Ahead of Saturday’s game against Rutgers football, the Barstool affiliate account for Michigan State took quite a shot at their Big Ten rival. In going after Sopranos star James Gandolfini, they went after everything that New Jersey holds dear.
The late Gandolfini, an alum of Rutgers, is up there in the pantheon of New Jersey lore along with the battle of Princeton, Thomas Edison, pizza and bagels. Gandolfini is revered around New Jersey, and as loyal son of Rutgers, to see him in another Big Ten team’s colors does not sit well with most Scarlet Knights fans.
It is important to note that Barstool and its campus subsidiaries are known for banter and trolling. The site doesn’t shy away from these moments.
And the campus social accounts embrace this fandom mentality with an edit of Gandolfini that had Rutgers fans seeing scarlet.
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Tverdov, a former Rutgers standout now in the XFL, was one of those having none of it. He fired back at Barstool Spartans on Thursday:
Probably one of the most disrespectful posts I’ve ever seen😤 can’t wait for Saturday https://t.co/pITb3P6t5K
— Mike Tverdov (@MikeTverdov) October 12, 2023
The Barstool Spartans account is not affiliated with Michigan State.
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Gandolfini served as an honorary captain for Rutgers in 2005 ahead of the Insight Bowl. That was the second-ever bowl game appearance in program history.
The Spartans have beaten Rutgers in their last two meetings.
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Rutgers hosts Michigan State on Saturday at SHI Stadium. The noon kickoff will be broadcast nationally on the Big Ten Network.