“Another writer — get this — blamed Harbaugh, essentially saying he encouraged his players to taunt, spout off, etc., when he should have been trying to diffuse the “hatred” that had come to the forefront in the rivalry.
He conveniently chose to forget that the man who fostered much of it was the guy who came here in 2007, was gifted Rich Rodriguez on the opposing sideline for three years (and then Brady Hoke), and subsequently won some games.
We’re talking about Mark Dantonio, of course, a guy who all but admitted he had an unhealthy obsession, once saying his wife had to help remind him to calm down. Who made fun of Mike Hart’s height after the 2007 game, saw his players twist Denard Robinson’s helmet at the bottom of piles, take cheap shot after cheap shot … and then sat without comment when his defensive coordinator talked about playing with “60 minutes of unnecessary roughness” when called on the shenanigans.
A “man” who sent his players out to do their pregame walk in 2018 arm in arm with their helmets on while the Michigan players started their warmups, apparently trying to intimidate them, then lied about his role in it. He said “B.S.” and “check the film” when told Harbaugh said he’d heard Dantonio appeared to be the ringleader.
Everyone did, only to see a smirking Dantonio right behind his team as they tried to walk through the Michigan players doing their thing.
Give us one example of Harbaugh attempting such sophomore shenanigans (or don’t waste your time. You won’t find one).
It goes back even before Dantonio, however, to when Bobby Williams, after the controversial “clockgate” win in 2001 in which the Wolverines had one stolen by a partial home clock-keeper, spent part of the following media day calling it a “bad rivalry” and ripping Michigan.
And now coach Mel Tucker’s team has taken it to a new low. Call it an indoctrination, maybe … he’s just following the script of the guys who came before him (minus John L. Smith, who lost a good portion of the fan base when he said rivalry games were “supposed to be fun”).
We get it. This one hurt a bit more, because it was the last chance the Spartans had to salvage a season that’s been, frankly, miserable. MSU is only a few more losses away from finishing last in the division for the second time in three years under Tucker.
Apparently, $95 million doesn’t go as far as it used to. “
He conveniently chose to forget that the man who fostered much of it was the guy who came here in 2007, was gifted Rich Rodriguez on the opposing sideline for three years (and then Brady Hoke), and subsequently won some games.
We’re talking about Mark Dantonio, of course, a guy who all but admitted he had an unhealthy obsession, once saying his wife had to help remind him to calm down. Who made fun of Mike Hart’s height after the 2007 game, saw his players twist Denard Robinson’s helmet at the bottom of piles, take cheap shot after cheap shot … and then sat without comment when his defensive coordinator talked about playing with “60 minutes of unnecessary roughness” when called on the shenanigans.
A “man” who sent his players out to do their pregame walk in 2018 arm in arm with their helmets on while the Michigan players started their warmups, apparently trying to intimidate them, then lied about his role in it. He said “B.S.” and “check the film” when told Harbaugh said he’d heard Dantonio appeared to be the ringleader.
Everyone did, only to see a smirking Dantonio right behind his team as they tried to walk through the Michigan players doing their thing.
Give us one example of Harbaugh attempting such sophomore shenanigans (or don’t waste your time. You won’t find one).
It goes back even before Dantonio, however, to when Bobby Williams, after the controversial “clockgate” win in 2001 in which the Wolverines had one stolen by a partial home clock-keeper, spent part of the following media day calling it a “bad rivalry” and ripping Michigan.
And now coach Mel Tucker’s team has taken it to a new low. Call it an indoctrination, maybe … he’s just following the script of the guys who came before him (minus John L. Smith, who lost a good portion of the fan base when he said rivalry games were “supposed to be fun”).
We get it. This one hurt a bit more, because it was the last chance the Spartans had to salvage a season that’s been, frankly, miserable. MSU is only a few more losses away from finishing last in the division for the second time in three years under Tucker.
Apparently, $95 million doesn’t go as far as it used to. “
