It feels like our football program is the laughingstock of the country — ESPN football analyst Kirk Herbstreit said he felt sorry for MSU fans. Our fourth-quarter collapses during the last couple of years have been horrific, even legendary, and our off-the-field conduct has been even worse. Six players have been kicked off the team in the last two weeks. The Spartans haven't been this bad since former quarterback Jeff Smoker went to rehab for a substance abuse problem.
With all of this going on, it was not a surprise to hear fans booing at Saturday's game. At halftime, nearly all of the students had vacated their spots in the stands — this is not acceptable.
Although our team's success this season is waning, it is not just the players' faults. The team is a direct reflection of the coaching — they do what they are told. When the fans in the stands take their anger out on the players, they are only making it worse.
University officials have already made it clear that Smith will continue to coach throughout the remainder of the year, but maybe they should reconsider.