Michigan State moved one step closer to college football bowl eligibility with a seven-point win over Purdue on Friday night. Although the final result elicited excitement among the fans in attendance, the pregame giveaway upon arrival did not.
Discarded foam helmets were littered throughout Spartan Stadium in East Lansing.
Before we go any further, please understand that I am unfamiliar with the typical response to fan giveaways. Perhaps mass repudiation is standard practice. Perhaps stadium cleanup crews are always required to pick up hundreds of discarded giveaway items at similar events.
However, I’ve attended my fair share of college athletic events and received a number of giveaways from a variety of schools. Never before have I witnessed such carnage!
Every Michigan State fan who entered the stadium received a piece of foam headwear shaped like a Spartan warrior helmet. You know the one:
I, personally, would be thrilled to throw a foam Spartan helmet over my beanie on a cold November night. Not only does it serve as an additional layer of warmth on the dome, free stuff is awesome— epecially after a few cold snacks prior to kickoff. I’d wear pretty much anything if I was all juiced up.
Michigan State fans must not share the same thinking because they littered the hallways with foam helmets. Fans then proceeded to stomp all over the discarded giveaways.
Needless to say, the giveaway was a total disaster. Fans threw them on the ground without any effort to at least find a trash can. There was an outrageous number of foam helmets all over the floor.
Even though Spartans fans were clearly uninterested in the giveaway, they were thrilled with the outcome. Michigan State will face Rutgers at home next weekend for a chance to advance to the postseason. Perhaps the foam helmets should remain in the box!
