Pick the record- if the Griz were in the WAC

[mtfbchamps]

You're, of course, failing to mention the steady stream of the Ft. Lewis's, Western Sts, SUUs, UNCs, SacSts, ISUs that you get to watch during the season vs. Boise St., Fresno, Hawaii, Nevada, Utah St., San Jose, Idaho, etc. No comparison. And even the worst bowls are almost always somewhere more interesting than Chatanooga or Huntington. And the guys have a chance to lick their wounds after a long season and rest beforehand instead of play a playoff game every week until they drop.

First of all, lets clear up your list of teams. Playing Utah St., San Jose State, Idaho interests me about as much as seeing ISU play. Other than Boise, Fresno, and sometimes Hawaii, I don't see that many more games that would interest me more than the BSC schedule. Yes the teams are better, sometimes I don't know about that (I'm looking at you Idaho), but I want to see wins and National Championship trophies, not 8-5 seasons where it is considered a success because we got to the Alamo Car Rental Bowl. UM has a niche, it is the loudest stadium with the best fans and the most consistent team in FCS football. Game day in Missoula is an unbelievable scene and I am not sure that by going 5-7 or 8-5 every year with an occasional 10-3 thrown in that the atmosphere will stay that way.

I am talking about a playoff atmosphere in WAGriz. Do you think that you get that experience playing/watching/attending a game vs. UMASS under the lights in the semis or playing Weber in the quarters looking for revenge as you do against 7-5 Southern Miss in New Orleans? I would rather see a game with 25,000 rabid UM fans, freezing my ass off in MT in December, than travel 1,000 or 2,000 miles to a game where the stands are half empty, the outcome is meaningless and the kids/coaches know it (even if I love Vegas and New Orleans).

Plus as a WAC member the Griz could get better non-conference opponents to visit Wa-Griz.

While this is true to a point, they would still be FCS opponents or MWC or Conference USA ect. BCS conference teams rarely sign home-and-home agreements with the WAC and many other mid-major conferences. Excluding Hawaii (because its easy to get teams to come to Honolulu) the WAC played 13 games against BCS conference teams and only 3 of those were hosted by WAC teams (Fresno vs. Wisconsin, Nevada vs. Texas Tech, and LA Tech vs Mississippi State although BSU did play Oregon in the first half of a home-and-home in Eugene). It's not going to be like having Ohio State or Alabama come to town.

A bowl game against a team that you had heard of before the season began, isn't more appealing than a playoff game against a school much of the fan base had never heard of before the season started..... Are you serious?

This is exactly what I am saying. That 23-22 loss to Wofford in 2007 was 10x more exciting than the 17-10 Northern Illinois vs. LA Tech Independence Bowl last year where the outcome didn't matter. Even in the Troy vs. Southern Miss bowl game that went to OT, they weren't playing for anything. No one moved on to next week. What percentage of Mississippians in 15 years are going to remember the outcome of the 2008 St. Petersberg Bowl? A whole lot less than the Montanans that remember Dave Dickinson and his magic in 1995.

Even teams that dont make bowl games, GET BOWL MONEY!!!! Its devided between the teams in the conference.

This is the worst argument. "Let's abandon our winning tradition and our history of excellence in the postseason so that Boise State can make us a few bucks". Seriously?

 

[djollieballs]

You're, of course, failing to mention the steady stream of the Ft. Lewis's, Western Sts, SUUs, UNCs, SacSts, ISUs that you get to watch during the season vs. Boise St., Fresno, Hawaii, Nevada, Utah St., San Jose, Idaho, etc. No comparison. And even the worst bowls are almost always somewhere more interesting than Chatanooga or Huntington. And the guys have a chance to lick their wounds after a long season and rest beforehand instead of play a playoff game every week until they drop.

First of all, lets clear up your list of teams. Playing Utah St., San Jose State, Idaho interests me about as much as seeing ISU play. Other than Boise, Fresno, and sometimes Hawaii, I don't see that many more games that would interest me more than the BSC schedule. Yes the teams are better, sometimes I don't know about that (I'm looking at you Idaho), but I want to see wins and National Championship trophies, not 8-5 seasons where it is considered a success because we got to the Alamo Car Rental Bowl. UM has a niche, it is the loudest stadium with the best fans and the most consistent team in FCS football. Game day in Missoula is an unbelievable scene and I am not sure that by going 5-7 or 8-5 every year with an occasional 10-3 thrown in that the atmosphere will stay that way.

I am talking about a playoff atmosphere in WAGriz. Do you think that you get that experience playing/watching/attending a game vs. UMASS under the lights in the semis or playing Weber in the quarters looking for revenge as you do against 7-5 Southern Miss in New Orleans? I would rather see a game with 25,000 rabid UM fans, freezing my ass off in MT in December, than travel 1,000 or 2,000 miles to a game where the stands are half empty, the outcome is meaningless and the kids/coaches know it (even if I love Vegas and New Orleans).

Plus as a WAC member the Griz could get better non-conference opponents to visit Wa-Griz.

While this is true to a point, they would still be FCS opponents or MWC or Conference USA ect. BCS conference teams rarely sign home-and-home agreements with the WAC and many other mid-major conferences. Excluding Hawaii (because its easy to get teams to come to Honolulu) the WAC played 13 games against BCS conference teams and only 3 of those were hosted by WAC teams (Fresno vs. Wisconsin, Nevada vs. Texas Tech, and LA Tech vs Mississippi State although BSU did play Oregon in the first half of a home-and-home in Eugene). It's not going to be like having Ohio State or Alabama come to town.

A bowl game against a team that you had heard of before the season began, isn't more appealing than a playoff game against a school much of the fan base had never heard of before the season started..... Are you serious?

This is exactly what I am saying. That 23-22 loss to Wofford in 2007 was 10x more exciting than the 17-10 Northern Illinois vs. LA Tech Independence Bowl last year where the outcome didn't matter. Even in the Troy vs. Southern Miss bowl game that went to OT, they weren't playing for anything. No one moved on to next week. What percentage of Mississippians in 15 years are going to remember the outcome of the 2008 St. Petersberg Bowl? A whole lot less than the Montanans that remember Dave Dickinson and his magic in 1995.

Even teams that dont make bowl games, GET BOWL MONEY!!!! Its devided between the teams in the conference.

This is the worst argument. "Let's abandon our winning tradition and our history of excellence in the postseason so that Boise State can make us a few bucks". Seriously?

What you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone on this board is now dumber for having read it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.

Literally everything you just said was either contradictory, unintentionally ironic, or false.

Seriously, give up. At everything.

 

[grizaremoregooder]

In all due respect, folks like 68 forget about the dismal array of opponents UM plays during the season..conference and non-conference. It seems that he is happy watching us destroy Ft. Lewis and Northern Colorado rather than playing Wyoming, Washington State. Maybe Dennison is right about UM fans being happy with our pitiful schedule. By the way....IdaGriz is correct....recruits do notice the schedule and so do their parents!

Yeah, our schedule included Texas State-Weber State-James Madison-and Richmond last year-I sure hope recruits AND their parents noticed us playing on ESPN 2 twice last season. :roll: I agree that playing in the WAC would give the Griz a MUCH improved regular season schedule-however, the playoffs are better than most Bowl games the Griz would play in. Watching Boise State beat Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl was the best football game I have ever seen-that was great. Boise State playing in the Fiesta Bowl just doesn't happen every year and it wouldn't for the Grizzlies either. The Grizzlies are in the playoffs darn near every year-I take our playoff schedule over an enhanced WAC regular season schedule any day of the week. If we would stop playing Div II schools and schedule Wyoming or Washington State early in the season I doubt we would be talking about this.

 

[Spanky]

My goodness..Texas State and Weber..sorry I forgot those two national powers.

 

[grizaremoregooder]

My goodness..Texas State and Weber..sorry I forgot those two national powers.

I hate to tell you this spanky but the Grizzlies aint exactly a National Powerhouse. The recruits we get most often are not good enough to play in the Pac 10 or Big 12-Montana does not even have a million people in the entire state. We do a darn good job competing at the level we play at now and yes, we would be a nice team in the WAC after a few years. Weber State had a fabulous team last year-they played Utah better than most teams in the Mountain West Conference and Utah crushed Alabama (a National power). Run along spanky..... run along.....

 

[FCS Go!]

Wait a minute FCS. Fresno State and Hawaii are teams that have had some pretty good teams in the past and who is to say they, or someone else in the WAC won't step up to challenge Boise State. Maybe the Griz would be that team, if they were in the WAC. Plus as a WAC member the Griz could get better non-conference opponents to visit Wa-Griz. Regardless, the fans would get to see better quality COMPETITION then they do now.

A bowl game against a team that you had heard of before the season began, isn't more appealing than a playoff game against a school much of the fan base had never heard of before the season started..... Are you serious?

I think it depends on what you consider a good team. Look at the 2nd place WAC team last year La Tech. They edged the 5th place MAC in a bowl game. Not very impressive. The year before Boise St finished second and they lost to the 4th place CUSA team in a bowl. When compared to the rest of FBS the WAC is a lower tier conference. Boise St is the only thing keeping the WAC above the Sun Belt in the national picture.

As far as better non-conference oppenents visiting Wa Griz I'll grant you a maybe. This year Boise does have Oregon, Nevada has Missouri and Hawaii gets Wisconson (& Central Ark) this year but La Tech has Nicholls St. Fresno gets UC Davis...

Better quality competition then now? Yeah, the WAC is a stronger conference than the Big Sky but that's comparing apples to oranges. The Detroit Lions would have crushed the Florida Gators last year but that still doesn't make the 2008 Lions a good team or a joy to watch.

I am also completely serious that the prospect of playing a Tennessee-Martin in the playoffs (with the chance to advance and play another team the following week) is easily as exciting as playing a Akron Zips anywhere anytime. If you make that game against a JMU/App St/N. Iowa I'll take it over any MAC, CUSA or Sun Belt team. And that 6th, 7th or 8th place ACC team the WAC sometimes lucks into? Those ACC guys are sleepwalking through that game- and likely to win it anyway.

I think I'd rather see the Griz go independent and play a slew of away games against good teams than see them relegated to a bottom tier conference.

 

[Paytonlives]

Even teams that dont make bowl games, GET BOWL MONEY!!!! Its devided between the teams in the conference.

This is the worst argument. "Let's abandon our winning tradition and our history of excellence in the postseason so that Boise State can make us a few bucks". Seriously?

HEY NUMBNUTS
The point was that money is made by all the conference members. I never said anything about abandoning tradition, I was simply stating that the money revenue is shared, people such as yourself always leave that out of the equation. My quote was in reference to a post about money... If you are going to make an arguement do not take things out of context.

BTW What great tradition are you talking about? The tradition of pounding the BSC like a New Orleans whore on Saturday night is well rather boring. At some point are you going to get sick of beating up on the red headed step children called the big sky? I used to be where you are... but the time has come. If you dont like it, there is a sad sack little group down the road that would love to have more fans, dont let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.

 

[FCS Go!]

Well since someone here has finally brought up the money issue please explain how UM will pay for a SUCCESSFUL move to FBS. And please don't say it would pay for itself. If that was the case there would be no FCS football only DI.

 

[billings_poke]

While this is true to a point, they would still be FCS opponents or MWC or Conference USA ect. BCS conference teams rarely sign home-and-home agreements with the WAC and many other mid-major conferences. Excluding Hawaii (because its easy to get teams to come to Honolulu) the WAC played 13 games against BCS conference teams and only 3 of those were hosted by WAC teams (Fresno vs. Wisconsin, Nevada vs. Texas Tech, and LA Tech vs Mississippi State although BSU did play Oregon in the first half of a home-and-home in Eugene). It's not going to be like having Ohio State or Alabama come to town.

Check out the MWC schedules and you will see a lot of BCS teams playing MWC teams in one for one deals. Now the MWC has a better record in getting these home games than the WAC but it is there if you can get it to work. Can Montana get that to work for them? I don't know but Wyoming alone has played or will play one - one games with Ole Miss, Virginia, Oregon, and Missouri over the last few years.

We also have 2-1 games deals with Texas and Nebraska in the next couple of years. So texas and Nebraska are coming to town along with the others.

This is a pretty typical schedule for MWC teams although BYU, TCU, and Utah do not do the 2-1 deals and do a good job getting the 1-1 with BCS teams. really only CSU seems to struggle to get this done in the MWC.

 

[FCS Go!]

Good OOC schedules do seem more common for MWC teams but no one on here ever seems to mention the MWC as a destination for the Griz. Too much of challenge for our poor boys?

 

[kemajic]

Good OOC schedules do seem more common for MWC teams but no one on here ever seems to mention the MWC as a destination for the Griz. Too much of challenge for our poor boys?

The MWC is too wrapped in themselves to consider a small college addition.

 

[kemajic]

Well since someone here has finally brought up the money issue please explain how UM will pay for a SUCCESSFUL move to FBS. And please don't say it would pay for itself. If that was the case there would be no FCS football only DI.

FCS football doesn't draw 25,000. That is FBS territory. There has to be someplace for those that draw 8000, like 7 or the nine BSC members - that's FCS.
The increased quality of the games will enable higher ticket prices, further stadium expansion, stronger booster and donor support and sharing of conference TV and bowl monies. Major college footaball, not small college anymore.

 

[Spanky]

grizaremoregooder.....now I've got news for you....in sports, playing someone close doesn't count...not until you beat them. Got it?

 

[NavyBlue]

Moregooder, if you ever want to see Wyoming or Washington State play in Washington-Grizzly Stadium you will need to be FBS. Wouldn't it be nice to see those types of teams at your stadium for once, rather than playing them on the road only?

 

[hokeyfine]

academics would be the biggest stumbling block as far as getting a look from the MWC.

 

[Silvertip]

How many times can even the most die hard FCS'er look forward to going back to Chattanooga? It would be like watching "Groundhog Day" everyday of your life, taking every summer vacation to the Wall Drug or subsisting solely on a diet of tofu. All of them spell BORING!

 

[grizzlies_dpw]

The Griz are fast becoming the joke of the division. How many Big Sky championships in a row, playoff appearances in a row, and 10 win seasons do you need to step up to the competition? Not the Griz. They are content to play the same sh!tty schedule every year (unless there's a million dollar deficit, then they'll play for the money).

Some fans are just content to watch crappy teams come into Wash/Griz and have the Griz make a joke of a playoff run where, let's face it, my f*cking grandma could coach the Griz to.

The worst team in the WAC is Idaho. If Idaho is in the Big Sky, they are easily in the top 3.

Play in the WAC even it means 4-8. At least you challenge yourself and have some balls, unlike some of you. If you want to win every game I'm sure the Frontier conference would take the Griz. Imagine all the cute banners you could put up then.

 

[grizzlies_dpw]

BTW, the Griz will NEVER move up. Too many pussies running the show.

 

[Spanky]

True statement.

 

[kemajic]

The Griz are fast becoming the joke of the division. How many Big Sky championships in a row, playoff appearances in a row, and 10 win seasons do you need to step up to the competition? Not the Griz. They are content to play the same sh!tty schedule every year (unless there's a million dollar deficit, then they'll play for the money).

Some fans are just content to watch crappy teams come into Wash/Griz and have the Griz make a joke of a playoff run where, let's face it, my f*cking grandma could coach the Griz to.

The worst team in the WAC is Idaho. If Idaho is in the Big Sky, they are easily in the top 3.

Play in the WAC even it means 4-8. At least you challenge yourself and have some balls, unlike some of you. If you want to win every game I'm sure the Frontier conference would take the Griz. Imagine all the cute banners you could put up then.

Very well said.