MTSU owned all the loose balls Things have been going too well lately. Being a Spartan fan that is. Rose bowl wins, Big Ten championships in basketball and football, fantastic last minute wins over Baylor and Michigan, Izzo and Dantonio being rated the best one two combo by a large margin. It’s been one great moment after another.
Yet, part of being a Spartan fan, at times a large part of being green, is the punch in the gut. The devastating loss. The one that just pummels the emotional core.
Yesterday’s loss was just such a gut punch. Sure there was the loss to Nebraska (which hit the wallet too) but we overcame that one to win the Big Ten in football. And the Bama loss hurt real bad too but that loss was not totally unexpected even if the margin was.
No, yesterday’s loss was the true bell ringer that brought back some long lost angst. Not only for the shock but for the way it went down too.
This game was not about the Xs and Os. There was not buzzer beater. It wasn’t about bad calls.
Nope. Middle Tennesse State came out and kicked ass from the start. They played with a chip in the shoulder. The Blue Raiders got every loose ball, every critical rebound. When the game got tight, they went after it. They wanted to be giant killers and announce to the world that they had arrived.
Middle Tennessee State was MSU from 10, 15 20 years ago! That should have been us. We own the chip on the shoulder. We slay the giants.
Yet, part of being a Spartan fan, at times a large part of being green, is the punch in the gut. The devastating loss. The one that just pummels the emotional core.
Yesterday’s loss was just such a gut punch. Sure there was the loss to Nebraska (which hit the wallet too) but we overcame that one to win the Big Ten in football. And the Bama loss hurt real bad too but that loss was not totally unexpected even if the margin was.
No, yesterday’s loss was the true bell ringer that brought back some long lost angst. Not only for the shock but for the way it went down too.
This game was not about the Xs and Os. There was not buzzer beater. It wasn’t about bad calls.
Nope. Middle Tennesse State came out and kicked ass from the start. They played with a chip in the shoulder. The Blue Raiders got every loose ball, every critical rebound. When the game got tight, they went after it. They wanted to be giant killers and announce to the world that they had arrived.
Middle Tennessee State was MSU from 10, 15 20 years ago! That should have been us. We own the chip on the shoulder. We slay the giants.
And made all the critical shots too But not yesterday. MTSU beat MSU at their own game.
And that is what hurt the most. It wasn’t luck or refs or talent. It was desire and will that cost us the game. The hardest kind of loss to take.
And in some ways, maybe it was a long time coming. Not the way we lost. That is unacceptable. No it was just the loss itself.
It was a reminder that being a Spartan means taking the bad with the good and great. It’s what keeps MSU from being arrogant like other programs we know. MSU has few band wagon fans because of moments like this. And those few will jump off. Good riddance.
To be a Spartan fan means being there through thick and thin.
Before the game started Mike warned me that every time we watch a game together we had lost. We were together in Vegas for the Husker melt down. Our New Year’s Eve Spartan party was humbling. We were even together when Purdue won in OT.
But it wasn’t really every time. We were together for some February wins. He determined that it wasn’t that we were together but that we were wearing Spartan gear too. In February we met after work wearing business casual.
As we walked into the Sports bar he noticed that I was wearing my Spartan polo. Time to put his theory to work. If they lost it would be on me.
So I’ll take the fall. Blame it on me if you want.
This morning I took an early bird flight home. When I got home I went upstairs to change my shirt. I looked through the closet. There was only one shirt that would do today. An old white MSU shirt.
I came downstairs and Mrs Doofus said it took some courage to wear that shirt today. Yup!
It’s easy to wear the colors when things are going well. But it takes a true fan to wear the Spartan helmet on a day like today. I’ll take the barbs and the taunts. I’ll suffer through those who want to relive the game.
I’m wearing the Spartan helmet proudly today! Go Green!
And that is what hurt the most. It wasn’t luck or refs or talent. It was desire and will that cost us the game. The hardest kind of loss to take.
And in some ways, maybe it was a long time coming. Not the way we lost. That is unacceptable. No it was just the loss itself.
It was a reminder that being a Spartan means taking the bad with the good and great. It’s what keeps MSU from being arrogant like other programs we know. MSU has few band wagon fans because of moments like this. And those few will jump off. Good riddance.
To be a Spartan fan means being there through thick and thin.
Before the game started Mike warned me that every time we watch a game together we had lost. We were together in Vegas for the Husker melt down. Our New Year’s Eve Spartan party was humbling. We were even together when Purdue won in OT.
But it wasn’t really every time. We were together for some February wins. He determined that it wasn’t that we were together but that we were wearing Spartan gear too. In February we met after work wearing business casual.
As we walked into the Sports bar he noticed that I was wearing my Spartan polo. Time to put his theory to work. If they lost it would be on me.
So I’ll take the fall. Blame it on me if you want.
This morning I took an early bird flight home. When I got home I went upstairs to change my shirt. I looked through the closet. There was only one shirt that would do today. An old white MSU shirt.
I came downstairs and Mrs Doofus said it took some courage to wear that shirt today. Yup!
It’s easy to wear the colors when things are going well. But it takes a true fan to wear the Spartan helmet on a day like today. I’ll take the barbs and the taunts. I’ll suffer through those who want to relive the game.
I’m wearing the Spartan helmet proudly today! Go Green!
