George Ferguson Column: Hauck's thoughts on state of rivalry are on point

When I rolled into Havre Sunday afternoon, after watching the Montana Grizzlies stomp the Weber State Wildcats in Missoula, the brain started churning. It's Cat-Griz week, and, I always begin my coverage of the annual Brawl of the Wild with a column. Yet, as of Sunday night, I wasn't set on a topic.

With so many story lines heading into the 119th meeting between the Grizzlies and Bobcats, I could have taken this year's column in a lot of different directions. Then came Montana head coach Bobby Hauck's weekly press conference Monday, and just two minutes in, I had my topic. Alas, coach Hauck never disappoints.

And yet, that's exactly why I'm writing this because, Monday in Missoula, Bobby Hauck probably disappointed a lot of people. He probably let down a lot of people because for a couple of minutes Monday, he said some very candid things about how he views the state of the Cat-Griz game outside the lines - and it's not what anybody was expecting, and it's doubtful it was what Griz fans were hoping for.

"I think about the rivalry game a lot throughout the year," Hauck told reporters Monday. "I grew up around it. I think we're really lucky to have a long-standing traditional rival. I think it's just a really cool deal that it's been played as many times as it has. It's just a great game."

Indeed. Anyone who knows Hauck knows how much passion he has for the Brawl. But he wasn't done summing up his feelings on Cat-Griz currently.

"But I also think that the animosity and the bitterness around it is out of hand," Hauck continued. "It's to the point where I don't think it's healthy. It certainly isn't any fun. And I mean, I know people down there. I've got a lot of friends that are down there, people I've known for years. I mean, their President (Waded Cruzado) is a nice lady. Their AD's a nice guy. I mean, I know a lot of those people.

"And I just think it's become a little bit overbearing, frankly."

I watched the press conference live from Havre, like I do for both Hauck and MSU head coach Jeff Choate every week, and when I listened to Bobby Hauck speak those words, a few things initially came to my mind.

First and foremost, I agree with everything he said, and am glad someone from inside the locker room actually said it. Secondly, he meant every word, and anyone who thinks he was lying, trying to troll somebody, or somehow trying to play mind tricks on the the Bobcats by downplaying the game, you're wrong, and you need to go back and watch that press conference again.

Go back and listen to Hauck's voice when he's giving that statement, look at his facial expressions, pay attention to his demeanor. If you know Hauck at all, then you know from what you see and hear in that press conference he meant every word he said, and he was saying it with a lot of emotion and conviction.

In other words, he wasn't trolling or gaslighting, he wasn't trying to get a rise out of anyone, and he wasn't somehow trying to create some sort of advantage over the Bobcats, which by the way, wouldn't really work anyway.

In actuality, what Hauck was doing, was talking about us - the fans, the media, the social media warriors and keyboard cowboys. Hence why he used the words "around it."

What he wasn't talking about was the players or coaches or school administrators who played in recent Cat-Griz games, or who are about to play in Saturday's huge Top 10 showdown. No, those guys all have a pretty good grip on reality, and while the game will be heated and intense on the Bobcat Stadium turf Saturday, there will be heated respect, there will be intense passion and pride, but at the end of the day, from Hauck to Choate and everyone on the field, the Cat-Griz game will get settled and handled without the stupidity and crazy antics that go on message boards and Facebook, at tailgate parties and watch parties and even in the stands, and it's that kind of stuff Hauck was talking about.

Hauck is talking about claims of human beings actually spitting on each other, of objects being thrown at players, and fans throwing them at each other, of reports of cars bearing Cat or Griz license plates being vandalized and, most recently, constant insults, bordering on hatred, harassment and threats made on various internet platforms, much of which can be done anonymously these days.

See, it's those things that he was essentially chastising all of us for on Monday, and he's one hundred percent right. Because everything I've listed above, has happened and seems to be happening more often of late.

Now, I'll reverse course and add that, with all of those I listed, it's still a small percentage of idiots who do the worst things, such as vandalism or assaulting fans. But, small percentage or not, it still goes on and I promise you, no matter how passionate you think you are for this rivalry, the players who play in the game don't think much of you spitting on someone or assaulting someone or degrading someone, while labeling it as, supporting that player's team. No, I'm about one hundred percent sure the players on both sides of the Divide would say, if that's how you support them, then they can live without your support.

Again, it's a small percentage of fans on both sides who take it to those extremes in person. On the internet and social media, though, that's where it's really out of control, and that's where the Cat-Griz rivalry, and all rivalries in sports have risen to all new levels of animosity, discourse and basically, just a total lack of respect for each other as human beings. And again, while even those keyboard cowboys only represent a small fraction of both fan bases, it doesn't make it any less ugly.

Oh, and speaking of both fan bases, make no mistake, Hauck was talking to both Monday. So, don't for one second think he was only throwing shade at Bobcat fans. No, it's all of us, Griz and Cat fans alike because, as they say, it takes two to tango, and if there is ugliness in this rivalry, we're all to blame.

Listen though, it's not all bad. In fact, there's a lot more good than bad in the Cat-Griz rivalry. Personally, I have very few bad experiences to share. Personally, I don't experience bitterness and animosity, aside from reading Egriz and Bobcat Nation. Personally, the rivalry is pretty dang good in my world, and it should be for most of us. Like I said, one bad apple doesn't spoil the bunch, but what I think Bobby Hauck is observing more now than ever before is, that there are just more bad apples, and sour ones at that, than there ever has been, and I have to agree with him.

Honestly, one part of me dreads this week. I dread it because I don't like how far some people take it. I don't like to see people treat each other like trash over a football game. It isn't worth it.

But the other part of me loves this game as much as I love anything in sports. I know how special this rivalry is and how special the game is each year. It's the biggest sporting event in Montana, and it always will be. It's easily the best small college rivalry in the country in my humble opinion, and one of the best college football rivalries out there - period. And all off that, at least for me, outweighs anything I dread about this week.

Having said that, I do dread it a bit, and that's new. That's not something I felt 10 or 15 years ago. Call it growing up, maturing, or maybe because I cover both teams, I don't get into the fan part of the rivalry as much anymore. I don't know, but whatever it is, I don't quite enjoy it as much as I once did, and that's a new development, and that only confirms what Hauck was saying Monday - it has gotten out of hand.

I know, many of you somehow, and weirdly, aren't buying it. I've already seen the anonymous social media comments calling Hauck a liar, a troll, etc. I get it, to so many Bobcat fans at least, Hauck is the villain, he's the boogeyman. And on the other side, Griz fans are asking "Where's the old Bobby Hauck?"

I can speak to both fan bases. From what I heard and saw, rest assured Griz fans, Bobby Hauck cares every bit as much about beating the Cats as he always has. He feels the same about the rivalry as he always has, and trust me, what's happening at Griz' practice and in the lockerroom in Missoula, where they call this "Cat Week," it's no different than 2005 or 2007 or 2009. Bobby Hauck still wants to take the Grizzlies to Bozeman with the Pirate Flag and leave Cat fans' broken hearted.

Nothing has changed on that end.

But, to all of you, what he is saying is, at least in my opinion anyway, have some damn respect and human decency at least. Don't destroy each other's property or try to humiliate someone or any of that junk over a football game you're not even playing in.

In my opinion, the Bobcats can mean everything to MSU fans, and Griz Nation can be as passionate as they've always been, and this rivalry can be the biggest thing in both fan bases' sporting lives each year without it being out of control. It can mean everything without morons ruining it for the rest of us. Hell, you can even not like each other if you choose to, though I don't really understand that either, but at the end of day, it doesn't mean you need to treat each other like I mentioned above.

In other words, Cat-Griz or Griz-Cat, or the Brawl of the Wild, can be fun for the fans without it getting out of control. It was before the invention of internet and Twitter and Egriz and Bobcat Nation. I know because I was involved in it long before any of those things existed. And, if some people would just calm down about it little bit, just relax a little bit, and not go overboard about a football game, it still could be just as fun as always it's been. And no one is suggesting we all get together and sing Kumbaya. No one is suggesting the rivalry shouldn't be what it's always been.

So, on that note, whichever side of the Divide you stand on, have fun Saturday, enjoy the game wherever you're watching, and, remember, no matter which way it goes, time will march on, and Cat-Griz will be back again next November in Missoula. That's the beauty of this thing, it's ours, and we get to keep enjoying it, and I think that's what Hauck was trying to remind people of - to just enjoy it.