Brother Bear
Well-known member
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjlp43sEuUU
The Year was 2011, the Cats were #1 in the Country and hosting the Griz in bozeman...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19_N2Q_p_aE
I had actually never quite experienced the C-A-T-S hype before, well, maybe except for when this video came out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfRsHuu1vWs
There was a country concert in bozeman the night before the Brawl of the Wild in 2011... it was packed, mostly everyone was in bobcat gear and i had heard earlier all day in bozeman and at the concert how the cats were going to kick the Griz ass and win the National Championship that year. I was actually thinking then how big that particular game was going to be the next day. The tailgates the day of the game, the cats were hyped up and ready to go, the cat Fever pitch was at an all-time high, or at least that i had seen...
I think it was a defining moment, had the cats actually arrived? #1 in the Country... Would they be heading in a direction where they were going to beat the Griz somewhat regularly (and not by a narrow margin, but by a lot) and somehow start competing for national championships on a regular basis? I was actually a bit worried for the Griz that day. Did I become soft, had my cat buddies finally got through and brainwashed me into thinking the Changing of the Guard was going to occur in this State?
Then BAM.... the Griz came out and flat out manhandled them and blew them away. I couldn't believe what was happening, how hard the Griz were hitting and playing. The cat fans, #1 team in the nation... gave up... left early, barely recovered to win a home playoff game before an early playoff exit to Sam Houston State.
I honestly don't know if the cats have ever quite recovered from that. They did make the playoffs in 2012 barely winning a home playoff game before losing at home again the next round and then made it in 2014 only to lose at home again. They then got rid of their coach hired a new one and assembled the best Frontier Conference talent of coaches they could find...only to not make the playoffs, "but just wait until next year."
Mean while, they still haven't beaten the Griz in bozeman since 2005. That is another crazy streak that is currently ongoing. I can't imagine what Missoula would be like if they lost 5 consecutive Brawl matchups at home to MSU. bozeman fans are just used to it. In the land of the make believe (bozeman) I guess that is why they always claim "how good they will be next year". "Our Recruiting class is the best ever". "But we barely lost and this will make us better next year".
Fast forward from 2011 and i think 2017 is another defining moment in bozeman. This one is a bit different. Back then i thought it was a huge moment for the cats and their program, but this, i believe is a defining moment for the Griz and their program.
We all know what has happened in Missoula and our football program since 2011, UM finally went and hired a new coach to officially re-boot a new era. Head Coach Bob Stitt (people seem to either love or hate) is 1-1 against the cats. One playoff appearance in his first year, not one in his second year (which seemed very attainable, only had to win one of their last two games and started year 5-1). If the Griz win this Saturday, he will be 2-1 against the cats and in all likely hood playing a first round home game in Missoula. Making the playoffs 2 out of his first 3 years. Grizzlies just got the Champions Center completed, recruiting seems to be going really well, the Griz seem to be improving and have lots of upcoming talent and an amazing freshman QB.
With all the contract extension talk, which way the Griz should go... i honestly can't remember a time with a coach having that much pressure placed on him like that in this series, especially in just year 3 of a supposed re-build. A win for the Griz and everything can really get humming along (in my opinion) and a loss will have the Stitt detractors out in full force and Griz Nation feeling empty (would the fans be even more pissed than they were last year?) I could see the Griz going deep in the playoffs this year with a healthy QB and surprising a lot of people. That's why a potential loss this weekend would seem all the more perplexing.
Such a big game this year... can't wait. Raise your blue bobcat cup cat fans, try and lift your team to victory
FTC
The Year was 2011, the Cats were #1 in the Country and hosting the Griz in bozeman...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19_N2Q_p_aE
I had actually never quite experienced the C-A-T-S hype before, well, maybe except for when this video came out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfRsHuu1vWs
There was a country concert in bozeman the night before the Brawl of the Wild in 2011... it was packed, mostly everyone was in bobcat gear and i had heard earlier all day in bozeman and at the concert how the cats were going to kick the Griz ass and win the National Championship that year. I was actually thinking then how big that particular game was going to be the next day. The tailgates the day of the game, the cats were hyped up and ready to go, the cat Fever pitch was at an all-time high, or at least that i had seen...
I think it was a defining moment, had the cats actually arrived? #1 in the Country... Would they be heading in a direction where they were going to beat the Griz somewhat regularly (and not by a narrow margin, but by a lot) and somehow start competing for national championships on a regular basis? I was actually a bit worried for the Griz that day. Did I become soft, had my cat buddies finally got through and brainwashed me into thinking the Changing of the Guard was going to occur in this State?
Then BAM.... the Griz came out and flat out manhandled them and blew them away. I couldn't believe what was happening, how hard the Griz were hitting and playing. The cat fans, #1 team in the nation... gave up... left early, barely recovered to win a home playoff game before an early playoff exit to Sam Houston State.
I honestly don't know if the cats have ever quite recovered from that. They did make the playoffs in 2012 barely winning a home playoff game before losing at home again the next round and then made it in 2014 only to lose at home again. They then got rid of their coach hired a new one and assembled the best Frontier Conference talent of coaches they could find...only to not make the playoffs, "but just wait until next year."
Mean while, they still haven't beaten the Griz in bozeman since 2005. That is another crazy streak that is currently ongoing. I can't imagine what Missoula would be like if they lost 5 consecutive Brawl matchups at home to MSU. bozeman fans are just used to it. In the land of the make believe (bozeman) I guess that is why they always claim "how good they will be next year". "Our Recruiting class is the best ever". "But we barely lost and this will make us better next year".
Fast forward from 2011 and i think 2017 is another defining moment in bozeman. This one is a bit different. Back then i thought it was a huge moment for the cats and their program, but this, i believe is a defining moment for the Griz and their program.
We all know what has happened in Missoula and our football program since 2011, UM finally went and hired a new coach to officially re-boot a new era. Head Coach Bob Stitt (people seem to either love or hate) is 1-1 against the cats. One playoff appearance in his first year, not one in his second year (which seemed very attainable, only had to win one of their last two games and started year 5-1). If the Griz win this Saturday, he will be 2-1 against the cats and in all likely hood playing a first round home game in Missoula. Making the playoffs 2 out of his first 3 years. Grizzlies just got the Champions Center completed, recruiting seems to be going really well, the Griz seem to be improving and have lots of upcoming talent and an amazing freshman QB.
With all the contract extension talk, which way the Griz should go... i honestly can't remember a time with a coach having that much pressure placed on him like that in this series, especially in just year 3 of a supposed re-build. A win for the Griz and everything can really get humming along (in my opinion) and a loss will have the Stitt detractors out in full force and Griz Nation feeling empty (would the fans be even more pissed than they were last year?) I could see the Griz going deep in the playoffs this year with a healthy QB and surprising a lot of people. That's why a potential loss this weekend would seem all the more perplexing.
Such a big game this year... can't wait. Raise your blue bobcat cup cat fans, try and lift your team to victory
FTC
