Michigan-area radio host Mike Valenti made headlines on Wednesday. Valenti, who hosts a show named ‘The Mike Valenti Show’ on 97.1 The Ticket, spoke about the 2023 edition of the annual rivalry meeting between the Michigan Wolverines and Michigan State Spartans.
The Spartans and Wolverines, you might remember, got into a shockingly wild fight in the Michigan Stadium tunnel in 2022. After security cameras showed them beating Wolverine players, some Spartan players were suspended for their actions. The incident sparked penalties for both the players and head coach Mel Tucker, who the conference issued a six-figure fine to.
Despite all that, Valenti, a Michigan State alum, warned any Wolverines fans who have considered attending this year’s game at Spartan Stadium. That game was announced as a night game on Wednesday by Brett McMurphy. Valenti offered “friendly advice” to Michigan fans: “Don’t be there.”
"That is going to be the most hostile environment this rivalry has ever had. It will be a tinder box. If I were a Michigan fan, I would never be at that game. Because there are decent odds that you'll be eating a battery."
Listen here to The Valenti Show:https://t.co/PRa1YNe7Xt
— 97.1 The Ticket: (@971theticketxyt) July 26, 2023
“And it’s not hyperbole, I’m being real with you because people are nuts. And I don’t condone what all people do but I’m just telling you. Friendly advice if you’re a Michigan fan: Don’t be there. Don’t be there… don’t bring the women and children, don’t be there. Don’t show up in your egregious butter-themed T-shirt garb. Don’t be there. It’s the equivalent of playing stupid games and winning stupid prizes.
“That is going to be arguably the most hostile environment this rivalry’s ever had. Ever. Ever… it will be a tinder box. Don’t be there. Find something else to do somewhere other than East Lansing. I would never, if I was a Michigan fan, be at that game, because there’s decent odds you’ll be eating a battery. I don’t condone it, I ain’t telling people to behave that way. But I know what Spartan fans are feeling and how that’s going to go down after what happened last year. And how MSU got railroaded. Yeah, that is not a place to be. Don’t bring the kids.”
Valenti said the game would be the equivalent of a “Late 90’s Florida game in ‘The Swamp’ minus Ziploc bags of human fluid.” Also, “Doing dirt cheap coke. You run into some fentanyl; that’s on you. Find something else to do.”
Ignoring that Valenti has had some interesting rants before that have gotten him in hot water, let’s point out the obvious here: It’s just sports. Issuing a ‘warning’ to fans not to attend the game, largely because of something that didn’t involve any fans, is absurd, especially since the host implied that it didn’t even matter if the fans were acting egregious. Just a straight “nope.”
And while Valenti repeatedly said he didn’t “condone” it, he still brought it up on the show and played off the fact that he had his finger on the pulse. So if he’s not condoning it, then why bring it up in the first place?
