From the Fringe ... Letters to the Jackrabbits, the Griz and the haters

The sting of the FCS national championship game is still fresh. And being in Denver didn't help any. It didn't matter. Whether it was in Frisco, Missoula, Havre or Denver, the hurt is just the same.

Still, it was as great a Griz football season as I've seen in a long, long time, and one I'll reflect on another time.

Right now though, I just want to write a quick couple notes about Saturday's game. So here goes.

Dear South Dakota State Jackrabbits and Fans

You are an incredible team and an incredible program. The announcers during Saturday's game said that, as the dust settled on this college football season, there's no question the Jackrabbits are an FBS Top 25 team and I fully concur.

Your football team is talented, well-coached, tough and physical, all the while playing a modern brand of college football.

I can find no flaws in your team, or your program. From the quarterback, to the defense, to a first-year head coach, from the trenches to the skill positions, and what a punter, too, there's a reason why you haven't lost in two seasons and are back-to-back national champions. You have a special team and you deserved all the success you're getting.

So, from this journalist and Griz fan, there's no excuses, and nothing but praise. The better team won. Jacks, from the very first game of the season to the last, you were, and are the best team in the FCS. And you were certainly better than my Grizzlies on Saturday. There were no flukes, no what-ifs, no bad referees, no nothing. The Jackrabbits were the better team, and in the second half, they delivered a beat-down.

So congrats, SDSU and Fans on the natty. You earned it!

Dear Haters,

Again, no excuses from this Griz fan on Saturday's game. SDSU is the better team. The scoreboard said so, and that's all I needed to see to tip my hat to the opponent.

I wish more of the Griz' opponents could do the same. 

The Griz won 10 games in a row leading up to Saturday's beating at the hands of SDSU. And after every win, all we kept hearing was, weak schedule, bad referees, classless coaches, lucky breaks, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

And yet, thankfully, Jimmy Rogers doesn't think that. He called Montana the best FCS opponent he's seen. 

That's right, there were no flukes. Montana was the best team in the Big Sky Conference this season. Montana didn't get help from rogue referees or some manufactured schedule, or any other crazy, nut job conspiracies opponents wanna throw out there.

No, Montana proved it on the field. Just like SDSU did to the Griz Saturday, the Griz did it to everybody but Northern Arizona this season. They beat you on the field. They beat six ranked opponents, and proved the playoff committee right by making good on the No. 2 seed by reaching the national championship game.

No, there was no mysterious or nefarious circumstances that got the Griz as far as they did. They just beat you on the football field. That's all they did.

So, like I did above, what's wrong with just tipping your hat and saying good job? I'm not asking you to like the Griz. Matter of fact, you can hate them all you wish. But, if you live in the REAL WORLD, then you have to give credit where credit is due, and Montana was better than everybody else in the FCS this year, with the exception of SDSU.

Yes, second sucks, but, it doesn't change the fact that the Griz won all but two games this entire season, and yet, the fan bases from most of those teams they beat, somehow think their team is better than the Griz. lol.

Oh well, as they say, Haters Gonna Hate, and I guess ya'll are gonna do just that.

Dear Griz and Griz Nation,

I went to say a quick thank-you for making this season so incredibly special.

Leaving Montana for the first time in my life, I really had no idea what to expect as it related to Griz football.

But this fall has been as magical a fall as I've had in a long, long time.

Not being able to go to eight or nine home games was hard, but this team certainly made the transition to being an out-of-state Griz fan a lot easier. This is the most I've ever had to watch the Griz on TV, something I will continue to have to do but, because of the excitement and joy this team brought to all of us, watching it on TV most weeks got a lot easier.

Like I said, I'll reflect much more on this Griz squad in the coming weeks, but for now, I'll just leave you all with a thank you.

Thank you to the Griz and to Griz Nation for making this one of the most magical, memorable and fun seasons we have ever had. Thank you for your hard work, your dedication and your perseverance. 

Thank you, 2023-24 Griz, for a season none of us will ever forget.