Griz fans are not laughing.
Spectator's Bar & Grill, a popular sports bar near Montana State University's Bobcat Field in Bozeman, ran an advertisement the past two days in the Bozeman Daily Chronicle that featured a Griz paw in a circle - with a line through it - and read "Go Villanova."
Seems tavern owner Joe Domanski thought it'd be funny to publicly root against the Grizzlies as they face off against Villanova at 6 p.m. MST Friday in the NCAA FCS national championship game in Chattanooga, Tenn.
After all, that's what devoted Bobcat fans do, right?
Well, not anymore. Hindsight has become crystal clear.
"It was classless and in poor taste," Domanski said Friday morning, feeling very regretful.
The owner was manning the telephone at Spectators after several of his employees were berated by Griz fans calling, outraged by the advertisement. In the past two days, dozens of people have called the bar to complain about the ad, which is circulating via e-mail all over the state.
The calls of protest have come from all over, not just Missoula. Fans from Butte, Anaconda and Billings are equally perturbed. Domanski described a quarter of the calls as "ugly." The rest have been pretty cordial.
The advertisement was meant as an extension of the friendly cross-state rivalry between MSU and the University of Montana, he said. After all, the 119th annual Brawl of the Wild was less than a month ago. Maybe the Grizzlies' 33-19 win over MSU is still a sore subject. Whatever the reason, Domanski learned the hard way that he's not as funny as he thought.
"It came off the wrong way," he said. "I'm not the sharpest pencil in the box."
Several hours from now, the championship game will be aired on ESPN2, and the TVs at Spectator's Sports Bar will be tuned in, he said. Domanski is regretful about the advertisement and plans to root for the Griz.
"I hope the Griz do well tonight," he said.
