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Michigan Football at Michigan State 2023 (Patrick Barron)

Michigan Football at Michigan State 2023 (Bryan Fuller)

While leaving East Lansing a bit after midnight, I pleasantly thought "oh nice, not a lot of traffic." In years past I've had to wait several hours for easy egress from the city but not this time. Sure, the game had been over for well over an hour, but the city was so quiet aside from the occasional group of students on their way to a house party and some marching band members going home.

This has been the case for every game this season. After the Nebraska game, I accidentally turned on a Nebraska football radio channel where folks of all stages of sports grief were calling in. Meanwhile the city resumed business as if it was a Tuesday afternoon. In Minneapolis, the crowds were less rowdy after the game than during a hockey game (which is actually just Minnesota being on-brand).
 

I've never attended a hockey game at Michigan State's Munn Ice Arena but everything I've heard about it described what Spartan Stadium was like last night: a library. This is a program that puts everything on the line for the Michigan game and yet I've never seen them be more despondent. It felt like nobody wanted to be there, fans or players.

The 2021 Michigan MSU game was quite the scene of rabid sports fans. The Spartan student section was full 50 minutes before kickoff and was never not loud. It's what you'd expect of a top 10 vs top 10 Spartan Stadium against their most hated rivals. Even 2016 and 2018 Spartan Stadium had a nervous "what if" energy to it (the pre-game stuff in 2018 added some tension too).

And thus the Michigan football boa constrictor strikes again, squeezing the life out of everything that gets in its way, even fans in a prime time game against their arch rival. At some point, the crowd gets quiet. The players become listless. Everyone just wants to go home.
 

At one point the timeout entertainment was fans doing a field goal kicking contest where the winner would get a chance to go to Michigan State's bowl game.

A pair of fans resorted to wearing paper bags over their heads.

By the 4th quarter, the crowd seemed to be at least 75% Michigan fans. The last remaining MSU fans were those types that stay until the clock hits zero "just because." I know what these types are like because myself, and many readers of this site, were the same type at some point in these last two decades. I get it.

Oh yeah and THIS HAPPENED.

And then, much like the Little Brown Jug celebration, the team gathered around like it was a formality. There was no gloating at the opposing teams' fans like in previous years. There weren't any left.

Junior Colson talked about how you could see the light leave the Michigan State players' eyes and that that was when the game gets fun. But Michigan is sucking the life out of entire fanbases at this point. I keep thinking of the woman behind me at the Nebraska game who reacted to Roman Wilson's amazing touchdown catch by just lowly saying "Michigan... you're the worst."
 

Just the worst.

Boa constrictors only eat every 7-10 days. Welcome to bye week.
 

About the Photographers

If you'd like to support us, one of the simplest things you can do is follow us on social media (links just below) where we post way more photos than here. In the offseason I also do a LOT of wildlife/national park photography. While we're not allowed to sell any of our sports photos per our credential agreement (sorry to anyone who reached out asking about one), I sell prints from my adventures which I sell on FineArtAmerica. You can buy prints (or just look at some pretty pictures) here: Patrick Barron Art Collections Or if you'd like, you can simply support me by buying me a coffee!

Social Media Accounts:

Patrick Barron:
Twitter: @BlueBarronPhoto
Instagram: @BlueBarronPhoto
Instagram (BUT WITH BEARS): @BlueBarronPhoto_Wild 

Bryan Fuller
Twitter: I have been informed that Bryan's Twitter was hacked and is currently INOP :(
Instagram: @BryanFullerPhotography

[THE ONE JOKE after THE JUMP]
 

Next week: BYE WEEK, DO NOT CALL