Tags: college football, Football, michigan football, Michigan State University, rivalry, sports, sportsmanship, University of Michigan
Here is the most recent tweet in my Twitter feed:
“This is the one week Michigan upper-middle class fans can make fun of Michigan State for being dumber and lower-middle class and it’s okay.”
Does that tweet make anyone else’s skin crawl a little bit?
As the Michigan vs. Michigan State weekend approaches, everyone seems to be looking forward to different things. Some people are excited to have their State friends stay with them for a few nights; others are ready to drink heavily and (fingers crossed) watch the Wolverines kick Sparty’s ass. Whatever the case may be, the majority of Michigan students can likely agree on one thing they’re especially excited for: verbally assaulting Michigan State students.
Looks a little different in writing. That’s what we’re doing though, isn’t it? Michigan State students visit us on this big weekend and whether they happen to be our family, friends, boyfriends or perfect strangers, we never fail to capitalize on their presumed academic inferiority. Go Green Go White, Can’t Read Can’t Write.
As an out-of-state student, I’ve never been able to understand the rivalry as well as my Michigan-born friends. Of course, I appreciate the concept of a sports rivalry, but the contention seems to go deeper than that on both sides. What is it about the dynamic between these two schools that make friends and family members become bitter rivals and scream belittling and offensive things at each other? One minute, my friend Katie’s cousin is sitting in our family room drinking a beer with us before the Saturday morning debauchery and the next minute he and Katie are at pregame yelling insults at each other. Though these exchanges are seemingly in jest, how playful can they be when we’re questioning each other’s intelligence, caliber, and even social class?
I would be a hypocrite if I pretended that I, too, don’t participate in this banter. I am as guilty as anyone and find myself saying things like, “Even if we lost the game, as least Michigan State will know that we inevitably always win because we go to the superior school.” I’m not particularly proud to have said such things and it makes me question why my fellow students and I do this? Why must we quantify and reinforce our own intelligence and prowess by bringing our athletic opponents down? Are we that insecure in our own abilities or can we just not help but rub it in our rival’s faces?
I don’t know the answer myself, nor am I sure that there is an answer. Maybe instead of an obvious answer we can look to ourselves and reconsider the motivation behind our cruelty. As Michigan students, we never really know the circumstances of our State peers and thus cannot fairly judge their intellect or means of existence. Instead of belittling them, maybe we should try a more productive approach: Be the best students and fans we can be so that we can show Michigan State students how great we are, rather than just telling them.
By: Emily Coyle
(Photo by Paul K)
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3 Comments
Hey Emily,
Great post for the days leading up to this weekend! I have also thought a lot about this topic, especially since I was born and raised in Michigan (the rivalry actually runs quite deep in my family as my mother went to MSU and my father to UM). While I do enjoy the tradition in this rivalry, I like to think that my remarks about going to a better school have always remained on the conservative side, I’ve tried to approach it in this fashion of “I don’t need to tell you how amazing this school is compared to yours because its reputation speaks for itself.” Honestly, I think it speaks louder if I am more reserved about it. I am quite used to my mother’s Spartan friends instigating comments like “I still love you even though you picked the wrong school,” or whenever I tell any of them that I go to Michigan and they respond, “Oh, I’m sorry.” That being said, I have also admittedly told these people on one specific account that the difference between a Wolverine and a Spartan is that the Wolverine won’t rub superiority in a Spartan’s face unless provoked (maybe that’s just me though). Like you say Emily, this sounds pretty bad in writing, but I do think it gets at a reputation the student body should uphold; to not rely on telling Spartans how much better our school is as they do to us. It’s a tactic close to taking the high road.
Thanks for your thoughts, Rachel. I completely agree. I believe that actions speak louder than words, and if we can muster the strength to hold our tongues when the Spartans are trying to instigate a fight, we will always come out the victor.
I also think it’s great that you have pointed out to these Spartan fans that Michigan fans won’t capitalize on superiority unless provoked. I hope other Wolverines will follow in your lead!
PS: I can’t imagine what family dinners are like in your household around game day!
Hahaha they are divorced but not because of the rivalry. I actually grew up a State fan, and traded my colors after coming on a campus tour here. (And I’ll never go back.)