Being Green in Ann Arbor

by Frank Kwarcinski

Roughly 60 miles separate two of the most prestigious public universities in the nation. One bleeds maize and blue, the other green and white. I am in the latter category. So I knew that the wearing of the green might not be popular when I made the trip from East Lansing to the heart of Wolverine country for the MSU-U of M game. I had been to Ann Arbor several times before, but not with a bull's-eye on my back as I did this past Saturday.

State may be struggling this season but college football fans know that games are not played on paper (although it sure did look like this one could have been). What all of the experts predicted would happen did happen — Michigan put an absolute beat-down on the Spartans. Sometimes in college football games, the crowd can sense that a team has some momentum or is mounting a comeback, but I never really got that feeling from the Spartans. The only good news was that the Tigers advanced into the American League Championship Series.

Knowing in advance that the game was most likely going to be a disappointment, I decided to conduct a little experiment. I wanted to see what it would be like to be decked out in Spartan apparel and take a walk through Michigan’s central campus. It all began with the initial bus ride down to the Diag, the center of the Michigan campus. I climbed aboard a bus heading southbound and it was not something that I would suggest doing again. The blaze of maize shirts was little intimidating, but nothing I couldn’t handle. However, the constant reminders of the Illinois and Notre Dame games were not appreciated. What comeback does a Spartan fan have for, “How about that game last week?”  It might be a little easier to come up with something if the Wolverines weren’t undefeated and in the top 10 nationwide.

Despite all the ribbing from the guys on the bus, I did manage to get accurate directions to the Diag, where I began the trek to the stadium. Most of the Wolverine fans really had nothing against the Spartans and a couple people actually felt sorry for me because of the last couple of weeks.

Walking from the Diag I met the whole mix of fans. Of course there were the students going to the game and the Wolverine alumni with their friends and family, then a somewhat smaller contingent of Spartan fans. Every few seconds I would give a high-five or shout, “Go Green,” despite being vastly outnumbered.  It was reassuring to see the green turnout in Ann Arbor, but not everyone there was as supportive of State as I was. Occasionally, one intoxicated man or another would shout, “Spartans suck,” followed by an obscenity or two. It wasn't bothersome as long as I didn’t take it too personally. (It's not like there was much I could do about it anyway.)

After one of longest games I’ve watched as a Spartan fan, I hung around campus to grab a bite to eat.  The Michigan fans were not nearly as unruly as earlier in the day, perhaps out of sympathy for how badly they crushed us. The day itself was one that I will not be likely to forget. I finally felt the true effects of what it means to be a Spartan, the sentiment that all freshmen strive to learn during their first year in East Lansing - always support the team!

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