The Sad Ballad of the Joint Michigan-Michigan State Fan

As an impartial observer of the Michigan-Michigan State rivalry, their annual football game can be a tad bit annoying. How does a joint fan survive?

You don’t need us to remind you that it’s Michigan–Michigan State week. You’ve no doubt shared quite a few Wolverine or Spartan memes on social media, depending on your allegiance in the rivalry, and been rendered to tears of hilarity from the likes of:

“How do you get a Michigan State graduate off your porch? Pay for the takeout.”

“Why did Mrs. Arbor refuse to name her daughter Ann? Because everyone knows Ann Arbor is a little bitch.”

Read other knee-slappers here.

Storied Rivalry

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This week is usually fun for fans of both teams. It’s been fun for Michigan State fans having the upper-hand every year but once since 2008. Although it looks like, considering the recent fortunes of each team, that will almost undoubtedly swing back the other way, at least for this year.

How do I know this? Because around 4,236 “GoBlue” fans have told me this–since this morning. Not only has Jim Harbaugh brought winning back to A2, he’s also brought back the patented arrogance to Michigan football that is so unique and so annoying.

Speaking of something patented, it’s good to see the real Sparty come home. After a jaunt through the big boys of college football, this year has returned the program to the days of yore where the booming voice of John L. Smith haunted the sidelines. Yep, the collegiate version of the Detroit Lions has return. Same Old Spartans (SOS).

A Neutral Fan

You see, I’m the rare sports fan from the State of Michigan that follows both the Michigan State Spartans and the Michigan Wolverines. Tell this to a crowd of fans of either side and watch their eyes glaze over, their jaws drop, and their mouths open, letting out such learned quips such as: HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY…. ARE YOU NUTS…YOU’RE SIMPLY NOT A FAN OF FOOTBALL.

I can’t really blame them, to be honest. In fact, if you’ve read my articles or follow me on Twitter, you’ll see me regularly engaging in the fight against sports bandwagonism. Just the other day, I argued that no true Detroit Tigers’ fan could get joy out of seeing the Chicago Cubs win (the apparently fallback team for 99% of Tigers’ fans once our boys are eliminated), or any other team, if they’re truly passionate about their team.

I can almost hear the Sparty and Wolvy fan cries of HYPOCRITE being hurled my way, but there is an important distinction to be made. While I do follow both programs and generally hope both do well when not playing each other, you won’t often find me yelling the expletives at the television (except when each team plays Ohio State) as I do on Sundays when my beloved Honolulu Blue Silver warriors give me high blood pressure.

As an alumnus of the esteemed, true “little brother,” Eastern Michigan University (how about those Eagles BTW, just one win away from being bowl eligible, a far cry from when I advocating dropped them from Division I), I never had a strong program to adopt. As a pro football-first guy (though that’s tough these days as the product is over-saturated and dreadful at times), Michigan-Michigan State wins or losses just didn’t matter too much to me.

Fair & Balanced

So while this has saved me from a lot of grief and disappointment over the years, it’s also given me a unique prospective to see both fan bases in a “fair and balanced” light.

I’ve seen Michigan fans turn from pure arrogance (that admittedly was often backed up by legitimate results on the field) turn into what they used to hate about MSU fans. Back when U-M dominated the gridiron in the state, it was Sparty fans taking glee and delight with every small Michigan stumble. Since the day of the Appalachian State debacle nearly a decade ago, that has flipped the other way, with Michigan fans obsessed with everything State does. .

I’ve noticed that as Michigan State fans have seen their marginalized program rise from the ashes, with the capable assistance of Mike D’Antoni, er Mike Dantonio, er Mark Dantonio, they’ve turned their success into a scorched Earth campaign. They are particularly mean about the rivalry. Think the current level of hatred for voters of the opposite candidate in the upcoming election. That’s how MSU fans feel toward U-M fans.

Really, no program has it better than the other. Michigan fan always becomes a historian in the argument with a Sparty, pointing out their historic dominance. Spartan fan is always quick to talk about last year’s blocked punt and their decade-long dominance.

While Wal-Mart Wolverine fans have made a resurgence throughout the Great Lakes State, Wal-Mart Spartans fans also sprang up all over during their 2010-2015 run of dominance. Granted, many of them were Wolverines fans, who became Spartans fans, who have now gone home to MEECHEGAN.

Rooting Interests

For the few of us (10, I counted once), who follow both teams, this week is not fun. We must put up with each side’s dumb humor and tiring talking points. Twitter is under the no-fly list for folks like me who don’t find any redeeming value in adults engaging in a sibling rivalry that would make my kids stop arguing and embrace each other.

Related Story: Spartans Bowl Hopes Fade

So what’s a Michigan-Michigan State fan to do on the day of the Michigan-Michigan State game? Why go to a Michigan-Michigan State party of course!

Hey, at least the beer will be cold!

Go Bl-reen! Go Wh-ue!

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