Tom Izzo gives insightful response to question about his hatred for Michigan

Every year, the media tries to bait Tom Izzo into giving a fiery quote about his hatred for Michigan, and every year the Hall of Famer avoids falling for it.

This year has been no different.

After practice on Wednesday, he was asked about the idea of liking your rival, and he gave an answer that should surprise exactly no one. He said that he does, in fact, hate Michigan, but he respects them. He’s been saying this exact phrase for years, but he put a new spin on it this time, saying that if you start liking your rival, it’s time to hang it up.

Izzo went on to say that he used to hate and not respect Michigan, but that burned him and now he’s learned from his younger mistakes.

Insightful response from the Hall of Famer. Guarded, yet insightful.

Izzo seems to be in great spirits heading into the biggest game of the season to this point — that’s a great sign for the Spartans. A relaxed Izzo is usually a bad sign for opponents, but so is an angry Izzo, so I guess he’s always dangerous. Good for him not falling for the bait here, though.

I don’t know about you, but I’d like to hear more about the days where he hated and didn’t respect Michigan. That had to have been in his early days as a head coach.

The Michigan vs. Michigan State rivalry is back

A few years ago, Michigan was one of the worst teams in the Big Ten and Michigan State was a shell of its normal elite self. The Wolverines were in the final years of the Juwan Howard era that started with a bang and then fizzled out, while the Spartans were making NCAA Tournaments, but not getting past the Sweet 16.

Now, the rivalry is back.

While this is still a far cry from the days of Izzo vs. John Beilein, it’s still one of the most anticipated showdowns in series history. Not often are Michigan and Michigan State both ranked in the top 10 when they play, but this season is different. These two teams are legit title contenders. Friday is going to be a movie.

I will say, though, that Izzo has more hatred for Michigan than he leads on, especially after he let Tre Holloman, a junior, kiss the Spartan logo on senior day for sticking up for his teammates and not backing down in a scuffle with the Wolverines.

The hatred is there, he’s just not showing it as much as he used to.