Emotional reaction to Lady Griz shakeup reflects abrupt end of an era, formula

[Griz1]

Thank you hookedongriz and grizzlyjournal. I really appreciate learning about the podcast as I was never aware of it. I enjoyed listening to it and I’m anxious to watch the lady Griz return to being the dominant force they once were. I feel Brian will be a good fit but realize the proof is based on performance and not talk.

 

[MikeyGriz]

I have never understood the widespread desire for so many Griz fans to complain about the number of Montana kids, or Native American kids competing on our athletic teams. I live in five states in the past, and no other fan bases have an issue with where their players came from. My buddy from Wyoming, who is a big Cowboys fan, says that Wyoming fans don't care if a single player is from the state of Wyoming. Same with NDSU Bison fans about having North Dakota players. They just care about signing great players, period. It seems to be a phenomenon unique to Montana.

I think perspective is driven, at least in part, from background. My roots in MT go back over a century, I lived in three other states from the east coast from the west coast after receiving my undergraduate degree from UM, and have been back in MT full-time for two decades. The Montana University System is unwieldy and inefficient in many ways, but has always operated in a manner that focuses on creating opportunities for all MT high school graduates. Wyoming, on the other hand, has one university fed by community colleges. MT is different than Wyoming in many ways. But in this context, while MT universities want to excel in athletics (and I want UM to win as much as anybody), I believe the focus on recruiting and developing MT athletes is based on MT culture and is understandable. I was a dip-shit kid from the Hi-Line who moved to Missoula at age 18 and benefited immeasurably from UM’s focus on MT students. I know the only constant is change but I hope we can continue to recruit and nurture MT students and student-athletes.

Has anyone heard that this will change in any sport?

 

[MikeyGriz]

Here is a link to the podcast. Excellent, in-depth session with coach Holsinger. As usual, Riley Corcoran does an excellent job of conducting the interview, resulting in a good profile of the incoming MontanaWBB coach.
[media]https://twitter.com/VoiceoftheGriz/status/1390365846950744064[/media]

He was a great interview from my perspective. Very honest, humble, respectful and I like all that he is about so far.

He addresses the roster turnover directly and was honest with the girls. He watched hours of film, talked to tons of people, had honest convos with the players, and relied on staff to help each of these girls find new places that will suit them and their careers well. Yes some of this was through zoom but that was due entirely to covid.

I came away extremely impressed.

Edit: has been on phone so much ear started bleeding, literally.

Skipped family trip to Hawaii to stay and make sure all is going smoothly in Missoula. Family went without him.

This can't be! A certain someone on e-griz assured us this was all done entirely through zoom. Strictly impersonal and unprecedented! A hachet job and cut them adrift to fend solely for themselves! The humanity of ot all!

 

[MikeyGriz]

The below blurb from the article is also relevant as well. As amazing at it would be to see the Lady Griz rise back to prominence with mostly Montana players, I just don’t think it’ll happen. I’d love to be wrong though!

As I said, it's pretty much of an end The House That Rob Built.

That house needed some renovations and updates before Rob left!

 

[PlayerRep]

As I said, it's pretty much of an end The House That Rob Built.

That house needed some renovations and updates before Rob left!

Perhaps, but that wasn't what my comment was on.

 

[citygriz]

Here is a link to the podcast. Excellent, in-depth session with coach Holsinger. As usual, Riley Corcoran does an excellent job of conducting the interview, resulting in a good profile of the incoming MontanaWBB coach.
[media]https://twitter.com/VoiceoftheGriz/status/1390365846950744064[/media]

He was a great interview from my perspective. Very honest, humble, respectful and I like all that he is about so far.

He addresses the roster turnover directly and was honest with the girls. He watched hours of film, talked to tons of people, had honest convos with the players, and relied on staff to help each of these girls find new places that will suit them and their careers well. Yes some of this was through zoom but that was due entirely to covid.

I came away extremely impressed.

Edit: has been on phone so much ear started bleeding, literally.

Skipped family trip to Hawaii to stay and make sure all is going smoothly in Missoula. Family went without him.

Two enthusiastic guys there, for sure.

Holsinger: Hair on fire!

Riley: "The British are coming! The British are coming!"

Two more things I'd have liked to know.

Among the several good things Petrino did was to sign two potential stars, Dani Bartch from Helena and Haley Huard, daughter of Brock Huard. Is Holsinger in touch with them? Has he watched tape on them? How do they figure in his plans?

But also, what is his coaching philosophy? Not so much defense; all coaches preach defense. But on the offensive side of the ball, we're in the midst of a revolution in basketball, thanks largely to Steph Curry: The prominence of the three-point shot. How does he feel about that? But also: Does he play fast? What's his offensive philosophy?

It amazes me that on the football board, people can talk you blue about strategy. But in basketball we have a new coach and not a peep from Riley about how he likes to play. As if you just roll the ball out there and see what happens.

But here's what I really like: A guy with deep Montana roots who reaches out internationally. I'm one who gave up on the Lady Griz when it became apparent there was a low ceiling for this program. I hope with Holsinger, the "Big Sky" is not the limit.

I've never known why it had to be.

 

[Grizbeer]

The lack of widespread media coverage of Lady Griz basketball right now likely has little to do with a new coach. The print media in MT has been decimated in recent years. Lee Enterprises and Gannett have been poor stewards. The entire industry is reeling. Broadcast media in MT has historically been weak and scattershot. It’s hard to attract media attention on important public policy issues, and even harder to attract media attention to women’s basketball in May.

The situation is Missoula is actually worse than this. The Missoulian is down to 1 (one, uno, singular) sportswriter with Speltz moving on to deerlodge. Meanwhile Lee has Rachac in Bozeman, editor Welsch in Belgrade, and the 3 Bozeman Chronicle sports writers covering the bobcats.

I know that doesn’t sound right, but currently Lee has 5 writers contributing to Bobcat coverage and 1 writer covering all sports (college and high school) in Missoula and far western Montana.

 

[CatGrad-UMGradStu]

The lack of widespread media coverage of Lady Griz basketball right now likely has little to do with a new coach. The print media in MT has been decimated in recent years. Lee Enterprises and Gannett have been poor stewards. The entire industry is reeling. Broadcast media in MT has historically been weak and scattershot. It’s hard to attract media attention on important public policy issues, and even harder to attract media attention to women’s basketball in May.

The situation is Missoula is actually worse than this. The Missoulian is down to 1 (one, uno, singular) sportswriter with Speltz moving on to deerlodge. Meanwhile Lee has Rachac in Bozeman, editor Welsch in Belgrade, and the 3 Bozeman Chronicle sports writers covering the bobcats.

I know that doesn’t sound right, but currently Lee has 5 writers contributing to Bobcat coverage and 1 writer covering all sports (college and high school) in Missoula and far western Montana.

https://montananewsguild.org/2020/10/08/lee-enterprises-continues-to-cut-staff-at-montana-newspapers/amp/

 

[goatcreekgriz]

The lack of widespread media coverage of Lady Griz basketball right now likely has little to do with a new coach. The print media in MT has been decimated in recent years. Lee Enterprises and Gannett have been poor stewards. The entire industry is reeling. Broadcast media in MT has historically been weak and scattershot. It’s hard to attract media attention on important public policy issues, and even harder to attract media attention to women’s basketball in May.

The situation is Missoula is actually worse than this. The Missoulian is down to 1 (one, uno, singular) sportswriter with Speltz moving on to deerlodge. Meanwhile Lee has Rachac in Bozeman, editor Welsch in Belgrade, and the 3 Bozeman Chronicle sports writers covering the bobcats.

I know that doesn’t sound right, but currently Lee has 5 writers contributing to Bobcat coverage and 1 writer covering all sports (college and high school) in Missoula and far western Montana.

I did not know Speltz had departed. Horrible news. But I don’t think the Bozeman Chronicle is a Lee paper, unless it was recently acquired.

 

[PlayerRep]

The situation is Missoula is actually worse than this. The Missoulian is down to 1 (one, uno, singular) sportswriter with Speltz moving on to deerlodge. Meanwhile Lee has Rachac in Bozeman, editor Welsch in Belgrade, and the 3 Bozeman Chronicle sports writers covering the bobcats.

I know that doesn’t sound right, but currently Lee has 5 writers contributing to Bobcat coverage and 1 writer covering all sports (college and high school) in Missoula and far western Montana.

I did not know Speltz had departed. Horrible news. But I don’t think the Bozeman Chronicle is a Lee paper, unless it was recently acquired.

Bozeman paper is owned by Pioneer Newspapers Inc.

Speltz was playing tennis at the Peak in Missoula today.

 

[maroonandsilver]

I did not know Speltz had departed. Horrible news. But I don’t think the Bozeman Chronicle is a Lee paper, unless it was recently acquired.

Bozeman paper is owned by Pioneer Newspapers Inc.

Speltz was playing tennis at the Peak in Missoula today.

I heard he will be editor in Deer Lodge, and will commute from Missoula.

 

[Grizbeer]

I did not know Speltz had departed. Horrible news. But I don’t think the Bozeman Chronicle is a Lee paper, unless it was recently acquired.

Bozeman paper is owned by Pioneer Newspapers Inc.

Speltz was playing tennis at the Peak in Missoula today.

Bozeman Chronicle is a contributor to 406MTsports, Lee’s combined statewide sports reporting. Content on 406MTsports is carried in all Lee Montana newspapers

https://406mtsports.com/partners/bozeman-daily-chronicle/

Speltz announced he is moving to a deerlodge paper and living in Missoula

https://mobile.twitter.com/billspeltz/status/1389934603117293569


I do have a correction- it appears the Missoulian does have a 2nd sports writer. Lance Hartzler from Flagstaff. Had no idea.

 

[tourist]

What is read by the residents of the Montana State Prison, and staff, is vital to the interests of ALL Montanans. Trust me.

 

[MikeyGriz]

The state and much of the nation would be better off if Lee Enterprises went out of business.

 

[GrizLA]

The state and much of the nation would be better off if Lee Enterprises went out of business.

how so?

 

[MikeyGriz]

Their customer service sucks and they put out a poor product. If they went out of business, maybe a better product would become available.

 

[hunt-ducks]

Their customer service sucks and they put out a poor product. If they went out of business, maybe a better product would become available.

I agree!

 

[Grizbeer]

Bozeman paper is owned by Pioneer Newspapers Inc.

Speltz was playing tennis at the Peak in Missoula today.

Bozeman Chronicle is a contributor to 406MTsports, Lee’s combined statewide sports reporting. Content on 406MTsports is carried in all Lee Montana newspapers

https://406mtsports.com/partners/bozeman-daily-chronicle/

Speltz announced he is moving to a deerlodge paper and living in Missoula

https://mobile.twitter.com/billspeltz/status/1389934603117293569


I do have a correction- it appears the Missoulian does have a 2nd sports writer. Lance Hartzler from Flagstaff. Had no idea.

Speltz is back - again! Up to 3. Nice to see the local paper care about sports https://missoulian.com/sports/bill-speltz-hey-its-good-to-be-back-home-again/article_700eb6a3-7545-5b8c-a470-f3a53b78f9f5.html#tracking-source=home-top-story-1