Friday, June 27, 2008

A Bronco's reaction to a Bulldog's joy



Fresno State won the College World Series. How are Bronco fans supposed to deal with that?

For the most part, there are two sides to the fence. On one side resides those who cheer the success of every WAC team because it brings respectability and notoriety to the conference, and by extention, to Boise State. Those on the other side of the fence are staunchly selfish, decrying success of conference rivals because of the mere fact that they are conference rivals and therefore deserve a full measure of hatred and contempt. Chances are good that most Bronco fans reside on one side or the other.

Fresno State's national championship would be simple to debate if it were as black-and-white as, say, the Bulldogs' football game against Wisconsin. However, the baseball title is an entirely different beast for a couple of reasons.

  1. Boise State has no baseball team. This would seem to make the decision significantly easier. If Boise State has no baseball team, the reasoning might go, then Boise State fans have free reign to root for whomever they choose.
  2. Fresno State's national championship is being considered a historical blow for the little guy so much so that it may overshadow the historical blow that the Broncos laid in the Fiesta Bowl. How can a Bronco fan justifiably be happy about that?
The grayness of the issue leaves a lot of room for fan interpretation, but choosing sides has also been an interesting matter in the local media. On the Press-Tribune website, they put up a "breaking news" link to the story of the Bulldogs' championship. The Idaho Statesman website had absolutely no mention of it. Oddly enough, the voice of reason in this whole ordeal has been none other than Tom Scott.
It's being called one of the more remarkable stories in the history of college sports. ESPN's Erin Andrews calls it "a movie". Fresno State became the lowest-seeded team ever to win the College World Series, beating Georgia, 6-1. It's being treated like Boise State's Fiesta Bowl upset, and the Bulldogs' national championship is indeed a monstrous accomplishment. 

But to be sure, 10 years from now a slew of Americans will be able to tell you who won in Glendale on New Year's Day 2007 (and how it happened), while precious few will be able to tell you who won the 2008 College World Series.
And therein lies the beautiful rub. Showing appreciation for the Fresno State baseball team is harmless when you consider the historical staying power of their championship. It's not that sports fans are unable or unwilling to remember a small school's victory. It is that they are unable or unwilling to remember a baseball victory. The Fiesta Bowl (and college football in general) is far more memorable than any measure of college baseball no matter how unprecedented, unique, or captivating.

Congratulations are certainly in order for Fresno State on their incredible achievement, and Bulldog fans should certainly enjoy the limelight while it lasts. But for those Bronco fans concerned with the long-lasting effects of a "win for the ages," keep in mind that all of the hubbub will be forgotten in a matter of time.

All it will take is a kickoff.

Broncos ranked by Rivals.com

Thanks to an alert reader, we found out that Boise State has been ranked #35 in the country by Rivals.com. Their countdown, which began appropriately enough at the bottom with Utah State and Idaho, has been going on for weeks now, and we had been anxious to see where Rivals would place the Broncos. And really, we can't complain. If BSU started the season at #35, there would have a good opportunity to move up into the top 25 in just a few weeks' time.

The Rivals preview was pretty standard, but it surprised us with its thoroughness. A George Iloka mention? Hailing the virtues of Vinny Perretta? Knowing who Brandyn Thompson is? We half expected an ESPN.com-style fluff piece featuring a follow-up of Ian Johnson's marriage and a take on the strong cornerback duo of Orlando Scandrick and Kyle Wilson.

But Rivals really stole our heart with this line:

If we've learned one thing the past 10 seasons, it's never to doubt Boise State – no matter what issues the program faces.
You can say that again. Although, if one were to learn two things from the past 10 seasons, the other might be that Fresno State never finishes ahead of the Broncos. Perhaps it will take Rivals 11 years to learn that one.

Boise State preview [Rivals.com]

Friday: Links with possiblities

Story of the day:

Phil Dailey on the Fresno bandwagon? [Dailey's Bottom Line]

The local media is starting to turn in their preseason WAC ballots, and the transparency of the Idaho Press-Tribune affords us the luxury of peering into Phil Dailey's thought process. Playing a prominent role in Dailey's thoughts: the Hawaii Bowl.
I think you have to give Fresno State the nod, after all, the Bulldogs won their bowl game over Georgia Tech, while Boise State blew it against a not-very-good East Carolina team in the Hawaii Bowl.
Dailey has Fresno State at the top of the WAC, with Boise State at number two. Right behind them? Louisiana Tech. A gutsy call, but we like our local media members to think outside the box.
I’m a big Derek Dooley fan and I think he’ll have his team ready for the WAC after non-conference tilts against Mississippi State, Kansas and SE Louisiana.
We'll give you two guess who the teams at the bottom are.

Other links:

Reggie Larry does not hear his name called [Yahoo!]
He may still have a chance to catch on with a team this summer

BYU snags two recruits that had BSU's interest [Daily Herald]
When you factor in Mormon missions, the Cougars can have 'em.

IPT recaps preview mags [Press-Tribune]
And in the process, saves us $14.95.

Tom Scott weighs in on stadium expansion [Scott Slant]
Scott: The south end zone will be a horseshoe by 2013.

J Bates snidely rips Brian Murphy's blog [J's Blog]Nice to know we're not the only ones who notice these things.

Weekend series on Montana's D-1 hopes [Missoulian]
Idaho gets the spotlight today. Enjoy it while it lasts, Vandals.

South American vacay for Dan Hawkins [Longmont Times]
"It's Rio De Janeiro! It's the Amazon River! It ain't intramurals!"

San Jose State preview [Saturday Soundoffs]
If anyone cares.