Confidence is Good, but the Spartan Nation has a lot to Prove on the Field

The MSU Spartan football program is on it’s way back. NO ONE can deny that. You saw last year the direction that this program is headed, and the off-season

The MSU Spartan football program is on it’s way back. NO ONE can deny that. You saw last year the direction that this program is headed, and the off-season has done nothing less than throw fuel on those rejuvenated fires.Â

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Dantonio is reaping a harvest of talent for his 2009 recruiting class and expectations and confidence are soaring to levels not seen since George Perles stepped back on to the campus. UM is going through major changes on and off the field and the Spartans are enjoying a surge of momentum while their most fierce rival is transitioning, and that makes the rebirth of Spartan football more enjoyable.

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I am so happy to see the most deserved fan base (MSU football fans) being able to finally be excited, but some of that excitement has crossed over to ridiculous and some MSU fans are becoming what they have accused most Wolverines of:Â Arrogant.

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Now don’t get me wrong, the arrogance of many among the UM faithful makes me want to puke, but I am a person that generally despises arrogance from anyone. I am thrilled that the Spartans have went head to head with UM and won on the recruiting trail. I hate that when MSU gets a kid that UM wanted, quickly many among the Wolvies state that, “We really decided we didn’t want him,” or even better, “He was a guy we only wanted to frustrate MSU, he wouldn’t have played here.”

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I have also seen the new one, “He didn’t fit Coach Rod’s style and he was a kid we never wanted.” Now there is some truth in that, but Wolverine fans aren’t recognizing that we are talking about kids that M Rod wanted. I acknowledge that offensively there are going to be guys (like Maxwell) that UM will never go after because they don’t fit M Rod’s style, but MSU has received commitments from kids in the 2009 class that UM did want, and State won.Â

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The arrogance of some Spartans shocks me to be frank. The personal attacks on M Rod are foolish. He is not only a good man and person; he is a fine football coach. His success at UM will not be predicated on his talent, it will be determined by whether or not the UM “insiders” let him succeed. The rank and file Wolverine fan will love his style both in coaching and play calling, but especially as a man.  It is the “inside the blue wall” people that he will have to contend with. It is those close to the program whose arrogance will be the undoing of M Rod (if he fails) and not him.

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Spartan fans can have fun with the rivalry and should. We clearly will have the best RB class in the nation in 2009 and someone actually emailed me and tried to tell me how UM didn’t want either of our two new RB’s because they have, “Such a stable of guys on scholarship.” If that person really believes that, I laugh, but it is clear to anyone that is objective that the gap is closing.

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But here comes the reality Spartans: The gap is closing, but it still is wide. MSU can have all the success, but wins on the field are what will make this a rivalry. Former MSU Coach John L. Smith said it best, and Mark Dantonio agreed with him last year when I told him what Smith felt of the rivalry, “It isn’t a rivalry, MSU hasn’t won enough to make it one.” This is fierce to the Spartan Nation and amusing to the Wolverines. I can accept that for now, we have to change it.

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The Spartan Nation knows what is going on. We sense the change inside the Duffy. We are smart enough to credit them for getting a terrific coach and man in M Rod, but now is not the time to jack our jaws. UM deserves credit to eliminating this rivalry by owning MSU on the football field lately. There is a reason they approach another win as simply another opportunity to annoy us and we still celebrate with religious zeal a win SEVEN years ago. We hate it when they say we aren’t a rival. We hate it when they throw out the little brother comments, but it is the Spartan Nation’s job to shut them up and you do that by winning. We haven’t.

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Those times, if you read the tealeaves or look to the horizon are changing. We can see that after a time of backing away from any kid that Blue and Corn even inquired about, that we now go head to head. We can see that once closed areas of the state have high school coaches singing the praises of the Spartan staff.

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We can feel bad for M Rod personally, but enjoy the turmoil of the blue wall insiders privately wishing for his demise. We see national reports now of how former players aren’t sold. Sure they aren’t sold, while they enjoyed winning ten games and losing to OSU and in the bowl, the real Wolverine faithful were actually intelligent enough to realize this team should have won more games that really counted. The Wolverine rank and file love M Rod. He is there guy. He is a laid back man and one thing I can tell you about him personally is that he is not one bit arrogant. M Rod is a great guy.Â

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MSU is on the precipice of a once in a lifetime opportunity to restore our storied past and catch UM at a down time. I sincerely believe it is coming. I sincerely believe that MSU fans need to enjoy the success, but keep the arrogance and cheap shots at bay. Let’s win some games. Let’s let what happens on the field speak for itself.

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I end with this story. I have an older brother whose name is Gregg. He used to always do what big brothers do and tease and mock me and in fact beat me up. My father used to always tell him that one-day I was going to grow up, and he needed to be careful. He would look at my father and say, “He’ll always be my little brother.” One day my brother came back on leave from the Navy and I was ten. Now my brother is little. He is about 6’3” and 190lbs tops. While picking on his little brother (I was 10) I simply turned and slugged him in the ribs. Hours latter when he failed to come to dinner; we learned that the little brother had broken his ribs. Those days are coming. The Spartan Nation knows it. It is a scent that we have not smelt in East Lansing in years. Let’s not ruin it. I was a happy kid when I realized as a young boy that I had finally got my brother’s attention. My dad told me that night “Let his new found respect for you speak for itself. You don’t have to be arrogant, you proved your point.”Â

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Spartan Nation, as we start to accumulate wins let their newfound respect and silence speak for itself. We won’t have to be arrogant when we prove our point.

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As embarrassing as being called little brother was, it was a fact. They have owned us on the football field during most of our lives. They have beaten us badly on the recruiting trail until recently. We respect that and credit them for that. We also know that we all look at the same horizon and the Spartan Nation sees a new beginning and the Wolverines see storm clouds.Â

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They are facing internal strife and questioning of academic integrity from not only well respected alums, but also now even their own local media. They are now seeing youngsters choosing their little brother to suit up for and they are wondering how to handle all this. Let’s welcome our new recruits and let’s celebrate our success, but let’s enjoy this turning tide with class. Let’s let the arrogance be monopolized by them. As for me and my house we shall win with class.Â

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Remember, little brother grows up. Spartans grab the sun tan lotion, and Wolverines grab an umbrella. Our forecast looks bright, but I see those storm clouds. We have to win in October for this to all matter, but everything that foreshadows the change is as bright as the neon of Vegas. Seven months and four days!