Next weekend is the big showdown between the Michigan State Spartans and the Michigan Wolverines. So, what's the buzz in homes, bars, and offices this week? A classic team rivalry that has gone on for generations - Spartans v. Wolverines. We thought we would look at how these passionate sports rivalries affect our lives.
On this week's 'What's the Buzz' panel are Spartan Mimi Brown, a local author and motivational speaker; Spartan fan Tony Frost, a local singer and musician; and Wolverine Blaine Fowler, host of the "Blaine Fowler Morning Show" on 96.3 WDVD.
It didn't take long for our panelists to start showing their colors with some playful trash talk. Even host Jason Carr joined in the fun with his fellow Spartans, while his co-host Tati Amare tried to keep the peace.
With our panelists all warmed up, we posed our first question: Spartans and Wolverines, is there ever a time when you would root for the other team? Like the old saying goes, is the enemy of my enemy ever a friend?
Frost jumped in saying there is only one time he, a Spartan fan, would ever root for U of M, and the other panelists all agreed it's when they were playing a game against the team from Ohio.
They all refused to say the name (OSU) and instead referred to it as "the Voldemort of college football, shall never be named." Frost said, "I won't even eat peppermints because they are red and white."
Next topic: If you meet someone and they are wearing certain team colors, does that affect your impression of them even before you get to know them? All our panelists quietly nodded yes. Carr broke the silence, saying the elephant in the room was the "Walmart Wolverine," a person who is a U of M fan without ever going to U of M themselves. Most agreed that fans who didn't go to the college can be obnoxious. Brown actually lives in a split household -- where she is a Spartan but her husband is a Wolverine -- and on game day, they both must wear a shirt her mother-in-law made that has one side pro-Michigan and one side pro-State, and whichever team wins get the honor of being on the front.
Michelle Oliver then joined in the fun with quotes from some of our viewers. Here's what they said:
What's the Buzz...
Posted by Live in the D on Sunday, October 14, 2018
Our final question was: What do you do if sports rivalries begin to affect your relationships? All the panelists agreed that while things can get a little tense at times, that should never get in the way of family or friends.
'What's the Buzz' airs every Monday on Live in the D; if you want your voice heard, look for the topic question posted Sundays on the Live in the D Facebook page.