Origins of "little brother"

[Crash]

Help me out, Wolverine stuck in Sparty land....


I thought it was common knowledge that the "little brother" comment started long before Mike Heart ever said it. Could have sworn Michigan fans have been using it since as far back as I can remember, and I was in high school during the Bo years.

 

[michigangoblue999]

As far as I know, Mike Hart is the first one who said it.

We were all thinking it, though. It fit perfectly and that's why it has stuck.

And, no, Sparties, MSU's recent success in the series is not "karma." Hart is the one who said it and he went 4-0 against MSU. Karma doesn't punish random other people.

 

[Crash]

Could have sworn we were using it way before Hart said it, I've been lurking at this site since before it was Rivals, and the Victors site. Could have sworn we called them little brother every fourth year when they would jump up and get us.

 

[ThatsMrSpartan2U]

I don't remember the reference ever being made prior to Hart's comment. The context of it, the game it was in reference to and, probably most importantly, Dantonio's pointed response to it have made it into what it has become. I go back to the 60's. If it was ever commonly used prior to that it was among UM fans and not publicly "out there."

MSU is used to UM's condescension. It will never end, nor is it much of a rallying point anymore. MSU doesn't need much incentive to want to beat UM. It always does. I'm sure UM always wants to beat MSU. It's a legacy rivalry in college football. I consider it one of the top 4-5 in the game.

I'm sure Mike Hart wishes he could take it back. I think he's a good guy and at the time, he was a kid and just won a very exciting game.....with a comeback. I understood it. My only complaint with it was that Lloyd Carr didn't disassociate the team and the university from it. It clearly wasn't considered a big deal at the time. I never thought Carr was condescending to any opponent, but after that I thought he missed an opportunity to take the high road. Dantonio didn't like it and he's masterfully used it to his advantage. It's been actually a little helpful to MSU. And...if it weren't that comment...I'm sure Dantonio would have found something else to use. Just the kinda guy he is.

I think one of your guys made the nice analogy that UM always wants to win the OSU game and never wants to lose the MSU game.

For MSU, UM is the game we always want to win....and Notre Dame (when we play them) is the one we don't ever want to lose.

 

[DetroitRockCity]

Help me out, Wolverine stuck in Sparty land....


I thought it was common knowledge that the "little brother" comment started long before Mike Heart ever said it. Could have sworn Michigan fans have been using it since as far back as I can remember, and I was in high school during the Bo years.

Actually it was a Spartan player who brought it up. He said we will always be their little brother until we start beating them. Mike Hart only followed up on it
after beating them for the 4th straight time.

 

[Crash]

I thought we kind of used it among ourselves , I thought, But I do remember using it against my Sparty friends to infuriate them, when I was an arrogant Wolverine.

 

[ThatsMrSpartan2U]

I thought we kind of used it among ourselves , I thought, But I do remember using it against my Sparty friends to infuriate them, when I was an arrogant Wolverine.

I never recall, even since Hart's comment, hearing a "Little Brother" comment from a UM alum. It was always a UM fan who never actually attended the university.
In my experience, as a lifelong Spartan (alumnus), I've never had anything but gentle ribbing, back and forth, true rivalry banter with UM alums. Never confrontational. Never smug.
It's the "never went to college...any college" UM fans that are the ones who get all uppity.

 

[blue-boy]

Actually it was a Spartan player who brought it up. He said we will always be their little brother until we start beating them. Mike Hart only followed up on it
after beating them for the 4th straight time.

A Spartan player did use the analogy during the week of the game...I've also heard that Biggie Munn used it early in his tenure at MSU when they were getting ready to join the B1G. TBH though, I don't recall who I had heard it from...) Biggie did dispel the thoughts of MSU being the "weak sister" of Michigan back in the day...maybe that's how I remember the "lil bro" comment.

 

[antidaily]

I don't remember the reference ever being made prior to Hart's comment. The context of it, the game it was in reference to and, probably most importantly, Dantonio's pointed response to it have made it into what it has become. I go back to the 60's. If it was ever commonly used prior to that it was among UM fans and not publicly "out there."

MSU is used to UM's condescension. It will never end, nor is it much of a rallying point anymore. MSU doesn't need much incentive to want to beat UM. It always does. I'm sure UM always wants to beat MSU. It's a legacy rivalry in college football. I consider it one of the top 4-5 in the game.

I'm sure Mike Hart wishes he could take it back. I think he's a good guy and at the time, he was a kid and just won a very exciting game.....with a comeback. I understood it. My only complaint with it was that Lloyd Carr didn't disassociate the team and the university from it. It clearly wasn't considered a big deal at the time. I never thought Carr was condescending to any opponent, but after that I thought he missed an opportunity to take the high road. Dantonio didn't like it and he's masterfully used it to his advantage. It's been actually a little helpful to MSU. And...if it weren't that comment...I'm sure Dantonio would have found something else to use. Just the kinda guy he is.

I think one of your guys made the nice analogy that UM always wants to win the OSU game and never wants to lose the MSU game.

For MSU, UM is the game we always want to win....and Notre Dame (when we play them) is the one we don't ever want to lose.

Dantonio's App St moment of silence comment started it. But Carr should have taken the high road? Laughable.

 

[bhamblue]

Help me out, Wolverine stuck in Sparty land....


I thought it was common knowledge that the "little brother" comment started long before Mike Heart ever said it. Could have sworn Michigan fans have been using it since as far back as I can remember, and I was in high school during the Bo years.

It was used way before hart - I remember it being said while I was in school in the early 90's.
On message boards it was a common term well before hart said it. I am pretty sure it was used with regularly on this very board before it picked up steam with hart.