Ordigger
I will remain after 9/3
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Thought I'd drop by, say hi, and post this crazy topic. I know from my visits here that many of you feel there is a ESPN bias towards the Vols, and even no "love" in many cases.
If you recall during our game with the Vols in the beginning of the season, that game was not made available to many in Montana. We simply don't have a cable provide (Optimum) who telecasts, and has the IP access via ESPN3 to show games in Montana. Both the Grizzlies (#4 seed), and the Montana State Bobcats (who as #1 were thrashed at home by us 36-10 during last week regular season), will not be seen in the state of Montana for their early round games.
We are playing the winner of Tennessee Tech/Central Arkansas. MSU is playing New Hampshire. So this has caused a big uproar. Big enough that our congressional team is now involved.
Politicians & Fans Lobbying ESPN
There are no promises of a broadcast for the Montana Grizzlies' Dec. 3 FCS playoff game against either Tennessee Tech or Central Arkansas, and in fact it's not at all likely.
But a few guys are working on it.
Montana senators Max Baucus and Jon Tester, as well as Rep. Denny Rehberg, have expressed displeasure with ESPN's decision not to allow local broadcasts of either the Grizzlies' game or Montana State's Dec. 3 game against New Hampshire.
Instead, the cable giant has offered it only on internet-based ESPN3, which leaves a majority of Montanans in the dark.
Tester and Rehberg went so far as to draft letters to George Bodenheimer, president of ESPN/ABC Sports. Tester noted that a petition drive on Facebook had already begun.
"Within hours after hearing your decision, Montanans put their friendly rivalries aside to cheer for a common goal: to encourage ESPN to reconsider," the letter reads in part.
"Please consider working with Montana broadcast stations or cable providers to make TV feeds of these FCS playoff games reasonably available to Montana fans. Airing these games in Montana will allow ESPN to be part of a time-honored pastime in the Treasure State."
Jim O'Day, athletic director for the University of Montana, is on the side of the fans but feels there is little recourse.
"Unless somebody can get to ESPN and convince them to put it out on another format, I doubt very much it will be on TV anywhere," he said.
Baucus, Tester and Rehberg are trying.
"I'm not writing to challenge the legal right ESPN has paid to control the broadcast rights for these games," wrote Rehberg. "On the contrary, I'm hoping that you will recognize the simple fact that you stand to gain more from any arrangement that allows these games to be broadcast on local stations."
Baucus sent out a release earlier Tuesday.
"In the spirit of teamwork and good sportsmanship, I'm hoping ESPN will rethink its decision," Baucus said. "It's time for a timeout so we can take a look at this game plan and make sure it works for Montanans."
O'Day said that ESPN is trying to grow its internet-based channel, and this is one way of doing that. But it seems to be leaving more Montanans out than any other state with a Football Championship Subdivision playoff team.
"They say (ESPN3) goes into 70 million households," O'Day said. "It's just not many of them are in Montana. The NCAA has asked ESPN how many people in Montana get ESPN3, but we haven't got that number back yet."
It can't be many: The lone Internet service provider in Montana to offer ESPN3 is 3 Rivers Communications, though the channel is offered on all college campuses and military bases.
One fan emailed the Missoulian to say ESPN3 was offered through Optimum in Butte, but the two main local ISPs for Missoula, Optimum/Bresnan and CenturyLink, do not support ESPN3.
O'Day noted that ESPN's $550 million TV contract - the network bought the rights to broadcast every NCAA championship except for men's basketball - went into effect this fall. He figures such a far-reaching contract will be hard to tweak.
"It doesn't look very good right now," he said.
The flurry of awards and the victory over Montana State for the Big Sky Conference's automatic berth into the playoffs feel pretty good for Griz linebacker Caleb McSurdy, but he has other things on his mind.
"We enjoyed (the win) but things move so fast now with the playoffs," said McSurdy, who was named the Big Sky's defensive MVP Tuesday. "You've got to put that stuff aside. It's not going to mean a lot to me as a senior, or the senior class, if we lose in the (second) round of the playoffs.
"I'm kind of done with the celebration."
UM's Jon Opperud, named first-team all-Big Sky at offensive tackle, had similar thoughts.
"I had no idea that it'd even been out," Opperud said of the honor team. "I was all, Eye on the prize,' really. I wasn't too focused on awards. ... If we do win a national championship, that would be the ultimate goal."
QUICK KICKS: Mike Breske has been defensive coordinator for the Montana Grizzlies for five seasons and in four of those years, he's coached the Big Sky's defensive MVP: Andy Petek (2000), Vince Huntsberger (2001) and Trey Young (2002) and McSurdy. ... UM's kickoff on Dec. 3 will be 12:05 p.m., while the Bobcats' game with New Hampshire kicks off at 1 p.m. MST. ... Montana and MSU flip-flopped in the final Gridiron Power Index released by collegesportingnews.com. The Griz are now No. 5 and the Cats are No. 8. ... Northern Iowa is the top-ranked FCS team in the Sagarin ratings, followed by North Dakota State, Sam Houston State, Montana and MSU.
Sad to see that the season has been a bit of a disappointment for you so far. Hopefully following the win against Vandy, you can know beat Kentucky. I saw injuries have been pretty bad for you all season. I do believe you are set for next year though, and wish you well.
If you recall during our game with the Vols in the beginning of the season, that game was not made available to many in Montana. We simply don't have a cable provide (Optimum) who telecasts, and has the IP access via ESPN3 to show games in Montana. Both the Grizzlies (#4 seed), and the Montana State Bobcats (who as #1 were thrashed at home by us 36-10 during last week regular season), will not be seen in the state of Montana for their early round games.
We are playing the winner of Tennessee Tech/Central Arkansas. MSU is playing New Hampshire. So this has caused a big uproar. Big enough that our congressional team is now involved.
Politicians & Fans Lobbying ESPN
There are no promises of a broadcast for the Montana Grizzlies' Dec. 3 FCS playoff game against either Tennessee Tech or Central Arkansas, and in fact it's not at all likely.
But a few guys are working on it.
Montana senators Max Baucus and Jon Tester, as well as Rep. Denny Rehberg, have expressed displeasure with ESPN's decision not to allow local broadcasts of either the Grizzlies' game or Montana State's Dec. 3 game against New Hampshire.
Instead, the cable giant has offered it only on internet-based ESPN3, which leaves a majority of Montanans in the dark.
Tester and Rehberg went so far as to draft letters to George Bodenheimer, president of ESPN/ABC Sports. Tester noted that a petition drive on Facebook had already begun.
"Within hours after hearing your decision, Montanans put their friendly rivalries aside to cheer for a common goal: to encourage ESPN to reconsider," the letter reads in part.
"Please consider working with Montana broadcast stations or cable providers to make TV feeds of these FCS playoff games reasonably available to Montana fans. Airing these games in Montana will allow ESPN to be part of a time-honored pastime in the Treasure State."
Jim O'Day, athletic director for the University of Montana, is on the side of the fans but feels there is little recourse.
"Unless somebody can get to ESPN and convince them to put it out on another format, I doubt very much it will be on TV anywhere," he said.
Baucus, Tester and Rehberg are trying.
"I'm not writing to challenge the legal right ESPN has paid to control the broadcast rights for these games," wrote Rehberg. "On the contrary, I'm hoping that you will recognize the simple fact that you stand to gain more from any arrangement that allows these games to be broadcast on local stations."
Baucus sent out a release earlier Tuesday.
"In the spirit of teamwork and good sportsmanship, I'm hoping ESPN will rethink its decision," Baucus said. "It's time for a timeout so we can take a look at this game plan and make sure it works for Montanans."
O'Day said that ESPN is trying to grow its internet-based channel, and this is one way of doing that. But it seems to be leaving more Montanans out than any other state with a Football Championship Subdivision playoff team.
"They say (ESPN3) goes into 70 million households," O'Day said. "It's just not many of them are in Montana. The NCAA has asked ESPN how many people in Montana get ESPN3, but we haven't got that number back yet."
It can't be many: The lone Internet service provider in Montana to offer ESPN3 is 3 Rivers Communications, though the channel is offered on all college campuses and military bases.
One fan emailed the Missoulian to say ESPN3 was offered through Optimum in Butte, but the two main local ISPs for Missoula, Optimum/Bresnan and CenturyLink, do not support ESPN3.
O'Day noted that ESPN's $550 million TV contract - the network bought the rights to broadcast every NCAA championship except for men's basketball - went into effect this fall. He figures such a far-reaching contract will be hard to tweak.
"It doesn't look very good right now," he said.
The flurry of awards and the victory over Montana State for the Big Sky Conference's automatic berth into the playoffs feel pretty good for Griz linebacker Caleb McSurdy, but he has other things on his mind.
"We enjoyed (the win) but things move so fast now with the playoffs," said McSurdy, who was named the Big Sky's defensive MVP Tuesday. "You've got to put that stuff aside. It's not going to mean a lot to me as a senior, or the senior class, if we lose in the (second) round of the playoffs.
"I'm kind of done with the celebration."
UM's Jon Opperud, named first-team all-Big Sky at offensive tackle, had similar thoughts.
"I had no idea that it'd even been out," Opperud said of the honor team. "I was all, Eye on the prize,' really. I wasn't too focused on awards. ... If we do win a national championship, that would be the ultimate goal."
QUICK KICKS: Mike Breske has been defensive coordinator for the Montana Grizzlies for five seasons and in four of those years, he's coached the Big Sky's defensive MVP: Andy Petek (2000), Vince Huntsberger (2001) and Trey Young (2002) and McSurdy. ... UM's kickoff on Dec. 3 will be 12:05 p.m., while the Bobcats' game with New Hampshire kicks off at 1 p.m. MST. ... Montana and MSU flip-flopped in the final Gridiron Power Index released by collegesportingnews.com. The Griz are now No. 5 and the Cats are No. 8. ... Northern Iowa is the top-ranked FCS team in the Sagarin ratings, followed by North Dakota State, Sam Houston State, Montana and MSU.
Sad to see that the season has been a bit of a disappointment for you so far. Hopefully following the win against Vandy, you can know beat Kentucky. I saw injuries have been pretty bad for you all season. I do believe you are set for next year though, and wish you well.
