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Montana Sports Coverage

Grizbeer

Grizbeer

Well-known member
Lee has started a new website to combine statewide sports coverage.

http://www.406mtsports.com/

I think this is a fantastic idea, and I think they will be successful with it. However I found this disturbing:

We’ve been building to this moment for more than a year, since The Gazette moved veteran Billings sports reporter Greg Rachac to Bozeman to cover Montana State athletics.

It was, in effect, a two-for-one, given that our presence in the Gallatin Valley has enabled The Gazette, Standard and Independent-Record to provide readers not only with unprecedented coverage of the Cats but also the Missoulian’s historically exceptional coverage of the University of Montana.


Previously, most of the Missoulian’s Griz content was left on the cutting-room floor in Billings, Helena and Butte for lack of balance with the Cats.

Now the Cats and Griz are side-by-side in The 406.
Click to expand...

Huh. So to be FAIR to the Cat's, Lee statewide has purposely reduced coverage of Griz athletics. I noticed last year that the Missoulian had at least 1 Rachac article every day about MSU on the front of the sports section, and it seemed like the Cats got more coverage than the Griz. I thought that was just The Missoulian being, well The Missoulian, turns out it was a corporate mandate to provide FAIR coverage for the Cats. Jeff Welsch, the Lee Montana Executive Sports Editor, was previously the Sports Editor and MSU beat writer for the Bozeman Chronical before going to Billings.
 
Grizbeer said:
Lee has started a new website to combine statewide sports coverage.

http://www.406mtsports.com/

I think this is a fantastic idea, and I think they will be successful with it. However I found this disturbing:

We’ve been building to this moment for more than a year, since The Gazette moved veteran Billings sports reporter Greg Rachac to Bozeman to cover Montana State athletics.

It was, in effect, a two-for-one, given that our presence in the Gallatin Valley has enabled The Gazette, Standard and Independent-Record to provide readers not only with unprecedented coverage of the Cats but also the Missoulian’s historically exceptional coverage of the University of Montana.


Previously, most of the Missoulian’s Griz content was left on the cutting-room floor in Billings, Helena and Butte for lack of balance with the Cats.

Now the Cats and Griz are side-by-side in The 406.
Click to expand...

Huh. So to be FAIR to the Cat's, Lee statewide has purposely reduced coverage of Griz athletics. I noticed last year that the Missoulian had at least 1 Rachac article every day about MSU on the front of the sports section, and it seemed like the Cats got more coverage than the Griz. I thought that was just The Missoulian being, well The Missoulian, turns out it was a corporate mandate to provide FAIR coverage for the Cats. Jeff Welsch, the Lee Montana Executive Sports Editor, was previously the Sports Editor and MSU beat writer for the Bozeman Chronical before going to Billings.
Click to expand...

That also explains why Cat player incidents were on the cutting room floor while those of the Griz made the front page.
 
Ursa Major said:
Oh great! Now we get to have in-depth coverage of every #Boom. :roll: :roll: :roll:
Click to expand...
The only #Boom that matters is the one we deliver every November. They can have 30 tweets a year....whatever keeps the kitties happy.


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Grizbeer said:
Lee has started a new website to combine statewide sports coverage.

http://www.406mtsports.com/

I think this is a fantastic idea, and I think they will be successful with it. However I found this disturbing:

We’ve been building to this moment for more than a year, since The Gazette moved veteran Billings sports reporter Greg Rachac to Bozeman to cover Montana State athletics.

It was, in effect, a two-for-one, given that our presence in the Gallatin Valley has enabled The Gazette, Standard and Independent-Record to provide readers not only with unprecedented coverage of the Cats but also the Missoulian’s historically exceptional coverage of the University of Montana.


Previously, most of the Missoulian’s Griz content was left on the cutting-room floor in Billings, Helena and Butte for lack of balance with the Cats.

Now the Cats and Griz are side-by-side in The 406.
Click to expand...

Huh. So to be FAIR to the Cat's, Lee statewide has purposely reduced coverage of Griz athletics. I noticed last year that the Missoulian had at least 1 Rachac article every day about MSU on the front of the sports section, and it seemed like the Cats got more coverage than the Griz. I thought that was just The Missoulian being, well The Missoulian, turns out it was a corporate mandate to provide FAIR coverage for the Cats. Jeff Welsch, the Lee Montana Executive Sports Editor, was previously the Sports Editor and MSU beat writer for the Bozeman Chronical before going to Billings.
Click to expand...

Now I don't usually post on here but I'm compelled to clear this up before any bad seeds grow into bad plants.

That highlighted passage means our Griz stuff has been left out of the Gazette in the past, not that we've produced less here in Missoula. Since Rachac has been on full-time Bobcats coverage, each paper has now had the option of running the Missoulian's Griz stuff and the Gaz's Cats stuff together. It's why you've noticed more Cats stories in the Missoulian the past year.

I can assure you we still churn out lots more Griz coverage than we run of the Cats. You need look no further than Saturday and Sunday editions -- a 20-24 special section each Saturday from now til Xmas; 3 or 4 full pages of stories and photos for days after the game -- for the proof.

The http://www.406mtsports.com/ website is a way to get all of that in one place, including high school stuff from Eureka to Ekalaka. Thanks for listening. Now proceed with your rants.

Your pal,
AJ
 
AJ Mazzolini said:
Grizbeer said:
Lee has started a new website to combine statewide sports coverage.

http://www.406mtsports.com/

I think this is a fantastic idea, and I think they will be successful with it. However I found this disturbing:

We’ve been building to this moment for more than a year, since The Gazette moved veteran Billings sports reporter Greg Rachac to Bozeman to cover Montana State athletics.

It was, in effect, a two-for-one, given that our presence in the Gallatin Valley has enabled The Gazette, Standard and Independent-Record to provide readers not only with unprecedented coverage of the Cats but also the Missoulian’s historically exceptional coverage of the University of Montana.


Previously, most of the Missoulian’s Griz content was left on the cutting-room floor in Billings, Helena and Butte for lack of balance with the Cats.

Now the Cats and Griz are side-by-side in The 406.
Click to expand...

Huh. So to be FAIR to the Cat's, Lee statewide has purposely reduced coverage of Griz athletics. I noticed last year that the Missoulian had at least 1 Rachac article every day about MSU on the front of the sports section, and it seemed like the Cats got more coverage than the Griz. I thought that was just The Missoulian being, well The Missoulian, turns out it was a corporate mandate to provide FAIR coverage for the Cats. Jeff Welsch, the Lee Montana Executive Sports Editor, was previously the Sports Editor and MSU beat writer for the Bozeman Chronical before going to Billings.
Click to expand...

Now I don't usually post on here but I'm compelled to clear this up before any bad seeds grow into bad plants.

That highlighted passage means our Griz stuff has been left out of the Gazette in the past, not that we've produced less here in Missoula. Since Rachac has been on full-time Bobcats coverage, each paper has now had the option of running the Missoulian's Griz stuff and the Gaz's Cats stuff together. It's why you've noticed more Cats stories in the Missoulian the past year.

I can assure you we still churn out lots more Griz coverage than we run of the Cats. You need look no further than Saturday and Sunday editions -- a 20-24 special section each Saturday from now til Xmas; 3 or 4 full pages of stories and photos for days after the game -- for the proof.

The http://www.406mtsports.com/ website is a way to get all of that in one place, including high school stuff from Eureka to Ekalaka. Thanks for listening. Now proceed with your rants.

Your pal,
AJ
Click to expand...

AJ, I can accept and even expect the Missoulian would have more Griz coverage and the Chronicle more Cat coverage, no different than higher hometown coverage of high school sports. It's the killing of Griz articles in non-hometown papers that offends. You should be running the important and desired news coverage statewide, not editing to appease one schools' alumni or alumni employees. In spite of NDSU's success the Grizzlies are still the marquee FCS program inside and outside of the state of Montana. I subscribe to the Gazette but still have to go onto the dishrag Missoulian site to get full coverage of Griz sports. Please save me and millions (OK hundreds or thousands) like me from this travesty.
 
AJ Mazzolini said:
Grizbeer said:
Lee has started a new website to combine statewide sports coverage.

http://www.406mtsports.com/

I think this is a fantastic idea, and I think they will be successful with it. However I found this disturbing:

We’ve been building to this moment for more than a year, since The Gazette moved veteran Billings sports reporter Greg Rachac to Bozeman to cover Montana State athletics.

It was, in effect, a two-for-one, given that our presence in the Gallatin Valley has enabled The Gazette, Standard and Independent-Record to provide readers not only with unprecedented coverage of the Cats but also the Missoulian’s historically exceptional coverage of the University of Montana.


Previously, most of the Missoulian’s Griz content was left on the cutting-room floor in Billings, Helena and Butte for lack of balance with the Cats.

Now the Cats and Griz are side-by-side in The 406.
Click to expand...

Huh. So to be FAIR to the Cat's, Lee statewide has purposely reduced coverage of Griz athletics. I noticed last year that the Missoulian had at least 1 Rachac article every day about MSU on the front of the sports section, and it seemed like the Cats got more coverage than the Griz. I thought that was just The Missoulian being, well The Missoulian, turns out it was a corporate mandate to provide FAIR coverage for the Cats. Jeff Welsch, the Lee Montana Executive Sports Editor, was previously the Sports Editor and MSU beat writer for the Bozeman Chronical before going to Billings.
Click to expand...

Now I don't usually post on here but I'm compelled to clear this up before any bad seeds grow into bad plants.

That highlighted passage means our Griz stuff has been left out of the Gazette in the past, not that we've produced less here in Missoula. Since Rachac has been on full-time Bobcats coverage, each paper has now had the option of running the Missoulian's Griz stuff and the Gaz's Cats stuff together. It's why you've noticed more Cats stories in the Missoulian the past year.

I can assure you we still churn out lots more Griz coverage than we run of the Cats. You need look no further than Saturday and Sunday editions -- a 20-24 special section each Saturday from now til Xmas; 3 or 4 full pages of stories and photos for days after the game -- for the proof.

The http://www.406mtsports.com/ website is a way to get all of that in one place, including high school stuff from Eureka to Ekalaka. Thanks for listening. Now proceed with your rants.

Your pal,
AJ
Click to expand...
This is such bullshit!!!

Angry_Man.jpg
 
AJ Mazzolini said:
Grizbeer said:
Lee has started a new website to combine statewide sports coverage.

http://www.406mtsports.com/

I think this is a fantastic idea, and I think they will be successful with it. However I found this disturbing:

We’ve been building to this moment for more than a year, since The Gazette moved veteran Billings sports reporter Greg Rachac to Bozeman to cover Montana State athletics.

It was, in effect, a two-for-one, given that our presence in the Gallatin Valley has enabled The Gazette, Standard and Independent-Record to provide readers not only with unprecedented coverage of the Cats but also the Missoulian’s historically exceptional coverage of the University of Montana.


Previously, most of the Missoulian’s Griz content was left on the cutting-room floor in Billings, Helena and Butte for lack of balance with the Cats.

Now the Cats and Griz are side-by-side in The 406.
Click to expand...

Huh. So to be FAIR to the Cat's, Lee statewide has purposely reduced coverage of Griz athletics. I noticed last year that the Missoulian had at least 1 Rachac article every day about MSU on the front of the sports section, and it seemed like the Cats got more coverage than the Griz. I thought that was just The Missoulian being, well The Missoulian, turns out it was a corporate mandate to provide FAIR coverage for the Cats. Jeff Welsch, the Lee Montana Executive Sports Editor, was previously the Sports Editor and MSU beat writer for the Bozeman Chronical before going to Billings.
Click to expand...

Now I don't usually post on here but I'm compelled to clear this up before any bad seeds grow into bad plants.

That highlighted passage means our Griz stuff has been left out of the Gazette in the past, not that we've produced less here in Missoula. Since Rachac has been on full-time Bobcats coverage, each paper has now had the option of running the Missoulian's Griz stuff and the Gaz's Cats stuff together. It's why you've noticed more Cats stories in the Missoulian the past year.

I can assure you we still churn out lots more Griz coverage than we run of the Cats. You need look no further than Saturday and Sunday editions -- a 20-24 special section each Saturday from now til Xmas; 3 or 4 full pages of stories and photos for days after the game -- for the proof.

The http://www.406mtsports.com/ website is a way to get all of that in one place, including high school stuff from Eureka to Ekalaka. Thanks for listening. Now proceed with your rants.

Your pal,
AJ
Click to expand...

So, if I am reading this bolded section correctly, it is ultimately the Missoulians choice to have a bobcat article on the front sports page nearly every day?

Spin it however you want, but it is irritating as hell to read the Missoulian everyday, and see these articles on the cats. Given the perceived tension between the Missoulian and the Griz program, this does nothing by add fodder for that discussion. In short, it looks like a veiled slap in the face...........
 
Psssst. Lots of msu alumni live in the Missoulians distribution region. You'll see wsu coverage on front page of Seattle times sports page, however UW fans are generally secure enough in their fandom to not feel threatened.


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Excellent. Now I have one more thing to add to my long (and still growing) list of things I don't give a shit about.
 
All right, so I probably exaggerated about more Cat coverage than Griz coverage in the Missoulian, and I will accept that it was not Lee corporate policy but the Missoulian being the Missoulian and making an editorial decision to vastly increase bobcat coverage when it became available. Glad to hear about the plans for Griz coverage this fall, hopefully some of that will make it to the IR, Standard and Gazette. As I said I do believe this new 406Mtsports idea is fantastic and will be a success as long as information is kept current.

As far as ranting, AJ is really the one with a right to rant - most of his hard work (his career) contained to the Missoulian while it gets cut out of the Helena, Butte and Billings market because the Bobcat's suck and, fairness? That has to be a bit rough. "Hey kid, great work, but nobody's is going to read it because the Bobcats still suck and Rachac hasn't finished his article about Choate's goatee yet, so fairness demands it never leaves Missoula". Ouch. But if I was going to rant it would be about the time when the Missoulian editorial board called for Montana to quit football so MSU could be a big time program. Or the time when the Missoulian sports editor placed Montana in the Bottom 10 college football teams feature. Or the time when the Missoulian - actually, AJ you have written some great pieces on Griz football history lately, maybe your next feature could be on all the times the Missoulian has tried to shut down the Griz football program?
 
wbtfg said:
Psssst. Lots of msu alumni live in the Missoulians distribution region. You'll see wsu coverage on front page of Seattle times sports page, however UW fans are generally secure enough in their fandom to not feel threatened.


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Click to expand...

Psst. How much coverage of the Griz do you see in the Chronicle? Same "area alumni" issue would apply there
 
Raider said:
wbtfg said:
Psssst. Lots of msu alumni live in the Missoulians distribution region. You'll see wsu coverage on front page of Seattle times sports page, however UW fans are generally secure enough in their fandom to not feel threatened.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Psst. How much coverage of the Griz do you see in the Chronicle? Same "area alumni" issue would apply there
Click to expand...

Have no idea. I don't read the chronicle.

That said, I don't think chronicle is a Lee newspaper or a regional newspaper. It's more of a local paper with limited staff.


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Griz fans spend far too much time and energy on Montana State. It is the obsession of this board, along with NDSU. In most places, games like UM v MSU with such a lop sided outcome would be considered exhibition games. Most years, it is not even competitive...but, hey...it's cold and sometimes loud.
 
GrizLA said:
Griz fans spend far too much time and energy on Montana State. It is the obsession of this board, along with NDSU. In most places, games like UM v MSU with such a lop sided outcome would be considered exhibition games. Most years, it is not even competitive...but, hey...it's cold and sometimes loud.
Click to expand...

Spoken like someone that has never been part of the rivalry. I think you should just stick to your wine swilling Pac12 buddies.
 
retiredfan said:
Bobcats suck, and GRIZ rule simple as that. Plain as the nose on your face!!!!!!!
Click to expand...
See AJ, journalism isn't that hard. Retiredfan just set your editorial standards
 
The Bozo Chronicle barely has a sports section. Couple of years ago I was there for the Class "A" State BBall tourney. The clowns didn't even post scores from all the state tourney games played there. That paper's market is strictly for the Gallatin valley and nothing more. They know they have to cover the cats but don't bother to cover much else.

On the other hand the Billings Gazette is widely distributed across eastern Montana, and even in Bozeman. Since there are many msu alumni in their audience Rachac was assigned to address the cat market to try to keep the amount of print balanced to boost dwindling sales. So the Gazette reprints SOME of the Missoulian's Griz articles and then has to generate their own cat articles in house.

For those who haven't seen any of those articles they can be summarized in the following: "Coach Khakis is a distant memory. Coach Choke is high on how hard his team is working. Adding a former Grizzly coach should automatically increase the amount of games Lil' Bro wins. The cats have appointed 64 kids as team captains. The players are convinced they are a championship team. Expect about a dozen starters who are freshman, sophomores, or current high school players." That pretty well sums up the series of msu articles.

Going back to the original post, the new site 406MTsports.com appears to be a good site to follow High School sports statewide. It could develop into a very good resource if you're interested.
 
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