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Michigan State Apologizes After Hitler Appears On Jumbotron Ahead Of Football Game
Michigan State issued an apology after an image of Adolf Hitler, provided by a third-party source, appeared on videoboards prior to kickoff at Saturday night's game.
The image of the Nazi party leader and his birthplace of Austria briefly appeared on videoboards during a pregame-trivia segment an hour before the MSU Spartans faced off against the University of Michigan Wolverines.
Social media users who caught the jarring visual, which was the answer to a trivia question asking in which country Hitler was born, shared it on X (formerly Twitter).
User Alexander Haenke was at a loss for words and posted a snapshot of what attendees at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing witnessed before the game.
People were shocked to see the reviled historical figure responsible for the genocide of millions of Jews during the Holocaust mixing with American college football.
Hitler? Were doing stuff involving Hitler?
— StreetHistory Videos (@streethistory) October 22, 2023
There’s gotta be a better fun quiz question
— PNW Sports Hub (@dubsportshub) October 22, 2023
No words @michiganstateu @MSU_Football
— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) October 22, 2023
People commenting saying oh it was just a trivia question about where Hitler was born.
In my mind I’m thinking why was there a trivia question on Hitler????
— AC Tatum (@actatumonline) October 22, 2023
WTF! 😳
— Michigan Football Rant (@maniacspodcast) October 22, 2023
Hi. Alumnus here. This is Disgusting.
— William R. DeCourcy (@billdcon) October 22, 2023
Michigan State responded to the backlash with the following statement of apology from spokesman Matt Larson:
"MSU is aware that inappropriate content by a third-party source was displayed on the videoboard prior to the start of tonight’s football game.”
“We are deeply sorry for the content that was displayed, as this is not representative of our institutional values."
"MSU will not be using the third-party source going forward and will implement stronger screening and approval procedures for all videoboard content in the future.”
Not everyone was appeased by MSU's apology for such a major blunder.
@michiganstateu has Zero excuse. Not one staff member reviewed the question Before the game? Shame on them .
— Packing, Again 😀🎒 (@Travelnpack) October 22, 2023
So wrong of them, shame, shame.
— Wanda (@Wawanda02Nelson) October 22, 2023
The "I didn't know" excuse doesn't hold water.
— GV (@gayleviv) October 22, 2023
Not enough, sorry.
— Itamar Barkai (@BarkaiItamar) October 22, 2023
According to the Associated Press, the trivia was taken from the YouTube page The Quiz Channel.
"To be clear, I was unaware Michigan State University is using my content for stadium entertainment and this was unsolicited and unauthorized use."
"A random history trivia question in an inappropriate setting."
Michigan State University Vice President and Director of Athletics Alan Haller also issued a statement regarding "the offensive image" and apologized for the "pain it has caused our community."
He added:
"The image was harmful to our communities, especially our Jewish community which is currently experiencing a rise in antisemitism, including acts of violence."
Haller explained that MSU Athletics was responsible for all content shown on the videoboards and Saturday night's video.
He said that before the video was displayed, it "was not viewed in its entirety by anyone in athletics, exposing a failure in our process."
In addition to ensuring a similar incident won't happen again, Haller tried to make amends:
"I will be reaching out to local groups within the Jewish community as well as other student leadership groups on campus and within our department, each of whom has been impacted in their own way."
"It's important they hear directly from me regarding our failed responsibilities as well as our promise to do better. It's equally imperative that they are provided the opportunity to be heard."
"Antisemitism must be denounced."
"The image displayed prior to Saturday night's game is not representative of who we are and the culture we embody."
"Nevertheless, we must own our failures and accept responsibility. I understand our response might be met with skepticism."
"That skepticism is warranted, and we will do all that is necessary to earn back your trust."
On the field at Saturday's game, MSU lost to No. 2 Michigan by a score of 49-0.
MSU's videoboard oversight was especially unsettling as it followed the death of Samantha Woll, who was the board president of The Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue in Detroit, earlier on the same day.
Woll was found stabbed to death outside her home on Joliet Place on Saturday morning.
The Detroit Police chief stated that no evidence has surfaced suggesting that the death of Woll was motivated by antisemitism.
The crime remains under investigation.