Commentary
Our Stadium’s Nice, But Other Things Are Frosty
Is it football freeze-out time in Missoula?
By Amy Linn, 10-19-09
We’re getting a nice nod from the Sports Network, which wrote today about the five towns that are publicly bidding to host the final game of the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision.
The story by David Coulson notes that the championship game has been played in Chattanooga, Tenn., for the past 12 years. But the 2011 game—slated for January—could end up in a different place, owing to stiffer competition between wannabe hosts. At least five towns have placed bids with the NCAA football committee, Coulson writes, and one of them—a dark horse—is Missoula. The other four are Chattanooga; Frisco, Texas; Little Rock, Ark.; and Spokane.
Coulson is a pragmatist. “It is hard to think that Missoula has much of a chance,” he writes. The stadium is “perhaps the loudest stadium in the FCS”; flights into town are “limited and expensive”; and it “isn’t the best of ideas” to choose a spot that’s potentially snowy and freezing, he concludes. (Coulson doesn’t mention the other freeze-out in town—the fact that University of Montana football coach Bobby Hauck is refusing to speak to reporters from the Montana Kaimin. But that’s another story.)
The good news? “There is no doubt that Washington-Grizzly Stadium is a fantastic facility,” says Coulson, who goes on to call it a “gorgeous stadium.” It has “a fine field turf surface” and “there are plenty of great restaurants and other activities,” he says. “Most people who have made the trip to Montana come back raving about the friendliness of the local people and the hospitality of Washington-Grizzly Stadium.”
There you have it. Friendliness, hospitality and warmth are critical drawing cards. Coaches need them, too.
[End of article]It's a lot easier to find cowboys and oil rigs in eastern Montana than in the part of Montana with trees.
Comment By Carter young, 10-20-09It's actually in January of 2011, after the 2010 season, that the championship game may or may not be held in Missoula, rather "this year," as stated above.
Comment By Amy Linn, 10-20-09You're so right -- ouch. January 2011 it is. All apologies. I'll change the text now to correct that.
Comment By Larry Kralj, Environmental Rangers!, 10-20-09Yeah, you're right. Coach Bobby is a jerk........coach Bobby Knight that is! Remember him? He was NOT the most personal guy around, and God forbid that some weeny from the Kaiman went all pouty on him! Now THAT would'a been ugly, ESPECIALLY if there was a chair in close proximity! Coach Knight didn't suffer fools quietly. But you see, he was a great coach anyway! Old school. You see, coaches have NEVER had to attend ms. manners charm school. Anything but. I personally LIKE a coach with an attitude, and when I was a kid, coaches LOVED a kid with some "snot in his nose"! I am sorry to see this new touchy/feely get-in-touch-with-your-feminine-side coaching style. Bobby is Bobby, a hardnosed coach with a winning program. Sure, a reporter can try to create a little thunder by stealing some of Bobby's, but I think most people aren't real impressed with that.
This article was printed from www.newwest.net at the following URL: http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/our_stadiums_nice_but_other_things_are_frosty/C559/L559/