It seems that recently my posts have been reactions to different articles or pieces I see on si.com. Today will be no different. After coming across THIS MESS OF A STORY on the previously mentioned website, I was rubbed the wrong way. I bristled a little bit when I read what Andy Staples is inferring. Just read it before we go one here. I'll wait...
Ready? OK. I agree with some of what he says. Well, I guess not really what he says but the notion that indeed the attitude around Boise State football has changed, I just not to the degree that he says, is my argument. It is not a night and day change that just magically took place with one comment from the University president. It seems like BSU skipped a step or missed something along the way. It took so incredibly long and a billion dollar effort over years of successful football seasons for the Broncos to get any sort of respect from the national media (ESPN), and even when they did it was very little and laced with hints of skepticism and dislike. Just read most of the pieces after the Fiesta Bowl win over TCU last January. But now all of the sudden Boise State goes from no/little respect to being one of the pompous, stuck up big boys of college football? No, Mr. Staples, you are mistaken. Here is his quote that I really disagree with and illustrates my point in this paragraph;
"Could it be that you Broncos, who now have one of the nation's best programs, have turned into the same kind of snobs you used to despise? It's quite a bit different when the cleat is on the other foot, isn't it?" (bold added by me to emphasize the important part of the quote)
Again, a step or two (or more) were missed in Boise State's progression in the college football world. Hey Staples, it's either one way or the other, not both. Boise State is either one of the football powerhouses to be feared and respected across the nation, with some cockiness and swagger thrown in there, or it is a cute, little program that can rally the troops enough to knock off a big boy every now and then. Which is it?
Are they not allowed to feel good about their accomplishments and at the same time move on to bigger and better things? That is called a double standard that you are employing, Mr. Staples. At the same time, how can you base an article that calls out and belittles an entire program and fan base because of a quote from one man? Could it be that Bob Kustra really feels like that and that the rest of the Bronco Nation may not agree? Heck, as far as I've heard most people want the rivalry to continue as is. So Andy Staples, let's not jump the gun so hastily and paint with such a broad stroke.
Let's get to the comments from Bob Kustra that led up to this article from Staples. I have already mentioned them in a previous post, but let me sum it up simply; Idaho's fan base is a bunch of inebriated children that don't respect Boise State. Why should the Broncos have to go up there and play the Vandals ever again, or even at Bronco Stadium for that matter? That is the gist of what Kustra said and Andy Staples took it and ran with it. Here is his main point;
"You Broncos claim to want to play big-time opponents. Then use the Vandals to practice for the inebriated, less-than-civil fans you'll see at better stadiums across the country."
There are two points to handle in this quote. The first one is this: It is true that Boise State has had a hard time finding opponents to play that are of a decent caliber to boost their strength of schedule. Now he claims that the Broncos are doing to the Vandals the same thing that big time BCS schools have been doing to the Broncos for years; not playing them because of the smaller market and dollar amount involved in making the trip. There is a difference, Mr. Staples. Let me lay it out to you; Boise State has no reason or purpose to go and play up in Moscow after they join the Mountain West. The Kibbie Dome is tiny, Idaho offers no competitive value, and their fans are ridiculously violent and out of control. When big schools don't want to come and play Boise State, it is because they are scared of losing and messing up their record for the season. See the difference? Why go up there every other year only to leave with another 63 to 25 smash-job under their belts? What does that prove? What is there to gain? The second point is that there is heckling and drunk fans at every stadium in the nation, so why did Kustra call out Idaho fans? To quote Derek Zoolander, let me answer your question with another question; Andy Staples, have you ever been to a BSU/Idaho game? It gets really bad and out of control from both sides. It's called an in state rivalry, maybe you've heard of one of those. It is not the same as Boise State going to play Nebraska. It could develop into a similar loathing and distaste for one another if the Broncos and Cornhuskers played each other for 40 years in a row, which is as long as the Gem State rivalry has been going on. Big difference there.
Staples tries to make the claim that the Broncos just might be afraid of what the Vandals are brewing up there after a successful season. He bases that off of a quote that Idaho coach Robb Akey said in humor. You know, like as a joke. While Idaho may establish some sort of consistency football-wise (other than sucking really bad every year), they will never be even close to what Boise State has become and still will become. There are two main reasons for that; The city of Moscow is in the middle of nowhere in northern Idaho and is incredibly difficult to get to. For years Idaho's claim was that they were the Harvard of the west academically. That is not the case anymore. Between BSU and Idaho, which school has lost scholarships from the NCAA for not meeting academic standards on the football team? I'll give you a clue, it's not Boise State. So they can't attract big time recruits, or students for that matter, due to these facts. So the fear factor of playing Idaho does not exist in the Broncos' minds.
Again, I agree that there has been a change in attitude in Boise State football and yes, that does include some cockiness and swagger. It is well deserved after two BCS Bowl wins in 4 years and a consistent top 25 or even top 15 ranking to boot. The Broncos, however, have not become the thing that they despise, as Andy Staples claims. The chip on the shoulder will remain as the Broncos continue to climb the ladder towards college football glory and prestige, and they will keep that swagger and pride as well. They deserve it. Even you can admit that, Andy Staples.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Quack
So I was doing my daily scan of sports-related websites and I found this story on si.com. It was one of their headlining pieces for the days by Michael McKnight. It has to do with Jeremiah Masoli, formerly a quarterback at the University of Oregon, and his recent run-ins with the law, all leading up to his eventual expulsion from the team. I found it very interesting to read some of the finer details of the incidents in question, both of his involvement in the robbery of some items from a frat house on campus, and when marijuana was found in his car during a routine traffic stop in Oregon. Please read it if you are interested in this sort of thing, as it was written very well, although you will catch a slight bias in favor of Masoli, deflecting blame for and justifying his actions on both occasions and one previous one from years before. While I feel that Masoli got a raw deal out of the whole thing (even though he may end up playing for Ole' Miss, another really good division-1 program), he is responsible for his own actions.
According to the story, he plead guilty to robbery when he was a teenager and served time in a juvenile detention center. He was involved in a robbery of two Macbook computers, a guitar, and a projector at that frat house on Oregon's campus, and was found by police with marijuana in the glove box of his car, both of which occurred years after the first robbery incident. In all three incidents in question, other people were associated and involved as well. This is were a lot of the blame is deflected to others in McKnight's article. It does seem that Masoli was only involved only slightly in most cases, even with a few questions still unanswered. But when there are three occasions and you have plead guilty in all three of them, you have a problem. Where there's smoke there's fire. Guilty by association. Name any other cliché legal mumbo jumbo and that describes Jeremiah Masoli. Whether you physically robbed a kid and took his wallet, grabbed a guitar or a laptop computer from a frat boy's room, or physically put that marijuana in the glove box for whatever reason, you are guilty and you now have a criminal history, a precedent of being involved in illegal happenings. If you're not guilty, don't plead guilty. If you didn't do anything wrong, don't say that you did and initially lie to the police.
McKnight recounts Masoli's kinda' sorta engagement of the robbery of another teens wallet when he was young and still living in California. This is what he says about Masoli's thoughts and feelings regarding the incident; '"Masoli appears to still harbor remorse as he describes how he failed that day. He says he should have been the leader his father had raised him to be; should have herded the guys back to the truck and told them how stupid this was; should never have gotten back in the truck with the stolen wallet and the guys who stole it." This is the part I have the biggest problem with. You were involved and you did nothing to try and stop your "friends" or whoever these other guys were. You didn't walk away. You didn't protest the actions. I was watching one of my favorite movies the other day, "The Boondock Saints." In it at the beginning, the guest Priest at the brothers' church says a great line that applies to Jeremiah Masoli and how he is portrayed by Michael McKnight. The line says this; "We must always fear the wicked. But there is another kind of evil that we must fear the most, and that is the indifference of good men." Jeremiah Masoli is guilty by association, but more importantly he is guilty of not keeping himself above the influence of people and places where he ends up in a courtroom. The University of Oregon did right by kicking him off the team. Let's hope Ole' Miss fosters an environment where he can keep himself out of trouble.
According to the story, he plead guilty to robbery when he was a teenager and served time in a juvenile detention center. He was involved in a robbery of two Macbook computers, a guitar, and a projector at that frat house on Oregon's campus, and was found by police with marijuana in the glove box of his car, both of which occurred years after the first robbery incident. In all three incidents in question, other people were associated and involved as well. This is were a lot of the blame is deflected to others in McKnight's article. It does seem that Masoli was only involved only slightly in most cases, even with a few questions still unanswered. But when there are three occasions and you have plead guilty in all three of them, you have a problem. Where there's smoke there's fire. Guilty by association. Name any other cliché legal mumbo jumbo and that describes Jeremiah Masoli. Whether you physically robbed a kid and took his wallet, grabbed a guitar or a laptop computer from a frat boy's room, or physically put that marijuana in the glove box for whatever reason, you are guilty and you now have a criminal history, a precedent of being involved in illegal happenings. If you're not guilty, don't plead guilty. If you didn't do anything wrong, don't say that you did and initially lie to the police.
McKnight recounts Masoli's kinda' sorta engagement of the robbery of another teens wallet when he was young and still living in California. This is what he says about Masoli's thoughts and feelings regarding the incident; '"Masoli appears to still harbor remorse as he describes how he failed that day. He says he should have been the leader his father had raised him to be; should have herded the guys back to the truck and told them how stupid this was; should never have gotten back in the truck with the stolen wallet and the guys who stole it." This is the part I have the biggest problem with. You were involved and you did nothing to try and stop your "friends" or whoever these other guys were. You didn't walk away. You didn't protest the actions. I was watching one of my favorite movies the other day, "The Boondock Saints." In it at the beginning, the guest Priest at the brothers' church says a great line that applies to Jeremiah Masoli and how he is portrayed by Michael McKnight. The line says this; "We must always fear the wicked. But there is another kind of evil that we must fear the most, and that is the indifference of good men." Jeremiah Masoli is guilty by association, but more importantly he is guilty of not keeping himself above the influence of people and places where he ends up in a courtroom. The University of Oregon did right by kicking him off the team. Let's hope Ole' Miss fosters an environment where he can keep himself out of trouble.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
The Rivalry Dies
So the Western Athletic Conference concluded their media days in Salt Lake City as of yesterday. As expected, Boise State was picked to win the conference by a long shot and the closest batch of wannabe winners was the Nevada Wolfpack, who were picked to finished second. There wasn't too much excitement, the winner is pretty much a foregone conclusion and that was plainly obvious in everyone's minds down there. The most interesting thing to see this season will be the order of teams 2 through 8 and how they finish the season. (I didn't include number 9, which we all know will be San Jose State. They are the equivalent of Boise State, just on the losing side and guaranteed to finish last. They're really bad.) Idaho will be the most interesting to see how they follow up their decent season last time around. We will see if they can build on it or if it was just an anomaly of overachieving (my guess is the latter of the two). After the season, it is bye-bye to the WAC for Boise State and on to bigger and better football opponents. Despite Idaho Vandal's coach Robb Akey's arrogant comment that the only reason BSU is leaving is because Idaho is getting too good and the Broncos can't stand the competition, Boise State is long-gone and will be ecstatic to not have to play such a large group of complete losers (the conference as a whole, not just Idaho. But at the same time, especially Idaho).
Getting to the point, the media honks did what media honks do and tried to stir the pot, and stir it they did. Chris Petersen was asked if he thinks the BSU-Idaho rivalry should continue, and he said this "Why would we (go to Moscow)? I don't think our fans even like to go up there. Most of Idaho's fans are in Boise anyway" (Idaho Statesman; link here ). Boise State President president Bob Kustra chimed in and said there is no reason to even play the Vandals ever again, not even in Boise, and then proceeded to call the students a bunch of drunks (exact quotes and link to follow). That got Idaho president M. Duane Nellis and his panties all up in a bunch and tried to defend his school and the rivalry, saying that it is good economically for the state and the schools. Here is the quote from Kustra;
"This is a great example of why my wife and I no longer travel to Moscow games,'' Kustra said. "It's a culture that is nasty, inebriated and civilly doesn't give our fans the respect that any fan should expect when visiting an away team. ... I don't think at Boise State you're going to find that, so for me personally, when I read what Pete said I knew, I knew.
"For me, this is not about football. For me, this is a cultural issue. It's about fans having to learn how to treat other fans and universities. What bothers me more than anything else, is that the fans are not about denigrating our athletic program. ... What bothers me personally is the denigration of our academic programming. That's what I simply can't tolerate.
"I've seen rivalries all over America, Oklahoma-Oklahoma State, Texas-Texas A&M, Kansas-Kansas State, but you can go inside those rivalries and you'll find all kinds of slams and digs and whatever, but I've never seen the nastiness aimed at the quality of our academic program that I find here in Idaho from the University of Idaho Vandals and as long as that goes on, why would I want to encourage a game where people don't know how to act like grownups?" (Idaho Statesman, link here ).
One Bronco Nation Under God has a really cool and funny take on the whole thing. Check it out here and another one here.
While all of Kustra's remarks are 100 percent true and accurate, I can't help but think what life would be like without the Vandals. My feelings; I'm mixed. I agree with Coach Petersen, there is absolutely no reason to go up to the Moscow and play football in that run-down barn they call the Kibbie Dome, I would still like to see the Vandals come and get their egos altered down at Bronco Stadium from time to time. Other than that, it would save a lot of unnecessary and childish smack-talk from both sides, and save Vandal fans' the embarrassment of having to eat those words time after time following a 63 to 25 beat down by the Broncos. Economically, the rivalry doesn't make much of a difference, contrary to what Nellis claims. There aren't enough seats in the Kibbie Dome to warrant the Broncos going up there for a payoff. If the game is in Boise, Bronco Stadium will sell out yes, but it does almost every other game as well. From the financial aspect, it doesn't matter whether or not the Broncos and the Vandals continue to play each other. To me, the instate rivalry thing only goes as far as the two teams will let it. When one squad has been so terrible for so long and maybe getting only slightly better very slowly, while the other expands its axis of power at an unprecedented rate, that sucks, for lack of a better term. In other words, get better at football Vandals and we'll talk. Meanwhile, Boise State will dominate the Mountain West in a few years just as it has done in the WAC. There is no rivalry when one team can barely field a team worthy enough of a Division-1 sports program.
Getting to the point, the media honks did what media honks do and tried to stir the pot, and stir it they did. Chris Petersen was asked if he thinks the BSU-Idaho rivalry should continue, and he said this "Why would we (go to Moscow)? I don't think our fans even like to go up there. Most of Idaho's fans are in Boise anyway" (Idaho Statesman; link here ). Boise State President president Bob Kustra chimed in and said there is no reason to even play the Vandals ever again, not even in Boise, and then proceeded to call the students a bunch of drunks (exact quotes and link to follow). That got Idaho president M. Duane Nellis and his panties all up in a bunch and tried to defend his school and the rivalry, saying that it is good economically for the state and the schools. Here is the quote from Kustra;
"This is a great example of why my wife and I no longer travel to Moscow games,'' Kustra said. "It's a culture that is nasty, inebriated and civilly doesn't give our fans the respect that any fan should expect when visiting an away team. ... I don't think at Boise State you're going to find that, so for me personally, when I read what Pete said I knew, I knew.
"For me, this is not about football. For me, this is a cultural issue. It's about fans having to learn how to treat other fans and universities. What bothers me more than anything else, is that the fans are not about denigrating our athletic program. ... What bothers me personally is the denigration of our academic programming. That's what I simply can't tolerate.
"I've seen rivalries all over America, Oklahoma-Oklahoma State, Texas-Texas A&M, Kansas-Kansas State, but you can go inside those rivalries and you'll find all kinds of slams and digs and whatever, but I've never seen the nastiness aimed at the quality of our academic program that I find here in Idaho from the University of Idaho Vandals and as long as that goes on, why would I want to encourage a game where people don't know how to act like grownups?" (Idaho Statesman, link here ).
One Bronco Nation Under God has a really cool and funny take on the whole thing. Check it out here and another one here.
While all of Kustra's remarks are 100 percent true and accurate, I can't help but think what life would be like without the Vandals. My feelings; I'm mixed. I agree with Coach Petersen, there is absolutely no reason to go up to the Moscow and play football in that run-down barn they call the Kibbie Dome, I would still like to see the Vandals come and get their egos altered down at Bronco Stadium from time to time. Other than that, it would save a lot of unnecessary and childish smack-talk from both sides, and save Vandal fans' the embarrassment of having to eat those words time after time following a 63 to 25 beat down by the Broncos. Economically, the rivalry doesn't make much of a difference, contrary to what Nellis claims. There aren't enough seats in the Kibbie Dome to warrant the Broncos going up there for a payoff. If the game is in Boise, Bronco Stadium will sell out yes, but it does almost every other game as well. From the financial aspect, it doesn't matter whether or not the Broncos and the Vandals continue to play each other. To me, the instate rivalry thing only goes as far as the two teams will let it. When one squad has been so terrible for so long and maybe getting only slightly better very slowly, while the other expands its axis of power at an unprecedented rate, that sucks, for lack of a better term. In other words, get better at football Vandals and we'll talk. Meanwhile, Boise State will dominate the Mountain West in a few years just as it has done in the WAC. There is no rivalry when one team can barely field a team worthy enough of a Division-1 sports program.
Friday, July 16, 2010
The calm before or after the storm.
Alright, we are past the important part of NBA free agency (Lebron made this year huge and closely followed), and there are only a few not so important players to settle into new contracts. The World Cup is over, MLB is in the middle of the season, so nothing too exciting is happening yet, and football doesn't start for real for another 2 months or so. Depending on how you look at it, we are either on the precipice of getting some exciting sports event going, or we just passed through the eye of the storm and we are winding down now. As for me, I like to think of it as coming up for air before we are face deep in the greatest annual sports season ever, COLLEGE FOOTBALL!
This could be the year that a mid-major makes it to and possibly wins a national championship (Come on Boise State)! The repeat Heisman Trophy winner is back at it, ready to light up some chumps and knock out some fools. How will USC rebound and begin their post season suspension-plagued season? How will the Big 12 get along after all that turmoil and during their last season as we currently know them? There are a lot of questions to be answered and plenty of time left to ponder upon them even further. It seems that every season there is something worth getting excited about and watching as it progresses. Here are my predictions: Boise State will beat Virginia Tech for the season opener in Maryland, go undefeated, only to be left out of the national championship game. They will play Oregon State in the Rose Bowl (a repeat of a regular-season game at Bronco Stadium, Broncos win both). USC has a decent season and goes 9 and 3, still claiming innocence to the NCAA allegations. The Big 12 does fine, just as expected, and then cries itself to sleep, licking it's wounds after the season, trying to think of ways to rebuild their once proud conference. Ryan Mallet of Arkansas wins the Heisman Trophy as that school has a good season and puts up ridiculous offensive numbers. Alabama will play Ohio State and Alabama will repeat as BCS national champions. Virginia Tech will beat Iowa in the Orange Bowl. LSU will beat Penn State in the Sugar Bowl. Oklahoma will beat TCU in the Fiesta Bowl (finally breaking Bob Stoops out of his funk of losing bowl games). From the WAC and other non-AQ schools, Idaho has a 6 and 7 season, and plays some terrible team from the MAC (Toledo, maybe?) in the Humanitarian Bowl (again), Utah beats Fresno State in the New Mexico Bowl, BYU beats Oregon in the Las Vegas Bowl (their like 6th win in a row in that bowl game), Nevada beats Central Florida in the Hawaii, and the rest of the conference sucks really bad (still). UCLA beats Nebraska in the Poinsettia Bowl. The rest of the bowl games aren't all that interesting, but I will watch them anyway because I am a college football gomer. We will see what happens and how accurate I am. I am as giddy as a school girl!
This could be the year that a mid-major makes it to and possibly wins a national championship (Come on Boise State)! The repeat Heisman Trophy winner is back at it, ready to light up some chumps and knock out some fools. How will USC rebound and begin their post season suspension-plagued season? How will the Big 12 get along after all that turmoil and during their last season as we currently know them? There are a lot of questions to be answered and plenty of time left to ponder upon them even further. It seems that every season there is something worth getting excited about and watching as it progresses. Here are my predictions: Boise State will beat Virginia Tech for the season opener in Maryland, go undefeated, only to be left out of the national championship game. They will play Oregon State in the Rose Bowl (a repeat of a regular-season game at Bronco Stadium, Broncos win both). USC has a decent season and goes 9 and 3, still claiming innocence to the NCAA allegations. The Big 12 does fine, just as expected, and then cries itself to sleep, licking it's wounds after the season, trying to think of ways to rebuild their once proud conference. Ryan Mallet of Arkansas wins the Heisman Trophy as that school has a good season and puts up ridiculous offensive numbers. Alabama will play Ohio State and Alabama will repeat as BCS national champions. Virginia Tech will beat Iowa in the Orange Bowl. LSU will beat Penn State in the Sugar Bowl. Oklahoma will beat TCU in the Fiesta Bowl (finally breaking Bob Stoops out of his funk of losing bowl games). From the WAC and other non-AQ schools, Idaho has a 6 and 7 season, and plays some terrible team from the MAC (Toledo, maybe?) in the Humanitarian Bowl (again), Utah beats Fresno State in the New Mexico Bowl, BYU beats Oregon in the Las Vegas Bowl (their like 6th win in a row in that bowl game), Nevada beats Central Florida in the Hawaii, and the rest of the conference sucks really bad (still). UCLA beats Nebraska in the Poinsettia Bowl. The rest of the bowl games aren't all that interesting, but I will watch them anyway because I am a college football gomer. We will see what happens and how accurate I am. I am as giddy as a school girl!
Monday, July 12, 2010
¡España!
¡España es el campeón del mundo! ¡Les ganó a los Países Bajos para el título del ganador de la Copa Mundial! ¡Será el campeón por los 4 años próximos hasta la siguiente! In english, Spain is the world champion. They beat The Netherlands to take the title and they will be the winners for four years, until the next World Cup. It sure has been a great ride! I'm actually really sad that it is over. There may not have been as many goals scored this year as there has been in years past, but I could not take my eyes off the television. It is amazing how a sport that can end tied 0 to 0 can get so exciting. Spain was able to win its last 4 games scoring only one goal per match, and not allowing a single one. They were dominant in how they possessed the ball and refused to let anything phase them, even if it is a blatant cleat to the chest (should have been a red card for Nigel De Jong of the Netherlands, by the way. Xabi Alonso was lucky he got back up and stayed in the game). But the real hero is Spain's goalie, Iker Casillas. He continued to make play after play when an opponent or two got the upper-hand of the rest of the team. When he blocked Robben's wide open break away shot with the nail on his big toe (good thing he didn't clip them the night before), you could feel that Spain was not only the most complete team in the tournament, but probably the team of destiny as well. What a great overall performance by Casillas, who probably has played his last World Cup match for his country. What a way to finish!
Thursday, July 8, 2010
and the winner is...
Well it has been a while since I posted anything and as you all know, my World Cup dream has not come true. Not the scoring a goal dream (we all have that one, right?), but the Argentina vs. Brazil dream. The Netherlands knocked out the Brazilians and their "beautiful game" and Germany punched and pounded Argentina into submission. As it turns out, you need to play a little defense in the World Cup. Crazy, huh? But I think that we fútbol fans are in for a real treat this Sunday. You sure can't go wrong with Spain vs. Netherlands. Whichever nation wins, it will be their first ever World Cup title. Spain seems to always find a way to win, and the Dutch may just be the team of destiny. I feel that the Spanish are going to take it, but don't quote me on that. I may or may not have struck out when it comes to World Cup predictions. The point is, the game should be a lot of fun and we will find out who gets the Golden Boot (top scorer in the tournament). It will be either David Villa or Wesley Sneijder.
Back in the homeland, LeBron James announces who he will play for next season. Don't get me wrong, I'm excited to see him, Chris Bosh, and Dwayne Wade playing in Miami together, I am just sick of the media coverage (ESPN...) and them slaughtering the story into a stain on the floor. I couldn't tell you how many montages of James dunking I have seen streaming across my television. It's getting really annoying. LeBron, stop holding the NBA and the media hostage and just make a decision. Don't drag it out, don't make a huger deal out of it than it has to be, and just tell us and go play. Your brand needs you to win, not just talk about wanting to win. Put your money where your mouth is.
Back in the homeland, LeBron James announces who he will play for next season. Don't get me wrong, I'm excited to see him, Chris Bosh, and Dwayne Wade playing in Miami together, I am just sick of the media coverage (ESPN...) and them slaughtering the story into a stain on the floor. I couldn't tell you how many montages of James dunking I have seen streaming across my television. It's getting really annoying. LeBron, stop holding the NBA and the media hostage and just make a decision. Don't drag it out, don't make a huger deal out of it than it has to be, and just tell us and go play. Your brand needs you to win, not just talk about wanting to win. Put your money where your mouth is.
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