For two weeks, we received a good amount of letters suggesting that head football coach John L. Smith was running the program into the ground. The gist was that two weeks, and two wobbly losses, weren't going to pass muster on this town.

We haven't gotten many of those letters since Saturday. In fact, we still haven't gotten any. This might have something to do with the 49-14 shellacking the Spartans gave the formerly No. 4 - and formerly undefeated - Wisconsin Badgers. Upon further review, it probably has everything to do with that.

Saturday afternoon, and early evening, was a special time to be in East Lansing. From the blocked punt in the first quarter that commenced what would become a rout to seniors Jason Harmon, Kevin Vickerson and Tyrell Dortch leading 76,000 in the MSU fight song, you didn't need to be a pundit of the game to realize that the 2004 home season was ending the way every senior on the field and every senior in the stands wanted it to. There was a tangible current of success bouncing off the steel girders of the new addition and the temporary lights and the goal posts. On Saturday, we wanted the best from the Spartans, and they gave us the best.

John L.'s Kool-Aid must've been passed on to the men's soccer and field hockey teams as well. On Sunday, the soccer team took the Big Ten Tournament title, and field hockey secured a berth into the Final Four. It was a great weekend to be a Spartan through and through.

We'll have to wait two more weeks to see if Spartan football can land a bowl game. If they can play like they did Saturday, it's pretty certain those letters about Smith's tenure here are going to be scarce, if not nonexistent. MSU athletics are going to make for a riveting end to this semester. Be excited, Spartan Country.