Robb Akey on the mic at WAC media convention

Enjoy. Or don't.

• Robb Akey press conference 

Coaches, commissioner speak...[WACSports.com]

Thursday: Links with religion

Story of the day:

Peak redeems itself with Jadon Dailey [Statesman]

With the hiring of former BSU center Jadon Dailey as the new color commentator for Bronco football games, Peak Broadcasting has done something that has thus far eluded them: appear competent. If the reaction to Dailey's hiring is any indication, then Bronco fans are feeling pretty good about life after Paul J.--at least as good as they could feel.

Bob Behler's already a fan.

Behler, who said he has worked with many first-timers in the booth, was impressed with Dailey's intelligence and enthusiasm. "He's going to add a lot in stories and knowledge," Behler said. "He's going to help me a heck of a lot, knowing personnel, history and coaches. He's going to bring a lot to the table."

Will Dailey's lack of experience be an issue? Not with Behler, the father of modern radio, in the booth! Besides, if things get bad, Peak can always just play snippets of Dailey's Out of the Blue commentary in between Behler's live-action play-by-play calls. Don't think anyone would mind that. 

Other links:

New recruit Mooney not taking other campus visits after all [Press-Tribune]
Guess he was okay missing out on all the fun times at Army.

Bush Hamdan is a better man than you are [Scott Slant]
Thanks to Tom Scott we suddenly feel much less charitable for giving that homeless guy a dollar.

Boise State season preview [Don Best]
Always trust a man with a mustache...except for Robb Akey.

Cocaine hoax fuels Big XII rivalry [SI.com]
We anxiously await the Idaho "pirated Norbit DVD" hoax.

Democracy fails; Idaho voted No. 1

Looks like Robb Akey just found himself a recruiting tool.

The Idaho Vandals, all one win and eleven losses of them, are the number one team in the nation, according to a poll at collegefootballpoll.com. Curse those computer macros!



We're fascinated to see the Vandals on top, and we are equally surprised to find Utah State at number two. Talk about a scintillating BCS Championship game!

Friday: Links with motivation

Story of the day:
Bold WAC predictions [CUSAbbs.com]

Yesterday, we linked to a site that predicted the Broncos would face Maryland in the Humanitarian Bowl this year. Today, the same site goes one step further in guessing Boise State's 2008 record.

WAC
1. Fresno State (7-1, 9-3)
T2. Boise State (6-2, 9-3)
T2. Hawaii (6-2, 8-5)
4. Nevada (5-3, 7-5)
T5. New Mexico State (4-4, 5-7)
T5. San Jose State (4-4, 5-7)
7. Louisiana Tech (3-5, 3-9)
8. Utah State (1-7, 1-11)
9. Idaho (0-8, 1-11)

Seriously? 9-3? This is the worst news we've heard all day. Plus, if the Broncos finish 6-2 in the WAC, we might go into severe depression.

At least he got Utah State and Idaho right.

Other Links:

Humanitarian Bowl set for Dec. 30th at 2:30pm [Idaho Press-Tribune]
Fortunately we always keep our Tuesday afternoons free just in case a bowl game should happen.

T.J. Acree switches CFL teams [Scott Slant via J Bates]
An Eskimo to an Argonaut. Sounds like a Guillermo Del Toro movie.

Fight Fight skewers Akey for his comments [Fight Fight BSU]
Also skewered: the mustache.

Women soccer stars to visit Eagle [Idaho Statesman]
Mia Hamm and Brandi Chastain?! We haven't been this excited since the Humanitarian Bowl date and time were announced!

Rimington watch list [Rimington Trophy]
Idaho, Nevada, and Utah State made the list. Just another thing for them to lose.

June Jones update: still thinks the run 'n shoot works [ESPN.com]
Isn't that cute?

Thursday: Links with nepotism

Story of the day:

Hawkins promises championship, metaphors at CU [Rocky Mtn News]

Former BSU coach (and current OBNUG Public Enemy #1) Dan Hawkins was back to his old Zen-like ways during a speech in Denver on Wednesday, but amidst a shower of metaphors, similes, idioms, and analogies, he dropped this burden on the CU football program:

"Our goal is to win a national championship at Colorado," Hawkins said, veering into his booster speech. "They laugh at that now, but you won't be laughing because we'll do it, at some point. I promise you that."

We'll believe it when we see it.

The best part of Hawkins speech, however, was not the blathering prediction. Great expectations were only a lead-in to a bevy of classic Hawkinisms. Enjoy.

"Sometimes you've got to be a potter. You've got your hands on the clay, softly, gently molding. And then other times you've got to be a blacksmith and put 'em in the fire and heat 'em up and pound on 'em."

...and...

"It takes all the people in this room, that we all support each other in this thing. As Nelson Mandela says, it's about ubuntu, that we're all in this together."

...and...

'The gutter always recruits. The gutter always needs reinforcements.'

...and...

"We have a saying: There's two types of class, there's first and there's no

...and one more...

"I always tell our guys that excellence is doing a common thing in an uncommon way, and I didn't make that up."

He ended the speech with, "Go play intramurals, brother."

Other links:

Akey responds to NCAA sanctions [Idaho Statesman]
His response: "We have to worry about academics, too?! We haven't even figured out this football thing yet!"

Will Boise State crash the BCS again? [Red Zone Report]
More importantly, are you really crashing the BCS if you're invited?

One man's BSU bowl prediction [NCAAbbs]
The Humanitarian Bowl? Versus Maryland? Great, now we're depressed.

OBNUG Roundtable: Public Enemy #1

Public Enemy #1 has been a raging, ribald debate at OBNUG. The distinction of being the most hated villain for our website is not to be taken lightly, which has made the decision all the more difficult. Whoever wins will receive our scorn for the next 365 days, so we want to get it right.

Recently, a few of OBNUG's finest discussed the candidacy of our Public Enemy nominees. Here is that conversation:

kevanlee: Dan Hawkins, Sean Renfree, Colin Kaepernick, Robb Akey, Mike Prater, and Hal Mumme. Just seeing this list makes me rather upset. As a Boise State fan, these six people are some of the most despicable I have ever seen. A liar, a loser, a fink, a slanderer, a traitor, and a blowhard. What a group.

Picking just one will be a hard task, but at least we can't go wrong with any of these guys. The interesting thing is that each one of these candidates stands as a different burr to Bronco Nation. Some are threatening and some are annoying.

I'm leaning toward Kaepernick, Akey, and Hawkins. Kaepernick has the potential to absolutely ruin the lives of BSU fans this season, and he seems to have a hidden agenda to take down the Broncos. Akey is Idaho's coach, and he grows more and more intolerable every day. And I have a personal vendetta against "Hawk" for the way he left BSU.

Which crime is worse? Being a life-ruiner, being a cad, or being a Judas?

Nick: It's really too bad we are having this discussion this year instead of last. I mean, Kaepernick, Mumme, and Akey really all pale in comparison to the douchebaggery last year in Hawaii's duo of June Jones and Colt Brennan. For those reasons alone, I'm probably leaning against those three.

I'm also leaning against Hawkins. It's been two full seasons since he left, and although he did so in the lowest of fashions, some of Boise State's greatest moments have happened since then. If he were in the same conference or even succeeding at Colorado, I might find more contempt in my heart for him. Unfortunately, I just don't care enough.

By process of elimination, that leaves Renfree and Prater. I think it's a little premature to vote for Renfree. He hasn't even had a chance to not live up to his potential at Duke.

So that leaves Mr. Prater. The fact that he hired Brian Murphy is more than enough reason for me to dislike the guy. Fortunately, there are many more including the aforementioned debacle that he is on the radio along with his Vandal blood. Could KTIK get a less charismatic personality on the mic? I'd rather listen to a confused Paul J any day over the apathetic and uninspiring Prater.

Kenton Arthur Lee: I think that Dan Hawkins could still be Public Enemy #1, and here's why:

1) He's kind of a freak compared to Peterson. There is a huge contrast there.

2)I don't really like his kid, either. And I hope his kid doesn't succeed down there. He could have been awesome at BSU and then we wouldn't be having this quarterback controversy right now.

3) Not everybody knows the names of people on that list, but every BSU fan remembers Hawkins. I think more people identify with not liking Hawkins.

kevanlee: Maybe we would have been better off nominating the entire Hawkins family.

I agree, Nick. Robb Akey and Colin Kaepernick are very similar to WAC nemeses like June Jones and Colt Brennan. It seems like we will always have someone to hate in our conference, and that is the way it should be. That said, should they be considered less since they are merely iterations of past enemies? I don't think so.

Now to Hawkins and Prater. Hawkins has an interesting case because he has been out of the public scorn of Bronco Nation for a few years now, yet we all seem to still have a total distaste for the guy. That should count for something. Prater's offenses are evident, and he has the opportunity and power to seriously affect how Bronco fans get their news. The main reason I hesitate to support Prater's case is because his indiscretions are harder to quantify. That, and I can't find any good pictures of him.

Sounds like Renfree and Mumme are safe. Let's give Kaepernick a pass on this year's P.E.#1 since he will still be around to hate for a couple more season. That leaves Akey, Prater, and Hawkins.

Nick: In response to Akey, Kaepernick, and Mumme, it's not that they are past iterations of past enemies. It's that they pale in comparison to past iterations. Can you really take Akey seriously with a mustache like that? I feel like we would be giving too much credit to Kaepernick when he's really not done anything else. It's hard for me to hate Mumme too much when I get so much joy from watching him prance around on the sideline imitating a drunk Gary Busey.

I would not be opposed to Prater or Hawkins. I definitely had more hatred in my heart seeing Cody run around in Colorado's backfield and thinking about how he reneged on his verbal commitment to follow Daddy to a guaranteed starting job leaving us into this never-ending cycle of trying to find a starting quarterback. I might be able to get behind that.

kevanlee: Hawkins or Prater, huh? The ghosts of our past or the bane of our present? The case for Hawkins is so completely different than the case for Prater that it is hard to even compare the two. On the one hand, you have a former coach who spurned a loving fanbase. On the other hand, you have a local media personality who roots for the local team's rival. Both are terrible people, but in different ways.

Who will it be? We might need to sleep on this one for a day or two. Keep your fingers crossed, Hawkins and Prater. We'll have our answer on Wednesday.

Akey loves his Vandal family

After the Idaho's Silver and Gold game last weekend, head coach Robb Akey couldn't have been happier with his players, er, relatives.

“I like the way this family is together at this point in time and that is going to be huge,” Akey said.

...and...

“We’ve got a family here and that is a great thing. We are able to get better at things over the course of the spring instead of trying to figure each other out like we were last spring.”

Akey is the Patrick Duffy to the Idaho Vandals' Step by Step family.

Silver wins spring finale [Govandals.com]

Public Enemy #1: The recap

Over the past few weeks, OBNUG has been on a journey of contempt in search of this website's most hated villain. We narrowed the nominees down to six scoundrels, each of whom would make a perfect nemesis.

Now things get serious.

Next week, we will crown OBNUG's Public Enemy #1, and we would like your help. Please let us know who you think should be the McShay to our Kiper by either leaving us a comment or shooting us an email at OneBroncoNationUnderGod@gmail.com. Help us decide because we really can't be trusted with big decisions.

Here are the candidates:

Dan Hawkins: a backstabbing phony
"The greatest crime that Dan Hawkins committed was his assault on our trust. When he left to coach the Colorado Buffaloes, he did so in a way that forever scarred how a BSU fan will look at the team."

Colin Kaepernick: a skinny-legged Bronco killer
"Sure, we enjoy pointing out his passing flaws and demeaning his achievements on the football field. But as far as we’re concerned, he started this feud with his impartial supernaturalness."

Sean Renfree: an uninformed 18-year-old
"His spurning of the Broncos, in particular, really gets our goat, especially considering his rationale. Renfree based his decision on Duke's impressive academic record, the promise of playing time, and the experience of new head coach David Sutcliffe. We liken this to choosing a Quarter Pounder based on taste, texture, and presentation."

Robb Akey: a jerk with a mustache
"There are plenty of things to dislike about the man: his attitude, his smugness, the fact that his first name has more "b"'s than the Vandals have wins. But when it comes right down to it, Akey is reviled by OBNUG because of that larger-than-life caterpillar taking residence under his nose."

Mike Prater: a belligerent Vandal homer
"He knows full well that defending the Vandals is a crime against Bronco Nation, and his doing so in the city of Boise only magnifies his betrayal."

Hal Mumme: a self-promoting underachiever
"Couple Mumme's lameness with an undeserved air of importance that his towel-toting exudes and, well, you have made a case for Public Enemy #1."

Public Enemy #1: Robb Akey's case

OBNUG is in the process of deciding who should be this website's most hated villain. We'll be presenting the cases for all of the candidates over the next few weeks. Enjoy.

Robb Akey

Idaho head coach Robb Akey has his hands full turning around a moribund program that might be better off in I-AA. Nevertheless, Akey perseveres with his blind faith, his optimistic spirit, and most importantly, his mustache.

There are plenty of things to dislike about the man: his attitude, his smugness, the fact that his first name has more "b"'s than the Vandals have wins. But when it comes right down to it, Akey is reviled by OBNUG because of that larger-than-life caterpillar taking residence under his nose.

Like a rotund Samwise Gamgee accompanying Akey on his epic quest, the mustache is a willing partner to the coaching travails of Idaho's head man. Through wins and losses (but mostly losses), it rests on his cheeky grin, experiencing the highs and lows like a hairy best friend. And it drives us mad.

It bothers us. It taunts us. And it drives our curiosity. Just what is the deal with that nose beard? We would like some answers.

• What is hiding in that mustache?
  Akey's face rug could very well be used as a safe-deposit box of goodies, like a backpack for the nose. We imagine that Akey keeps the following things hidden in the follicle forest: gameplans, leftover bits of egg salad sandwiches, Nathan Enderle, and a wall calendar of the Palouse.
  
• Does the mustache have special powers?
  To keep such an obvious hygiene malfeasance around, Akey must be aware of some hidden powers to his mustache. Yet these powers obviously have no practical use in the real world, otherwise the Vandals would be a much better team and Akey would have a much better job. We think the mustache's special power is crosswords.
  
• What would happen if the mustache was gone?
  We think that Akey's lip hat is actually holding his face together.
  
• Does the mustache have a free will?
  This question delves into an area that we are not quite prepared to know about. We would prefer to stay with surface issues, like what is the mustache’s name and when is too much Just for Men too much.

Our obligation to detest Akey can be traced back to our obligation to detest all things Vandals.

Our obligation to nominate Akey for OBNUG Public Enemy #1 status? Purely the mustache.

Idaho president sick of losing

University of Idaho President Tim White has high aspirations for his school. Among them? Winning a WAC football game.

White, in an interview with The Associated Press on Wednesday, said a successful sports program is key to the image of his Moscow, Idaho-based school.

"You bet it matters," said White, a former college water polo coach.

Idaho sports has had a troubled decade since moving to the Division I-A ranks, especially in the main revenue sports of football and basketball.

To think that the football program is bringing down the collective image of the University of Idaho is rather unfortunate. That is a lot of pressure to put on Nathan Enderle.

White puts a lot of blame on the coaching turnover.

"There was no stability in leadership," White said. "You can't do anything without that level of stability."

With Robb Akey back for his second season, it appears that White is confusing stability with longevity.

Idaho President pushes sports, law school [Seattle P-I]

Idaho puts spin on incoming class

Idaho coach Rob Akey feels his new recruiting class if full of "winners." No word on if the Vandals got any "athletes," "football players," or kids that other teams "wanted."

"I'm like every football coach in the country," said Akey, whose team finished 1-11 last fall. "I'm happy today. We think a lot of these guys or we would not have offered them scholarships.

"I think the fact that every guy on this list comes from a winning program says a lot... In regards to helping teach how to win and change expectations of winning, recruiting winners helps add that."

The Vandals ranked behind Fresno and BSU in the WAC recruiting standings, so they must have done something right. Their class, which includes two good running backs among others, should help them get out of the WAC cellar and maybe even come within 20 points of the Broncos in the next few years. That's what "winners" do.

Idaho recruits a class of 'winners' [Idaho Statesman]