Whoever gets picked: GET IT RIGHT!

Whoever gets picked: GET IT RIGHT! You know, I have a funny job. When I don’t endorse a candidate, I always get bombarded with questions calling for my

Whoever gets picked: GET IT RIGHT!

You know, I have a funny job. When I don’t endorse a candidate, I always get bombarded with questions calling for my pick. When I do, I seem to become a ranting baby. I admit, it’s funny, but it has made me spend some time in the deer blind this morning thinking about it.

I have not run from the fact that I would love to see Brian Kelly at MSU. That doesn’t mean that I feel others aren’t as qualified as him, he just happens to be my pick. I have said and stood by the sentiment that if Kelly wasn’t interviewed the new coach and the process would have been a joke; I am right about that.

The point is that MSU is in a fight for its life. The football program’s future is standing at a crossroad and it must make the right pick in order to avoid the wrong path. To the aging fan base, the national championship from 40 years ago is becoming a distant memory. To the younger fan’s, MSU must find a way to reinvigorate the championship generation and culture that existed. Those memories aren’t present for these younger fans; the younger fans are the one who hold the key to supporting the program in the future.

I was asked in an email if I thought that if people throwing out all of these names for head coach is bad—I said no way. To me, this is what makes the Spartan Nation fan base so incredible. Last night I was talking on the phone to a coach in the SEC. He reiterated to me just how incredible the MSU fans are. He was enthused when he told me, “to be so faithful for so long, that would be any coaches’ dream.”

I want to see the best people interviewed. If not interviewed, at the very least have the overtures on behalf of MSU made and to then declare that this is our guy. That is all. It’s a passion issue. As many of you know, I travel to all the games: home, away, spring ball, practice, you name it. However, that does not make me any smarter; it doesn’t make me any more of a fan; I do it because I can, therefore, it does not make someone who can’t any less of a fan. I am trying to make the point that, under no circumstance, will I hide my passion for MSU. This is the passion so many fans have. This is the passion that makes MSU what it is.

MSU can be a national power again. Our ability to keep that dialogue open proves this and is certainly a good thing. I have received around 35 names that people have mailed to me. It shows how intensely our fan base cares. It shows how we are committed to our future. It shows ours passion. I am sick of media who simply dispense information and do not care one bit about this school. They take pot shots at the University or its fans because they simply don’t care. I do care; I am not afraid to say it. Reporters who are enamored by UofM try to hide their fascination with the school. You don’t have to do that, you just have to be neutral and fair. You can be a fan while looking at the situations with an open mind. I believe I am.

MSU has to this correctly. I was asked yesterday if I thought they would. I can tell you this morning that I really hope they will and to this point they are. I was nervous; I had issues and questions. The university knows that they have to get it right. They feel the pressure. I love all the talk and the fire from the fans—it means that we still care. I don’t think that there can be enough message board posts, emails, and talk radio right now. We must keep the issue at the forefront of the discussion. I find it marvelous that UofM and OSU are about to play, in what many feel, is the biggest regular season football game ever and here, in Mid-Michigan and throughout Spartan Nation, people are renewed with hope that, this could be us. 

You all hear the names. Each name makes us wonder if he will be the guy to lead us to the Promised Land. At the end of the day, we are all Spartans. We love this place. It’s our apex. Sure, I endorsed Kelly. I think he is a great coach. But, so is Strong along with many of the other candidates. The point is that whoever gets hired, I want us all to be able to rest knowing that they left no stone unturned, MSU did its job correctly. This new coach can lead us to our dream of Big Ten championships and BCS bowl games.

You can call me many things, but you can’t call me passionless. I love this game, this University and this fan base. I just want them to get it right. I hope they will.