Dantonio is “Bo Like” in more ways than you think
Ah, the irony of it all. Michigan State legitimately has “their Bo Schembechler” heading their football program. Mark Dantonio – in his 8th year at the helm leading the Spartans toward a back-to-back Big 10 title and a decent shot at a College Football Playoff berth – is well on his way of having the same level of positive impact on the MSU football program as much as Schembechler did for the University of Michigan. The template is tough-minded physical football with a dominating defense as the cornerstone.
For 21 years, Schembechler led U-M to all those Big 10 titles and all of those victories over “the rival up the road” in East Lansing, 17 out of 21 times. And yet – foolishly — I could never understand how my Sparty brethren would carry so much disdain for the same fiery guy from Barberton, Ohio, who we Michigan alums/fans would affectionately refer to as “Bo.” How dare you hate on Bo with the “Bo Blows Bowls” mantra? Man, I would be spewing’ venom back in the day when I would hear that crap.
Bo was a lot of things as a football coach – had a lot of “very human” characteristics. He was an incredible motivator for his players, loyal to his assistant coaches, driven to compete and desire to win beyond description. Just like Mark Dantonio is. And yet, Bo was “very human” and would get sucked into saying some “very arrogant things” on occasion, that back in the day, would not get as much play as they would today without the social media tools that are ruling the world in 2014. Bo would make such arrogant statements as “Well, winning this game (over MSU in 1975) ensures things remain in their ‘proper perspective’ around here (the State of Michigan).” Or following the 1989 game in East Lansing, when Michigan won 10-7, Bo’s post game comment to the ABC sideline reporter was, “Well the game wasn’t actually that close.” Tsk, Tsk.
Just like Bo often did, now Dantonio gets “sucked into” saying something he would have been better off “taking the high road” perhaps. Getting sucked into Will Tieman’s interview question about Michigan’s earth shattering loss to Appalachian State in 2007, and Dantonio countered with a “Can we have a moment of silence?” mock. Followed by the Mike Hart “Little Brother” comments following the 2007 Michigan win over MSU later that year to counter-punch Dantonio’s “first shot” – and then the ultimate never ending TV captured pissing match between Dantonio and Hart we have seen replayed over and over for seven years and counting.
And now here in 2014 comes “SpikeGate” – where the Michigan Football program – in all of its disarray and lack of discipline, stirs the pot more by allowing a dagger to be thrown down on the field on the brink of kick-off to ignite your more talented/capable opponent even more. Now, let me go on record as saying, I would have done the same thing Dantonio did in terms of running the ball with the first team unit and “make a statement,” make sure the count goes to 35-11. But I would have also tried to resist getting sucked into the dialog with reporters about the specific reasons why. Your program is above that – you don’t need to do that. Your program is dominating the rival. Just embrace that dominance, and ignore more spit-spat verbal counter-punches. Take the high road.
But, like Bo, the self discipline to take the high road is much easier said than done. The emotion of the game makes everybody “verbally vulnerable” – whether its fans, media, players or coaches. I totally get that. . As Jud Heathcote once declared in an ever-profound statement that is football-applicable concerning controlling emotion: “the game eventually makes fools of all us all.”
Indeed, Jud. It surely does.
