Michigan 21, MSU 7

[Rocky Bleier]

As will the picture of Dantonio smiling behind his Red Rover team of locked-arm Spartans. Sure, it all serves to motivate, but the hiring of Ben Herbert was way more influential to the outcome than LJ Scott calling Michigan, "Little Sister."

[UMStan White]

Hey Rocky why be pissed at me? I'm not the asshole that not only predicted a big MSU win but said it twice. Its OK baby. I forgive you! SMMMMMMMMMOOOOOOOOOOCCCCCCHHHHHHHHH

[Tom W]

But MSU is the team with the Little Brother mentality. Mike Hart was right, and I loved the way 5th year senior Chase twisted the knife. It's a game; it's fun; it's fun to tease the opposition a bit in a friendly way.

[Rocky Bleier]

[Jeff Buchanan]

This ......

Some good comments floating around the interweb today about the pre-game dust up and post game comments by both coaches. First, the pre-game walk thing is a thing. It's done every home game but usually sans helmets. An MSU player was quoted as saying that when they do the walk, some opposing players get out of the way, some don't. Some we break the chain for some we don't. They did open arms for one M player (I think it was Long with the head phones on) but not for Bush or Marshall who, not surprisingly were in the faces of the participants in this MSU walk. That's when it got out of hand a bit but not terribly ...... Bush is videoed kicking and rubbing his shoes off on the Sparty emblem mid-field.

Dantonio, despite his comments at his post game presser that he wasn't (his BS comment) WAS about 5 yards behind the line and smiling widely when Bush and Marshall went off. Some of the M staff did restrain both of them and I've not seen any video of MSU players retaliating although it is said they did (the clothes lining of Marshall). Anyway this is the kind of stupid mind games Dantonio builds his team up with and has in the M rivalry from day one (I't not over .....it's just begun response to Hart's Littel Brother Take).

IMO, this sort of adult behavior intended to elevate the anger and hate levels of 19-22 year old kids toward M players is not only silly but potentially dangerous. It encourages the gooning that goes on in this game and potentially increases the likelihood of a serious injury. Sure, I get this is a man's game and it's football; it's a gladiatorial spectacle. However, we've sort-of graduated from the time of Sparticus slaying lions and people....... except for MSU. Dantonio is still using this shit to spur on his players. It's Durkinish sick.

The difference this season, as Tom points out, is that M was physically prepared to pound the shit out of MSU players, during the game, in a football like manner and within the rules .... well, until MSU's final drive and I commented on that in another thread. This was a physically punishing game for the losers if I have any clue about this sort of thing and I base this observation out of post game comments by Higdon and Winovich to that affect. Both of them said they physically dominated various players they faced one on one. Higdon said he had fun pounding safeties in the face (he did and I'd find video of a couple of his runs where he just punished defenders by running through them if I felt like it - I don't).

I admire the gladiatorial aspect of football; I like that it is as close to circumstances you might find yourself in combat as there is. Participants grow immensely from this kind of sport - although there are plenty of folks who reject that thinking - fuck them). But I also want rules and restraint. Mutual respect would be nice. Football coaches have a duty to instill those sorts of things into their players and IMO, Mark Dantonio has demonstrated he's a bit loose there, like most things MSU. At some point in history, the Romans shit-canned some of the stupid stuff they did, like killing Christians and animals in a ring and turned to more refined competition in an Olympic setting - like rules based wrestling, javelin throwing, running and jumping and such. I think I'll send Mork a history of Olympic sport ..... but I doubt he can read. Heh.

[Rocky Bleier]

"The difference this season, as Tom points out, is that M was physically prepared to pound the shit out of MSU players, during the game, in a football like manner and within the rules."

Ben Herbert and Ed Warriner - Co assistant coaches of the year.

Living in Wisconsin, I will never forget the year that the Badgers did not throw one pass the entire second half as they mauled the Wolverines, and the radio announcers out of Madison were laughing their asses off.

[Jeff Buchanan]

That was in Ann Arbor and during Rich Rod's last year.

If Michigan is ascending out of those terrible depths like it appears that it is this season, those rear-view mirror looks will get significantly harder to make out.

The one guy I really feel good about is Jim Harbaugh. A more passionate and dedicated human being when it comes to football, a guy that properly balances his passion for the sport with appropriate integrity - unusual at the CFB level these days - I don't know of.

In his 4 seasons as M's HC, he's taken a load of shit for his approach to recruiting, his record against rivals, on road trips and against top 25 teams, his 8-5 record last year and the loss to Usc in the Outback to start 2019. It's gratifying to see him smile after a win, embrace his players and coaches and probably feel pretty damn good about himself after he and his players thrashed MSU in their house and rescuing Paul Bunyan form East Landfill.

[Rocky Bleier]

Don't forget the mocking he gets for taking his team to Europe in the off season. He did look pretty happy yesterday...

[AlabamAlum]

Wow, he needs to brush more often.

[WingsFan]

[Rocky Bleier]

I can't believe I agree with Valenti today...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekzjcPuqIXI

[WingsFan]

Valenti taking the lost harder than I thought.

[WingsFan]

Jim "Its not BS its Fac (k)t"

[WingsFan]

Harbaugh I signed up for. Welcome back, Jimmy.

[Jeff Buchanan]

First time I've heard some of the details ....... Harbaugh is saying they knew about the traditional walk and tried not to be on the field when the walk occurs. They asked in advance, when does the walk occur and it seems that they were given a time and that time was changed and then it didn't take place. After M players took the field, out comes the MSU players for the walk. Pretty clear it was orchestrated and Dantonio was involved.

Harbaugh is right. It is fortunate things didn't get out of hand - could have. ADs need to talk about it and he's stepping aside. Nothing significant is going to happen and I don't think it should but the conference needs to get involved and, behind the scenes, ask some questions. It seems this was clearly an undertaking to intimidate the visiting team and in this case Michigan. It's like the stupid shit that went on at Purdue after the Speight injury last season. Harbaugh said those kind of tactics - no ac/ in the visitors locker room, no XR capability - that stuff needs to stop. Purdue fixed it.

MSU should be held to the same standard - the walk under the circumstances it took place with Dantonio likely involved in a decision to delay it until M players were on the field was, a JH put it, bush league, orchestrated and with the intent to intimidate a visiting team. End it. Behind the scenes is fine. No body needs to be cheering victory in something as stupid as this was being stopped. The walk is fine. Just don't pull that kind of orchestrated shit again.