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tell them the Montana fans want to say a collective "thanks". I got it in an email and don't know if it came from MMB or who posted it.

Here's a couple of posts of Ap State fans regarding their Montana experience:

"It goes without saying that we all had our still-beating hearts ripped right out of our chests on Saturday. It was hard to hold back the tears watching 14 walk slowly through the snow up the tunnel as the Montana celebration was going on behind him. It was pretty quiet on the team plane coming home. Lots of Mountaineers are hurting today. The threads that point fingers and place blame don't interest me. It's better to reflect on how much this team overcame this year, what a great season it was, and thank our players and coaches for all their hard work.

Now that being said, hats off to the fans in Missoula! The Washington-Griz Stadium game atmosphere must be the best in FCS football. It's hands-down the best I have ever experienced. Their fans are loud and proud and I'm telling you they never ever shut up. We certainly have our moments at KBS, but nothing compared to this. This place could rival the atmosphere of any FBS stadium you can name. The stadium is a deep concrete bowl and they use the acoustics to full advantage. And another thing. Their fans are incredibly gracious. I had Griz fans say welcome to Missoula, thank you for coming to the game, enjoy the game over and over again. We met many, many people and they were all friendly with no exceptions. Even had a guy in the stadium grab me by both shoulders face on and say we're glad you're here, enjoy the game. Thought he was going to hug me! They made us feel very welcome. I can only hope fans from opposing teams who visit Boone feel as welcome as we did there. It's something to aspire to."

"I was at the game today and I know I will be blasted here, but unless you (not directed towards you GoldJacket) were there today, you can't respond to me here. Their atmosphere is a lot better than The Rock. Their crowd makes Michigan's 109,000 sound like mice. I promise you that there isn't another stadium in our division like Montana's stadium and fans. It was the loudest place I have ever been to in my life. Our 30K+ isn't even close to the 22,000 I heard today. The experience was awesome today.

Their fans are the best fans in all of college football. They loved our team, fans and AE. They said he was the best QB they have ever seen. They are looking forward to coming to The Rock in 2012.

ALL I CAN SAY, IS PLEASE START SAVING UP YOUR MONEY FOR 2013. YOU WILL NOT WANT TO LEAVE MONTANA AFTER THE GAME. The place freaking rock and you will be treated with 100% RESPECT from all the fans. I just can't tell everyone on this board how nice the Montana fans are and the respect they give our Apps!!!

We had a great season and we all need to keep our heads up and stop all this fighting on the other treads. We are upset right now, but we got beat by a VERY GOOD team, better than what I thought.

Go Apps!!"

Nice.

I have mentioned this before, in 1993 the Montana TV guys were very complementary of the Delaware program throughout the broadcast (contrast that with the Marshall idiots who thought the Blundering Nerds were God's gift to I-AA). Those announcers are a big part of the reason that I like the UM program.

I'm looking forward to 2012/2013.

AshevilleApp wrote:I'm looking forward to 2012/2013.

+1.

They're reasonably well-written posts - are you sure they were posted by ASU folks?

I'd take credit, but I don't have much of a poker face. Good to hear some additional validation of what most of us suspected about the UM experience.

ASUG8 wrote:They're reasonably well-written posts - are you sure they were posted by ASU folks?

I'd take credit, but I don't have much of a poker face. Good to hear some additional validation of what most of us suspected about the UM experience.

Actually I got it in an email so anything is possible. I mentioned it on the board a couple of weeks ago about the guy and gal I met from App that were here and had a beer at our tailgate...that sounds exactly what "Tuttle" was saying so I was wondering if it might be him.

Further proof I need to make a game in Montana before I die.

bobbythekidd wrote:Further proof I need to make a game in Montana before I die.

In retrospect, their experience/description is a large part of why I was disappointed in Chatty.

Clearing the emails and found another quite/article from Hofstra's coach. Don't read it if you don't want to see more self congratulations from a Griz fan...




"I'll tell you what," says Joe Gardi, who has brought his Hofstra Pride to Missoula three times (and, he's proud to say, won once). "I coached in the NFL (with the New York Jets) for 10 years and I know what crowd noise is. I coached at Maryland, I played at Maryland in 19-none-of-your-business, I've played at Texas, Auburn, LSU, Clemson, in some of the greatest stadiums in the country. I mean, at LSU they used to prod the tiger with an electric shock to get him to roar when you came on the field, and it was just unbelievable to a visiting player."

And?

"In comparison, Montana is a tougher place to play." Gardi explains. "Because it's so closed in. The noise is so confined. My granddaughter got so scared in that place - she was 7 years old - she never let go of her mother or the whole first quarter. "One year I gave my pep talk, went down to the field and they've got that rubber tunnel set up. I thought, that's nice, it's there to keep fans from throwing anything on us. And I get in there and Monte is there, the flaps are closed, and I couldn't get on the field. Monte told me I'd better back off, and I said, 'No, I'm fine.' Then he started that motorcycle and I about jumped out of my skin. They opened the flaps and the crowd just went crazy. "That thing with Monte, the big-screen TV - I'm doing a time out one time and I look up and Tom Cruise is on the screen doing that dance from 'Risky Business,' and I'm watching it! I thought, 'What the heck am I doing, am I crazy?' - it's all just an unbelievable advantage for the home team."

I can't wait until ODU heads to Montana in a few years! Sounds amazin' from everything I've read and seen. I'll definitely be there!

∞∞∞ wrote:I can't wait until ODU heads to Montana in a few years! Sounds amazin' from everything I've read and seen. I'll definitely be there!

Can't wait to have a beer with ya you little Muslim SOB!

Ursus A. Horribilis wrote:

∞∞∞ wrote:I can't wait until ODU heads to Montana in a few years! Sounds amazin' from everything I've read and seen. I'll definitely be there!

Can't wait to have a beer with ya you little Muslim SOB!

haha, I'm not religious at all (I consider myself a pastafarian). just grew up Muslim but then disowned all religions later on (no 72 virgins for me ). anyways, about half my extended family are christians.

And I can't wait either!

∞∞∞ wrote:

Ursus A. Horribilis wrote: Can't wait to have a beer with ya you little Muslim SOB!

haha, I'm not religious at all (I consider myself a pastafarian). just grew up Muslim but then disowned all religions later on (no 72 virgins for me ). anyways, about half my extended family are christians.

And I can't wait either!

Excellent! You won't have to worry about avoiding Grizo then.

Thanks, Ursus A. Horribilis, for giving a newby a new insight. Very impressive. Paints a nice picture of App State fans too.

green&gold75 wrote:Thanks, Ursus A. Horribilis, for giving a newby a new insight. Very impressive. Paints a nice picture of App State fans too.

All the App's I have conversed with (except maybe two) are extremely cool, and the three or four I have met are as nice a people as you could meet anywhere.

btw, just go with Ursus my man, no sense going to the trouble of the other letters and there is only one Ursus on here.

Glad you stopped by and hope you keep chiming in wherever you feel like.

Everyone I've talked to, that went to the game, thoroughly enjoyed themselves and had nothing but good things to say about the UM fans. I am stoked for 2012, and especially 2013, to get to meet (in person) many of you great UM fans. Many have already offered plans to get together, four years out. Grizzaholic has even offered to take us hiking, fishing, etc. Hats of to the Griz for creating a top notch program, facility, and fan base. ASU may be the "face" of FCS (as some people say), but we have a lot to reach for with you guys.

Great post and was taken off the App message board. I would put that game in the top of the All-Time FCS games...first for the game and for what it meant to the division as a whole!