A State Divided

           Some articles seem to write themselves. The flowing words leap from a place unbeknownst to the author. All of the passion, emotion and dire need to impress upon the reader a sense of urgency for their cause is reminiscent of frantic scratches on the sheet music of Motzart.Wars are waged, empires toppled and constitutions are born on the back of such adamant distrust and hatred for the ever present arch enemy. The man who was once your neighbor, kin or loved one is now on the other side of lines drawn in the sand. All hope of reconciliation is lost in the slur of insultive anger.  The American colonist cried 'No taxation without representation'. During the civil war Abraham Lincoln famously stated that "A country divided cannot stand.". The land of the free and the home of the brave has seen its share of dividing causes, and is still in the grip of a ongoing struggle against itself, pitting brother against brother on the battlefield. Once a year in a grueling war, everyone in the state of Michigan is forced to decide, Go Green, or Go Blue. I ask you my friends, can't we all just get along? (And if not can't we all agree U of M is better??)

           When the annual Michigan vs. Michigan State game appeared on my blogging radar, I knew that somehow I had to do it justice. But how could I possibly deliver a story unbiasedly when I live in Ann Arbor, bleed maize and blue and been diagnosed with Hokemania (the cure is more cowbell)? And there I was, sitting in front of my laptop staring at a blank page with one fragment of a sentence jotted in the title line. U of M V. MSU. And it hit me like a ton of bricks, or like the MSU players hit their girlfriends books. The best part about this game is the intensity and passion. The love/hate relationship that permeates for 364 days a year. Your best friend, girlfriend, neighbors, bosses and subordinates may be fans, or even worse, alums of the other side. All that aside, for 11 out of 12 weeks we are blessed with collegiate football, this is merely a friendly point at which to joust and roues. That one week, however, when the Wolverines due battle with the Spartans, the gloves are off (Unless you go to State, then you weren't smart enough to have gloves on in the first place). To say that this game is merely a rivalry clash between competing powerhouses that reside about an hour apart from each other doesn't quite do it justice. This my friend, is a civil war.

           From the day you are born a Michigander, your fate is more than likely decided. There may be a warm blue blanket draped around your newborn body. There may be a pig nicknamed Sparty in the stall next to you. Whichever your fate, it is one worn proudly by all native to our fine state. I myself, was born in New York and had no direct ties to either side. The choice was mine, or so I thought. Upon arrival, we settled about twenty mile outside of Ann Arbor so naturally the air was thick with tradition and a spirit of winning. However, to my memory I first sported a green sweatsuit with Sparty on the back. Later, I found out that the matching sweatsuit I once wore is actually called a Lansing tuxedo. I knew no better, I was an innocent youth. It did not take long before decency and common sense caused me to shed my green outerwear and let my blue shine through.
          For those of you who attended MSU and may be upset by me making fun of your kind, first let me say congratulations for making it this far into the article, the odds were not in your favor. Secondly, it is all in good fun. I cheer for wins for our little brother every week, minus the week you have to chase winged helmets around the field. And just to be fair, the last three seasons the neighbors to the north (not you Canada, but keep reading and someday I will mention hockey) have had our number*. -The asterisk is part of my "Erase The Rich Rod Years From Memory" campaign. Starts with an *, ends with the lasers from Men In Black, even if I have to do it to myself. The Hoke era starts this week, and as much as I love to watch OSU tank, that pushes this years big win to Saturday. A must win at a bad time. Michigan is full of confidence and is simply over rated. If I have to explain myself then you are not a Michigan fan, you are in denial. There have been improvements in every facet of the game. That is great, but in the top 15 in the country for beating Eastern, Western, SDSU and Minnesota, egh. And as for our rivals, they were lucky enough to get an extra week off to game plan against our offense, a.k.a Shoelaces.
             In all honesty this is shaping up to be a great game, which is exactly what we are all hoping for, Green or Blue. And just to even the score for all the shots I have thrown at MSU fans throughout this blog, I am willing to make a bet with Sparty nation. If Michigan loses I will flip over a cop car, light it on fire and start a drunken riot filled with hill folk and unsuspecting passers by, continuing into the morning hours until the S.W.A.T. team is called in....oh wait, you guys do that win or lose. GO BLUE!!