On Monday night, I'll be jumping up-and-down. I'll be screaming my lungs out. I'll be cheering on that team in the green uniforms, with State emblazoned across the chest, like I'm a graduate.
Hopefully, a lot.
You see, it's hard for me to simply watch a game. I have to have a rooting interest. It's a must. When it comes to Monday night's National Championship Game, it wasn't too hard to pick who I wanted.
I'm cheering for Sparty.
Just because it's the elephant in the room, I suppose I have to address the whole Roy Williams situation. While many Kansas fans have had some difficulty getting over Roy leaving, I honestly can say that I don't really care. I love Roy to death, and he did some awesome things in Lawrence. And, I never really got mad at the man for leaving for the powder blue-er pastures of North Carolina. It was his dream job, it wasn't a step down, it is where he grew up. So, and maybe this sounds terrible, but North Carolina is just another Evil Empire, to me. Just another history-rich program that I root for every time, because they are rarely, if ever, the underdog.
Really, that last line sums up why I'm cheering for Michigan State. Despite making 6 Elite Eights in the past 11 years, 5 Final Fours in 11 years and even a National Championship in 2000, their history falls far short of North Carolina. Ergo, the underdog.
Plus, there's all of that stuff on how they beat us. I don't really want to go back and discuss the game, I'm still sore and everything, but it would be nice to lose to the eventual National Champions. I'm not one of "those" who cheers on the team they lose to simply to say they lost to the future National Champion, but still. It's not a bad thing to have, right?
Finally, this Michigan State team is a fun one to root for. Not a bunch of awesome, can't-miss recruits. Tough, hard-nosed. Izzo over there on the sideline, screaming his head off. I've always pretty much liked the Spartans. Oh, and then there's that whole immensely overplayed Detroit, hometown-team angle. It's a cool story, albeit one that has received a million times too much hype.
So, while this article is way too long to give such a simple message, the message stands. Go, go, go Michigan State.
Win a National Championship.
If not for yourselves, or your thousands-and-thousands of fans, or the ravaged city of Detroit or even the millions of anti-Carolina, underog-rooting fans of America...
...do it for me.
For any-and-all Spartans information, check out the fantastic blog Spartans Weblog. For a powder blue take on the game, check out SB Nation Carolina blog Carolina March...