I'm really not trying to cause too much attention to this thread. It might say "stupid" as a header but really the message is a good one. I started going to these games when people laughed at me when I would say "I think we have a shot a winning a national title". I have witnessed students sneaking in a train horn powered by a car battery (true! Good luck getting that into the stadium these days). When there were no expectations and the outcome was the outcome. I ran onto the field and hung on the goal posts (even avoided the pepper spray) when I was a student, with my parents proudly watching (I'm sure dad wanted to stop paying the tuition at that point).
I was fortunate enough to scrape enough money together and have season tickets next to my parents. Fell in love with Wa-Griz just as much as someone who is soo passionate about reading books. Met and created a second family around me with the many who attended. Yearly talks of how their children, hunting season, or their favorite summer activity went. Shared in the many plates of brownies and cookies that were passed from 1 row to the next in our section (without any 2nd thought if some dumbass had made them to hurt people).
I made it a point to my future wife and mother in law at the time that we get in the stadium an hour before kickoff to watch my boys!....Had my fill of goosebumps raising on my arm of watching many great, "grass root" type created pre tunnel videos to make me proud that this was a "MONTANA" team. It got me so fired up to keep yelling louder. I've always been very respectful of the other ticket holders around me. I stand up....raise my arms...but even though I might want to stand as the Griz break the huddle, sit and keep on yelling so others that have paid could see.
Seeing the guy below Brint and I get ridiculed about his chants at the time didn't seem to make much of a difference to me. But in several following years it was the more advertising...the cotton eyed joe dancer appearing then disappearing like the others. Soon, even the fans around me began to grow older...some passed...corporates bought and gave them to fans and employees who never attended. We got rid of a couple of assholes around us, but seem to gain more assholes who didn't have the passion that I had ...or did.
What I can tell you is I never missed a game...it didn't matter to me up until last year if it was 100 degrees or 100 below...I wasn't letting my boys down. I just wanted to yell my section chant " ITS TIME TO GET LOUD AND PROUD GRIZ CROWD".
Last year, perhaps finally from age, I began to notice more and more looks at me. Then I just wanted to be part of that freezing CCU game and wished I hadn't. This spring after my business meeting it just became so apparent to me that I perhaps was a dying breed of this generation of fans that had actually been there since the Copper and Gold, none of the new ones around me knew what it was like.
The overall everything needs to be an advertisement and fans not appreciating my honest and respectful passion really hurt as I would never be a jerk to just stand in front of another paying fan. The expectation that I should be quiet though....I mean, really?
Perhaps my long diatribe means nothing. I'm not sure it even means anything to me, except perhaps I've gotten older and this new fan base doesn't jive the way I was raised.
I just love college football...I hate NFL....to have you're heart sitting on a particular play that makes or breaks the entire day reads way better than any book I care to read.
I've seen posts that have said it for years that the fan base has been changing. I tried several years ago to have a guy in row 1 start a"false start" meter with another egriz (gone) poster. He and I even made it up..taped it...not even into the first quarter Griz security came and took it down saying we couldn't have signs in the stadium.
Perhaps its educating the new ticket neighbor next to you..maybe not...I wish I had the answer fellas (and ladies)...but I can just tell you that the admin did lose it with selling more and more advertising and losing their true fans....raising prices...and watching those that were there before even I, either grow old or not be able to afford the ticket anymore.
Maybe in the end, that's the price of success and expectations. Those that can afford these higher prices expect a golf clap atmosphere.
Anyway..again, I do apologize for jumping my two cents in here... I don't have answers but surely wish someone a hell of a lot smarter than I to kick it up a notch. I'm sure I'll get flamed for the post...
Dmont