Does The State Of Michigan Even Care About Sunday's Michigan-MSU Hoops Game?
By: Jeff Riger
@riger1984
I've made no secret of the fact that I'm a Walmart Wolverine.
I didn't go to Michigan, didn't have the grades or the money to get in, but have loved their football and basketball programs for as long as I can remember. In fact, and this might sound weird, I actually like the hoops team more. I think the NCAA tournament is the reason why. Growing up and watching that '89 team cut down the nets was a thrill and then to follow it up with the "Fab Five" made it even better.
I was young, impressionable and didn't give a damn about cheating. I loved the long shorts, the swagger and most of all, the winning. Watching Chris, Jalen, Juwan, Ray and Jimmy were some of my fondest memories as a sports fan growing up.
After the Wolverines got busted for cheating, the program turned into an embarrassment and for some dumb, unknown reason, I continued to watch the inferior product year after year with one wish… I hoped that one day Michigan hoops would become relevant again and maybe, just maybe compete with MSU for instate supremacy.
After years of watching MSU dance to the Final Four while Michigan only had spring football to talk about, it finally happened. It took way too long, but Michigan was finally ready to battle State and even beat them every now and then. Finally there was a hoops rivalry in Michigan and damn did I enjoy it. Even if Michigan didn't win, the games were intense and both teams were good. As cheesy as it sounds, my dream had come true. Beilein vs. Izzo was awesome. There was almost as much poison in the basketball rivalry as there was in football and it was... at least for a while...how it should've been.
But as quickly as it came, it seemed to have left just as suddenly.
We're officially two days away from Michigan and Michigan State meeting for the first time this season in basketball and nobody gives a darn.
In Ann Arbor they're talking about Jim Harbaugh and in East Lansing they're talking about why Mark Dantonio shouldn't be afraid of Harbaugh. It's all football all the time and while I understand it, I don't like it.
For about four years we had ourselves a bitter, name calling hoops rivalry and now, because both teams might miss the tournament and are not that good, nobody even cares.
How pathetic!
Well I'm here to save things and just in time.
The great thing about the Michigan-MSU rivalry is the true agony that goes to the loser. Michigan has felt that wrath in football way too often recently while MSU was starting to feel it in hoops. The gap had closed, the fan bases were into it and the name calling and fighting was starting to rival the football rivalry. It was getting good. MSU was whining about injuries while Michigan was making deep tournament runs. I would have never believed it if I didn't witness it with my own eyes. So yes, it bums me out that nobody seems to care this time around.
So here is what I propose.
Whoever wins on Super Bowl Sunday should show no mercy to the loser. Text them, tweet them, call them and incessantly make fun of them until they lose your number or want to fight you. Pretend like you beat them in football and then act accordingly.
I don't want to hear from Spartans that they now suck so Michigan beating them is no big deal and I don't want to hear from Wolverines that since Harbaugh is there, basketball once again doesn't matter.
I think it's truly lame the lack of buzz one of my favorite games is getting so let's change it. What do you say?
Call up a Spartan and talk s**t! Call up a Wolverine and get downright nasty. Bring back the poison, even if it's only for a day. This game matters and the loser of it better feel like it does.
I've always believed the state of Michigan looked forward to the both schools playing in hoops so let's start acting like it.
