Schools With the Top Fans of I-AA, Part Two

ralph · Post by **ralph** » Wed Aug 17, 2005 11:30 am

Schools With the Top Fans of I-AA, Part Two
Chuck Burton, I-AA.org columnist
http://www.i-aa.org/article.asp?articleid=71499

In order to come up with an objective list for which fans are best, I came up with a double super-secret formula for measuring the common fan. Let's move on to the countdown with no. 15 through no. 11! ...

Post by **SonomaCat** » Wed Aug 17, 2005 11:36 am

So which egriz smack room resident wrote the MSU blurb?

canyoncat · Post by **canyoncat** » Wed Aug 17, 2005 12:01 pm

I am also wondering who wrote that piece of trash

Who ever wrote that hasn't been to a game in Bozeman in a long time.

GO CATS!!

info197176 · Post by **info197176** » Wed Aug 17, 2005 12:05 pm

..the author is from Lehigh University...nothing to do with the Griz..

Proud Griz Man · Post by **Proud Griz Man** » Wed Aug 17, 2005 12:07 pm

Don't blame UM.

Familiar theme?

http://www.sportsnetwork.com/default.as ... 102302.htm

Post by **kmax** » Wed Aug 17, 2005 12:11 pm

Geez, guys way to crucify someone who just listed MSU fans in the top 15 out of the 107(I think?) I-AA schools in the nation. Pretty damn good and speaks volumes to how far the team and the fanbase have come in the last few years since an 0-11 season where you could hear crickets in the stadium at kickoff. Being 15th also means we have a ways to go and improve, and I personally think that is true and can't wait to see what Bobcat football is like in another 4-5 years!

I am sure I won't be too popular with this opinion but face it guys, Bobcat fans compare themselves to Griz fans (and likewise we do with the teams themselves), and somebody picked up on it. Hell maybe he just did his research in the last week or so and was bombarded with Bobcat fans' seeming to be more obsessed with the coach of the rival than their own team. I'm not saying, I'm just saying. Sometimes when something like that hurts it is time to take a look in the mirror rather than just get mad at the person who said it.

Oh yeah, and yet another vote for how bad the old Champ was, and I doubt he has ever seen him in person. Thank God we are getting a new one this year!

Post by **SonomaCat** » Wed Aug 17, 2005 12:12 pm

info197176 wrote:..the author is from Lehigh University...nothing to do with the Griz..

I know ... but it is obviously paraphrased from "research" on bulletin boards.

Eastcoastgriz · Post by **Eastcoastgriz** » Wed Aug 17, 2005 12:12 pm

Read the article, what part is incorrect?

Post by **SonomaCat** » Wed Aug 17, 2005 12:19 pm

kmax wrote:I am sure I won't be too popular with this opinion but face it guys, Bobcat fans compare themselves to Griz fans (and likewise we do with the teams themselves), and somebody picked up on it. Hell maybe he just did his research in the last week or so and was bombarded with Bobcat fans' seeming to be more obsessed with the coach of the rival than their own team. I'm not saying, I'm just saying. Sometimes when something like that hurts it is time to take a look in the mirror rather than just get mad at the person who said it.

You do make a really good point about this -- if Bobcat fans are going to be defined by bulletin board posts, the depressingly long ongoing thread on our smack board does directly back up the exact sentiment that the writer included in his write-up.

I would just prefer that this sort of thing wasn't used to define the fanbase as a whole, but given the number of teams to cover, that is certainly the easiest way to dig up some quick research.

15th isn't bad, but I assume that we were shoo-ins for something fairly high simply because our attendance is really high (as compared to average) and that we have a pretty big online presence. They know their readership base, and are going to rank schools accordingly.

Post by **kmax** » Wed Aug 17, 2005 12:20 pm

Bay Area Cat wrote:
info197176 wrote:..the author is from Lehigh University...nothing to do with the Griz..
I know ... but it is obviously paraphrased from "research" on bulletin boards.

I would agree that it probably is to a fair extent. Even so, this bulletin board is meant as a place for Bobcat fans to come and talk so if that is the feeling that he picked up from reading this, or other boards with Bobcat fans on them, don't you think maybe it would mean something coming from an unbiased source?

Post by **SonomaCat** » Wed Aug 17, 2005 12:25 pm

I can go one of two ways here with you kmax ... I can either say something snippy and then go silent ... or I can admit that you're making a lot of sense.

You're making a lot of sense.

ralph · Post by **ralph** » Wed Aug 17, 2005 12:25 pm

I missed it, what part is trash? Isn't your number one rival Montana? Isn't the Brawl your big game with them? Don't you love to beat them?

Besides, this is a humor piece too.

Post by **SonomaCat** » Wed Aug 17, 2005 12:30 pm

ralph wrote:I missed it, what part is trash? Isn't your number one rival Montana? Isn't the Brawl your big game with them? Don't you love to beat them?

Besides, this is a humor piece too.

In a vacuum, there is nothing wrong with the piece at all. It just struck me when I read it that it was nearly verbatim to many smack statements made ad naseum by fans of UM. My knee-jerk reaction was that it was just lifted from those kinds of posts.

The mascot is being replaced, so that's one less item to worry about for this season. Perhaps next season's article of the same theme will replace the mascot talk with some first-hand observations of game day in Bozeman.

CatFamily · Post by **CatFamily** » Wed Aug 17, 2005 12:32 pm

KMAX... very well said and I agree totally. I am damn proud of MSU, the football program, fans and facility; and I a very proud of being a supporter of one of the top University Athletic Programs in the nation D-1AA. I really don't care what happens at dumb, I don;t compare myself as a fan or our Bobcat Fans to them... I see us for our great atmosphere, fan support and for what we are... Great Bobcat supporters! Yes, we deserve to be in the top 15 and we have room to get better... so let's do it!

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Wed Aug 17, 2005 12:34 pm

I think it's lame that JMU is ranked ahead of MSU and especially Youngstown State, especially when most of their fans just came out of the woodwork after they won the NC. YSU fans have been completely loyal through good and bad and to a lesser extent but loyal so have MSU.

I voiced that .......I mean...SOMEONE voiced that concern on AGS....

Post by **kmax** » Wed Aug 17, 2005 12:35 pm

CatFamily wrote:KMAX... very well said and I agree totally. I am damn proud of MSU, the football program, fans and facility; and I a very proud of being a supporter of one of the top University Athletic Programs in the nation D-1AA. I really don't care what happens at dumb, I don;t compare myself as a fan or our Bobcat Fans to them... I see us for our great atmosphere, fan support and for what we are... Great Bobcat supporters! Yes, we deserve to be in the top 15 and we have room to get better... so let's do it!

Exactly and thank you CatFamily. Glad I am not the only one that feels this way.

CARDIAC_CATS · Post by **CARDIAC_CATS** » Wed Aug 17, 2005 12:53 pm

You can pretty much see that the person who wrote that was using bulletin board info as research to write the article. I will take #15 though in the nation though! So in that respect I thank the person for listing us up there pretty high as MSU does have a very very good fan base.

P.S - And it's only gettting better!

Great years to come.

ralph · Post by **ralph** » Wed Aug 17, 2005 12:56 pm

Bay Area Cat wrote: In a vacuum, there is nothing wrong with the piece at all. It just struck me when I read it that it was nearly verbatim to many smack statements made...

What smack? About the mascot? He makes fun of all the mascots. I don't see that as a smack at MSU.

Cat Grad · Post by **Cat Grad** » Wed Aug 17, 2005 12:57 pm

Excellent, especially when you consider how low our entire athletic department got. You all are correct in that we've started something pretty impressive. P.S. Make sure you've joined the boosters and have season tickets now.

ralph · Post by **ralph** » Wed Aug 17, 2005 12:57 pm

CARDIAC_CATS wrote:You can pretty much see that the person who wrote that was using bulletin board info as research to write the article...

"...I'm not at liberty to discuss exactly how I came up with the numbers, but my opinion, overall attendance numbers, average attendance numbers, my opinion, message board activity, my opinion, the 2004 GPI, the Any Given Saturday pre-season poll, first-hand media day accounts, and my opinion are prominently featured. And let me reiterate that my opinion was also heavily weighted in the final vote tally..."