Appalachian State vs. Michigan HAHA About This Page:

[jimmymac]

That's why they play the games

[kmurburg]

I always root for the underdog (if "my team" isn't playing) so it was just great fun to see the little guy beat the big bad powerhouse school! It's not something you get to see very often in college football so when it does happen, it seems that much sweeter!

[libbyonthelabel]

Originally Posted by kmurburg

I always root for the underdog (if "my team" isn't playing) so it was just great fun to see the little guy beat the big bad powerhouse school! It's not something you get to see very often in college football so when it does happen, it seems that much sweeter!

Funny, me too......it is hard for me not to. I have my teams but if they aren't playing, always the underdog.
I do appreciate the story behind this. In fact, I always tell my husband (who is Canadian and a soccer nut, and was quite good and has had 'American Football' grow on him) I don't understand why more women don't love college football, there is so much drama in the backstory. It is like General Hospital vs. Days of our Lives, with uniforms and a football.....lol.

[DopeyGirl]

Originally Posted by libbyonthelabel

It is like General Hospital vs. Days of our Lives, with uniforms and a football.....lol.

Now . . . THAT would be a sight.

[Disney_Scarlett]

Originally Posted by BelleoftheBallNV

except they werent good sports......90% of athletes in the college level and up arent anymore....that was the point of my rant....they dont respect other teams or the game itself anymore...they think they are better than everyone all the time, and constantly belittle each other for the sake of competition...

I have to respectfully disagree on that one. I don't think that's a fair statistic. As an athlete (to be clear, I played sports in high school, but only played on the club and intramural level in college, and only play on the rec level now), a coach (girls' softball), and a friend and classmate of athletes on the high school, college (from small privates to Division I) and even professional levels, I have to say that I think that 90% of athletes ARE good sports.

I have spent a lot of time participating and watching sports of all kinds. In college, we had a club called "Carolina Fever" where you get "points" for attending games and matches of sports that don't generally draw a big crowd to get good tickets to football, basketball, baseball - the sports that sell out. So I spent a lot of time watching both the "headliners" (can't get much bigger than ACC Basketball / Football, or UNC Women's Soccer) and then things like field hockey, wrestling, swimming, etc. I very rarely saw bad sportsmanship, from both the big, televised events and the little, pre-season competitions. Even now, watching it on TV as a fan and working at a university with a lot of college-athelete contact, I rarely see bad sportsmanship. Most players don't want to act that way, and most coaches absolutely will not stand for it. I was glad to see the underdog win in yesterday's game, but I actually don't think what the Michigan player said was bad sportsmanship. It probably wasn't the most tactful thing to say, but I try to think about how he felt - being a top-5 team, he did not except to lose, and I think it's okay to say that. Bumfuzzled is probably a good word for for his state of mind at the time.

However, I can understand why there might be a perception of widespread poor sportsmanship, especially to people don't spend a lot of time with and in sports. It's like anything else - the few bad apples get the most media attention and the most air time (even here on our boards! ).

[BelleoftheBallNV]

okay 90% was more of a slang statistic than an actual statistic.......i dont know the numbers, im not a sports (i dont know the term for people who do the stats for sports)

but in HS, most players are good sports, i know because alot of my friends were jocks (alot of my friends were alot of things) but its the perception that counts, and everything i see on ESPN and when watching games (whether they be basketball, baseball, football, or tennis...i dont watch anything else really) i see people behaving like overcompetitive spoiled brats....and it is the vast majority of them...at least the ones that get face time, so thats the message that gets sent out....and thats what i think is sad, and wrong....

i love competition, at a healthy level, i like the rush of winning....i believe that losing makes you stronger, because it teaches you lessons about how to be better next time....i dont believe that you should detract from other people's victory by saying things like *that* and again...if he had said a *game* like that, it wouldnt have been bad, that would have been expected...but he said to a *team* like that, and that was disrespectful, and thats what I (i cant stress this enough, this is my opinion, and i know that i am entitled to it, and that many people feel differently, thats why things are, the way they are.) was so disgusted by it....i would never let my husband or brother or niece say anything like that about an opponent...because even if you are *better* technically, it is in bad taste to say it in public

im officially done responding to this thread, my husband made a good point, i am not going to get anywhere.......

[RobinKay6573]

First of all....University of Michigan is NOT Michigan State! That is a huge error. That is like saying "New York Mets" instead of "New York Yankees" If you are going to be posting a blog about sports teams you need know the team you are talking about before you post.

As far as sportsmanship in college sports I would say 90% of the players are GOOD sports and 10% are not-so-good sports! The 10% are the ones we usually hear about

I know MANY baseball players that were stars of their college or high school teams. For the most part that are humble. In 20 years of watching minor league baseball I can list 2 plays that were truly stuck on themselves Milton Bradley who is now making 4 million a year playing for Oakland and Ken Griffey Jr. who is now making 8 million a year playing for Cincinnati. Sometimes bad sportmenship doesn't pay..... Omar Vizquel was one of the nicest guys when he played in Vermont in 88...he is making just over 5 million for the Giants! He is also a MULTIPLE golden glove winner.

I hate it when people make blanket statements about ALL players. UGH. Also alot of comments by the press are taken out of context. I have seen some NASTY reporting by our local paper.

[Carousel96]

What's the phrase...
My favorite teams are Ohio State and whoever is playing Michigan !

[tndisneyfam]

I feel bad for Michigan and happy for Appl. State. Who would've thought? But our Vols suffered almost the same this past weekend too. But, I too believe that most college players are good sportsmen. Just come over to Knoxville and meet some of our guys! We are so proud of them!