Big Brother: Former OSU defensive coordinator and current Michigan State Head Coach Mark Dantonio startled some people at the Big Ten Media Days when he announced that when completed, MSU's football facilities would be second to none. That is a bold statement in view of the stature of the newly renovated WHAC, but Dantonio stuck to his guns when asked if the new Spartan facilities would measure up.
"Yes, I have been to Columbus," said Dantonio when asked if he was aware of the scope of the WHAC renovation.
MSU will not quite spend the 21.5 million dollars spent at OSU, but they aren't exactly going cheap either.
"Our facility is around 16 million plus," said Dantonio who explained that the Spartans may be able to get just as much facility for a little less money.
"They renovated and moved their weight room, which I'm sure impacted the cost. We'll build on to ours," he said.
"Our weight room will be 16,000 to 17,000 square feet, high ceilings, state of the art.," said Dantonio.
Those numbers are almost identical to the numbers at OSU, but Dantonio said the Spartans may one-up the Buckeyes when it comes to high-tech communication.
"I'll be able to sit in my office and hit a button and watch the offensive line coach meet with the offensive linemen. It's going to be very, very nice," said Dantonio.
Dantonio will be able to electronically eavesdrop every meeting space, the weight room, and other important parts of the building. Coaches will even
be able to tape their meeting for review...or to see if players were listening.
It sounds a whole lot like Big Brother in George Orwell's novel 1984, a fact not lost on Jim Tressel when asked if he has similar capabilities at OSU's facility.
"No, I'm not Big Brother. I can't do that, nor can anyone do that in my office." responded Tressel.
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