From the Fringe: It's really fun to be a fan of the Griz or Cats this week

Sometimes I wonder, do we as fans of the Montana Grizzlies or Montana State Bobcats know how good we really have it?

I mean, hang around bars, or water coolers or the golf course, or, if you dare, visit a an online message board such as Egriz or Bobcat Nation, and you see an awful lot of angst, consternation, frustration and downright anger.

I'm plenty guilty of all of that myself. I readily admit that.

But every once in a while we get a reminder of how truly good we do have it in this state.

And this week is just the reminder we need.

First off, we have both of our NCAA Division I college football teams playing in the FCS quarterfinals for the second time in the last three years. And in prime time no less.

On Friday night, Montana travels to James Madison for a huge quarterfinal showdown under the lights, a game that will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2. Less than 24 hours later, the Bobcats will be in Texas to play top-ranked Sam Houston State, a game that has all the makings of a classic showdown, and one that many believe the Cats are well-equipped to win. That game will be streamed live on ESPN+, and the fact is, both Montana squads are just four quarters away from playing in the FCS semifinals at the same time. That's never happened before.

And that's evidence enough that, both the Griz, and the Cats are really good football teams. And we all need to remember that before we go freaking out online.

That's not all, though.

On Wednesday, it was announced that, not one, but two Montana-born linebackers are finalists for the Buck Buchanen Award, which is given out to the best defensive player in the FCS. Both Montana State's Troy Andersen, a senior linebacker from Dillon, and Montana's Patrick O'Connell, a former walk-on linebacker from Kalispell, will be in Frisco, Texas, next month for the FCS Awards Ceremony as two of the three finalists for Defensive Player of the Year.

Think about that. In the same season, linebackers from both of our schools, born and raised in Montana, are vying for the highest defensive honor in the FCS. If that doesn't tell you how great the football state is in this state, I don't know what else we can do to convince you.

So, while there are plenty of times when the Cats and Griz drive us crazy, not unlike fan bases of any other college or pro team, the final days of this season shouldn't really be one of those times. It's been pretty awesome how good both teams are this season, and while it's not over yet, we all need to remember, as fans of college football in the Treasure State, we are pretty darn spoiled right now.