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No, Sparty, No!

Large_112208-msu-penn-gamer-2_medium

Mark Dantonio, looking at the scoreboard to make sure he has no timeouts remaining. (AP Photo)

Nothing hurts more than the truth, and nothing says truth like charts.

Something I was interested in: just how true is the Spartan Slide? Sure they've blown monster leads against mediocre teams and lost to MAC schools, but that's early season stuff. How did John L. Smith earn such a fantastic reputation for late season collapse?

Winning percentage by month at Michigan State:

Picture_12a_medium

Isn't that awesome? Obligatory:

Star-divide

 

Slappy eventually slid off the bottom of that thing all the way to being the special teams coach for the Arkansas Razorbacks. Wait, what?! Special teams coach?

 

(This right after a blocked FG was returned for a touchdown, for
those of you who may have forgot, which is none of you.)

So, forced to pick up the pieces, the Spartans poached one of the nation's finest from Cincinnati, Mark Dantonio.  I mean you're never going to get a guy better than 18-17 at a just barely Big East school, right?

Cincinnati has been devastated by this; all they've been able to manage since Dantonio's departure is a BCS bid and total control of the Big East so far this season.

I'm disappointed to report, however, that with an admittedly limited sample size, there has been a bit of a culture shift in Left Directional Lansing:

Picture_13b_medium

Mediocrity has a way of making trends less interesting, but these are the trade-offs we're forced to pick between when onside kick bliss double-timeout lameness are on the table.

[/HATEHATEHATE]

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Lose It Or Move It

Nov 2009 by Run Up The Score - 267 comments

Tip Of The Hate

Nov 2009 by Run Up The Score - 26 comments

Comments

Display:

Dantonio is a slimeball

Lovely the way he disciplined his player who almost killed the MSU hockey player. He gave him a really stern talking to as he picked him up from prison to take him to spring practice.

"We hugged as grown men do. It was a great moment. Then, it was business as usual." -- LJ Sr.

by millzners on Nov 18, 2009 2:18 PM EST reply actions  

"You do this 8 more times

and I SWEAR you’re gonna be in big trouble!!"

by jimbo2psu on Nov 18, 2009 2:36 PM EST up reply actions  

Biggest Douchea in the Conference?

He’s got Bertie & DickRod hot on his heels, but I still say he takes the cake.

"For me the game wasn’t grounded in reality. It was about the uniform you put on that turned you into a warrior. It was about the mythology of the battle, the victory, the defeat, the struggle." - Mike Reid, PSU '69

by jtothep on Nov 18, 2009 2:47 PM EST up reply actions  

wow..

I’m a Michigan guy so I have my own reasons for hating Dantonio.. but why does he rank above Rich Rod on your hate-o-meter? It seems Rich Rod is everybody’s favorite person to hate.

by Lostincali on Nov 18, 2009 3:03 PM EST up reply actions  

I love RichRod

Please keep coaching at Michigan Rich Rodriguez. WE <3 U!

by speedomike on Nov 18, 2009 3:05 PM EST up reply actions  

see

That’s what I expected :)

by Lostincali on Nov 18, 2009 3:06 PM EST up reply actions  

That's a great question

The answer is Manner.

He comes across as a calculating and willful douchea. DickRod suffers from a number of afflictions: poor judgment and a venomous temper probably at the top of that list. But I can picture some of his doucheaness being his inability to get out of his own way, tripping over his own feet, cutting off his nose to spite his face, everybody does, whatever kinda shite.

But Dantonio’s on a whole other plane of douchea. That chip, or edge, he carries around seems so close to the surface that I’ve got trouble imagining him being fun to be around even at his most relaxed. And he’s not oblivious or naive. He makes sure you know where he’s coming from and that he’s being a jerk quite deliberately. In the olden days they called this Carriage. Or Comportment.

He comports himself, publicly—in press conferences and on the sideline—as a grade-A, first-class asshole.
-
-

-

No Sir, I don’t like him.

"For me the game wasn’t grounded in reality. It was about the uniform you put on that turned you into a warrior. It was about the mythology of the battle, the victory, the defeat, the struggle." - Mike Reid, PSU '69

by jtothep on Nov 18, 2009 3:26 PM EST up reply actions   1 recs

I love Ren and Stimpy...

It was still on like 2 years ago… Anyone know if its still around?

"Every player we have, someone-maybe a parent, a grandparent, someone-poured their soul into that young man. They are handing that young man off to us. They are giving us their treasure, and it's our job to make sure we give them back that young man intact and ready to face the world."

-J.V.Pa.

by psume06 on Nov 18, 2009 5:53 PM EST up reply actions  

ok

actually I dislike him for more or less the same reasons you do, plus he’s kind of a b*tch when he is called out on things.
Like his “we should have a moment of silence” thing after App State beat Michigan but then getting all pissy when Mike Hart smacked talked after they beat them that year.
Sadly, MSU was my number 2 (too a fault I am loyal to almost all things Detroit/state of Michigan) Big Ten team until Dantonio showed up, now I only want them to win non-conference so the Big Ten looks good, but hope they end up last in conference.. so with that.. please kick some Sparty @$$ this Saturday.

by Lostincali on Nov 18, 2009 9:10 PM EST up reply actions  

One thing you should know

Is that since he responded to Hart with the now MSU legendary “Pride comes before the fall” response to Michigan (and is there a better way to describe what’s happened to them since then?) that they have fallen off the map and lost twice in a row to us.

Light a man a fire, he'll stay warm for a day.
Light a man afire, he'll be warm for the rest of his life.

by Seer on Nov 18, 2009 10:13 PM EST up reply actions  

I'm well aware of it

But he still hasn’t done anything besides beat the two worst Michigan teams in the last 40 years since he’s come to East Lansing.

by Lostincali on Nov 18, 2009 10:20 PM EST up reply actions  

Thanks, dude (or dudette?)

I do look forward to pounding some spartan a$$ this weekend. Wait. Ummm, kicking some a$$. Yeah, that’s what I mean.

And I heartily thank you for your personal solicitation of my opinion of this toolio, the articulation of which was soothingly cathartic. Not as soothing as another 49-18 beatdown would feel, but it’s a great midweek start.

And good luck to your Ines this weekend; who you guys got?
-
-
-
-
-
j/k, bust a nut and feel good!

"For me the game wasn’t grounded in reality. It was about the uniform you put on that turned you into a warrior. It was about the mythology of the battle, the victory, the defeat, the struggle." - Mike Reid, PSU '69

by jtothep on Nov 19, 2009 10:10 AM EST up reply actions  

Can you tell me the name and location...

of the person that fired Lloyd Carr.

I want to give him a hug.

Land Grant or bust! Worst 10-2 team ever? Beat Michigan State.

by jesse. on Nov 18, 2009 3:32 PM EST up reply actions  

No one fired him

He resigned.

DO YOU HAVE PRIDE, DANNY?

by ReadingRambler on Nov 18, 2009 3:40 PM EST up reply actions  

You're talking about football only, right?

I really hate Thad Matta.

DO YOU HAVE PRIDE, DANNY?

by ReadingRambler on Nov 18, 2009 3:11 PM EST up reply actions  

Oh I totally agree

Bielema and RichRod have their moments, but no one acts like Dantonio.

He reminds me of Bill Bellicheck if Bill Bellicheck was the coach of some mediocre team in the NFL that never achieved any substantial success. It’s one thing if you have the championships to back up the “I can’t hear you over the sound of how awesome I am” attitude; but Dantonio simply can’t back that attitude up with anything.

"We hugged as grown men do. It was a great moment. Then, it was business as usual." -- LJ Sr.

by millzners on Nov 18, 2009 4:38 PM EST up reply actions  

respectfully disagree

About belicheck’s attitude. But I don’t lack bias.

by PSUinBOSSton on Nov 18, 2009 11:42 PM EST via mobile up reply actions  

I despise the Patriots

But in a way, he do like Belicheat’s (see what I did there?) attitude of “I don’t care what you think. I’m doing a MILF. Screw off.”

DO YOU HAVE PRIDE, DANNY?

by ReadingRambler on Nov 19, 2009 12:11 AM EST up reply actions  

Eh

it’s cool when he does it to reporters, but he seems to carry that as a basic tenant. Anyone I meat in Real Life that acts like that is a douche in my book, therefore, he qualifies.

BSD

by Kevin HD on Nov 19, 2009 7:15 AM EST up reply actions  

If they're acting like doucheas

Then why would you take the time to meat them?

"For me the game wasn’t grounded in reality. It was about the uniform you put on that turned you into a warrior. It was about the mythology of the battle, the victory, the defeat, the struggle." - Mike Reid, PSU '69

by jtothep on Nov 19, 2009 10:11 AM EST up reply actions  

that’s what she said?

BSD

by Kevin HD on Nov 19, 2009 10:52 AM EST up reply actions  

Didn't John L. Smith

make Louisville into a top 25 team? Or, am I confusing him with a good coach?
The dark years leave me so confused.

Of course I'm home. I'm always home. I'm uncool.

by WestPointLion on Nov 18, 2009 3:04 PM EST reply actions  

No, that's the guy.

Twitter: @scrappled

"When it’s third-and-10, you can take the milk drinkers and I’ll take the whiskey drinkers every time" - Max McGee

by Run Up The Score on Nov 18, 2009 3:05 PM EST up reply actions  

I remember the Thursday night game when they beat the good Seminoles

I thought Smith was going to go far, so much for that idea.

A word to the wise ain't necessary - it's the stupid ones that need the advice.
Bill Cosby

by psu on Nov 18, 2009 3:08 PM EST up reply actions  

Arkansas' special teams is top ten, isn't it?

"For me the game wasn’t grounded in reality. It was about the uniform you put on that turned you into a warrior. It was about the mythology of the battle, the victory, the defeat, the struggle." - Mike Reid, PSU '69

by jtothep on Nov 18, 2009 3:09 PM EST up reply actions  

If so, he’s apparently better at doing than telling.

BSD

by Kevin HD on Nov 18, 2009 5:03 PM EST up reply actions  

is that a bizzarro maxim?

Those who can’t teach, do?

"For me the game wasn’t grounded in reality. It was about the uniform you put on that turned you into a warrior. It was about the mythology of the battle, the victory, the defeat, the struggle." - Mike Reid, PSU '69

by jtothep on Nov 19, 2009 10:12 AM EST up reply actions  

It's a great gig

Everyone knows that SEC Special Teams Coach > Big Ten Head Coach

by swiggy04 on Nov 19, 2009 7:49 AM EST up reply actions  

hey, speaking of Arkansas (love me some seque, Don't call me a Tangent!)

Anybody ever check out the ole miss sbn blog Red Cup Rebellion? I wandered over there the other day and discovered a quite fine segment he runs called Women of the Opposition. Now, it’s not quite poonsec.com, and his readership seems a little slow (it is the South) to contribute GIS pics in turn, but I gotta say I really like where his head is at.

Unfortunately, the Arkansas pics were more sooo-IE than ooooh-IE.

"For me the game wasn’t grounded in reality. It was about the uniform you put on that turned you into a warrior. It was about the mythology of the battle, the victory, the defeat, the struggle." - Mike Reid, PSU '69

by jtothep on Nov 19, 2009 10:19 AM EST up reply actions  

Tangent

"God is great, beer is good, and people are crazy"

by NJ lion on Nov 19, 2009 9:53 PM EST up reply actions  

MSU is death for coaches

Seriously, the place is cursed and the message boards can’t decide whether they suck or whether they could should 10-2 every year.

They have only themselves to blame for “listening to the players” and hiring Bobby Williams after Saban left. A national search may have done them good.

DO YOU HAVE PRIDE, DANNY?

by ReadingRambler on Nov 18, 2009 3:12 PM EST reply actions  

I still can't believe they won that bowl game...

against Florida. It was like the anti-Sparty showed up for one day and one day only.

Never mistake effort for achievement.

by Esteban d' Amur on Nov 18, 2009 3:59 PM EST up reply actions  

That and while they we're whipping our ass

Land Grant or bust! Worst 10-2 team ever? Beat Michigan State.

by jesse. on Nov 18, 2009 4:04 PM EST up reply actions  

Pretty simple, really

Plax was an absolute monster that day and the run opened up late.

DO YOU HAVE PRIDE, DANNY?

by ReadingRambler on Nov 18, 2009 4:35 PM EST up reply actions  

Plax:

13 for 185 and 3.

Never mistake effort for achievement.

by Esteban d' Amur on Nov 18, 2009 4:46 PM EST up reply actions  

Exactly

Utter pwnage

DO YOU HAVE PRIDE, DANNY?

by ReadingRambler on Nov 18, 2009 6:05 PM EST up reply actions  

Hold on, whose left?

I usually go by the “when viewing a map” model which would really make them Right Lansing. Was there a poll where we officially decided that they were Left Lansing? If not, I refuse to acknowledge them as Left Lansing until we put it to a vote!

by RNF18 on Nov 18, 2009 3:57 PM EST reply actions  

Hmm

I was screwing around, but east is most certainly right and not left. I hate to give up the double L, but I appreciate the question.

BSD

by Kevin HD on Nov 18, 2009 4:00 PM EST up reply actions  

AH!

How about “Directional Lansing”?!

BSD

by Kevin HD on Nov 18, 2009 4:02 PM EST up reply actions  

I like this one...

"Every player we have, someone-maybe a parent, a grandparent, someone-poured their soul into that young man. They are handing that young man off to us. They are giving us their treasure, and it's our job to make sure we give them back that young man intact and ready to face the world."

-J.V.Pa.

by psume06 on Nov 18, 2009 5:56 PM EST up reply actions  

Danotoni-NO!

I’m fairly certain he’s watching his 4th quarter lead to Iowa slip through his fingers. Darn…

They took the bar, the whole fucking bar!

by recoveringfratguy on Nov 18, 2009 7:29 PM EST reply actions  

Okay, i have to ask

where did the “NO, Sparty, No!” come from?

by Mr. Rosewater on Nov 18, 2009 8:43 PM EST reply actions  

^this

The “NO” is when they see disaster coming, and then the “, No!” is right after it happens.

BSD

by Kevin HD on Nov 18, 2009 9:22 PM EST up reply actions  

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