Gov. William Milliken, right, was the last to cross from one end of the field to the other in a tradition once allowed at MSU-U-M games. Here he's pictured with a famous former U-M football player, President Jerry Ford.

(File Photo)

While the rest of the country is divided blue and red, this week in this state the huge divide is blue and green. Maybe you’ve heard about the football game between you-know-who (blue) and you-know-who (green.)

The annual MSU vs. U-M showdown is overflowing with wonderful traditions, one of which was quietly scrapped without any fanfare.

Back in the bucolic days of the 1950s and early 60s, there was a halftime tradition. The bands from both schools would form an aisle at mid-field either at the Big House or Spartan Stadium and the announcer would ask for everyone’s attention ... at least those who were still sober.

“Ladies and gentlemen. We direct your attention to the 50 yard line where the governor of the state of Michigan will move from the home side of the field to the visitors side.”

Whomever thought-up the idea was obviously going for the symbolism that the governor had no favorite in the game, which was the P.C. thing to do. Why risk losing an election by offending either the blues or the greens in the audience?

So with the announcement, the governor would begin the trek from one sideline to the other while the bands played on.

While there was some pageantry to all this, often times it was a chance for the audience to express it’s collective pleasure or displeasure with the chief executive. It was not uncommon for boos and cat calls to ring out. Political reporters loved to chronicle the response as an indication of how the governor was doing.

But that’s not the reason the tradition was stopped.

The assassination of a president, a civil rights leader, and countless other acts of senseless violence that engulfed the '60s quickly put an end to the tradition. The security of the governor was no laughing matter in those days and that tradition continues to this day.

And to underscore that even more, years ago the governor rode around with this license plate on the back of the car: GOV 000. They even took that away so that nobody could figure out a governor was inside this car or that.

Nobody noticed any of those changes and when they gather for the annual "bragging rights" battle on the gridiron this weekend, the governor will sit safely in the press box and won't come within an inch of the sidelines.



One tradition does continue, however, in the press box: A certain governor cannot shout out "Go Blue." There's no cheering allowed.

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