we have a long ways to go

[BobCatFan]

I'd keep beating that horse, dead or not, until the powers that be get past the first phase and actually get someting planned.

Until something gets done!!!!!!!!!!!!

Plans are cheap, action is what we need.

[Platinumcat]

Sure the Griz games have a lot of "fluff" associated with them. But the kids absolutely love it. The smoke, the Silvertips, Monte, the movie clips on Griz Vision.........they eat it up. My friends' wives go to the games and enjoy every bit of it as their husbands do......even though they know nothing about the game. Elementary schools in Missoula have a near riot whenever Monte shows up. Why does all that matter?.......community support and an early expectation of success. A lot of Missoulians are addicted to Griz football by the time they're six years old and it pays off. That doesn't imply that the same doesn't hold true in Bozeman......

I don't know that the tailgating at Bozeman is any better or worse than in Missoula. They're both great in that regard. Sure there's a lot of fat cats walking around with money at Washington-Grizzly, but I've always managed to get blitzed for free and have a good time and I'm probably the least important person there.

Finally, while I still give the nod to Wa-Griz vs. Bobcat Stadium (for obvious reasons), MSU has one of the best facilities and atmospheres in the FCS. It's getting bigger and better with their recent field success and I don't see any reason why that direction is going to change in the near future.

This post says a lot to me! For a lot of us diehard Bobcat fans, we would be satisfied without the little extra things on gameday. Heck, give me my family at a tailgate with out friends and other fans and then the experience of watching the Bobcats come onto the field and I'm one happy man! Every time I see this it reminds me how lucky I am to be there as I didn't get to ever do that as a kid growing up in Glasgow.

But, the fru fru stuff can bring excitement and glamour to the experience for youngsters and casual fans who may just be there because their significant other is. It is for those people whom I wish MSU did a better job in marketing. The diehards will always be present.

[Sportin' Life]

I am not saying that things aren't good for the Bobcat football experience. Things are good and getting better.

But all of you that say that the experience is better than Missoula and that the Bobcats shouldn't do anything else are myopic. You should always encourage improvements.

[TIrwin24]

Once again I am amazed at how stupid some Cat fans can be. If you think that the Cats have a better game day(pre-game, tailgates, fans, stadium and final score at the end of the game) you are nuts. The Griz have made it pretty clear that they are the power house in this state. They(mainly Denny Washington) have invested in an amazing stadium, have great adds that run on my t.v at all different hours, they get better media coverage, you walk into a store and see way more Griz apperal than Cats, better field, better scoreboard, better crowds, louder crowds, better speakers, and they sure seem to make it to the playoffs a lot more than we do. Now, if you are happy with where the Cats are, great, but I would like to see the day when the Cats are at the same level, in every aspect as the Griz. Good post MSUCATFAN, you are right on.

I have a good mind to think that this guy just won't be satisfied with anything until the 'Cats wear freakin' dark pink! Get over it buddy! And think about this...With the seating that we have at MSU, very few dUMb fans actually get into the Cat/griz game, giving us a huge advantage!

Will our facilities grow? You bet

Will we follow in the footsteps of dUMb? I hope like hell we don't!

[longhorn_22]

Once again I am amazed at how stupid some Cat fans can be. If you think that the Cats have a better game day(pre-game, tailgates, fans, stadium and final score at the end of the game) you are nuts. The Griz have made it pretty clear that they are the power house in this state. They(mainly Denny Washington) have invested in an amazing stadium, have great adds that run on my t.v at all different hours, they get better media coverage, you walk into a store and see way more Griz apperal than Cats, better field, better scoreboard, better crowds, louder crowds, better speakers, and they sure seem to make it to the playoffs a lot more than we do. Now, if you are happy with where the Cats are, great, but I would like to see the day when the Cats are at the same level, in every aspect as the Griz. Good post MSUCATFAN, you are right on.

I actually do believe that MSU has better pre-game, tailgates, and atmosphere before the game. I will agree, however, that UM has a better stadium and whatnot but just because of that and attendance doesn't mean they are better at everything.

[Fat Cat]

I wouldn't mind a few improvements in the facilities, but overall I am very satisfied with the Bobcat gameday experience. I really wouldn't want to try to replicate what the Griz have. At the last Griz pre-game I went to, I couldn't tell if I was at the Strawberry Festival, a Good Sam Convention, a job fair, or a football game.

Outside Bobcat stadium before a game, you definitely know you are at a football game tailgating with some die hard Bobcat fans and some fun loving college students and alums. The parking lot may get a little muddy, but that is just part of the fun. Listening to the stadium music, drinking beer/tailgating with friends, and throwing around a football is tough to beat

It would be nice to see the west end bowled in (help stop the wind) and the Pepsi zone east-end seats redone on a grassy slope. I love our grass field and would hate to see artificial turf ever - as it would just not seem like Bobcat football. Come September, the grass field is absolutely beautiful (damn those ag schools know how to raise a field!!).

I appreciate what we have, hoping to keep it real and not over commercialized.

[CARDIAC_CATS]

Outside Bobcat stadium before a game, you definitely know you are at a football game tailgating with some die hard Bobcat fans and some fun loving college students and alums. The parking lot may get a little muddy, but that is just part of the fun. Listening to the stadium music, drinking beer/tailgating with friends, and throwing around a football is tough to beat
.

Yep, that is something the Griz just cannot match with the Bobcats in their gameday experience. MSU is fortunate to have large tailgating areas directly around the stadium so there is a lot of space to PLAY!

How can you go wrong with football/tailgating/great food/beer/games/music/family and friends in a BEAUTIFUL town/stadium as Bozeman. YOU CAN'T! END OF DISCUSSION

[tampa_griz]

Outside Bobcat stadium before a game, you definitely know you are at a football game tailgating with some die hard Bobcat fans and some fun loving college students and alums. The parking lot may get a little muddy, but that is just part of the fun. Listening to the stadium music, drinking beer/tailgating with friends, and throwing around a football is tough to beat
.

Yep, that is something the Griz just cannot match with the Bobcats in their gameday experience. MSU is fortunate to have large tailgating areas directly around the stadium so there is a lot of space to PLAY!

How can you go wrong with football/tailgating/great food/beer/games/music/family and friends in a BEAUTIFUL town/stadium as Bozeman. YOU CAN'T! END OF DISCUSSION

The gameday experience in Missoula has all of the things you mentioned as well.....food/beer/games/music/family/friends....in a beautiful city......they just have a lot of other stuff as well. And it's not necessarily a bad thing. People that don't even care about football get in the act and it helps. As the first poster noted, if you sell out the season in one hour you're doing something right.

[msutrackfan]

if you sell out the season in one hour you're doing something right.

Maybe so--but often times people are just followers-- wanting to be part of something that someone else is part of, not because they have any "real connections" to the griz.

Selling out all season tickets is great for any school--Congrats to the Cats for doing so more quickly this year than in the past. That certainly says something for their program.

[kcatz]

Does anyone have a link for the "sellout in an hour?" What exactly did they sell out in an hour, all regular game tickets, all season tickets? It doesn't sound logical that all season ticket holders would renew their seats in the exact same hour.

[tampa_griz]

.......but often times people are just followers-- wanting to be part of something that someone else is part of, not because they have any "real connections" to the griz.......

That isn't a bad thing....trust me. Montana is known throughout the FCS for their crowd. Coach Kill from SIU recently talked about them (positively) as have many others. They have a reputation and it gets butts in the seats and fired up. They feel that they're a part of it....and that they have to get into it.......whether they went to Montana or not is irrelevant. It gets a lot of jabs about "bandwagon fans" and there's probably some truth to it....but so what? Do you think an opposing center is telling his qb "Just ignore that noise.....a lot of them are bandwagon fans." Or that Montana players would wish that "bandwagoneers" would just pipe down? I doubt it. And given Bozeman's recent population boom it won't be long (as if it hasn't already started) before a lot of people at Bobcat Stadium couldn't point to Montana on a map before 2002. And if you don't respect their presence and enthusiasm you're a fool.

Point is, it works for the Griz....by a long shot. MSU is well on their way. It's a good place to watch some great football and have a good time. And there really is no point in Griz fans haggling with Cat fans about which venue is better for football.

[grizband]

Does anyone have a link for the "sellout in an hour?" What exactly did they sell out in an hour, all regular game tickets, all season tickets? It doesn't sound logical that all season ticket holders would renew their seats in the exact same hour.

The "sell out in an hour" refers to single game tickets. Season ticket renewals begin in April and run through June 15, when new season ticket purchases are decided.

[poorgriz]

Once again I am amazed at how stupid some Cat fans can be. If you think that the Cats have a better game day(pre-game, tailgates, fans, stadium and final score at the end of the game) you are nuts. The Griz have made it pretty clear that they are the power house in this state. They(mainly Denny Washington) have invested in an amazing stadium, have great adds that run on my t.v at all different hours, they get better media coverage, you walk into a store and see way more Griz apperal than Cats, better field, better scoreboard, better crowds, louder crowds, better speakers, and they sure seem to make it to the playoffs a lot more than we do. Now, if you are happy with where the Cats are, great, but I would like to see the day when the Cats are at the same level, in every aspect as the Griz. Good post MSUCATFAN, you are right on.

I have a good mind to think that this guy just won't be satisfied with anything until the 'Cats wear freakin' dark pink! Get over it buddy! And think about this...With the seating that we have at MSU, very few dUMb fans actually get into the Cat/griz game, giving us a huge advantage!

Will our facilities grow? You bet

Will we follow in the footsteps of dUMb? I hope like hell we don't!

Wow, did you really just say, "And think about this...With the seating that we have at MSU, very few dUMb fans actually get into the Cat/griz game, giving us a huge advantage!" Have you ever gone to a Cat/Griz game in Bozeman? Have you ever looked at the South end zone during that game? The whole end zone is Griz fans. Their fans have been louder in Bozeman than our own fans. The problem with all this is that Griz fans LOVE football, you people have shown me that Cat fans ENJOY football. At least I can say I am a Cat fan who LOVES football. I wish the rest of you would want a little more and start loving the game instead of enjoying it.

[longhorn_22]

Once again I am amazed at how stupid some Cat fans can be. If you think that the Cats have a better game day(pre-game, tailgates, fans, stadium and final score at the end of the game) you are nuts. The Griz have made it pretty clear that they are the power house in this state. They(mainly Denny Washington) have invested in an amazing stadium, have great adds that run on my t.v at all different hours, they get better media coverage, you walk into a store and see way more Griz apperal than Cats, better field, better scoreboard, better crowds, louder crowds, better speakers, and they sure seem to make it to the playoffs a lot more than we do. Now, if you are happy with where the Cats are, great, but I would like to see the day when the Cats are at the same level, in every aspect as the Griz. Good post MSUCATFAN, you are right on.

I have a good mind to think that this guy just won't be satisfied with anything until the 'Cats wear freakin' dark pink! Get over it buddy! And think about this...With the seating that we have at MSU, very few dUMb fans actually get into the Cat/griz game, giving us a huge advantage!

Will our facilities grow? You bet

Will we follow in the footsteps of dUMb? I hope like hell we don't!

Wow, did you really just say, "And think about this...With the seating that we have at MSU, very few dUMb fans actually get into the Cat/griz game, giving us a huge advantage!" Have you ever gone to a Cat/Griz game in Bozeman? Have you ever looked at the South end zone during that game? The whole end zone is Griz fans. Their fans have been louder in Bozeman than our own fans. The problem with all this is that Griz fans LOVE football, you people have shown me that Cat fans ENJOY football. At least I can say I am a Cat fan who LOVES football. I wish the rest of you would want a little more and start loving the game instead of enjoying it.

I'm going to go ahead and disagree with you on that one.

[CARDIAC_CATS]

Once again I am amazed at how stupid some Cat fans can be. If you think that the Cats have a better game day(pre-game, tailgates, fans, stadium and final score at the end of the game) you are nuts. The Griz have made it pretty clear that they are the power house in this state. They(mainly Denny Washington) have invested in an amazing stadium, have great adds that run on my t.v at all different hours, they get better media coverage, you walk into a store and see way more Griz apperal than Cats, better field, better scoreboard, better crowds, louder crowds, better speakers, and they sure seem to make it to the playoffs a lot more than we do. Now, if you are happy with where the Cats are, great, but I would like to see the day when the Cats are at the same level, in every aspect as the Griz. Good post MSUCATFAN, you are right on.

I have a good mind to think that this guy just won't be satisfied with anything until the 'Cats wear freakin' dark pink! Get over it buddy! And think about this...With the seating that we have at MSU, very few dUMb fans actually get into the Cat/griz game, giving us a huge advantage!

Will our facilities grow? You bet

Will we follow in the footsteps of dUMb? I hope like hell we don't!

Wow, did you really just say, "And think about this...With the seating that we have at MSU, very few dUMb fans actually get into the Cat/griz game, giving us a huge advantage!" Have you ever gone to a Cat/Griz game in Bozeman? Have you ever looked at the South end zone during that game? The whole end zone is Griz fans. Their fans have been louder in Bozeman than our own fans. The problem with all this is that Griz fans LOVE football, you people have shown me that Cat fans ENJOY football. At least I can say I am a Cat fan who LOVES football. I wish the rest of you would want a little more and start loving the game instead of enjoying it.

I'm going to go ahead and disagree with you on that one.

I will disagree as well. Heck the Griz fans I went up with to the game in 2006 left at halftime to tailgate it was such a whooping (and they drank my celebration Jagermeister to boot .... I WAS NOT HAPPY! ). The game before that their fans were quiet until end of 3rd quarter when they actually had a spark at end after getting knocked around for 3 quarters.

[CPACAT]

The griz do have a great game day experience. I have been to quite a few games. My dad has season tickets to the Cats & the griz. His only connection is 3 kids at MSU and 1 at UM. He enjoys both but probably prefers UM because of the large crowds, noice, nice statium and fancy scoreboard. However when you talk about the actual games afterwards he says there was no difference in experience. It all comes down to the game. A tailgate is a tailgate. Cold beer, food, Cold beer, shots, hot babes, Cold Beer and football. Those are the major factors and they are essentially the same at both stadiums.

I personally enjoy going to Bozeman better than Missoula. It isn't such a pain to go from the tailgates to the game and back.

I believe the Missoula game day experience is marketed great and is being sold to alot of bandwagon fans. When the griz have a sub .500 season and there are 10,000 empty seats at a game that place will look extremely empty. It will happen at some point in time.

I think we should continue to improve our facilities and game day experience but not have giz envy.

[BroncoCat]

Once again I am amazed at how stupid some Cat fans can be. If you think that the Cats have a better game day(pre-game, tailgates, fans, stadium and final score at the end of the game) you are nuts. The Griz have made it pretty clear that they are the power house in this state. They(mainly Denny Washington) have invested in an amazing stadium, have great adds that run on my t.v at all different hours, they get better media coverage, you walk into a store and see way more Griz apperal than Cats, better field, better scoreboard, better crowds, louder crowds, better speakers, and they sure seem to make it to the playoffs a lot more than we do. Now, if you are happy with where the Cats are, great, but I would like to see the day when the Cats are at the same level, in every aspect as the Griz. Good post MSUCATFAN, you are right on.

I have a good mind to think that this guy just won't be satisfied with anything until the 'Cats wear freakin' dark pink! Get over it buddy! And think about this...With the seating that we have at MSU, very few dUMb fans actually get into the Cat/griz game, giving us a huge advantage!

Will our facilities grow? You bet

Will we follow in the footsteps of dUMb? I hope like hell we don't!

Wow, did you really just say, "And think about this...With the seating that we have at MSU, very few dUMb fans actually get into the Cat/griz game, giving us a huge advantage!" Have you ever gone to a Cat/Griz game in Bozeman? Have you ever looked at the South end zone during that game? The whole end zone is Griz fans. Their fans have been louder in Bozeman than our own fans.[/b] The problem with all this is that Griz fans LOVE football, you people have shown me that Cat fans ENJOY football. At least I can say I am a Cat fan who LOVES football. I wish the rest of you would want a little more and start loving the game instead of enjoying it.

I'm going to go ahead and disagree with you on that one.

I will disagree with this the highlighted statement. Also, last year at Cat/griz in Missoula at the end of the first half the Cats fans in the south endzone took over the noise and made things very hard for the grizzlies to run their offense and even induced a false start and they had to used timeouts because they couldn't call their plays. I have not heard the grizzlies take over our stadium like that and I have been to every Cat/griz game in Bozeman since 1993.

[CARDIAC_CATS]

Once again I am amazed at how stupid some Cat fans can be. If you think that the Cats have a better game day(pre-game, tailgates, fans, stadium and final score at the end of the game) you are nuts. The Griz have made it pretty clear that they are the power house in this state. They(mainly Denny Washington) have invested in an amazing stadium, have great adds that run on my t.v at all different hours, they get better media coverage, you walk into a store and see way more Griz apperal than Cats, better field, better scoreboard, better crowds, louder crowds, better speakers, and they sure seem to make it to the playoffs a lot more than we do. Now, if you are happy with where the Cats are, great, but I would like to see the day when the Cats are at the same level, in every aspect as the Griz. Good post MSUCATFAN, you are right on.

I have a good mind to think that this guy just won't be satisfied with anything until the 'Cats wear freakin' dark pink! Get over it buddy! And think about this...With the seating that we have at MSU, very few dUMb fans actually get into the Cat/griz game, giving us a huge advantage!

Will our facilities grow? You bet

Will we follow in the footsteps of dUMb? I hope like hell we don't!

Wow, did you really just say, "And think about this...With the seating that we have at MSU, very few dUMb fans actually get into the Cat/griz game, giving us a huge advantage!" Have you ever gone to a Cat/Griz game in Bozeman? Have you ever looked at the South end zone during that game? The whole end zone is Griz fans. Their fans have been louder in Bozeman than our own fans.[/b] The problem with all this is that Griz fans LOVE football, you people have shown me that Cat fans ENJOY football. At least I can say I am a Cat fan who LOVES football. I wish the rest of you would want a little more and start loving the game instead of enjoying it.

I'm going to go ahead and disagree with you on that one.

I will disagree with this the highlighted statement. Also, last year at Cat/griz in Missoula at the end of the first half the Cats fans in the south endzone took over the noise and made things very hard for the grizzlies to run their offense and even induced a false start and they had to used timeouts because they couldn't call their plays. I have not heard the grizzlies take over our stadium like that and I have been to every Cat/griz game in Bozeman since 1993.

Yeah that was awesome! You could hear the crowd noise on the TV! FALSE START!!!! Then they are stopped cold on the next play on 4th down! YEAH BABY!

[GrizinWashington]

Does anyone have a link for the "sellout in an hour?" What exactly did they sell out in an hour, all regular game tickets, all season tickets? It doesn't sound logical that all season ticket holders would renew their seats in the exact same hour.

Here's the link. And yes, every seat for every game is sold.

http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2007 ... z/gr46.txt

[poorgriz]

In regard to the Griz fans being louder, I recall from a few years ago in which the MSU fans started chatting MONTANA---STATE from onside of the stadium to the the other, you know how the cheer goes. When it was time for the STATE part, the Griz fans in the south end zone would say Grizzlies, and you could hear the Grizzlies over top the STATE. They have loud fans. I have also seen many road games: EWU, PSU, Weber, Idaho State in which Griz fans have had just as many fans and have been way louder than that home team. I think you all need to wake up from this dream life you are living in where you think MSU is amazing and great and realize that we still have alot of things to work on. I love our program, but we still have a long way to go and I hope that we don't ever stop at trying to become the BEST program in the BSC.