Show a little class Sparty

[Wizzle]

I know that Sparty fans are usually very bitter angry folks that don't know how to handle it when their team does well but this year they have taken it to new levels. During and after the game I had a drunken individual who I didn't even know, talkin' trash to me like he's hated me his entire life, then I come on here and see bukdow go racist in his bitter glee, and now there is this....

Michigan State's taunting is expensive, and a little rusty
By Matt Hinton

Under normal circumstances, a team like Michigan State, still clinging to reasonable conference championship hopes, would treat a win over a 2-6 bottom dweller on a three-game losing streak -- one of those games to a subpar MAC team -- as just another routine rung on the ladder. When that bottom dweller is Michigan, though, even when the Spartans expect a win, it's never routine:

That Web site, if you didn't catch it, is "MichiganIsOurLittleSister.com," a play on Mike Hart's "Little Brother" jab, which has put up a digital billboard outside a shopping center in East Lansing with the final score of MSU's win in Ann Arbor and customized taunts on a loop for the rest of the week. The site also encourages Spartan partisans to send their Michigan "friends" customized greeting cards, calendars, puzzles, playing cards and the like for Christmas, or, you know, any time you're feeling like a quick, vicarious pick-me-up.

I thoroughly support the idea of intra-state hate mongering in all its non-violent forms, even if it's mainly one-sided hate (it doesn't really make sense to put up a billboard when you win every year, as Michigan had for the last six since 2002; the Wolverines might consider a very tasteful placard campaign when they finally break the string against Ohio State). The real problem here is with the lazy execution. Given decades to stew as "the other team" in the state and at least half a dozen message boards on which to toss around quasi-clever puns, putdowns and interchangeable inbred jokes, the wordsmiths came up with the following:

• "Leaders and Best? In Your Dreams Maybe"

• "Where's the Arrogance Now?"

• "Leaders and Best? Seriously?? Lately?? You've got to Be Kidding"

• "Holy Toledo! Bye Bye Bowl Streak"

• "Oh Well. There's Always Men's Basketball. Oh Wait. My Bad."

• "Roses are Red. Violets are Blue. Your Football Team's Terrible. And Your Basketball Team, Too."

• "It's Not Over. And It Will Never Be Over. It's Just Starting."

• "Pride Comes Before the Fall -- Mark Dantonio, Nov. 5, 2007. He Tried to Warn You."

The irony of putting "Pride Comes Before the Fall" on a billboard after a win is just awesome.

I'm all for friendly back and forth but Sparty's reaction to this year is kind of pathetic. Act like you've been there before (MSU has beaten UofM before) and act like you'll be there again. Do you really think that if somehow Michigan beats MSU in b'ball they will put up billboards for it. Just, show some class Sparty.

[Glenn]

I'm sure Pastor Mark didn't approve this.

[MoTown]

MSU fans are so arrogant! They're all Walmart Spartans!

[Jethro34]

Don't forget our old friend DrTre. This is a guy who spoke of a desire to himself obtain a McGuffie jersey if he committed to UM after watching his YouTube reels. However, on MySpace, Tre fell in love with a picture of McGuffie after he was hit in Saturday's game which includes the words "MYSPACE DOWN".

Which is it Sparties? I realize that's an isolated example, but I don't ever recall being involved in this type of hypocrisy. Let's take the top player in the recruiting class with a great highlight video that wasn't considering UM but rather a rival. I can't go with Pryor because he had UM as a finalist. Maybe someone like Percy Harvin - since he eliminated UM pretty early. If I had been such a fan of his moves in HS that I wanted a jersey regardless of where he went, I cannot imagine I would have celebrated an injury and taunted it with a reference to the very reason I had found out about him in the first place.

I post this isolated example as a reflection of Spartyville because that's what Spartans understand, broad generalizations.

Enjoy your time on top children of Sparta. After all, pride does indeed come before the fall and you bastards are sounding pretty proud.

[Glenn]

Wow, was it that shocking that they won? They're taking cues from App St!

http://www.freep.com/article/2008102.../1054/SPORTS06

These actions really make that "little brother" tag seem even more fitting.

[WTFchris]

^Where are the pictures of the BCS trophy with that story? When is the parade?

Oh wait, it was just a regular season game?

[Vinny]

I wish Bukky wrote the billboards.

[D's Nuts]

Enjoy your time on top children of Sparta. After all, pride does indeed come before the fall and you bastards are sounding pretty proud.

Rightfully so, U of M has been a program at the top of the mountain for quite sometime. However, Mark Dantonio made those comments due to Mouth Hart and his complete disrespect of our program. Having a "moment of silence" and all the jaw jacking he did. MSU is no where near the level of arrogant, blatant disrespect, or overall smug levels that U of M has displayed over the year. I seem to recall Chris Webber having a victory dance on the Breslin press tables, Jalen Rose wiping his ass on the block S, Hart and his little brother comment, Manningham and his watch, "Pardon our Ignorance" sign at Spartan Stadium, Hart trash talking in front of our bench last year before having to be pulled away.......We didn't start it but we damn will keep fighting.

MSU has a long way to climb before they even approach the level at what Michigan once was. Yes, this game was important and fun to beat on you while you had a "down year" but does not really do anything until we can have a sustained level of excellence over many years. Pride comes before the fall? MSU has a long way to climb before we can fall back down.

[WTFchris]

I don't remember the Webber or Rose incidents you mentioned (I hated the fab 5 anyway so it doesn't surprise me).

I think trash talking is fine. it makes the rivalry great. But it's still good to keep the win in perspective. I don't think printing shirts is really needed. Print one when you win the big ten. otherwise just take your bragging rights for a year.

[D's Nuts]

Is this as bad as App State putting their win last year on their Championship Rings?