An open letter to KBZK

[Will_Holden]

Here's the rant directed towards KBZK I alluded to on my Bobcat Nation thread and my Twitter page: http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/bo ... og/?p=3051" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I don't ask for this often, Nation, but I wouldn't mind your help in getting this thing to go viral. I believe Montana sports fans deserve a better product than the one they were delivered in the 'Cat-Griz broadcast Saturday night.

[longhorn_22]

Damn it, Will, if I could write as well as you I might have a career. Great job once again.

[BDizzle]

First off I am not sticking up for Phil Buck. I honestly think he is a homer but this is a horrible article.

So in a 3 hour LIVE broadcast you bring up a few examples. Guessing they thought Forrest City, AR was Arizona and not Arkansas. Honest mistake. So a tough zone, that is one of the best in the nation (fg % wise), can't be beat? Sometimes it happens. And who isn't trying to reference pop culture in a telecast nowadays? Especially since the song was from The Blueprint. Just the third one. Please don't tell me Bob Costas has never done that. If I remember correctly even the Billings Gazette had Michael Taylor as a guy for the Griz that was getting hot lately. Maybe at that point in the game it was a good time to go to him. So just because Bobby Howard is left handed means an announcer should only say he isn't afraid to go to the rim right handed? Probably another honest mistake.

I have listened to many of your interviews with recruits. Im guessing most of the them are scripted with certain questions you'll ask. I only can hope you are better live than you are scripted. Maybe you should just stick to writing. Except after reading your articles, you might be as biased as any sports writer around. So maybe you are just upset that you don't get to call the games and a Griz sportscaster does???

[profisme]

I don't want to get into a spat over this, but I really do think that Will did make several very salient points in his article. Listening to the telecast with my roommates, we definitely had issues with the broadcast, but Will had the gall to stand up and say something. It is not always the popular thing to do, to criticize your fellow local sports journalists, who you will have to interact with, but when it is warranted, I believe it is the right thing to do.

Yes, I do realize that it is a Montana Grizzlies broadcast coming from KPAX. It has the logo right there on the bottom of the screen with the scoreboard, but when you bring someone else in who is supposed to bring the viewpoint of the other side and they fail to do that, it seems like a slap in the face to presumably about 1/2 of the audience. In the end, as Will said, it isn't a matter of bias as much as it is a lack of research and preparedness. Maybe it is because I am a Bobcat fan, maybe it is because I don't feel he is very good, maybe it is because I get spoiled by the likes of Bill Raftery on CBS, I don't like listening to Phil Buck. I can say that I really enjoyed listening to Jack Buck (HOF broadcaster for the Cardinals, father of epic failure Joe Buck) even though I am a die-hard Cubs fan. Some people transcend the bounds of the teams for whom they announce. I don't expect this extremely high level of professionalism, but a bit more preparedness can overcome some of the issues experienced by the broadcasting duo, borne upon the entire viewing audience.

Will just had the cojones to say exactly what myself and probably many others were thinking.

[BelgradeBobcat]

Guessing they thought Forrest City, AR was Arizona and not Arkansas. Honest mistake.

But that's just it. They so obviously know everything about the griz players-where they're from, what they had for breakfast that morning, what their favorite color is, etc. and the know very little about Montana State's players. It's like this every year. Montana State may as well be Siberia State for all these guys know.

[Gus]

And the calling the game using the griz player nicknames gets a bit old also.

[rtb]

I have to weigh in and say Thank You Will for having the guts to stand up and call someone in your own field out for bringing a less then quality product to the table.

Also, I agree with the overall thoughts. I was pretty disappointed in the broadcast and shocked at how un-prepared the guys were. They sounded about like kmax and I trying to do play by play for a horse competition during the PodCat!

Everyone has pointed out some of the mistakes made so I won't jump on the ones that stood out to me(like watching the refs and actually understanding their signals), but one of the most amazing things to me was toward the end of the broadcast when it was clear that MSU would win, Buck basically went silent and had the color guy carry the coverage. If you can't do your job because your emotion with who is winning effects you, you probably shouldn't be doing that job.

[BelgradeBobcat]

The Chronicle website suddenly looks different and the MSU Blog is missing. What's up with that?

[BozoneCat]

First off, thank you to Will for standing up and putting himself out there to bring to light the completely unprofessional way these bozos announced this game and disrespected Montana State's team and players. It would be better if this were the first time this has happened...

One very important question I think we need to ask as Bobcat fans is why in the hell does KPAX - an unabashedly griz station with ridiculous homer griz announcers - have the broadcast rights to every Cat-griz football and basketball game? First off, they can't be paying MSU that much for the rights to these games if the quality of their broadcasts is any indication of the depth of their financial pockets. Second, I think it would be better in the long run for us to not have the game broadcast at all than to continue giving the rights to this station. You want to talk about MSU always playing second fiddle/little brother to UM, I think having every Cat-griz game broadcast by the grizzlies' own station is about as strong of a slap in the face we can get - and we're giving it to ourselves by signing a contract to let them do it!

[D-Wreck]

Second, I think it would be better in the long run for us to not have the game broadcast at all than to continue giving the rights to this station. You want to talk about MSU always playing second fiddle/little brother to UM, I think having every Cat-griz game broadcast by the grizzlies' own station is about as strong of a slap in the face we can get - and we're giving it to ourselves by signing a contract to let them do it!

I don't think I'd agree with that. I've found it's actually not too terrible to watch the games with my TV on mute and the stereo playing some music. I'd rather be able to watch the game under those conditions, than not be able to watch at all.

[BozoneCat]

Second, I think it would be better in the long run for us to not have the game broadcast at all than to continue giving the rights to this station. You want to talk about MSU always playing second fiddle/little brother to UM, I think having every Cat-griz game broadcast by the grizzlies' own station is about as strong of a slap in the face we can get - and we're giving it to ourselves by signing a contract to let them do it!

I don't think I'd agree with that. I've found it's actually not too terrible to watch the games with my TV on mute and the stereo playing some music. I'd rather be able to watch the game under those conditions, than not be able to watch at all.

Fair enough. I know that with my position, I am probably in the minority on this one. But I think that if MSU "boycotted" having any of their games broadcast by the griz station, it would only take a year before MSU would be able to negotiate their own contract with another station to give them exclusive rights to all Bobcat games. What would happen then would be that either the Cat-griz games would be broadcast by BOTH stations, or each station would have the right to broadcast the home teams' games. I would be very much in favor of that. MSU needs to stand up for itself and act like a big boy if they (we) want respect, and I think this is just one example of how MSU continues to willingly take a seat at the little kids' table.

[SonomaCat]

You make some interesting points, Bozone. I would be interested in hearing more from those in the know as to how exactly these contacts work and how UM's exclusive home station contract precludes any other station from carrying a Cat/Griz game. One way or another, we are definitely getting big leagued by UM in this arrangement (probably due to them having more leverage on the football side right now).

[TomCat88]

I would be interested in hearing more from those in the know as to how exactly these contacts work and how UM's exclusive home station contract precludes any other station from carrying a Cat/Griz game.

Unless KPAX/KBZK are willing to hone the skills/train their announcers, then this is the heart of the matter. If some long term arrangement has been made, then about all you can do is ask for equal play or turn down the volume and cover the part of the screen that shows the scoreboard with http://www.montanagrizzlies.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;. Or watch the BSTV feed.

Again, why would you go to all the trouble of broadcasting the game only to be boorish to most (Cat fans and basketball fans in general and even some UM fans) of your viewers. I've talked to a few Griz fans about this and they've all noticed the things Will and others have pointed out. It seems like an easy win for KPAX/KBZK. People want to watch their product, but the announcers are driving a lot of them away.

And look at all this free publicity we're giving them.

[FTG06']

The Chronicle website suddenly looks different and the MSU Blog is missing. What's up with that?

Looks like somebody at the Comical got butthurt over Will's comments. I can't say it surprises me, since most of the staff are from places like San Fran where everything you say has to be PC or the PC police will come and get you.

[grizzh8r]

The Chronicle website suddenly looks different and the MSU Blog is missing. What's up with that?

Looks like somebody at the Comical got butthurt over Will's comments. I can't say it surprises me, since most of the staff are from places like San Fran where everything you say has to be PC or the PC police will come and get you.

Nope. According to Wills Twitter page, they are having technical diffculties with their website.

[TomCat88]

The Chronicle website suddenly looks different and the MSU Blog is missing. What's up with that?

Looks like somebody at the Comical got butthurt over Will's comments. I can't say it surprises me, since most of the staff are from places like San Fran where everything you say has to be PC or the PC police will come and get you.

I think they just updated their web page and not all the stuff has transferred over yet.

[SonomaCat]

The Chronicle website suddenly looks different and the MSU Blog is missing. What's up with that?

Looks like somebody at the Comical got butthurt over Will's comments. I can't say it surprises me, since most of the staff are from places like San Fran where everything you say has to be PC or the PC police will come and get you.

That is perhaps the most bizarre and backwards (and forced) San Francisco reference I have ever heard.

If you think people in SF are philosophically opposed to criticizing others (especially the media and the companies that run the media), you are about 180 degrees from reality ... it's a competitive sport around here.

[FTG06']

The Chronicle website suddenly looks different and the MSU Blog is missing. What's up with that?

Looks like somebody at the Comical got butthurt over Will's comments. I can't say it surprises me, since most of the staff are from places like San Fran where everything you say has to be PC or the PC police will come and get you.

That is perhaps the most bizarre and backwards (and forced) San Francisco reference I have ever heard.

If you think people in SF are philosophically opposed to criticizing others (especially the media and the companies that run the media), you are about 180 degrees from reality ... it's a competitive sport around here.

Lol, that's not what I was saying at all, but it was just a joke/jab at the Comical. And back to the topic at hand, the link to Will's blog still doesn't bring up anything.

[Marty Ackerman]

We all know we can mute our tvs if we feel the announcers stink, but what about KBZK's picture. I have old VHS tapes from my high school football games from the 80's that have a more crisp, colorful picture. I'm a bit embarrassed for them.....wait....ok I'm over it now.

[Hawks86]

Remember the chef-boy-ardee games?


I'm not going to blame KBZK because it was a KPAX production.