Pulling for Little Brother

Big Ten unity?

Usually we cast aside our feelings of unity to our fellow Big Ten schools when they succeed on the football field, basketball court, etc. Why do we do this? I'm really not sure. Its not that I don't like all but 1 other Big Ten school. Actually when it comes down to it, I really like 10 of the 11 teams in our fair conference. (If you are still unsure as to which Ohio Big Ten school I am referring to that I don't like, take a wild guess.)

But I like 10 of the 11 Big Ten schools whether it is for the good of the conference or not. Does a good Purdue football team benefit the rest of the conference in any way? Some would argue that it does. But this blogger feels that a successful squad, no matter which sport...has to write their own ticket, and not depend on the rest of the conference to boost their ranking.

If a school has a particularly great season, and the rest of the conference sucks, who suffers most? I say the teams that suck suffer the most. Others would argue that the great team suffers most.

This is a debate that will rage on forever, it seems. And that's fine. It makes things just that much more interesting.

But for a bunch of reasons that make zero sense to me, I am actually really happy and excited for Michigan State to be in the Final Four.

It's not like they deserve it more than anyone else. They've had their fair share of success in recent years. And it's not that I like their coach or any of their players that much. It's just that they are going to be the home team at Ford Field this weekend. And not to make sports a metaphor for life or anything...but this just so happens to take place at a point when people in this state have had a tough enough time just getting through one of the longest and most depressing winters Michigan has ever had.

This is something to feel good about.

Oh sure, once September rolls around, Sparty will go back to being Little Brother. But for the next week, we will be cheering for our little green friends from East Lansing.

And if they should lose Saturday night at Ford Field, then at least they can say they made it there. And if this ride lasts until next Monday and even results in a NCAA title...then this blogger will be able to smile and feel a sense of great pride...not for the Big Ten conference, but for the great state of Michigan.