Montana Grizzlies Sports and Football : Grizzoulian

This time of year is an especially trying time for a Montana Grizzlies fan looking for some news on their team. Since things are slower Zydrunas Ilgauskas trying to make it up and down the court, I figured I'd spout off whenever I thought of an idea I believe would improve the University Athletic Department in some way or another. Here's the first entry in what'll be something of a series.

Have you ever tried to find Montana content on YouTube? It's a pain in the ass. Sure there are some great videos shot by fans with hand-held camcorders but we need more. When I go looking for information on a random subject I know YouTube ranks in the top 3-5 places I go first. For example, when I wanted to find video of recruits I scoured Youtube in an attempt to find out what these guys were like.

Interestingly, Montanagrizzlies.com offers a wealth of media -- video, audio and images -- but it's buried very far back in the site. It should be more accessible. Besides being hidden, the video is in an awful format I can't save to my computer. Maybe this is due to bandwidth and storage restrictions but YouTube is a simple solution for that.

Not only does it provide free video hosting but but it's free marketing as well. I'm a Mac user and I really don't like being forced to open Windows Media Player to stream a video. Buffering sucks. Put everything on YouTube then use the YouTube video on the site to have everything play right on the browser. It's quicker and more convenient for users.

Fine, it's easier just to keep the video files and website in the current format but that doesn't mean they can't upload every file to YouTube. Once again, it's free marketing. You put everything up there and tag it accordingly so when someone searches for 'montana basketball' they don't get a clip of Griz-Cat tip-off, Monte making a half-court shot and six Idaho State videos. Other schools are doing this and we should too.

Honestly, give me a data DVD with these videos and I'll put them up on YouTube for free in my spare time. Why not? Increased exposure for the University of Montana will only make this a better time to be a fan of the Griz.

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There really isn't much Griz news this time of year so here's a great ad for the NBA Finals. If LeBron somehow beats the Spurs the MJ comparisons will be legitimate.

Video from Awful Announcing.

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Hacky sack, ultimate frisbee and not bathing have yet to become varsity sports but the UM lefties did manage one victory in a somewhat athletic related realm. The UM group Students for Economic and Social Justice has convinced the University administration to join the Workers' Rights Consortium in an effort to prevent Griz Gear from being made in sweatshops.

“This is a momentous step for UM,” said Sam Schabacker, a newly minted UM graduate and organizer of a March rally where more than 100 students danced and chanted at President George Dennison's office and demanded the university align with the consortium.

“Now, because of the university's affiliation with the Workers Rights Consortium, UM will receive reports about where the Grizzly Gear comes from and what the working conditions are for the workers who make these products,” Schabacker said.

Interestingly, this article from the Montana Kaimin, that "dance-in" was conducted by twenty five students while President Dennison was absent. With such serious and strategic means of negotiation, it's easy to see why Dennison & Co. came around.

Also important is the fact that joining the Workers Rights Consortium doesn't mean we'll stop having apparel that may or may not be made by workers under poor conditions. Ohio State is part of the WRC and they still had Nike put together these gems.

Joining the WRC simply means we'll get reports on where Griz Gear is made. Every time I go to an ATM I get a receipt -- which I rarely look at -- with my balance but that doesn't mean I'll change what I spend.

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For everyone out there who thinks the Kaimin is something of a joke, you should probably know that a majority of UM students agree with you. In the recent ASUM elections, every proposed raise in tuition was passed except one for the wonderful Kaimin. I'm not completely sure but I do believe that their proposed raise in tuition was the least amongst all the proposals coming it at an increase of around a dollar while others ranged up to $15. Yep, students weren't even willing to fork over a single dollar more PER YEAR for the Kaimin. Ouch. How did they respond? Well, they decided to take their toys and go home. The current and future editor pulled the crossword — the only reason most students grab the "newspaper" — and put in its place a "woe is me" mock ad with a jab at campus radio, who actually did earn funding.

However, I'm sure a majority of students changed their opinion after the fabulous 19th Hole "choose your own adventure" column featured in that day's paper. Turns out this "Web site" was mentioned in that "column." Yes, it took me that long to find out. I probably would've seen it sooner had I actually read the column instead of thinking those 2,500 words of frivolous nonsense had no place in a sports section, let alone a "newspaper." Be sure to pop that gem — along with the great Matt Dlouhy/Julius Erving comparison — in the portfolio as you embark on your hunt for a well-paying job.

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Update
There will be a candlelight vigil tonight at 7:00 on the UM oval for the Va Tech victims.
Montana campuses will review safety measures after the events that occurred yesterday.

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I honestly cannot say that I've seen anything more impressive than this. I mean everyone has a friend who's pretty good or maybe they themselves can get hot once they get some drink in them but I've never heard of anyone as good as this guy.

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Before being a blogger and I journalist, I am a student first. Well, students get spring break and I had a good one. So for those of you wondering where the updates have been and am thinking I'm your run of the mill inconsistent blogger, that's where I was.

I'll try and get back in midseason form but forgive me if I'm a little off as I've fallen behind a bit on Griz news. I had Mexican ESPN and now web but when I was sporting a Griz shirt  I managed to hear that Ochs was hired as QB coach from some guy on the beach.

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Inside my entry on the Big Sky championship game I mentioned how I saw a couple Griz players at the Food Zoo. Some may be wondering what that place is like. Well, it's the school cafeteria where they serve the same food day after day after day. It gets real old if you're stuck living on campus. Sure they mix up the main line and sometimes have special days but most students know the only thing that's really worthwhile is omelette day. In case you're wondering, it's Wednesday... and maybe Saturday too. Well, here's some background on that special day.

Besides being pretty random, it does kind of relate to Griz sports — watch for Griz hoops walk-on Greg Spurgetis about five seconds in.

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Through most of the year, I've been wondering where all the diehard Griz basketball fans are seeing as the student section has been kind of lackluster for the majority of the year. They're starting to pick up late but according to this email, all the diehard Griz fans may prefer cheering for hockey.

Colin,
I must say you run a very impressive website. I was just scrolling through some of your recent posts, and the one about the fans playing a role in the games. I've got to tell you after attending several basketball games this season (my first here at UM)  I haven't been too impressed by the fans either. If you really want to see an impressive display of fandemonium, I suggest the Hockey games. I know hockey is about as dead to America as Saddam Hussein, But I went last night to check it out Griz-Cat hockey and was thoroughly impressed.
I didn't know what to expect from the fans but I damn sure didn't expect to see the Glacier rink PACKED with people cheering for griz hockey. Just about everyone in the place had a case of beer with them and the atmosphere rivaled that of a Griz-Cat football game. No doubt the basketball games would be as rowdy if everyone was wasted, but until then, for the quality fan and game experience Its over at the fairgrounds.

Greg McDonald

This is very impressive seeing as hockey has faded a bit in the public conscience. I really wish basketball games were like this. It seems like there's the very real possibility that an intoxicated fanbase is the difference between a good rowdy crowd and a bad one.

If anyone has any information on the program or a link to a UM hockey website, please let me know.

Here's a link to a recent Kaimin article about UM hockey.

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A random Christmas gift from me to you. Yes, I miss GrizVision too.

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Prior to my last entry, it had been quite a while since my previous posting. The reason for this was midterm exams and a Thanksgiving trip to California. This trip included staying in Laguna Beach and cheering on the Irish in the classic ND/USC rivalry. As one could imagine, the vacation could've been much better.

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Yeah, I forgot the camera. Here are pregame pictures taken via the phone; more after the jump.
The team trotting out.

Swogger, before he went 14-18 for 221 yards and 3 TDs.

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Monte joins the likes of OJ Simpson, Kobe Bryant and Ray Lewis as big time sports figures to escape serious charges. Come on,  Mascot Hall of Fame candidate, he's on that level, right? No, not even close?

This from USA Today:

HELENA, Mont. — Charges that the Chicago Bulls mascot attacked an off-duty police officer during an outdoor festival in Chicago have been dropped, Bulls officials said Wednesday.

Charges of misdemeanor battery and driving within a parkway were filed against Barry Anderson, the Benny the Bull mascot. Police said Anderson, in his bright-red bull costume, threw a punch at a sheriff's deputy July 2, knocking off his glasses and breaking his watch.

Police said the officer had tried to stop the mascot for riding a minimotorcycle thorough the Taste of Chicago festival without a permit. When the off-duty officer, who was working security, tried to stop him, Anderson ran, police said. The officer chased and caught him.

I hope this leads to a new tradition at football games where Monte regularly picks fights with event security; these fights occaisonally escalating into a drunken Butte on St Patrick's Day-esque riot.

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Here is an excerpt I pulled from a superb article titled "Postcards from Hell" by Kevin Taylor as part of a two week series on the year-long Iraq tour of the Idaho 116th Brigade Combat Team:

"We were the Wild West," [First Sgt. Michael] Kish says. The locals in Charlie Company, augmented by a platoon of Turnbow's from the Moscow armory, were stationed at McHenry as part of Task Force Griz. The task force was built around an infantry battalion from the Montana National Guard and, instead of going by number as TF 1-163, they called themselves "TF Griz" after the University of Montana mascot. They even stenciled a snarling grizzly on their Humvee doors.

So the Griz will not only be rolling through the Big Sky Conference and all of Division I-AA football, but also through war-ravaged Iraq. One cannot say enough to express the full appreciation we should have for these men and women.

I strongly suggest reading the full article as it describes the way many individuals were plucked from their lives as farmers and bankers to proudly serve their country.

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