The Goose takes flight with his blog about the MSU vs. Wisconsin game

I was barely able to contain my excitement for the much-anticipated match-up between our beloved Spartans and the rodent Badgers of Wisconsin that took place last weekend the great stadium Camp Randall in Madison, Wisconsin. So off came the shades and the goose set flight for the land of cheese and honey!

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The first Big Ten action for the Spartans proved to be a hard fought effort which saw the Spartans lose a close one that came down to the wire, 37-34. Questionable play calling and penalties aside, the players assured us that this was not the same Spartan team we’ve known over the past few years. Players could be heard yelling “This is not last year!” and I think it was clear that the fellas knew they could compete not only in just the Big Ten, but also with the whole country.

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Leaving it all on the field that day, the players were down, but not out. It was obvious from the start that the players were playing their hearts out, and if you look past some situational errors maybe made by the coaching staff, the Spartans had this game won. Without trying to sound like a member of the coaching staff, I think the Spartans played great and I’m proud of the way they played. Greatest moment of the evening besides Nehemiah Warrick nearly committing involuntary manslaughter on a Wisconsin wide receiver was watching the Spartans form together in an ancient Spartan battle formation and walk across the field before the game. (you have to get to the stadium EARLY to witness this…)

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There were a few things however, that I was not proud of; and this time, it came from the one place I never expected- the Spartan cheering section.

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I had never been to Wisconsin before this weekend, but I assure you, it is a long trip by automobile. The ride itself is not particularly interesting either. Whether you consider traffic in downtown Chicago to be an entertaining travel site or not, let’s just say you’d have to be a pretty big Spartan fan to make the trip to watch our boys play. I was glad to see our devoted fans that took the trip, however, there was one particular fan that made me want to jump into the crowd and strangle him.

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Amidst such a hard fought effort in a stadium that literally trembled under the intense noise of the roars of the Wisconsin fans, some MSU fan (in the Spartan section nonetheless!) felt it necessary to berate the Spartan players at a time when they needed support the most! The jerk yelled and screamed when the Spartans were driving late in the fourth quarter, crying, “What’s wrong with you?!?!”

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What’s wrong with you indeed.

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Until you actually strap on the pads and you’re being smashed on by some giant dude like Kellen Davis, you can’t really understand how it is on the field; putting all of your strength and energy into something so physically demanding like the sport of football. And it’s not like the Spartans were down 21 points and making fools of themselves. If anything, this guy should have been yelling moral support and words of motivation! So from all of us here at Spartan Nation, and to that jerk who has the nerve to call himself a Spartan fan, you should be ashamed of yourself!! (And please know, loyal readers that this is not a slam against the Spartan fans, but only directed towards ONE individual!!)

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Coaching decisions and penalties and idiots aside, there was one event that occurred as I walked off the field alongside the players on this strange day that made me feel incredibly proud to be a Spartan alumni. As the Spartans walked towards the locker room at the close of the game, looking somewhat sluggish and maybe a little tired, but not at all like a team that had just suffered defeat, a monumental thing happened. The Wisconsin fans joined together and stood on their feet to applause a good Spartan football team.

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The kind of class and respect that those fans showed the Spartans was amazing. Hats off to the Wisconsin fans- I have never really witnessed that kind of admiration for visiting fans. There was a great sense of accomplishment and pride that seemed to envelop the atmosphere among the players.  I could even feel it myself, imagine what the players must feel like, I thought.

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 Wisconsin and the whole nation witnessed a tremendous effort by the Green and White, and now not only the Big Ten knows what they can expect from the Spartans. The loss hurts, but I am confident that Northwestern gets their butt handed to them on a silver platter with French fried potatoes this Saturday, October the sixth, by a lot!