Oh No: MSU’s Statue of Sparty Hit by Drunk Driver in East Lansing

We all know drinking and driving don't mix and neither do vehicles and statues. A drunk driver hit the MSU's statue of the school's mascot, Sparty.

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Michigan State University Mascot Sparty

In 1925 Michigan State University when from being the "Aggies" to the "Spartans." The Spartan warrior mascot didn't come around until 1955. Sparty started off as a paper-mache Spartan head. In 1956 it was replaced with a fiberglass version. In 1985 Sparty was drawn with a muscular body in full armor. It was during the 1989 football season when the full costume for Sparty was created and introduced to the fans.

Who Wears The Sparty Costume?

Each year there are tryouts to be Sparty. This is a volunteer position so there is no payment for the mascot. There have been rumors for years that the mascot was paid or received a free ride at school but both have been debunked.

What Does Sparty Do?

Sparty's job is to entertain the fans at Michigan State University sporting events. He makes gestures to the crowd to fire them up and every now and then will be involved in a cheerleader pyramid. Sparty will attend many events on the campus as well as in the community. Sparty is definitely a fan favorite for a photograph or selfie.

Sparty Accolades

Sparty became a nationwide face in the mid-1990s when he appeared in television ads for ESPN's SportsCenter.  In 2004, Sparty won the Best Mascot National Championship and won again the following year. Was nominated for the Mascot Hall of Fame in 2006.

Sparty hit the big time when the mascot made the cover of the Wii version of NCAA Football 09. This was the first time a player didn't make the cover of an EA Sports video game.

Michigan State University's Statue of Mascot Hit by Drunk Driver

According to FOX 17, a drunk driver hit the statue of MSU's mascot Sparty Thursday morning around 4 a.m. in East Lansing. The driver left the scene of the accident but was later found and arrested for driving while intoxicated.

There was no damage to the statue but the area around the statue was pretty torn up. There were no injuries in the crash.