Making it up as we go along

There are reports that Montana State is chipping in $3,000 to help the University of Montana band travel to Frisco, TX to support its football team in the FCS national championship game. As a resident of Montana and an alumnus of the other school in the game, South Dakota State, I understand the immensity of this gesture. Sometimes announcers pump up the hype by exclaiming, "They plain don't like each other." In this case, it is true: The Cats (Montana State) and the Griz (Montana) fans plain do not like each other. But apparently the bands get along.

Anyway, I was reading the ESPN report on this and came away with the impression that the writer, David Hale, does not have an equal understanding of the situation. He writes:

"The two rivals, who meet annually in the Cat-Grizz game, have played 122 times dating back to 1897 -- two years before Montana officially became a state -- with the Grizzlies holding a 74-42-5 edge in the series.

"Montana defeated North Dakota State 31-29 in double overtime on Dec. 16 to secure a trip to the FCS championship game against South Dakota State. It is Montana's third trip to the FCS (formerly I-AA) championship game. The Grizzlies won both of their prior appearances, in 1995 and 2001."

The game is referred to as the 'Brawl of the Wild' not the 'Cat-Grizz game,' which is more of an omission than an error, but there are three major errors in those two short paragraphs. In reverse order:

• Montana has been to the championship game seven times, not two. They won those two in the years mentioned, 1995 and 2001, but also lost in 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2009.
• The series does date to 1897, but that's eight years AFTER Montana became a state in 1889.
• It's Griz, not Grizz. It's in huge letters on the side of the helmet (see below). Mr. Hale, a graduate of Delaware, apparently didn't notice this when the Griz trounced his alma mater 49-19 on December 2 of this year. But what do you expect from a Delaware graduate?

When I was in journalism school at South Dakota State, making one factual error in an assignment would be a failing grade. Old man done yelling at clouds, go on about your business.