Detroit fishwrap comment of the day
If there is one thing worse than commenters in internet forums, it's commenters in internet forums after a college rivalry game. Trolling is everywhere, and the subway alumni come out in force.
The Freep commenters are no different. In the comments to Michael Rosenberg's column about the Michigan State beatdown of Michigan, MSU fans bait the U of M fans with the usual taunts. Little sister, Michigan Mountaineers, and the old standby, you suck!
One Michigan fan stood out for his reasoned response. DTownFanInChicago realized, rivalry game or not, these are 2 programs on the opposite sides of the spectrum.
What's the big deal? Everyone knows that MSU is better than Michigan in basketball. They were expected to win. Now, if Michigan had beaten MSU, then that's a story. No shock here.
Exactly! What's the big deal? This game was over before Michigan even took the Breslin Center court. Sparty is to Michigan football, as the Wolverines are to MSU football. The Spartans are a national power, the Wolverines would have trouble competing in the Horizon Conference. MSU has a legitimate shot at the Final Four, while Michigan has a legitimate shot of making the NIT...Next season.
I don't blame the often ridiculed Sparty's for celebrating a big win in a rivalry game. But to make more of the win that is actually was, that being a glorified exhibition against an undermanned team, is silly.
The only thing that should matter to the Spartans is winning the Big 10 tournament, and getting themselves a high seed in the Midwest region of the NCAA tournament. If Tom Izzo can get the Spartans to the Sweet Sixteen at Ford Field, they will make the Final Four.
Sad to say, the Wolverines are just a bump in the road on the Spartans' trip to the NCAA's...
Al,
ReplyDeleteLife doesn't revolve around football. MSU fans are allowed to give back what Wolvie supporters give in autumn. So I have no problem with it. Although I find it hard to believe any Spartan fan could possibly be interested. It has all the joy of beating Northwestern or Penn State.
The problem is, there isn't really much rivalry for supports to take about. UM football dominates. MSU basketball dominates. Both fan bases make few claims to the secondary sport -- though Michigan fans seem to treat basketball like it's women's water polo, while at least MSU fans accept we have a football team and come close to selling out Spartan Stadium. And even then, UM claims Ohio State is its rival on the football field. (and why shouldn't they?)
Fact is, this rivalry sucks and will continue to suck until the schools both have good football teams. That's why Spartans want to beat UM in football. Beat UM in any other sport and you start to hear excuses like "no one really likes basketball anyway." Nope, Michigan fans only want to back a winner.
Which makes me wonder why more people don't watch college hockey -- southeast Michigan is "hockeytown" right? UM is good at hockey. MSU is good at hockey. But outside the campus communities, I don't think anyone gives a crap about this pair of Top 10 programs and their annual meetings --myself included actually.
That's too bad. There's a rivalry there.