Yes, I may have a chip on my shoulder about this. If you're a Michigan State fan, you might understand this better than those other guys who think they own the place.
The Western Michigan Broncos have had several mentions on ESPN this season, from giving a scholarship to a preferred walk-on from Battle Creek to becoming ranked for the first time in school history.
It's not that WMU Football hasn't been on the map, but I don't believe it's ever been this high profile. Winning, of course, is crucial, but coach P. J. Fleck certainly helps.
Watch enough episodes of Monday Night Football and you'll hear lead announcer Mike Tirico slip in some mentions to Michigan and Detroit - and no surprise they creep in there, he lives in Ann Arbor. Now you'll be catching those allusions to Michigan on NBC as Tirico is set to jump ship from The Mothership.
Pro Football on Monday niight? Now that we have NFL football on Sundays. Mondays, and Thursdays, not to mention MAC football on Tuesdays, it doesn't seem very revolutionary, but back in 1970, this was a big deal.