Hondo's Spartan Mailbag: Separating Reality From Fiction
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The Michigan State Spartan Athletics program is in a unique time under the promising new leadership of Athletic Director Dan Bartholomae.
A New Direction
Spartan Nation should be excited about Dan Bartholomae and the resume he brings to East Lansing, based on his strong leadership and proven success in the Mitten State.
Before taking the role of athletic director in Spartan Nation, he burst onto the national scene as one of the elite young AD prospects in the country.
He served as athletic director at Western Michigan University, where he led a MAC school to unprecedented success that multiple Power Five schools had not attained—including WMU's hockey program winning a national championship—while demonstrating a forward-thinking approach to modern college sports, commercial initiatives, and student-athlete support.
Had Michigan State not seized him, the power and elite schools eyeing him most assuredly meant a Spartan competitor would have pegged him without any rational doubt.
Spartan Nation Speaks
I have covered the Spartans for close to 30 years, and each week, I love to answer some of Spartan Nation’s questions when you email me, and this week is no exception.
Really, Fitz?
Hondo, I don’t understand how you can be so on board with Pat Fitzgerald. Did this year not show you anything? I have followed you for years and trust you, but this is alarming.Jim T. Berrien Springs, MI.
First, I like Fitz, and I always have. He is not a good football coach; he is a great coach. Sadly, college football today is less about being a great coach and more about players.
I addressed this in my last article, but when Dan Bartholomae recently said he was going to fully fund the football program, that was all I needed to hear.
Fitz couldn’t be expected to compete this year with a woefully underfunded roster; that is the simple truth.
That said, he won’t be next year, and it isn’t about liking you or not. The new window for a fully funded college football program now is two years. Love Fitz and want him to do well, but starting next year, he has a two-year window.
Colleges may not like the reality that the fans' timetable has changed, but it has, and they created this mess by kicking the can down the road for decades.
You Get an Offer, You Get an Offer
Hondo, I love the continued terrific coverage by Spartan Nation; thank you. I just read your article about all the offers, and it gave me a true feeling that the program is going to live up to the standards we have. With the money in hand, do you think Fitzgerald can get the staff worked out?Reggie E. Warren, MI.
This question is really two; let me explain.
As noted above, MSU football has the money in 2027 to compete now. The article you referenced about the staff sending out multiple offers was a terrific read. It shows that the AD is living up to his promise.
That said, we will learn about Fitz. I love several of the coaches on this staff, but have openly questioned Nick Sheridan, the offensive coordinator. Not on a character basis; he is a terrific guy, but based on what happened in Alabama and what he has done here, his work is what I question, and several around the world of college and NFL football.
Additionally, I and others question some position coaches as well. I hope Fitz lets his coordinators have a strong voice in the position coaches he hires. It is his staff; he should make the call, but this isn’t basketball. The coordinators need a louder voice, not the final voice, but a louder one. I hope Fitz allows that.
Mark Dantonio did a lot of great things at MSU, but his handling of staff was devastating to the success he could have had, and it let him down.
Everything rises and falls on leadership, and ultimately, how he assembles a staff will determine how much success Fitz has here, since we know it won’t be because his AD failed to give him the resources.
The Best Ever?
Hondo, please hear me out. Can Jeremy Fears, if the Spartans win the title, be the greatest player in Michigan State basketball ever? If he wins all the awards, for as long as he has been here, I think so.Don L. St. Ignace, MI.
I know he won the B1G Preseason POTY honor, and I know he will have been here longer than some others, and a title would get him in the top three, in my opinion, but.
But I have three words for you, Don:
Earvin “Magic” Johnson.
Enough said.
The argument is about second-best; there will never, now or in 500 years, be a legitimate argument over who the best player in Michigan State Spartan basketball history is.
Disrespect of the Night?
Hondo, I love Adam Nightingale, and I love that you keep reminding us what the NHL thinks of him. I have two questions for you. Do you think Spartan Nation is giving him enough respect, and what do you think of the Spartans playing in Texas for a big matchup with North Dakota? Would I love that on campus?Shelly V. Jackson, MI.
I love Nights. I want to see him signed to a major deal ASAP, and I know NHL teams love his player development and coaching style. NHL people and an owner told me that. I know he is not disrespected in the hockey world, but football and basketball are much bigger worlds, and I am not sure people outside the hockey niche appreciate how elite he is.
As far as playing in Texas, I love it. Texas is one of the fastest-growing markets for youth hockey, and he is going down there to play major games not for the fans, but for the prospects. There are a lot of elite prospects in the Lone Star State, and they will have their eyes on Nights and that glorious green-and-white combination.
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Hondo S. Carpenter Sr. is an award-winning sports journalist with decades of experience. He serves as the Senior Writer for NFL and College sports, and is the beat writer covering the Las Vegas Raiders. Additionally, he is the editor and publisher for several sites On SI. Carpenter is a member of the Pro Football Writers Association (PFWA), the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), and the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA).
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