the summer. Of course, I didn't do that at all. I won't make any promises or guarantees this time, though I doubt anyone is waiting with bated breath for my musings. We'll see how inspired I am, and whether I can ever find an open computer in this house.
So, for now, so long. If I'm incommunicado during the summer, I'll definitely be around in the fall.
Monday, April 8, 2013
Someone wake me up from this bad dream
Michigan is playing for the basketball national championship tonight. I can barely contain my nausea.
I am bracing myself for the very real possibility that they win. Last weekend on Facebook, I joked that if Michigan won the national championship, I would grow a big "Al Gore" beard, find a secluded wilderness cabin in northern Michigan far from human contact, and live off the grid for several months.
It now looks as if I may have to follow through with this jest. Time to start pricing secluded cabins in the deepest, darkest woods of Michigan.
It's really hard to dislike this Michigan basketball team, even for an MSU fan. If you appreciate exciting well-played hoops, than this is a team for you. Trey Burke is undeniably a great player and the Wolverines' supporting cast has stepped it up when it matters the most, in the tournament. They are easily playing their very best basketball of the season. But it's still MICHIGAN, and I can not root for them precisely for that reason--they are MSU's archrival. If those players wore other uniforms, I'd probably like for them to win and might be wholeheartedly pulling for them, but since they represent the University of Michigan, forget it. If that makes me petty or small, so be it. Does anyone think that Kentucky fans are waving their red and white pom-poms for Louisville tonight?...I rest my case.
I've heard quite a few people say, "why aren't you supporting the state of Michigan or the Big Ten?" Here's my answer: The Michigan Wolverines basketball team represents the University of Michigan, not the state of Michigan. I mean, come on, the U of M basketball team has exactly FOUR players out of 15 who are even from the State of Michigan. (For what it's worth, MSU has seven players from the Great Lakes State). And can you think of another city more unrepresentative of the Great Lakes State than Ann Arbor? It prides itself on its progressiveness and sophistication. It is much closer to a trendy East Coast city than a hardscrabble Midwestern town like Flint, Saginaw, or Lansing. Ann Arbor has more in common with Austin, TX or Portland, OR than any place in the state of Michigan.
While we're on the subject of "unrepresentative of the state of Michigan," how about the University of Michigan itself? It is a public university in name only. According to U.S. News and World Report's latest findings from November 2012, the University of Michigan has the seventh largest endowment in the nation at approximately 7.7 billion dollars (for the fiscal year 2011). The only universities with larger endowments are all private institutions (Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, MIT, and Columbia--in that order). In fact, U of M is the only "public" university in the national top ten. (Yet, Michigan has historically received more money from the state of Michigan than any other public university. I attempted to find current statistics, but haven't found anything recent).
The University of Michigan is at least a somewhat elitist institution (I'm trying to be diplomatic here), so I have always found it unusual that so many working class Michiganians indentify strongly with the school. Is it just the sports teams to which they gravitate? Is it because the name of the school is shortened to simply "Michigan" and not "Michigan STATE"? As far as I'm concerned, the true school of the proletariat in Michigan is MSU, but maybe it is true that Americans have no class consciousness...then again, maybe it's only about prolongued success on the football field that has gained Michigan so many "unaffiliated" fans.
Top ten university endowments in the nation
So what I'm trying to say is that I don't think the University of Michigan represents the entire state of Michigan, and in fact the entire institution is quite UNrepresentative of our blue collar state, so the heck with the "state pride" argument.
As for the "support the Big Ten" argument, I have little allegiance to the Big Ten as a whole: certainly not the likes of Michigan or Ohio State. If it were any of the other ten schools, I might root for them...(okay, probably not Wisconsin. Add the Badgers to the list of Big Ten teams I'd not pull for). So, the hell with Big Ten pride. My allegiance is with Michigan State University. So there.
You may wonder if I will be watching the game tonight. Right now, I say probably not. I don't want to watch a game simply to root AGAINST one of the participants. I'll find somthing else to do tonight.
But my one last parting shot is, "Go Louisville!"
I am bracing myself for the very real possibility that they win. Last weekend on Facebook, I joked that if Michigan won the national championship, I would grow a big "Al Gore" beard, find a secluded wilderness cabin in northern Michigan far from human contact, and live off the grid for several months.
It now looks as if I may have to follow through with this jest. Time to start pricing secluded cabins in the deepest, darkest woods of Michigan.
It's really hard to dislike this Michigan basketball team, even for an MSU fan. If you appreciate exciting well-played hoops, than this is a team for you. Trey Burke is undeniably a great player and the Wolverines' supporting cast has stepped it up when it matters the most, in the tournament. They are easily playing their very best basketball of the season. But it's still MICHIGAN, and I can not root for them precisely for that reason--they are MSU's archrival. If those players wore other uniforms, I'd probably like for them to win and might be wholeheartedly pulling for them, but since they represent the University of Michigan, forget it. If that makes me petty or small, so be it. Does anyone think that Kentucky fans are waving their red and white pom-poms for Louisville tonight?...I rest my case.
I've heard quite a few people say, "why aren't you supporting the state of Michigan or the Big Ten?" Here's my answer: The Michigan Wolverines basketball team represents the University of Michigan, not the state of Michigan. I mean, come on, the U of M basketball team has exactly FOUR players out of 15 who are even from the State of Michigan. (For what it's worth, MSU has seven players from the Great Lakes State). And can you think of another city more unrepresentative of the Great Lakes State than Ann Arbor? It prides itself on its progressiveness and sophistication. It is much closer to a trendy East Coast city than a hardscrabble Midwestern town like Flint, Saginaw, or Lansing. Ann Arbor has more in common with Austin, TX or Portland, OR than any place in the state of Michigan.
While we're on the subject of "unrepresentative of the state of Michigan," how about the University of Michigan itself? It is a public university in name only. According to U.S. News and World Report's latest findings from November 2012, the University of Michigan has the seventh largest endowment in the nation at approximately 7.7 billion dollars (for the fiscal year 2011). The only universities with larger endowments are all private institutions (Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, MIT, and Columbia--in that order). In fact, U of M is the only "public" university in the national top ten. (Yet, Michigan has historically received more money from the state of Michigan than any other public university. I attempted to find current statistics, but haven't found anything recent).
The University of Michigan is at least a somewhat elitist institution (I'm trying to be diplomatic here), so I have always found it unusual that so many working class Michiganians indentify strongly with the school. Is it just the sports teams to which they gravitate? Is it because the name of the school is shortened to simply "Michigan" and not "Michigan STATE"? As far as I'm concerned, the true school of the proletariat in Michigan is MSU, but maybe it is true that Americans have no class consciousness...then again, maybe it's only about prolongued success on the football field that has gained Michigan so many "unaffiliated" fans.
Top ten university endowments in the nation
So what I'm trying to say is that I don't think the University of Michigan represents the entire state of Michigan, and in fact the entire institution is quite UNrepresentative of our blue collar state, so the heck with the "state pride" argument.
As for the "support the Big Ten" argument, I have little allegiance to the Big Ten as a whole: certainly not the likes of Michigan or Ohio State. If it were any of the other ten schools, I might root for them...(okay, probably not Wisconsin. Add the Badgers to the list of Big Ten teams I'd not pull for). So, the hell with Big Ten pride. My allegiance is with Michigan State University. So there.
You may wonder if I will be watching the game tonight. Right now, I say probably not. I don't want to watch a game simply to root AGAINST one of the participants. I'll find somthing else to do tonight.
But my one last parting shot is, "Go Louisville!"
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