This summer a buddy of mine asked me if I thought Ryan Miller would go pro. I told him, “No, he is a Spartan at heart and would not turn his back on the school his family name is so deeply rooted.”

But it has become blatantly obvious he, like so many other recent Spartan athletes, have let a different kind of green and white persuade their future decisions.

Miller, more than anyone, has accomplished a number of outstanding personal achievements here and has always claimed to be a team player.

But he has failed horribly to stick to this claim.

His personal accomplishments may have proved he was ready to move on to the next level, but what happened to loyalty and the team and a national championship for the school that has been so good to him and his family?

I would have put everything I had on him being the one athlete who would have stayed four years not only because of the deep family history between the Miller family and MSU, but also because of his personal character and the way professional hockey is set up - you are almost certain to spend a year or two in the minors before making the jump to an NHL team.

What happened to the Anson Carters and Mike Yorks, the Mateen Cleaves and Morris Petersons?

Those guys truly loved the green and white of MSU.

When a guy with a household name in Spartan athletics and an East Lansing native like Miller loses his loyalty to MSU, how can we expect it from any other athlete?

Where has the Spartan spirit gone?

Todd Archer
studio art junior