Boise State beats Fresno State again...

An epic puff piece in the Fresno Bee today underscored just how dominant Boise State has been for the last 4 years in one category: tattoos.

Marty Tadman was the standard bearer for the WAC in sheer volume and religious fervor of his tats. Tadman, or "Tattedman" as some more juvenile folks like myself liked to call him is right this very moment searching for small bits of body canvas on which to throw a few more well-inked scriptures and parables. Fresno State's celebrated tat man "Marvelous Marvin" Hamler's ink looks tame compared to Boise State's beloved Minister of Defense.

Hamler may have a shot title of the WAC's "most inked" now that Tadman has left the blue, but we all know that he will never hold a needle candle to the people's champion, Marty Tadman.

Fun Fact: Did you know that if you took all the ink that make up Marty Tadman's tattoos, you could write two editions of Aldous Huxley's Brave New World...in cursive?

Bronco football podcast #7

April 28th Talking Points podcast with JT Ray of Bronco Nation N.O.W. and Kevan Lee of OBNUG. Oh...and me.

Talking Points Podcast Episode 7 - Talking The 2008 Draft : Hide Player | Play in Popup | Download

Zabransky's got spunk

Ex-Boise State QB and current Pittsburgh Steelers très-man wowed onlookers at the Steelers Spring game with a show of spunk and determination:

3rd string QB Jared Zabransky apparently impressed with his spunk yesterday. His passes weren't a thing of beauty, but they arrived at their target destination, and he was keeping the mood intense and competitive. Good for him. We don't need an expert clipboard holder in Brian St. Pierre. Charlie Batch fills that role just fine.

Also impressing the Spring crowd was Zabransky's charisma, moxie, can-do attitude, chutzpah, Joie de vivre, gameness, heart, mettle and pluck. Apparently.

Artist rendering of Zabransky done by Paul Mcrae...who also appears to have spunk.

Not only is he irrelevant...

In a fitting end to the draft, Idaho's All-WAC linebacker David Vobora was tagged "Mr. Irrelevant" with the very last pick of the weekend by the St. Louis Rams. Now, I won't knock Mr. Vobora as a player, he was a very solid for the Vandals...perhaps the only consistently solid player for the Vandals...but I did find a few of his answers to a recent questionnaire to be a bit...interesting.

—Not only was Vobora the Vandals' top producer on defense—he did it all while being completely color blind!

What celebrity would play you in the movie version of your life and why?
Denzel Washington. Might as well have the best in the business do it right?

Is it worth mentioning now for those unfamiliar with the Idaho program that David Vobora is white?

—Vobora also shows a tender, sensitive side:

What is one thing your teammates don't know about you?
'How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days' is my favorite chick flick.

Yes, but is your twin Denzel Washington in it?

—Vobora likes to move it, move it:

What reality TV show would you like to be on and why?
'Dancing with the Stars' because the professional dancers are hot!

Are you talking about this guy?

—And last but not least, we learned that Vobora considers moral victories to be his greatest achievements:

What's your proudest moment in football?
When I sacked the Boise State QB at home in our rival game late in the fourth quarter in front of a packed house my junior year

Enjoy your trip to Disneyland, David.

Boise State 2008 Draft Recap

Ryan Clady just loves the Orange and Blue
Orlando Scandrick will have an opportunity to play ghost to Dallas' Pacman
Dan Gore's a dolphin...be very careful when punctuating that statement
Taylor Tharp inks a free-agent deal with the Carolina Panthers

Tad Miller, Jeff Cavender, Marty Tadman and Nick Schlekeway are still looking for camps or free agent gigs—I'll keep you posted on those developments as they happen.

Scandrick a Cowboy

It may not have been as high as he could have gone, but Orlando Scandrick apparently made a fairly wise decision coming out early as the Dallas Cowboys made him their 8th pick of the 5th round on Sunday. Scandrick was the 143rd pick overall. Scandrick, who ran a 4.3 40 for scouts will be missed in the Bronco secondary and on special teams since he has started in those roles since his true freshman year. BSU fans might not miss the penalties, but we will miss this:





Conference call to Scandrick courtesy of Cowboys' Website:
boomp3.com

Clady is still a Bronco...

With the 12th pick in the 2008 NFL Draft...the Denver Broncos drafted Boise State Junior O-lineman Ryan Clady making him the highest draft pick ever from Boise State and first player in school history to leave early for the NFL. Clady was the 2nd Offensive Tackle taken in the draft behind overall first pick Jake Long of Michigan. All of Bronco Nation wishes Ryan Clady the best with his new career...now you'll be part of another Bronco Nation and still close enough for some of us to come watch you play again.



OBNUG tracked down some video of Clady's pick

Be back tomorrow to blog about other Bronco draftees (hopefully).

Paul J gets his "gold watch"

After 35 years as the voice of the Broncos, Paul J was rewarded today for his service after getting the axe last month in a controversial switcheroo by Boise State University.

Paul J will be honored at half-time of the home opener as well as given lifetime family seats in the soon-to-be-opened pressbox which will also bear his name. In addition, Paul J's name will be affixed to a hefty football or basketball scholarship endowment and he will become eligible for Boise State's Hall of Fame with the next class.

Paul J's mustache may also be dipped in bronze and donated to the Smithsonian.

COMEUPPANCE!
Opportunistic OBNUG beats me to the punch!

Statesman sleuths snare slippery ex-Bronco

With rare praise for the Statesman, I gotta hand it to them on this story about former Bronco Defensive Lineman and highest ever (until this weekend) Bronco draftpick Markus Koch. The Statesman writers and staffers put out a Carmen Sandiego-like dragnet and managed to track down Koch, whom teammates and friends had not seen in nearly 15 years. The search for Koch, as of yesterday afternoon, was starting to resemble a Hardy Boys type caper—the Case of the Covert Canuck, perhaps.

Even amateur sleuths were getting in on the act as I corresponded with ISZ's J Bates several times yesterday with possible leads...all of which turned up empty. I think most people thought that Koch was hiding out in the anonymity of Canada's great white north...turns out he was finally tracked down by Statesman staffers in Port Townsend, WA—proving once and for all that finding a 6'5" 270 lb. man can sometimes be more difficult than it sounds.

My google searches for Markus now seem as bumbling as a Tim Conway/Don Knotts picture when you realize the resources that the Statesman employed in searching for the former Redskin. According to their article, they called and interviewed dozens of friends, coaches and ex-teammates; all who had their own theories about Koch's whereabouts. Finally late Thursday, the Statesman had their "Eureka" moment and tracked down Koch at 11 PM. Props again to the Statesman for "going all Sherlock Holmes"...it was the most interesting read I've possibly ever had from their paper.

Link to Statesman article.

Stadium expansion complete!

...on a bit smaller scale. Word on the street is that a Lincoln Logs concourse and a K'nex video board will be added in the next few days.

*Thanks to Sean Harris for this great Lego model.

Warriors display new unis

Where are the freakin' rainbows??? Also note that the uniforms are not being displayed on mannequins, but rather on Colt Brennan and Timmy Chang, whom the university recently had encased in carbonite for their trophy case.

Ryan Clady not memorable...

Some fellow who calls himself the "Sports Curmudgeon" doesn't think too highly of Ryan Clady. He recently wrote an article breaking down the upcoming NFL draft, and after watching one Boise State game (UNR at Boise State) last year he came up with the following thoughtful analysis:

By the way, I mentioned above that I watched the Nevada/Boise State game last season. I made no notes about Boise State tackle Ryan Clady. Some now think he is one of the top two or three offensive linemen in the entire draft. Sorry, but I just didn’t notice him…

Oh no! An anonymous blogger with no credentials watched the Nevada/Boise State game last year and didn't notice Ryan Clady! I'm sure that Clady's draft stock just plummeted.

Hey, Sports Curmudgeon...do you think that Clady's All-America honors were based on one game of his career? Do you think that the fact that you didn't make any notes on Clady mean he wasn't doing his job on the field? Most coaches would tell you that you don't want to "notice" an O-lineman during the game...this generally means that they are blocking their assignments and not jumping off-sides. Real analysts break down a LOT of tape to determine the quality of a player, then NFL teams hold a little thing called a combine, where said players are put through other rigorous tests. But you know best, right? I'm sure in a few weeks Ryan Clady will be browsing the internet and come across your draft insight about him and a solitary tear will run down his face...which he will promptly wipe away with a wad of $100 bills.

Sports Curmudgeon the next Kiper?

Bronco expansion gets a name

Boise State's stadium expansion got a name today—a name that mixes aliteration and pronunciation difficulties. Behold! The Stueckle Sky Club!

Prominent Boise businessman and major Boise State donor Duane Stueckle, along with his wife Lori have donated over $4.5 million to Boise State in recent history including a $1.5 million dollar contribution in October to establish a Biology endowed chair. Boise State has decided to honor the Stueckles (which is actually pronounced "stickles") with the naming rights to the new Bronco Stadium Sky Suites.

We look forward to the unveiling of the Velma Morrison broadcasting booth and Cost Less Carpet Stadium in the near future.

Statesman link

Poor "vision"

Over the next few weeks, I'll be discussing ways to improve the overall gameday atmosphere at Bronco Stadium. The Broncos don't lose often on the blue, and that is partially because of the huge homefield advantage gained by playing at Lyle Smith field...but there are certainly things we could all do to make that advantage even greater.

The video screen at Texas' Darrell K. Royal Stadium is known as "Godzillatron". By comparison, Boise State's video screen might well be called "Hapless Tokyo citizen". Bronco Stadium, whose north endzone is adorned with the aptly named "BroncoVision" video board, has had it's share of improvements and upgrades over the years. Yes, even the inclusion of the video board was a big step up from what the stadium used to have...but the time has come to upgrade BroncoVision...and in a big way.

Now, with new turf going in this summer and the pressbox/luxury suites invading the skyline, this offseason may not be the best one for a video board overhaul. But the paltry display that adorns Lyle Smith field right now simply cannot keep pace with the other stadium advancements. South endzone types must have the eyes of a fighter pilot to be able to see BroncoVision...and don't get me started on some of Bronco Stadium's...well...more seasoned fans (bluehairs). I don't want to squint anymore to realize that the refs need to be roundly booed.

We're not asking for a Godzillatron, Athletic Department, we'd settle for Mothra-tron or Megalon-tron. Just please give us something bigger than the CBH touchdown lounge.

Fresno State installed a 24' x 32' screen in '06, and we all know that Boise State's unofficial motto is "if Fresno State can do it, so can we". Dig deep Bronco fans, and let's help give BroncoVision the makeover it deserves.

The secret of Boise State's success?

Apparently the secret to Boise State's success may not be facilities, coaches or even recruiting. It appears that Boise State's incredible string of winning seasons is thanks to a small Kenyan man who doesn't know a thing about football. Hope the NCAA doesn't get wind of Boise State's "Kenyan connection".

Article

Spurned UH recruit may walk-on at BSU

Daniel Smith, the defensive back who made national headlines by trying to sue the University of Hawaii for not honoring their scholly offer may walk-on at Boise State. This from a SI.com article today:

Smith tried to find other scholarships after learning he didn't have one at Hawaii, but he was told he was too late and the scholarships had been filled. Now, Smith is looking at walking on at either Boise State or Portland State.

Here's what you do, Daniel...go and knock over a 7-Eleven and UH will be beating a path to your door once again. Either that or you can come play for a real winning program...Portland State Boise State. You've now got the required Boise State chip on your shoulder.

Link

Oil prices up, corn prices up, ticket prices...

"With great success, comes great fan suffering" this quote comes from Sun Tzu in his 6th century B.C strategy guide the Art of College Football. Never has this great truth been more evident than the past few seasons of Bronco football where loyal fans have seen their season ticket prices raise steadily. Certain ticket packages have risen over 30% in the last two seasons alone. Upon hearing this news, I was introspective:

"What're you gonna do", said me, "it's not like I'm NOT gonna renew my tickets".

Still, getting my ticket renewal form in the mail on Wednesday was the happiest I've been to receive a bill since...well...ever.

Statesman story about ticket prices.

Spring Fever

As I have nothing terribly valuable to add to the blogosphere today; check out these links while I go and dip my toes into Parkcenter pond.

Links:

OBNUG hands out some Spring hardware
Statueleft finds his camera lens cleaner...but not in time.
JT Ray rallies the troops for another excellent podcast.
Ryan Clady gets the star treatment
Broncos add one more televised game.
QB Prospect, Nunes has quite a Spring Break.

Boise State lands Canadian bowling ball

Boise State has done well up north. Mike G. Williams, Josh Bean, Andrew Woodruff, etc. were all Canucks. Well, it looks like Boise State may have landed another solid (and we mean solid) Canadian recruit in DT Mike Atkinson. Atkinson is 6'1" and weighs 330 lbs. (in Canadian lbs., that is) Atkinson will join the team this summer and will no doubt contend for playing time right away. Coach Kwiatkowski likes what he sees:

"What stood out from watching film is how athletic he is for a big guy,"

Ya think?


That run reminded me of Andy Avalos in the 2004 Liberty Bowl.

Read more about Atkinson here.

You've got spirit? So? Let's hear it.

Calling all Bronco uber-fans! It's going to be a few months till fall camp starts and we could discuss whether or not Kellen Moore can turn water into wine ad nauseum. What everyone wants to know is "who is the biggest Bronco fan"?

I will be conducting a very non-scientific contest to find out. Let me hear why you are the biggest Bronco fan in all the land. Do you drive an orange and blue Hummer? Have you not missed an away game in 10 years? Got the most Bronco memorabilia? Did you name your kids Ian and Chrissy? Does your toilet have Vandal logos lining the rim for target practice? Shoot me an email and provide proof that you are the biggest Bronco fan out there and I will send you a nice, original Bronco poster like the one HERE. Heck, I may send out more than one. E-mail me here at fightfightbsu@gmail.com and the judging will commence.

*Anyone producing proof of someone sporting a Bronco tattoo will be an automatic "win"
**Contest ends April 30th

Johnson to announce Johnson, Johnson

In the best strategic move since D-Day—KTVB will relieve David Augusto of his play-by-play duties this fall, replacing him with Mark Johnson, who rumor has it, actually fundamentally understands the game of football. Johnson, who last held the Bronco play-by-play duties during the 1987-88 seasons is eager to get back in the booth, stating:

"I have a great job. Now, I have a spectacular job. I've got all of the worlds covered. I've got a front row for what's happening in the community in the state and now I've got a front row for Boise State,"

No word when construction of the front row at Bronco Stadium will begin.

In a sad related story...David Augusto will still be announcing Bronco basketball games.

The long summer awaits

The annual Blue & Orange game wrapped up last night with the offense beating the defense 25-9. You may think that the scoring system favored the offense, and you would be right. The defense, by all accounts played well and showed that they are a cohesive unit that will go back to Boise State's bread and butter of stopping the run. The defense gave up only one late TD—a 3-yard run by Doug Martin.

QB race will be a photo-finish
The QB race, as everyone expected was NOT resolved last night, but it is pretty fair to say that the 4-man derby has become a two-man race between redshirt freshman Kellen Moore and senior Bush Hamdan. Once again, Moore led all QBs at the scrimmage going 11-of-13 for 99 yards and no turnovers. If you are keeping track at home...Moore had the best stats at 2 of the 3 Spring scrimmages and went 26-of-39 with 265 yards and no turnovers for Spring. The other dog in the hunt, Bush Hamdan, was 7-of-10 for 65 yards in the scrimmage and was 19-of-31 with 239 yards and no turnovers for the Spring.

Now, we are definitely in for a long summer and any one of these QBs can make strides and insert himself back into the race, but for now, between Moore and Hamdan...I believe that we are looking at a similar scenario that we faced in 2004 when Jared Zabransky and Michael Sanford were both vying for the spot. Unless the senior (Hamdan) really distances himself from Moore and the other QBs, I think the coaches will go with "the future" like they did in '04. Obviously, at this point, Moore has the better numbers and has been more consistent...but summer workouts and fall camp could change that. Hamdan is a touch more mobile than Moore and has a bit stronger arm, but Moore is very quick at scanning the field and finding the open man and appears to sense pressure when it is coming and moves well in the pocket.

Barring a total meltdown by Moore over the next few months I would put the quarterback odds at this point at:
Moore-55%
Hamdan-35%
Coughlin-10%*
Lomax-0%

*I do believe that regardless of who is named the starter between Hamdan and Moore, we will still see Mike Coughlin in certain game situations.

Defense makes good strides
While injury-prone, the defense still made very positive strides this Spring as the linebacker corps looks to be very deep and very talented. We will probably see any or all of the eligible LBs in games this season. Sophomore Derrell Acrey has impressed coaches this Spring and looks poised to make a big impact this fall. Kyle Gingg, Tim Brady, Dallas Dobbs and Aaron Tevis also have shown coaches what they wanted to see—playing more physical and knowing their assignments.

The secondary has a few question marks with the departure of Orlando Scandrick and Marty Tadman, and the no one really knows who will replace Scandrick across the field from Kyle Wilson this year. The safety position, however, looks to be in good shape as big-hitter Jeron Johnson returns and Jason Robinson has excelled in the off-season. True frosh George Iloka will likely burn his redshirt this year as he's been a force in the secondary all spring.

Running backs a'plenty
The running back situtation, is barely worth mentioning as there is possibly more depth and talent in the backfield than the Broncos have ever had. With a young, untested O-line, the Bronco offense will look to game-changers Ian Johnson, Jeremy Avery, Doug Martin and DJ Harper to blow the games wide-open. While Ian Johnson is the incumbent starter, Martin and Harper have had big Springs while Avery nurses an injury. Harper has been extremely hard for the defense to take down and Doug Martin looks to be a very solid goal-line back.

Outlook
Spring ball should be enough to assuage the most pessimistic Bronco's fears as the team looks to be filling the voids nicely. Thomas Byrd looks like he will be the starting center and the rest of the O-line will solidify itself in the Fall and hopefully add a little bulk over the summer. The kicking game, with Kyle Brotzman back, should be just fine. The bottom line is this: if the Broncos can regain the chip on their shoulder that they had in '06...the schedule favors another WAC title and good bowl game. The team chemistry will dictate what this 2008-09 Bronco squad can achieve.

OBNUG's Blue & Orange take
Nice IPT slideshow of the B&O
OrangeDeath provides proof of new unis
Statueleft will have scrimmage pics and video galore
Idaho Statesman refutes Phil Dailey's claims that a starter has been crowned.

What we want to see tonight

They say "you can't please everyone"...well, screw that because at tonight's annual Blue and Orange game we want to see offensive fireworks AND defensive domination. We want to see the quarterbacks shine (especially those whose names rhyme with "Melon Bore") AND we want to see the young secondary shut down the pass game. We want to see the stable of runningbacks run roughshod AND we want to see the linebackers get their groove back. Is that too much to ask, Broncos? Yes...I believe it is—but give us a measured amount of any or all of these things and we'll be happy. We'll ALSO be unhappy that spring ball has come to an end and the long, football-free summer is ahead of us—but you know what they say: "you can't please everyone".

Scrimmage starts at 6:30 and I'll have a detailed rundown of Spring ball's conclusion later.

Open mouth, insert cliché

If you've been following Spring ball in Boise (or anywhere else in the country for that matter), you've been treating to a coaching cliche at every turn. Even straight-shooting Coach Pete caught himself dropping one too many cliches a few weeks ago and the previous skipper, Dan Hawkins made it annoying an artform. Well, Eric Lacy of the Detroit News breaks down the top 5 coaching clichés that you will hear this Spring—then when the season finally starts, we'll be treated to a whole new slew of clichés like, "We're taking it one game at a time", or "We're not overlooking anyone"...or "We're going to give 110%". Hooray.

Top 5 Spring coaching clichés

If you've got any more, shoot them my way.

Boise State ranked...sorta

Nationalchamps.net has Boise State ranked in their preseason poll at number 25 according to their website and the Statesman. This announcement has brought with it optimism that Collegefootballnews.com may rank Boise State in their top 95. Other notables are Fresno State at #23 (yeah, that'll last) and September 20th foe Oregon at #22. Nationalchamps.net also has Ian Johnson tabbed as a first team All-American and top ten in their Heisman race.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

It appears that some Bronco upperclassmen have been having fun at the expense of the freshman. You can read about it HERE, . It seems the team elders had the youngsters donning shirts and ties for a fake photo shoot...and while that is a pretty good zinger, it didn't involve enough cops to even make a blip on Pete Carroll's prank-o-meter. See vid below.

A clean campaign?

Phil Dailey is a shrewd campaigner. Either that or he is some sort of freakin' clairvoyant as Dailey has boldly proclaimed that the quarterback job is Hamdan's to lose. Whether Dailey is really good at deciphering vague coachspeak or is of the mind that an Ian Johnson endorsement all but seals the deal for Bush we'll never know.

All I want to know is if Mr. Dailey, with his all-knowing power would be willing to grant me some hot stock tips.

Granted, I don't have access to practices like Phil Dailey does, and I can't command the awesome resources of the Idaho Press Tribune...but what exactly is Dailey hearing from the tight-lipped coaches that confirm his claims? Was it this quote from coach Pete...

“We might have more of feel now, but there’s no rush to set anything in stone. We want these to keep these guys competing and the best medicine for improvement is competition.”

Or maybe this concrete declaration by coach Harsin...

“Nobody is overall making a huge jump at this point, they’re doing what we ask them to do.”

Hmmm...maybe Dailey really looked into Harsin's soul when he made that statement and saw the profound commitment to Hamdan glimmering in his eyes. Maybe.

Heck, everyone's got their favorite (even Ian Johnson), but you're the sports director for the Press-Tribune, Phil Dailey...headlines like "Hamdan has QB lead" just aren't going to cut it when you can't back up that statement. Just admit that you are as clueless as the rest of us in this thing until about mid-August.

Dailey's psychic reading

Aw, crap

Just when we thought we were out, they keep pulling us back in.

Just when freshman phenom Kellen Moore had given everyone the glimmer of hope that a 4-year starter was a possibility...he went ahead and looked human. In fact, all 4 quarterbacks looked reasonably average last night at the second spring scrimmage. What gives? How are we, dedicated Bronco fans and bloggers supposed to overreact and jump to conclusions when the quarterback race now appears to be back at square one? How are we supposed to face another summer of conjecture because you darn quarterbacks didn't seal the deal in spring ball? HOW, I ask you? HOW?

Ok, that is out of my system.

Kellen Moore took the first set of reps yesterday (read that any way you want) but looked fairly pedestrian as the Bronco defense, with a lot of guys back since the first scrimmage, was pretty dominant. Moore was only 5 of 12 for 52 yards.

After Moore, Michael Coughlin decided to not decide the quarterback race either as he went 4 of 9 for 51 yards. Nick Lomax positively refused to decide the quarterback race as he went a respectable 6 of 8 for 52 yards. And lastly, senior Bush Hamdan did his level best to not decide the quarterback race by having the best outing, going 7 of 12 for 113 yards and leading the only scoring drive of the afternoon.

So for all you quarterback derby watchers at home...here are the current standings according to my scientific formula.

1. Bush Hamdan/Kellen Moore
3. Michael Coughlin
4. Nick Lomax

It should also be noted that a quarterback would probably have to "win" all three spring scrimmages for a starter to be named pre-summer so that is firmly off the table. The race is tight, just like the coaches said...but we all refused to believe.

Crap.

On the bright side...the defense looked very good yesterday with solid linebacker play and with the D-line getting into the backfield several times. Derrell Acrey seemed to make his presence known when he was on the field and the secondary kept the offense from making any real noise.

Jeron Johnson is a stud. I thought so last year, but he really brings it on every play. Johnson's counterpart, fellow sophomore Jason Robinson also looks to have improved making several hard hits over the middle. While the loss of Marty Tadman will be evident this season...it will be nice to have a couple of head hunters roaming the middle of the field. Click clack (I don't know what that means, but I saw it on an Under Armour commercial, and I think it fits here).

Here are the rest of the so-so Offensive stats on the day:

SCORING: Matt Kaiserman, 5-yard TD run (no kick attempted)

RUSHING: Ian Johnson 3 carries for 18 yards, D.J. Harper 3-16, Matt Kaiserman 5-15, Jeremy Avery 3-10, Doug Martin 5-10, Jarvis Hodge 2-2

PASSING: Bush Hamdan 7-of-12 for 113 yards, Nick Lomax 6-8-52, Mike Coughlin 4-9-51, Kellen Moore 5-12-52

RECEIVING: Julian Hawkins 4 catches for 50 yards, Toshi Franklin 3-63, Austin Pettis 2-46, Doug Martin 2-26, Tanyon Bissell 2-13, Ricky Cookman 2-11, Titus Young 2-8, Tommy Gallarda 1-23, Kyle Efaw 1-11, Jeremy Avery 1-7, D.J. Harper 1-5, Mitch Burroughs 1-5

Well, now that we don't have as much to speculate about next week...there is nothing more to say for now, but see you on Friday at the Blue and Orange game.

Check out Statueleft's pics of the defenseive stars at the scrimmage HERE.

Keep Paul J!

It was announced today that KBOI, also known as "Broncos Radio" has lost the Bronco sports broadcasting account. So maybe KBOI rested on their laurels when the bidding came up since they've broadcast games for about 1 million years...but to deny future Bronco generations of the soothing baritone of Paul J. Schneider would be a GROSS injustice. Paul J. has been the voice of the Broncos for about 750,000 of those million years and warts and all...we love the guy.

I implore all of Bronco nation to sign this here petition to let the powers that be know that we won't let Paul J. go swiftly into the night.

Simply put: we need more cowbell

Over the next few weeks, I'll be discussing ways to improve the overall gameday atmosphere at Bronco Stadium. The Broncos don't lose often on the blue, and that is partially because of the huge homefield advantage gained by playing at Lyle Smith field...but there are certainly things we could all do to make that advantage even greater.

Suggestion 2 — More cowbell


If you sit in the North Endzone, you are probably well acquainted with the cowbell...while those that sit on the lower west side of Bronco Stadium are more familiar with the french horn. Which instrument is scientifically proven to both rock and strike fear into the hearts of men? Why it is the unassuming cowbell.

The history of the cowbell reads like a rich tapestry. It was invented during the bronze age as a way to keep tabs on livestock in the fertile crescent of the African delta. Soon after, villagers discovered it was a useful tool in driving away invading warriors (and Rainbow Warriors to this very day). Then nothing really happened for a few thousand years until Blue Oyster Cult rediscovered this most ancient of noisemakers and suddenly: the cowbell rocked!

By viewing the above video...proper technique for bellin' can be observed. Bronco Stadium, simply put, needs more cowbell. So all of you loyal Bronco fans head on down to D&B Supply and pick up a cowbell and go home and practice. Once you feel you've properly mastered the ancient art of the cowbell—you are ready terrorize Bronco foes and raucously celebrate a Bronco victory.

*Remember, some level of decorum must be followed while utilizing the cowbell. We aren't savages.

Suggestion 1 for improving Bronco Stadium atmosphere can be found HERE.

'State of Boise State' Podcast

JT Ray was nice enough to invite me to participate in a roundtable about the state of Boise State football with Matt from Statueleft and Kevan from OBNUG. You can listen to the podcast below.
boomp3.com

An interview with Chance McClain

It's a long offseason...so for the next 150+ days we're going to be throwing out some exclusive interviews with ex-players, analysts and fans. Our first such interview is with Chance McClain, a Houston sports-radio program director that adopted the Broncos as "his team" a few years ago and whom Bronco Nation was introduced to via his youtube video: "Houston's Biggest Boise State Fan". Chance was nice enough to answer some questions and let us know just what it is that makes him passionate about Bronco football.

DREW: What was the first Bronco game you saw that introduced you to the program?
Chance: I guess it was '98 or '99, late at night at a bar. It was against Hawaii. I don't even think BSU won the game but (friend) Russell and I decided that no matter what, we were going to root for the scrappy undersized team.

DREW:What impressed you about the team and got you interested?
Chance: The undersized, over-efforted nature of the way they play football. Plus there was some randomness about it. I had never been to or really thought of Boise. It seemed like a nice enough place though. I was
impressed around 2000 or 2001 when I noticed that a buttload of the
players were from ID and ALL of the players were from the Pacific NW. It
just seemed weird that a team could be so good, so reckless, so fun, and
draw from such a selective pool of high school athletes. I also loved
the cavalier nature of the play calling. Oh and the fact that they were
always offense-oriented.

DREW: Have your friends and/or family adopted your passion for the Broncos?
Chance: Some of my buddies have. I am the program director of a sports radio station in the 4th more populated city in the country so professionally I am looked at more as a peculiarity than anything I suppose.

DREW: What is it about Bronco Football that may be appealing to fans around the country?
Chance: The things I mentioned before. They are spunky. They work their asses off. There is none of the superficial bull**** that you see oozing off
of the tier 1 D1 schools. They are college kids out there and don't seem
as unapproachable and bullish as the guys at the FSUs, the UCLAs, the
Notre Dames, the USCs. They seem like they have to play the game and get back to Boise so they can get ready for classes or a pledge retreat or
whatever else college kids do. Play video games and drink beer.

DREW: You produced a Boise State song called "Majestic"—how long did that take to produce and what gave you the idea?
Chance: OK. Majestic. I have wanted to do a BSU song since about 2001 it just never materialized. When I finally had my ducks in a row I wrote it and we recorded it in one night and then spent another couple nights mixing and mastering. I titled it Majestic because Lani Ordone, the guy playing lead guitar, is like a wicked gifted guitar shredder. He asked what I wanted the guitar to sound like and I said, "I want it to sound majestic." He stared at me incredulously and I stuck to my guns. He produced majestically. Frank Bullington is the other guy I did the track with. He is a fellow Longhorn fan and did not quite understand my obsession but I am winning him over. Can't help but. If people would just watch this team they will love this team. Unless they are dirty Vandals.

DREW: What has been the general response to your first youtube Bronco video "Houston's Biggest Boise State fan"?
Chance: Love and affection from Boise Nation. Dismay and snobbishness from Longhorn nation. I catch a little grief for corny-ing it up at the end
but whatever. I was proud of it. Still am.

DREW: You visited "the Blue" last year for the San Jose State game; what were your impressions of Boise, Bronco Stadium and the fans?
Chance: OMG. Awesome. That is now an annual trip for Russell and I. And we are going to Hattiesburg this year for our first ever Boise State road game. We plan to be obnoxiously drink and raise all kinds of hell in Mississippi. I can't wait for that game. We are still picking another game for this year's hajj. My impression was exactly what I expected: stellar people, fanatic supporters, a whole town bathed in blue and orange.

DREW: 2007 Fiesta Bowl or 2006 Rose Bowl?
Chance: Not even close. Fiesta Bowl. That was the greatest moment ever. The whole thing was surreal. I bought the video on iTunes and watch it
weekly. It was the best. The Rose was awesome, too. It was seemingly
insurmountable. But it did not even take a year. Again, I still like the
horns. Just not nearly as much as my horses.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Chance's "passing of the bracelet" vid
Majestic music video

Really?!

To say that Boise State Offensive Coordinator, Bryan Harsin keeps things close to the vest would be a slight understatement. To say that Harsin is a liar would be a slight overstatement. To say that Harsin is being extremely vague and diplomatic with his info would have squarely hit the nail on the head. Harsin yesterday insisted that no quarterback has really established himself as the frontrunner in the highly publicized QB race yet (roll eyes). He did, however, once again fail to include junior Nick Lomax's name among the QBs that he praised for their Spring progress. Not generally one to read too far into things...I am confident that Lomax's repeated exclusion from Harsin's interviews is a good indicator that at this point Lomax is sitting in the #4 QB spot. I also believe that by the end of spring ball on April 11th, we will have a clear favorite.

Luckily for us speculative fans, Harsin gave us a small inkling of how we might figure out the current pecking order:

He plans to give all of them time with the first-team offense this week in practice and reward the guys who play the best with more playing time in Friday’s scrimmage at Mountain View High in Meridian (3:30 p.m.).

Hear that? Take out your stopwatches to Mountain View High on Friday afternoon and determine who is getting the most time in the 2nd scrimmage...already knowing that Lomax is in 4th place (according to my calculations), we should accurately be able to determine the remaining top 3. After the first scrimmage, it looks to be 1. Kellen Moore 2. Bush Hamdan 3. Michael Coughlin and 4. (sorry) Nick Lomax.

One more impressive scrimmage out of Moore and he will be dubbed "the People's Starter"

Not-so-informative Statesman Article (step it up, Cripe)