The Bobcat Nation

I got to thinking today---there are four sports that are well attended at MSU: football, men's hoops, women's hoops, and volleyball. I know that those other sports count in the "Brawl of the Wild" contest, such as tennis, golf, track, etc. and I'm not dissing them, but from an attendance point of view, they are not up there with the "big four."

I thought to myself, why can't MSU provide a little joy from time to time by defeating UM here in Bozeman? Why must we be subjected to always losing to UM at home? I don't get it. As I look at the two institutions, MSU is going great guns academically. From an athletic standpoint we have a big fan base, lots of supportive alumni, good facilities, etc. Sometimes you hear that the state "flagship" university always is dominant over its rival that is typically a land-grant university.

No, that's not true. Take a little tour around the country and consider states with two main rivals. Examples include: North Dakota State vs. UND. How about the success Michigan State has been having vs. Michigan? Florida State, which not too many years ago was a female teachers college is the FBS national champ, dominating U. of Florida.

Auburn beat the U. of Alabama in football at home this year, and a few nights ago beat the crap out of UA in hoops, again in Auburn's home arena. Texas A&M and Baylor have had the upper hand over the U. of Texas recently. Kansas State has dominated Kansas in football and has a good hoops team. Arizona State has done well in football. Heck, even Vanderbilt is enjoying success over their in-state rival, the U. of Tennessee.

So no, please don't use the state "flagship" university as an excuse. There is NO excuse. On Monday, once again I will trek out to Worthington Arena to watch MSU play a home game against UM. I will root like crazy for the Cats as I always do, but if I was a betting person, I would lay money that I will come home disappointed, as I usually am whenever the Cats play the Griz in any of those four sports in Bozeman. Frankly, I would be THRILLED if we could just beat the Griz HALF the time we play them on our home field/court.

Again, I just don't get it. Cats, I'm ready for a win on Monday night. All the MSU fans are. We are DANGED tired of losing to the Griz at home. It's been quite a while, so please, please, send us home happy for a change Monday night!

Go Cats

Almost nothing about MSU athletics is logical...or makes any sense at all.

I think they try too hard, want it too much, and are not relaxed. They tighten up, and allow frustration to take them down.

Helcat72 wrote:I think they try too hard, want it too much, and are not relaxed. They tighten up, and allow frustration to take them down.

Typical syndrome of smart kids playing sports...

Honestly though, there might be something to that. Every great athlete will tell you that when you are "in the zone", you aren't thinking at all. You are just reacting.

Colter_Nuanez wrote:

Helcat72 wrote:I think they try too hard, want it too much, and are not relaxed. They tighten up, and allow frustration to take them down.

Typical syndrome of smart kids playing sports...

Honestly though, there might be something to that. Every great athlete will tell you that when you are "in the zone", you aren't thinking at all. You are just reacting.

Take it from me that even a mediocre athlete will tell you that. That's why the pros do so much film study, is so that your reads stop being reads and become rote memory and habits. Coaches try to turn thinking into reaction.

BLACKnBLUEnGOLD wrote:

Colter_Nuanez wrote:

Helcat72 wrote:I think they try too hard, want it too much, and are not relaxed. They tighten up, and allow frustration to take them down.

Typical syndrome of smart kids playing sports...

Honestly though, there might be something to that. Every great athlete will tell you that when you are "in the zone", you aren't thinking at all. You are just reacting.

Take it from me that even a mediocre athlete will tell you that. That's why the pros do so much film study, is so that your reads stop being reads and become rote memory and habits. Coaches try to turn thinking into reaction.

When defenses think, they slow down and don't react well.