DON’T GASLIGHT US MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY

Once upon a time, there were Three Strong Men standing tall…

MSU President, Kevin Guskiewicz,
MSU Athletic Director, J. Batt and
MSU Head Football Coach, Patrick Fitzgerald.
Now there is only one still standing tall, and MSU is the less for it… just as it has been since the time of Dr. Larry Nassar and former MSU, Head football Coach, Mel Tucker. Oh the scandal of it all. Will it ever end ???

As MSU looks into the looking glass, the mirror reflects back the silent refrain of Pope Leo the XIV, “The Idolatry of Wealth, the Idolatry of Self” and the Idolatry of Big Time, Big Ten Athletics. Ditto for Pope Trump’s “normalization” and entrenchment of the concepts of Transactional, Crony Capitalism, “Now you see me, now you don’t, count on me for nothing and I wont… disappoint.”

After the smoke clears and the dust settles, what we see (again and again) with MSU is the damaged reflection, damaged perception, damaged identity and damaged integrity by way of transactional enterprises involving money $$$ and more money $$$ … purposely putting the Rule of Gold over the integrity MSU should behold.

Strength of Character ??? Black Hawk down for MSU, President Kevin Guskiewicz. He who signed a longterm contractual commitment and took over the reins of MSU to bring in $$$ “Millions, Baby” (as legendary, basketball Coach, Dick Vitale might say). Guskiewicz’ reneged on his MSU longterm, contractual commitment and he bailed after two years and ran off to greener pastures at Clemson. Strength of Character ??? Black Hawk down for MSU Athletic Director, J. Batt. He like Guskiewicz, signed a longterm, contractual commitment to take over the reins of the Athletic Department to bring in millions $$$ and more millions $$$ with for-profit, Spartan Ventures “Baby” (as legendary, transactional-ist, Crony Capitalist, Donald Trump, is wont to say). Then Batt reneged on his commitment and bailed after one year and ran off to greener pastures at Kentucky.

So, that leaves only the new kid on the block, Head Football, Coach, Patrick Fitzgerald, still standing tall. He who hasn’t chickened out and run away. Being the man of character I see, I suspect he is “tough” and has weathered the Guskiewicz and Batt, “weak kneed” episodes before and yet still lived up to his contractual word and stayed to fight adversity and changing circumstance… because, “He’s of ‘old school’ roots” and a Man of his word. I hope I am right. I’ll bet I am right, but (as everything is in the sport of Big Money $$$… resisting the temptation of greed and money $$$ and more money $$$ always charts new territory and new disappointment. Time will tell, but I start with great faith in Head Coach, Patrick Fitzgerald, the man still standing tall.

And who is the blame for MSU’s sad state of affairs ??? Answer. Indignant fund raising Presidents and Athletic Directors who can’t countenance even the thought of the MSU Board of Trustees challenging them and asking for information that might show what’s going on and hold them to account if not kosher and aboveboard. These duly elected Board of Trustees are the taxpayers’ stewards of MSU and have every right to represent us taxpayers who support MSU with tons of taxpayer dollars $$$. These transactional MSU leaders answer to the Board of Trustees, not the other way around. So, how dare MSU take a page from Transactional Trump’s modus operandi and insist that the duly elected Board of Trustees take a Loyalty Oath to MSU. The duly elected MSU Board of Trustees have but one Loyalty… Loyalty to the Law (Michigan and U.S. Constitutions and the Rule of Law).

But the Detroit News (and other media outlets) have presented a good P.R. campaign to gaslight us taxpayers into believing that everything wrong with MSU is the fault of our duly elected, “dysfunctional” Board of Trustees (as MSU and the Detroit News refers to the Board of Trustees)… and not the fault of those who couldn’t care less if they honor their contractual commitments. See the 6/16/26 Detroit News report (Sports section article of 6/16/26… Batt’s exit adds search to MSU’s queue). And, see the 7/7/2026 Detroit News front page report, Guskiewicz picks MSU over Clemson.

But the Good News, as MSU believes ??? MSU President, Kevin Guskiewicz, has had yet another ”about face” and has now rejected Clemson and rejoined the “jilted” MSU who (in my view) shamefully welcomed their Prodigal Son back with open arms and celebration.

Now it’s time for all the fickle men of honor to go back to fund-raising for MSU’s Athletic fortunes as MSU asks parents everywhere to entrust your College-bound kid to MSU, the maker of men and women of Integrity and sing “All hail the Spartan Athlete.”

Oh, I see, said the blind man.