John L. Smith No Longer Slap Happy…Or is He?

by user LastRow

"The performance on the field has not lived up to what we hoped it would be," Michigan State’s athletic director Ron Mason said during a news conference Wednesday…And with that the John L. Smith tenure ends in East Lansing. How quickly they seem to forget…Okay, so the Spartans lost to Big Ten door mat Indiana last weekend 46-21, but what about the performance a week earlier at Northwestern? I mean it was only the greatest comeback in Division IA history, although in this business it’s “What have you done for me lately…Or for that matter, ever?

During his time in East Lansing, Slap Happy Smith has compiled a 22-23 record in four seasons leading the Spartans to the Alamo Bowl in his first season, but the team did not qualify for a bowl in 2004 or 2005. And I’m just going out on a limb here, but I don’t think they’re going bowling this season either. Less than stellar numbers considering three-quarters of college football teams qualify for bowls, (okay, that’s not an exact number, but you Sausage Strokers get the point). Although he will have a chance to prove me wrong as he has agreed to stay on for the remainder of the year, so the school basically can have its cake and eat it too. Since Michigan State said it will honor the last two years of Smith's contract they figured, “Well hell, we’re paying him anyway…Let’s make him work a little while longer for his money…Things can’t get any worse around here!” Aw, isn’t that nice…That’s like saying a female will go out with you on a date as a kind gesture, when really her blood bubbles & boils for your friend. Thanks for the pity, but no thanks on that one!

I wonder what John L., (which LastRowSports.com has just uncovered what the “L” stands for…”Loser”) must be thinking right about now given the fact that we are less than 24 hours away from #3 West Virginia & #5 Louisville? He thought greener pastures were green on the other side. That’s funny, although Michigan State’s colors are green, you were coaching in Louisville…The home of horse racing. The pastures can’t get any greener than what they are there! My only question to Michigan State is why didn’t they make this announcement during halftime of this weekend’s game? That seems to be John. L’s style, now doesn’t it? Then again, it would probably fall on deaf ears considering as far as everybodys concerned they’re all waiting for Tom Izzo & the boys to hit the hardwood. Although John L, how good does that Louisville job look now?

Now the $100,000 question here is this, what happens if Michigan State ended up beating Notre Dame on that cold & rainy night…Would things have played out differently? Because that’s really all this boils down to. After that loss, the players never recovered. I’m not sure if L. Smith should be sending a Thank You card to Charlie Weis or if Weis should be sending a sympathy/condolence card to John L.? Not sure how that should work? Although before this meltdown happened which sent the season down the shiter, he had been under pressure at Michigan State. School officials gave him a vote of confidence after last seasons losing campaign, but were looking for better results in 2006…For some reason losing to Indiana and Homecoming to the Illinois fighting Zookers wasn’t what school officials were looking for…Go figure! Come on people, what do you want though…He put “the other school that plays football in the state of Michigan” in the record books with that NCAA-record, epic comeback to beat Northwestern. There’s some vote of confidence for ya!

Wow, these have been some four years for Coach Smith. Leaving Louisville for Michigan State and now he’s leaving Michigan State to go collaborate on a book with John Bunting entitled, “I Hate Kind Gestures!”…Coming to a bookstore shelf near your sometime this spring. Where did it go oh so wrong…That’s easy, at that halftime press conference a few years ago in Louisville!

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