Expectations

[gtapp]

I went to every game the year the Cats were 0-11. Paid my booster fees and my season tickets and went to every game. I knew they would lose every game but I figured I could be part of the problem or part of the solution. This year the Cats were 8-4, made the second round of the playoffs and I am furious. Would love it if every coach lost his job. The difference is expectations! This team has more talent (IMO) than any team in FCS (including SDSU). Yet here we are. The year we were 0-11 I saw the effort and the improvement. This year I saw neither. We still have amazing talent but the coaching is suspect. Right now I am so frustrated I am thinking about not getting my season tickets for next year (after 24 years). I know I will settle down and be back next year but right now someone needs to be accountable for this!

[BelligerentBobcat]

I went to every game the year the Cats were 0-11. Paid my booster fees and my season tickets and went to every game. I knew they would lose every game but I figured I could be part of the problem or part of the solution. This year the Cats were 8-4, made the second round of the playoffs and I am furious. Would love it if every coach lost his job. The difference is expectations! This team has more talent (IMO) than any team in FCS (including SDSU). Yet here we are. The year we were 0-11 I saw the effort and the improvement. This year I saw neither. We still have amazing talent but the coaching is suspect. Right now I am so frustrated I am thinking about not getting my season tickets for next year (after 24 years). I know I will settle down and be back next year but right now someone needs to be accountable for this!

If you want to get rid of your season tickets let me know, I know plenty of people that would love to get some.

[CatsNoMatterWhat]

I went to every game the year the Cats were 0-11. Paid my booster fees and my season tickets and went to every game. I knew they would lose every game but I figured I could be part of the problem or part of the solution. This year the Cats were 8-4, made the second round of the playoffs and I am furious. Would love it if every coach lost his job. The difference is expectations! This team has more talent (IMO) than any team in FCS (including SDSU). Yet here we are. The year we were 0-11 I saw the effort and the improvement. This year I saw neither. We still have amazing talent but the coaching is suspect. Right now I am so frustrated I am thinking about not getting my season tickets for next year (after 24 years). I know I will settle down and be back next year but right now someone needs to be accountable for this!

1. Don't dump your tickets, you'll regret it, and you know it.
2. Expectations are great but need to be taken in context. Two firsts happened yesterday. 1) it was the first time Vigen didn't reach at least the semis in the playoffs; 2) It was literally his first ever loss at home.

Both were bound to happen sooner or later. I felt like this was the most talented team of my life...but others have contested that. We all have our perspective. Vigen is a great coach who needs to make some changes...but let the sting of this one wear off before you jump off the cliff.

[rivercat]

I went to every game the year the Cats were 0-11. Paid my booster fees and my season tickets and went to every game. I knew they would lose every game but I figured I could be part of the problem or part of the solution. This year the Cats were 8-4, made the second round of the playoffs and I am furious. Would love it if every coach lost his job. The difference is expectations! This team has more talent (IMO) than any team in FCS (including SDSU). Yet here we are. The year we were 0-11 I saw the effort and the improvement. This year I saw neither. We still have amazing talent but the coaching is suspect. Right now I am so frustrated I am thinking about not getting my season tickets for next year (after 24 years). I know I will settle down and be back next year but right now someone needs to be accountable for this!

Better talent than SDSU??? At least you said "IMO" which qualifies it as not being a fact in any way.

[MTCowpoke22]

It’s ok to be upset. But we also lost to 3 top 5 teams on the road and a top 10 at home. And 3 of those loses were by inches. We’ve got some adjustments to make for sure, but the sky isn’t falling. And unless we are gutted by the portal, most of the roster returns next year. I’m hoping Vigen makes some needed staff changes and we’ll be back next year.

[Griznationalist]

Almost every program in the FCS — not all, but almost all — would trade their circumstances for what the Cats have going for them in a hot minute. That’s something to be thankful for. The Big Sky Conference and the Cat-Griz rivalry are better when the Cats are relevant. Since the 16-game streak was broken, the rivalry match-ups have been fairly even (11 Griz wins; 9 Cat wins). I don’t know that anything is broken.

[Prodigal Cat]

Going into this season I felt like Cats had a shot at the title. I felt they could definitely win it all but I also felt 2024 is really the year where they should put it all together. Grebe, Valdez, Ortt, Mellott, Woodard will be seniors, returning nearly all the secondary and Oline. The schedule is significantly easier with Sac, Idaho, gris coming to Bozeman. Finally, the road blocks like SDSU and NDSU are extremely senior laden and will be dramatically different teams. We shall see what the next month holds but if they don’t get to at least the semis next year it will be catastrophic. 11-1 or 12-0 is very doable.

[BelligerentBobcat]

Gary, btw, I would completely agree this season was a disappointment. There were some bad losses. Changes will be made, don’t worry.

[coloradocat]

I know I will settle down and be back next year but right now someone needs to be accountable for this!

Maybe just settle down and be accountable for yourself. Nobody else needs to be accountable for your feelings.

[gtapp]

I know I will settle down and be back next year but right now someone needs to be accountable for this!

Maybe just settle down and be accountable for yourself. Nobody else needs to be accountable for your feelings.

No they don't but they should be accountable to the boosters, the fans and the administration. Sure, if we were ISU or Northern Colorado I could see it but we are one of the top 4 programs in the country at FCS. We should be better than this.

[91catAlum]

Almost every program in the FCS — not all, but almost all — would trade their circumstances for what the Cats have going for them in a hot minute. That’s something to be thankful for. The Big Sky Conference and the Cat-Griz rivalry are better when the Cats are relevant. Since the 16-game streak was broken, the rivalry match-ups have been fairly even (11 Griz wins; 9 Cat wins). I don’t know that anything is broken.

Good post, thanks!

PS it's 11 griz, 10 Cats (02, 03, 05, 10, 12, 16-19, 22)

[TomCat88]

Like John Madden said, “you just keep pounding on the door until it falls in.”

[seataccat]

I think we totally overesestimated the talent on this team. The griz had more talent. I do think Vigen is a good recruiter and and a better X's ande O's coach than Choate but not near as good of a recruiter. We need to keep him but our expectations need to be lowered.

[Common Cat]

Big Sky Championship and a National Championship. Let’s go!

[The Butcher]

I know I will settle down and be back next year but right now someone needs to be accountable for this!

Maybe just settle down and be accountable for yourself. Nobody else needs to be accountable for your feelings.

Gary is a great guy and a dedicated Bobcat from head to toe. I give him a pass for expressing his emotions.

[Travelingcat]

Going into this season I felt like Cats had a shot at the title. I felt they could definitely win it all but I also felt 2024 is really the year where they should put it all together. Grebe, Valdez, Ortt, Mellott, Woodard will be seniors, returning nearly all the secondary and Oline. The schedule is significantly easier with Sac, Idaho, gris coming to Bozeman. Finally, the road blocks like SDSU and NDSU are extremely senior laden and will be dramatically different teams. We shall see what the next month holds but if they don’t get to at least the semis next year it will be catastrophic. 11-1 or 12-0 is very doable.

This.

I too felt that we had the talent to win the title this year and our ultimate results were disappointing-- but I also realize that we were *thisclose* to something far better, losing three games out of four on the final play. I always felt that next year was *the* year where we would be loaded with veteran talent. We have a *much* more favorable schedule (the only game I'm really worried about is our road opener at New Mexico and maybe to a lesser extent our home game vs. a resurgent Gris)

Absent an unexpected evisceration by the transfer window, If we are not in Frisco next year, it would certainly qualify as a massive disappointment-- and a big surprise.

[aucat]

Like most Cat fans I thought we had turned a huge corner last year when we blew out the Griz after having the national stage of ESPN GameDay. I thought this was going to be the year we made it to Frisco with a real shot at winning it all, rather than getting blown out again. So yes, I'm terribly disappointed and I think the coaching staff let us down--bad calls, poor strategy at times, special teams, etc. Especially when you have such an enthusiastic and supportive fan base. I will be there next fall in my season seats. After all you cannot lose the tailgate no matter what happens on the field (grin.) However, I am sadly lowering my expectations going forward.

[Griznationalist]

Like most Cat fans I thought we had turned a huge corner last year when we blew out the Griz after having the national stage of ESPN GameDay. I thought this was going to be the year we made it to Frisco with a real shot at winning it all, rather than getting blown out again. So yes, I'm terribly disappointed and I think the coaching staff let us down--bad calls, poor strategy at times, special teams, etc. Especially when you have such an enthusiastic and supportive fan base. I will be there next fall in my season seats. After all you cannot lose the tailgate no matter what happens on the field (grin.) However, I am sadly lowering my expectations going forward.

I’ve been to many games in Bozeman and Missoula over many decades. No program in the nation has a better game-day experience than MSU. In my opinion, UM has an equally good atmosphere (e.g., tailgates, setting, fan experience), but not a better one. Most programs in the nation would give their left or right you know what to be what the Bobcats are. Frankly, I think that’s why many FCS programs have caved and gone to the FBS — they chased the money after their chase of an FCS championship proved unsuccessful. To be disappointed over unfulfilled championship expectations, like the Cat fans are right now, is the sign of a very strong program.

[VimSince03]

Like most Cat fans I thought we had turned a huge corner last year when we blew out the Griz after having the national stage of ESPN GameDay. I thought this was going to be the year we made it to Frisco with a real shot at winning it all, rather than getting blown out again. So yes, I'm terribly disappointed and I think the coaching staff let us down--bad calls, poor strategy at times, special teams, etc. Especially when you have such an enthusiastic and supportive fan base. I will be there next fall in my season seats. After all you cannot lose the tailgate no matter what happens on the field (grin.) However, I am sadly lowering my expectations going forward.

I’ve been to many games in Bozeman and Missoula over many decades. No program in the nation has a better game-day experience than MSU. In my opinion, UM has an equally good atmosphere (e.g., tailgates, setting, fan experience), but not a better one. Most programs in the nation would give their left or right you know what to be what the Bobcats are. Frankly, I think that’s why many FCS programs have caved and gone to the FBS — they chased the money after their chase of an FCS championship proved unsuccessful. To be disappointed over unfulfilled championship expectations, like the Cat fans are right now, is the sign of a very strong program.

Enough with the common sense perspective from a Griz fan nationalist! Can someone please drag whatever identity PR wants to play this week back into this forum?!

[Griznationalist]

Like most Cat fans I thought we had turned a huge corner last year when we blew out the Griz after having the national stage of ESPN GameDay. I thought this was going to be the year we made it to Frisco with a real shot at winning it all, rather than getting blown out again. So yes, I'm terribly disappointed and I think the coaching staff let us down--bad calls, poor strategy at times, special teams, etc. Especially when you have such an enthusiastic and supportive fan base. I will be there next fall in my season seats. After all you cannot lose the tailgate no matter what happens on the field (grin.) However, I am sadly lowering my expectations going forward.

I’ve been to many games in Bozeman and Missoula over many decades. No program in the nation has a better game-day experience than MSU. In my opinion, UM has an equally good atmosphere (e.g., tailgates, setting, fan experience), but not a better one. Most programs in the nation would give their left or right you know what to be what the Bobcats are. Frankly, I think that’s why many FCS programs have caved and gone to the FBS — they chased the money after their chase of an FCS championship proved unsuccessful. To be disappointed over unfulfilled championship expectations, like the Cat fans are right now, is the sign of a very strong program.

Enough with the common sense perspective from a Griz fan nationalist! Can someone please drag whatever identity PR wants to play this week back into this forum?!