Dantonio turns down HBO, agrees to one-day reality show

EAST LANSING – The Big Ten's top two teams could have had dueling reality shows during the preseason, but Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio turned down an opportunity to have a behind-the-scenes look at the Spartans on HBO.

It would have resembled HBO's popular "Hard Knocks" show on an NFL team each season, Dantonio said, and the No. 2 Spartans would have had something to compete with "Scarlet & Gray Days," the Big Ten Network's all-access look at No. 1 Ohio State in camp.

"I think it's a good show," Dantonio said Tuesday of "Hard Knocks." "I've watched it and I think it's well done. But we just passed on it right now because I want our players to concentrate on what we have to do here and not on a camera. I want us to be us and I just didn't feel like at this point in time that that was something that we should do. Maybe in the future…"

Or maybe right now, at least for a few minutes. Dantonio agreed to let the MSU-produced "Spartan Football All Access" chronicle a day in his life last week as the Spartans prepared for Saturday's 30-10 win over Central Michigan. The show debuted Monday on Fox Sports Detroit and will air again at 10 p.m. Thursday, 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Friday, and 7:30 a.m. Saturday.

It starts with Dantonio pulling in to the MSU football building around 6:30 a.m. on Sept. 22, the skies dark and several assistants and grad assistants already at work watching film. At the 7:30 a.m. staff meeting, Dantonio goes over the practice plan with his coaches as director of football operations Tim Allen and director of executive football operations Brad Lunsford sit on either side of him, taking notes.

Linebackers coach Mark Snyder has two quotes to read to the staff. From Bill Gates: "Success is a lousy teacher. It makes smart people think they can't lose."

And from John Wooden: "Publicity is like poison. It'll only kill you if you swallow it."

Then it's on to Dantonio's weekly press conference and other media obligations, including a magazine photo shoot on the Spartan Stadium grass with Amy Fouty, MSU's sports turf manager.

"Turf Illustrated? All right!" Dantonio jokes, and later tells msuspartans.com reporter Steve Grinczel that the field is "like her baby."

More Dantonio looseness is on display as he enters the team meeting before practice. He slaps some hands and asks as he walks by R.J. Shelton eating a snack: "Yogurt?"

Dantonio goes over the practice plan, including the "ABC drills" when pro scouts will be allowed to observe.

"And then they're out," Dantonio says.

"You know the deal, guys," Dantonio says to the team. "I'm not gonna sit here and just talk the talk. You know what we have to get done. We have to focus on the moment. We have yet to play our perfect game."

MSU senior center and tri-captain Jack Allen starts and finishes practice by leading the team in chants. Cameras bounce around various practice drills, with Dantonio at one point telling freshman safety Khari Willis to keep his hands in the right place "so you've got shock" when he tackles.

After practice, Dantonio addresses his players and says he saw intensity increase during practice after a slow start. He addresses MSU's mounting injury situation, too.

"I saw enough people running around and smacking people today, I feel like we're gonna be all right. We got players. We got players! We got players, OK? I'm looking at No. 2s and No. 3s, we got players. So step it up and move forward."

The show ends with Dantonio in his office at 7:35 p.m., about to watch film of the practice for the next three hours or so.

He was asked today at his weekly news conference if he enjoyed doing the show.

"It was hard for me because you're sort of trying to do your job," Dantonio said. "If it was good for you guys, it was good for me."

Notebook: MSU announced about 900 tickets are available for Saturday’s noon homecoming game against Purdue. … MSU will honor the 50th anniversary of its 1965 national championship team and the 25th anniversary of its 1990 Big Ten co-championship team. … MSU’s coach-chosen players of the week against Central Michigan were Allen (offense), Shilique Calhoun (defense) and Grayson Miller (special teams). The scout team players of the week were Matt Sokol (offense), Brett Scanlon (defense) and Zac Leimbach (special teams).

Dantonio from his Tuesday news conference

Purdue always seeming to hang close with Michigan State: “Purdue has provided some great, great matchups in past years. We've played them six times since I've been here. You can go back and look at every one of those games, and very exciting games. Known Darrell Hazell a long time. Got an Ohio State connection (as an assistant under Jim Tressel), much like I do, although we were not there at the same time, so I know what his basic philosophy is, good football coach and will have his guys ready to play.”

Negativity despite MSU’s 4-0 start and No. 2 ranking: “I think it's human nature to be looking to say, ‘OK, here they are, here they are, when are they going to fall, when is that shoe going to fall?’ And I would just encourage people to stay with us and hang with it and have fun doing it and get ready to play Purdue. Come excited and ready to go. But I understand that everybody is a coach out there. A lot of armchair coaches out there.”

Central Michigan coach John Bonamego saying MSU is a model for his program: “We did the same thing when we came here. We said, ‘OK, we need to be like this particular program and try to emulate some of the things and some of the people that they were recruiting or some of the things that they were able to do.’ And I think every program wants to be built for the long haul. I don't think everybody is looking to say, ‘OK, let's win now and get out of here.’ Hopefully people won't do that. But honored for him to have said that.”

The surging play of senior defensive end Shilique Calhoun: “I think Shilique Calhoun first of all is a very unselfish player, very unselfish person. Whenever he is interviewed he looks to give credit to other people. He's extremely quick off the ball and has great hand movement. … Everybody thinks because you have sacks that you're a great defensive end. It's always the other things that you do, as well. I think he's a complete player in a lot of respects.”