Northern Iowa...

[Jerry Punch]

Reluctant is the nicest thing you can say about these jokers. They've never been able to deliver a cogent finance-based argument as to how this move up would be funded. It's merely "TV will pay for the move up" or "it will work out in the end." That's a cute suggestion that the ends will justify the means, but as you may notice from federal spending and overseas wars that a detailed, step-by step plan is essential to financial security.

They state that nobody cares about this division. Guess what? I see 25,000+ rabid Griz fans every home game who care, and multiples more watching on TV. Do you honestly think that the Griz would be a regional draw crowded out by teams like Washington, Washington State, Utah, Oregon, Oregon State and Wyoming? How do the Griz carve out a regional niche like some of those teams did and many of them struggle to do? Don't over estimate the draw that UM has by comparing UM to Boise State. Missoula isn't Boise. Missoula isn't a tech sector or economic powerhouse. It's a college town stuck between two more successful cities.

Fooling yourself into believing that UM would be a national brand isn't arrogant. It's just wrong and the wrong reason to support a move up. WSU and UW struggle to brand themselves as national every single year, and they have a much more extensive history of football success than UM could ever dream of. Outside of the state of Washington, you'll be hard-pressed to find a dedicated fan base of bandwagoners like USC, Notre Dame, or Alabama has. I know many of you may see a Griz shirt occasionally in airports or bigger cities, and if we're to trust your anecdotal experiences to justify the national brand success, I would truly feel bad for the other UM fans who have a little basis in reality.

 

[br fan]

I've said for years that by 2015 there will be a super 64 and a level 2 with the lower fbs and upper fcs, both with playoffs. I just hope um doesn't screw the pooch and wait to long and end up in the third teir with the Idaho states and northern colorados.

I agree with this. A lot of posters feel the lower level FBS teams will ask to come back to FCS, but I don't see that happening. I think we'll see a new lower level FBS divsion get formed. The current FCS will be the third tier, and if the Montana schools lack the money to move, we will be in the third tier.

 

[CentralMontanan]

Missoula isn't a tech sector or economic powerhouse. It's a college town stuck between two more successful cities.

LOL @ Boise being a "tech sector powerhouse" or an "economic powerhouse".

You don't leave the Northern Rockies much do you?

Also, what are the "more successful" cities it's stuck between? Drummond? Butte? Wallace?

 

[CentralMontanan]

The FCS Faithful remind one of the subject of the story about the hopelessly optimistic little boy whose parents tried to shock into finally facing up to reality. While his brother got a shiny new bike for Christmas he opened up a box full of shit wrapped in newspaper and exclaimed joyfully..."Oh boy, a pony that got away!"

FCS has lost ten ponies and counting...GrizNation will soon be left with the box...

Haha. So true. UM's provincial attitude has done it no favors with athletics and the window may be shut already. We missed our shot when the WAC invited us. We could be in the MWC this upcoming season and instead we're sitting around with fingers up our collective asses waiting to play Ft. Lewis or Mesa State.

Pan Handle St. for openers....

Exactly. It's just gets duller and duller as the years progress. We'll probably be the Frontier Conference champs in about 10 years at this rate.

 

[AllWeatherFan]

Blah blah blah blah blah blahbity frickin' blah.

 

[tgreseth]

Blah blah blah blah blah blahbity frickin' blah.

AWF, I didn't know you were bilingual?! :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Jerry Punch]

Missoula isn't a tech sector or economic powerhouse. It's a college town stuck between two more successful cities.

LOL @ Boise being a "tech sector powerhouse" or an "economic powerhouse".

You don't leave the Northern Rockies much do you?

Also, what are the "more successful" cities it's stuck between? Drummond? Butte? Wallace?

Boise is a tech sector powerhouse. You'd be right to say it isn't Silicon Valley, but compared to the cities in the region, no one comes close. Missoula can't support UM the way Boise supports Boise State.

Missoula - stuck between Spokane and Billings with nothing more to offer other than the fact that it's by the mountains and an excellent place to party. You'll have to tell me what makes Missoula competitive with other regional cities playing host to FBS schools.

Here's a list for you to work with:
Spokane
Seattle
Eugene
Corvallis
Boise
Boulder
Salt Lake City

Go.

 

[Ursa Major]

Missoula - stuck between Spokane and Minneapolis with nothing more to offer other than the fact that it's by the mountains and an excellent place to party. You'll have to tell me what makes Missoula competitive with other regional cities playing host to FBS schools.


Go.

FIFY

Billings? Who the fuck are you trying to kid?

 

[Jerry Punch]

You're right, Ursa. I'm the moron for thinking Billings is less well-off and economically inferior to Missoula. Oops!

 

[CentralMontanan]

If Boise is your idea of a "tech sector powerhouse", then you need to leave the region more. There might be more tech stuff going on in Boise compared to the rest of the inland Northwest, but that's not saying much.

I guess Laurel is an "energy powerhouse" because they have a few refineries there, going by that.

I've actually been places, and I've been to real "tech sector powerhouses". Boise, while a decent town, isn't a powerhouse for anything. Especially not tech.

 

[CentralMontanan]

As far as your list....Missoula and Corvallis are pretty similar places, same with Eugene. Eugene's like a bigger Missoula. Spokane is bigger than Missoula, but I'd hardly say it's more "successful". It's kind of a dump. Billings is a faceless dump for that matter too.


Your list is pretty random though. I don't know exactly your point. Your towns run the gamut from smallish cities to metropoli.

And I must've missed the part where it was determined that all 26000 fans each week come only from Missoula.

 

[bobadams]

You left Pullman off the list. We could easily dominate football in this part of the country. We should have moved to the WAC. OH MY GOSH!! what will we do if we lose a game to Washington or Boise State??? The fans will leave!!! They wouldn't go anymore!!! We have 25000 people that go now to panhandle state!!! They love it!!! They'll keep coming forever!!!

Grow or Die

 

[Copper Griz]

As far as your list....Missoula and Corvallis are pretty similar places, same with Eugene. Eugene's like a bigger Missoula. Spokane is bigger than Missoula, but I'd hardly say it's more "successful". It's kind of a dump. Billings is a faceless dump for that matter too.


Your list is pretty random though. I don't know exactly your point. Your towns run the gamut from smallish cities to metropoli.

And I must've missed the part where it was determined that all 26000 fans each week come only from Missoula.

Kind of tough on Billings aren't you. They have a ton of beatiful box stores, chain restaurants, and the amazing Rimrock Mall. Don't forget three oil refineries, a gorgeous sugar beat processing plant and railroad tracks that run right through the middle of town. How much more do you want? Brown town is amazing you heartless bastard.

 

[Ursa Major]

As far as your list....Missoula and Corvallis are pretty similar places, same with Eugene. Eugene's like a bigger Missoula. Spokane is bigger than Missoula, but I'd hardly say it's more "successful". It's kind of a dump. Billings is a faceless dump for that matter too.


Your list is pretty random though. I don't know exactly your point. Your towns run the gamut from smallish cities to metropoli.

And I must've missed the part where it was determined that all 26000 fans each week come only from Missoula.

Kind of tough on Billings aren't you. They have a ton of beatiful box stores, chain restaurants, and the amazing Rimrock Mall. Don't forget three oil refineries, a gorgeous sugar beat processing plant and railroad tracks that run right through the middle of town. How much more do you want? Brown town is amazing you heartless bastard.

Your forgetting the wafting bouquet of the stockyard...

 

[cody45051]

If Boise is your idea of a "tech sector powerhouse", then you need to leave the region more. There might be more tech stuff going on in Boise compared to the rest of the inland Northwest, but that's not saying much.

I guess Laurel is an "energy powerhouse" because they have a few refineries there, going by that.

I've actually been places, and I've been to real "tech sector powerhouses". Boise, while a decent town, isn't a powerhouse for anything. Especially not tech.

Wow, I guess I haven't seen the tech manufacturers you have seen because any publicly traded company that has consistently held revenue at $2 billion a year for the last three years, has made $8.5 billion in international acquisitions in the last 3 years, and employs over 25,000 people worldwide would be considered big for Montana. This is rather large for manufacturing. If there is another publicly traded company that comes close to these numbers that is based in MT (or our good neighbors in Wyoming or North Dakota) the way Micron is based in Idaho, please let me know.

 

[kemajic]

As far as your list....Missoula and Corvallis are pretty similar places, same with Eugene. Eugene's like a bigger Missoula. Spokane is bigger than Missoula, but I'd hardly say it's more "successful". It's kind of a dump. Billings is a faceless dump for that matter too.


Your list is pretty random though. I don't know exactly your point. Your towns run the gamut from smallish cities to metropoli.

And I must've missed the part where it was determined that all 26000 fans each week come only from Missoula.

Kind of tough on Billings aren't you. They have a ton of beatiful box stores, chain restaurants, and the amazing Rimrock Mall. Don't forget three oil refineries, a gorgeous sugar beat processing plant and railroad tracks that run right through the middle of town. How much more do you want? Brown town is amazing you heartless bastard.

You are describing jobs, which Billings has and Missoula constantly whines about being short. Unless you like to serve latte'...

 

[kemajic]

And I must've missed the part where it was determined that all 26000 fans each week come only from Missoula.

It is the University of Missoula, isn't it?

 

[kemajic]

Don't forget three oil refineries,

Two that I am aware of. The output of which is far more useful than any in Missoula since the left shut down the forest products industry.

 

[HighLineGRIZ]

As far as your list....Missoula and Corvallis are pretty similar places, same with Eugene. Eugene's like a bigger Missoula. Spokane is bigger than Missoula, but I'd hardly say it's more "successful". It's kind of a dump. Billings is a faceless dump for that matter too.


Your list is pretty random though. I don't know exactly your point. Your towns run the gamut from smallish cities to metropoli.

And I must've missed the part where it was determined that all 26000 fans each week come only from Missoula.

Kind of tough on Billings aren't you. They have a ton of beatiful box stores, chain restaurants, and the amazing Rimrock Mall. Don't forget three oil refineries, a gorgeous sugar beat processing plant and railroad tracks that run right through the middle of town. How much more do you want? Brown town is amazing you heartless bastard.

You are describing jobs, which Billings has and Missoula constantly whines about being short. Unless you like to serve latte'...

Exactly. Missoula, while a prettier city with a better standard of living, has an economy that is dependent on the public sector and retirees (actually increasingly more dependant on the public sector). Billings has a growing economy that is invested in energy devevelopment. In economic terms, Billings has much more going for it than Missoula.

Boise, while not a "Tech Superpower" still HQs Micron and HP, both of which give plenty of money to Boise State and its athletic programs. Boise's also much more business friendly and is doing a good job of attracting fleeing California companies (including Tech) into the area. Boise State has had some great coaches that have built that program, but it wouldn't be near where it's at without the corporate $upport it has recieved. Much like Montana wouldn't be the program it is without Dennis's money or all the other corporate sponsors that spend money for those big "annoying" ads in the stadium. Unfortunatly, the list of available corporate donors in Missoula is much shorter than a lot of cities. Makes it difficult to invest in large expenditures that are needed to move up when you have to rely on public funds from a state with a small economy.

 

[TxGriz]

2 or 3 oil refineries, a sugar beet factory, a stockyard and a railroad along with the retailing speak to me of a diverse economy that provides the kind of industrial jobs that really drive it. Industrial payroll cycle through the economy about 7 times. What Montana needs is about 3 or 4 cities like that and then you wouldn't have to bicker all the time about the cost of moving up. Adopt a sales tax and can the income tax and the universities should have the backing the taxpayer support for it. Our company is expanding and has made acquisitions and has annual revenues that consistently register above that of Micron and I think we're puny.