Coach Pflu hits radio Tuesday

Denny Bedard tells us that the University of Montana Grizzly football coach’s radio show has moved to Tuesday and starts Aug. 31 — that’s tonight — at 6 p.m. on KVWE FM. The program airs live from Paradise Falls and listeners can call 1-877-401-9151 with questions for Coach Robin Pflugrad and the voice of the [...]

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Long live the Marching 100

I found this obituary on the N.Y. Times today for William P. Foster, the band director who revolutionized college halftime shows during his time at Florida A&M.
I mention it because FAMU is also referenced in this 2003 column by former Sports Illustrated write Steve Rushin, in which he recounts one band, during the “Fifth Quarter,” [...]

There’s heck to pay in the WAC

Fresno State and Nevada restarted the Reshuffle Party with Tuesday’s announcement they are leaving the WAC for the Mountain West Conference, and while Montana watches all factors of this movement with interest, the sticker shock stands out for me.
This Fresno Bee story has the WAC collecting a $5 million fine from each departing school, withing [...]

Fans from way back east, in harm’s way

Here’s a photo the Missoulian received Monday from Afghanistan. Army specialist Kristopher Krause, a Hamilton native now a part of the U.S. Army’s 230th Vertical Engineer Company, sent it along with the following words:
“I live in Missoula and I have attached a photo that was taken by us earlier today (Aug. 15) on top of [...]

Hack: We just about ran out of lights…

Here’s my story in Thursday’s Missoulian on Steve Hackney, the University of Montana’s equipment manager who is retiring at the end of the football season. It’s hard for me to feel like I can spend 8 hours on a story and do justice to a man who spent 30 years at UM, but I gave [...]

“I’m not a dog person…”

Here’s an old YouTube video of an Alabama fan voicing his displeasure with the Tennessee Volunteers, which is who the Montana Grizzlies open up the 2011 football season.
Thought it was funny the first time I saw it — it dates back at least a couple years to the Phillip Fulmer Era at UT — and [...]

Recruiting South Dakota…

Here’s a short story from the Sioux Falls (S.D.) Argus-Leader about a quarterback and receiver named Matt Hermanson who has verbally committed to the University of Montana for football.
South Dakota isn’t a hotbed for Griz recruiting — I only found three Grizzlies who came from Mount Rushmore State, including linebacker Kent Clausen (Aberdeen, 1976-79) — [...]

Masoli a Rebel?

You may have heard that Jeremiah Masoli found himself in a bit of trouble at Oregon recently, resulting in his getting kicked off the Ducks’ football team.
But now that he’s completed his undergrad studies at OU, he can be eligible to play for someone other than the Ducks – and one blogger says that someone [...]

A long ways back

Jimmy Wilson is back, as announced by UM and in Tuesday’s edition of the Missoulian.
His story has ranged from impressive to tragic and downright dark, and now is on the verge of being amazing. Jailed for two years following the shooting death of his aunt’s boyfriend, Wilson was acquitted of murder a year ago and [...]

Nobody ate any sandwiches!

This is a little off-topic, but I love baseball and I really love hating the Yankees, though I begrudgingly respect what George Steinbrenner built in New York.
After Steinbrenner’s death Tuesday at age 80, I went straight to the New York Times to read another in their always excellent obituaries. And I found this great sidebar [...]