EAST LANSING -- It's been 416 days since the University of Michigan beat Michigan State University in football or basketball, so it's possible some Wolverines rightfully thought mid-April was a good time to vandalize Sparty.
Formally called The Spartan, the iconic statue at the intersection of Kalamazoo Street and Chestnut Road was painted maize and blue by vandals during the overnight hours. As of 11 a.m. Thursday, the paint on the statue itself was cleaned up, but evidence of the crime remained in maize and blue paint on the ground around the statue and on its base.
Michigan State Police University police Sgt.