The "M" is 620 feet above the Missoula Valley floor. It is 125' feet long and 100' feet wide. University of Montana forestry students cut the switchbacks into the side of the hill in the early 1900's. The first "M" was assembled out of whitewashed rocks in 1909, and given a fresh coat of paint by freshmen every year, until 1968, when all those rocks were cemented together with concrete.
Photo by Nelson Kenter, kenterphotography.com
Blog by Mick Holien
This blog features rants, raves and prognostications like only Mick Holien can do.
Below you will find the six most recent blog postings. For an archive of all of them, visit the Mick it Missoula Blog archive.
Be sure to “Like” his posts if you enjoy them, and tell your fellow sports fans that you have found Mick it Missoula right here.
By MICK HOLIEN. The time approaches to bid adieu to four seniors who, a... more
By MICK HOLIEN. I was extremely saddened when I received word while on ... more
By MICK HOLIEN. What awesome possibilities await one of the most exciti... more
By MICK HOLIEN. Following a legend once is difficult enough, but to do it twice as both an athlete and a coach and with equal success is almost unimaginable.... more
By MICK HOLIEN. What happened on the basketball floor recently in Cincinnati was one of the ugliest scenes I have ever seen in sports.... more
By MICK HOLIEN - Everybody loves a winner, don't they? I fondly remember the first time the Grizzlies defeated a ranked team when they upset Northern Iowa early in Don Read's tenure.... more
Photos by PATRICK RECORD The University of Montana Grizzlies exacted their revenge this year in the form of a 36-10 victory over the Montana State University Bobcats. UM Journalism student Patrick Record was... more
By MICK HOLIEN - As a parent, and now as a grandparent, the one thing you want to be assured of when your son or daughter is entrusted to another adult for any activity is that those responsible will protect th... more
By MICK HOLIEN. Drafted No. 2 in the 1998 draft after taking Washington State to the Rose Bowl, Great Falls native Ryan Leaf was a Heisman Trophy finalist who was a bust in the professional ranks.... more
By MICK HOLIEN. There is little doubt that varying descriptions surface whenever an alleged drunken situation occurs. Witnesses to such transgressions have their own interpretations about what they observed.... more
By MICK HOLIEN. Why is there such preoccupation with whether a football coach or a staff deserves to be fired?... more
By MICK HOLIEN. We all have experienced the premature passing of a great friend, an associate, a relative or maybe just an acquaintance. It’s always a soul-searching experience for me.... more
By MICK HOLIEN. It’s just about my favorite time of year. I cherish the overlap in sports seasons, which in my case involves college football and basketball. ... more
By MICK HOLIEN. It was just one of those days or in this case, one of those games. The winning streak over Sacramento is a thing of the past and the Grizzlies, left to their own devices, are back in the midst ... more
By MICK HOLIEN. For the second straight week, The Griz avenged one of last season’s four losses and in the process of beating a defending National Champion, almost eliminated any chance that Eastern Washingto... more
By MICK HOLIEN. The two things I’ve come to understand in a lifetime of sports are: there’s as always much uncertainty waiting just around the corner and there are no givens.... more
By MICK HOLIEN. You’ve certainly heard of the lull before the storm. And how about the calm in the eye of the hurricane? The 95,000 fans at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville Saturday night got a taste of about eve... more
By MICK HOLIEN. Can you even believe it’s been nine months since the Grizzly football season ended on a sour note? So what about this year’s edition of Grizzly football?... more
ENTER TO WIN! MakeItMissoula.com Final Four Bracket Contest. Join us for ways to make March Madness more fun. Ongoing contests will be announced here. ... more
By MICK HOLIEN. It was a season predicated by mistakes and it ended Saturday about how it began – with disappointment and frustration.... more
By MICK HOLIEN. Just how big a factor a predicted sellout crowd will have on the 109th meeting between the Grizzlies and the Bobcats will be proven early. The defense has to rock MSU freshman quarterback Denari... more
11/14 Blog by MICK HOLIEN. You can say what you want about this year’s edition of University of Montana football but one thing is for sure – while I’ll take a winning mark any old time, this group of Griz... more
11/10 Blog by "Voice of the Griz" Mick Holien. There is little doubt that the University of North Dakota football team will bring attitude to Washington Grizzly Stadium for Senior Day on Saturday. And if the... more
10/31 Blog by "Voice of the Griz" Mick Holien. Something strange must’ve happened in Montana’s locker room at halftime. About the time the Grizzles were enjoying prosperity, the same Grizzly team that in r... more
10/27 Blog by "Voice of the Griz" Mick Holien. It wasn’t with a warm feeling that I pulled away from Stewart Stadium in Ogden two years ago after the Wildcats handed it to the then No. 3 Griz by outscoring th... more
10/24 Blog by "Voice of the Griz" Mick Holien. A single walk-off win is a rare commodity in sports but back-to-back walk-offs… you have just got to be kidding me. But that’s what Montana Grizzly fans have b... more
10/20 Blog by "Voice of the Griz" Mick Holien. In heading to Missoula Saturday, Northern Arizona is facing its second top 10 team in as many weeks. This time, it’s not inside the Walkup Skydome, which is goo... more
Blog by "Voice of the Griz" Mick Holien. That’s what good teams do--win ugly--and indeed, it was at times ugly. But more importantly, they climb into a first-place tie in the Big Sky Conference standings with... more
Blog by "Voice of the Griz" Mick Holien. If this is going to be a Montana team that reaches the heights of teams before them in recent years, and obtains goals set by a new coaching staff, there are plenty of ... more
By MICK HOLIEN With four of its last six games in the friendly confines of Washington Grizzly Stadium, the remaining University of Montana football schedule rings favorably for the Grizzlies. They've now won... more
By MICK HOLIEN Even if Grizzly football remains a work in progress, there were signs Saturday afternoon in Colorado that while all things have not immediately been righted with a pair of wins after consecuti... more
Blog by "Voice of the Griz" Mick Holien. With the career-ending shoulder injury to fifth-year University of Montana quarterback Andrew Selle, there was little doubt that Justin Roper, the University of Orego... more
By Mick Holien A win is a win, is a win, is a win baby and I’ll take it. It wasn’t by any means pretty and Saturday’s Homecoming victory over Sacramento State might prove costly but the Grizzlies balan... more
Blog by "Voice of the Griz" Mick Holien. There just isn’t much choice than to bring out... more
Blog by "Voice of the Griz" Mick Holien. I have never awakened in this position... more
Wanted for open tryouts: Someone who can... more
Well it had to happen some time...... more
It’s on the road for the Grizzlies for the first time in 2010... more
You spend an entire spring and fall preparing for every possible eventuality and from being around sports for a long time I can tell you it all can go for naught in a heartbeat. I call it an “X” factor b... more
All the speculation and prognostication aside, there’s already been collegiate football contested and for the Montana Grizzlies the 2010 season is upon in just hours and just how exciting is that? Last nig... more
By Mick Holien So here we go football fans. The long-awaited 2010 season is upon us this week as the FCS national-runner-up Grizzlies take to the home field Saturday to open the 2010 season. And here I ... more