** This is from an article that ran in the Missoulian (yes, the Missoulian believe it or not) before Cat/Griz.
Confessions of an MSU grad ...
BY ANGIE MORETTI - HIT OR MISS-OULA angie.moretti@ missoulian.com.
Yeah, I'll say it:`Grizzlies suck'
I'm a Bobcat. Yeah, that's right. A Bobcat. Which means this Saturday, you and I will be mortal enemies. It's a big day. For a lot of people, the big day. So if you haven't already chosen a side, you better pick one, because it's either us or them.
For me the choice was easy because technically I've been a Bobcat for more than a decade. I went to school at MSU from 1994 to 1998. Yet I don't feel I truly became a Bobcat until I moved to Missoula back in December 2001.
Don't get me wrong, I'm a proud graduate of Montana State University. I loved going to school there and I love Bozeman. I'm just not a football fan.
And since football is the only sport that seems to matter in this state, I never got very involved in school spirit.
I've never donned the blue and gold or put the MSU sticker on my car.
The
only Bobcat paraphernalia I own is a coffee mug and my Montana State University Alumni Association Mastercard. Without those reminders, I wonder if I might even forget that I am a Bobcat.
I never used to think about being a Bobcat when I lived in Seattle, or even Bozeman for that matter. But all that changed when I moved to Missoula.
It
was then that I realized being a Bobcat isn't necessarily about loving the Bobcats. For me, it's about hating the Grizzlies.
Being surrounded by smack-talking Griz fans has brought out a new fascination in school spirit for me, but this newfound interest is not without limits. I still won't don the blue and gold or put the MSU sticker on my car. And you won't find me tuning in to see the Bobcats play just any old game. That's because I only care about the big game. And that's because I want to see the Grizzlies lose. Most importantly, I want to see the Grizzlies lose to the Bobcats.
How did I become so hateful? It probably has something to do with the fact that the year I moved here, the Grizzlies were celebrating their 16th straight win over the Bobcats and the most common two-word phrase heard in Missoula was "Bobcats suck."
Yeah, that's right. I blame you. All of you cocky, obnoxious, overzealous Griz fans. It wasn't until I was exposed to your relentless bashing that I began to care. You've gotten under my skin. You've made me into a monster. I went from being a quiet non-participant to a loudmouthed hooligan, just like you.
I'll admit, I just want to see the Grizzlies suffer. That's all there is to it. I want to be able to go up to every insanely annoying Griz fan I know and shout, "In your face, sucka!" Sometimes I go for the more subtle approach and innocently ask them who won the game. They love that.
Either
way, it is these moments I live for.
So when I first decided I was going to write about Griz fans, my plan was to absolutely tear you apart. I can't stand you people. Clearly, you've driven me to the verge of insanity.
But realizing that I was about to embark into territory unfamiliar to me, I decided I had better do some research.
What I found is that you can't stand me either, and rightfully so.
Bobcat fans are just as ridiculous as Griz fans, maybe even more so.
I've
heard that some Griz fans are actually afraid to go to games in Bozeman because of the violence. Because of the what? It's football, people, not Cabbage Patch Dolls circa 1983.
Obviously, fans on both sides are a bit over the top, but that's what makes this so fun. Where would we be without the name-calling and hair-pulling?
Personally, I miss grade school.
Love thy neighbor? I say take advantage of this Saturday and hate thy neighbor. Go ahead, give it a shot. Everybody's doing it. And now, I too see the joy in venting a year's worth of rage on one cold afternoon. I get it.
I won't soon be forgetting that I am a Bobcat. How could I? For one day of the year, we get to hate each other - and damn, does it feel good. After all, what's a little healthy competition between neighbors?
So now that we understand each other, I have two words for you:
Grizzlies
suck.
Your post was good Gtapp. But, I'm rolling over the fact that you are using that dog as your avatar. I had mentioned it on another thread that I thought someone should use it. That's the most disgusting, yet hilarious thing I've seen in a while. 
That's sad. Used to be if you were not in Montana and ran into somebody from Montana there was an automatic sense of friendship or kinship - that's why Griz and Cat fans can get together at satellite parties in other states.
