Media interview: Don Day

You would be hard-pressed to find a Treasure Valley media member who knows the Internet better than Don Day. His Idaho Radio News website is the #1 source for local radio information. He has transformed KTVB.com into the area's news leader. He was the inspiration behind Sandra Bullock's the Net. And now he's agreed to share some knowledge with us. Sit back, relax, and enjoy.

OBNUG: Tell us a little bit about your background. Where did you grow up? Where did you go to school? How long have you been in the Treasure Valley?


Don: I grew up here in Boise, born and raised as they say. I went to a bunch of the "old" schools: Cole, Hillcrest, South and Borah. I spent about a year at NNU in Nampa and some time at Boise State.

In addition to maintaining Idaho Radio News, we see that you work at KTVB, producing content for television and the web. What all are you involved in with Channel 7? How did you get started with them and how long have you been with the company?

I began working at KTVB in 1999 as Internet News Producer. My role there has evolved and morphed over the years. I went on to produce News at Ten with Carolyn Holly and Mark Johnson, then left for a short stint at NorthWest Cable News in Seattle. I returned back to Boise and now I oversee our content and day-to-day operations for KTVB.COM and ZIdaho.com

What made you decide to start Idaho Radio News? Has radio always been a passion of yours and was it something you ever wanted to make a career out of?

I've always been interested in radio. My dad was the sales manager for KOT/J-105 back in the 1980s, and I've been around it my entire life. During high school, my dad was the host of a three hour blues show on (then) KFXJ/KF-95 on Sunday night. I hung out and bounced around the radio station, and even hosted a cheesy "blues news" segment with concert dates and the like. I interned at KZMG/Magic 93.1 and KCIX/Mix 106 with Steve Shannon and Stephanie Kelly and really enjoyed it. I swerved and moved into TV before getting a full-time job in radio. As much as the radio industry interests me, I think it has a tendency to be hard on people - especially on the content side. The pay isn't as high as it should be, and the number of jobs are few.

I decided to start the blog for two reasons. One, blogging was a new thing, and I wanted to wrap my head around it. Two, there was another site on Idaho radio - but it was written by a guy living in Salt Lake City and just wasn't as good as it could be. So I decided to give it a shot. I've been very close to quitting a few times, but after nearly five years, I don't know how I could NOT be involved.

What is your opinion on blogging and its place among traditional media both locally and nationally?

There are a lot of folks that say they are blogging, but aren't. First, you have to have comments turned on. Second, you've got to turn out at least as many posts as there are days in the month. You also need to be focused on a topic. There are some really fantastic traditional media blogs - Chuck Todd's First Read on MSNBC.com is great, Todd Bishop's Microsoft blog on SeattlePI.com is really good too. The Broncos blogs on IdahoPress.com are fantastic as well.

Other than that, I don't find a lot of outstanding media blogs. The blogs on the daily newspaper's site don't offer anything spectacular, and they aren't much to look at. There's no community there. And every topic seems to devolve into a weird fight about politics.

We at KTVB don't do much with blogging right now. Tom Scott's Scott Slant is sort of in that vein, but it's really more of a daily sports column. The way for a local media organization to look like they are "with it" is to create a blog I guess. But I just don't see the point. We're in the content business - and blogging is just a platform. Unless you're going to really do it well, what's the point? We serve the most pageviews each month, and it's because we are the best at all the things we chose to do.

What kind of response have you gotten from your website compared to the type of response you expected when you first started?

For IdahoRadioNews.com, I didn't expect anything. I didn't even think it would last long. Now the silly thing has been cited by the all the radio industry trade magazine, Idaho Business Review, Boise Weekly and channel 2. The Statesman's ripped me off several times (the Peak radio contract details being a particularly satisfying example) and it feels like the site is well-respected. I work really hard to take my training as a journalist and apply it to the site. The goal is to not let anything untrue slip by. I've been burned a time or two, but I hope that people feel like they are reading the definitive record of the local radio industry when they log on.


What are some of the challenges you have found from starting a blog in the Treasure Valley? Do you feel that this area of the country, since it is not as tech-savvy as places like Seattle, San Fran, etc., is a more difficult place to have a successful web entity?

I worked in Seattle and there are a heck of a lot of blogs up there. Our company runs CItizenRain.com, which indexes more than 500 blogs in the greater-Seattle area. In Boise, there are probably about 75 serious blogs. There are a select few sites that are doing something worthwhile. Boise Guardian does a nice job in an interesting niche, Eye on Boise covers politics like a blanket, Huckelberries Online out of the Spokesman-Review is really cool and the Boise Bus Blog of all things has a cool spin. Sites like OBNUG and Statue Left are right on point and fun to read when it comes to Broncos news and notes.


KTVB's web presence seems to be growing more and more every day. What are some of the web strategies that you, as a TV station, have been trying to implement? What place does blogging have on the site? And we'd be remiss not to ask: what kind of features will the site have come football season?

Our goal is to be the place to go for breaking news, weather, traffic and video. We dabble in a bunch of other areas like sports and events calendar, etc. - but it boils down to being the best at breaking news. No one breaks as many stories online as KTVB.COM, and I'm proud of that. We focus on getting to the point and not overwhelming people with boring junk all the time. Why wade through ten stories that don't matter to get to one you care about? We're also the single best place to get loal weather information. Nobody else combines our set of tools with the expertise of local folks with experience like we do. Sure, we get a lot of data from the National Weather Service - but we present it in a user-friendly way. Thousands of people log-on for the 7 Day Forecast each day, and when severe weather happens, we are often the only local website that even covers it.

With KTVB being the news leader in the valley, have you encountered any unique challenges or expectations for the station's coverage of events or its day-to-day operations?

It's tough. We're a big big orginization. You've heard us say "more Idahoans get their news from KTVB than any other source," and it's a responsibility. We have to make sure we are providing a balanced, complete report that covers our area. The Boise/Twin Falls market is huge - the second biggest geographic market area in the country. Just last week, on a single day we had reporters in McCall, Stanley, Twin Falls and Ontario. Unlike a newspaper, where a reporter can sit at a desk and make phone calls - we actually have to get people in front of a camera, so we cover more turf each day.

It extends to projects like HS GameTime's Friday Night Flights. On an average football Friday, we get to 16 games - covering 32 teams. It takes a team of 6 photographers, plus a producer, helicopter, a web producer and three anchors to sew it all together. The other guys can't do as much. So being big allows us to better serve the community. Not only do you see 30 seconds of the game on TV, but you get extra stuff online. Our HSGameTime.com site was BIG in 2007, and will explode in 2008. It is Idaho's first social network, and the amount of photos and videos uploaded was just astounding. We put several hundred photos from the website back on TV each week - and I'm very proud of the effort.

How do you think the local media does as a whole? Do you see things moving in any certain direction in the future and what kind of improvements can be made?

It is incredibly competitive. KTVB started putting news online in 1996, and we didn't have a single competitor until 2000. When I started, we were the only site doing news. Now I'm watching KBCI, the Statesman, Press Tribune and even non-traditional sites like NewWest - and yes - BroncoCountry.

We changed the rules in the market by deciding that we don't hold news. Ever. If we know about it, it goes online. Sure - we could try and string you out and make you wait for a newscast, but it doesn't work that way. We also don't just put stuff online at 10:01pm so we can pretend we put it online first. It goes up as soon as it is ready, because we are worried about serving the users FIRST, not serving our ratings or circulation. Our philosophy is that if you focus on being the best everywhere, you'll be the best anywhere.

Having worked with local media for awhile, how sad was it to see Paul J. go, and to see him go the way he did?

I don't mean to be coy, but I really can't comment. I covered the whole episode on IdahoRadioNews.com, and uncovered some things that really upset people. I wasn't trying to work an agenda, but rather find the truth.


What are your thoughts on the new Peak broadcasting team for Boise State games?

Peak has some smart people operating its stations. They also have experience, since most of them used to work at Citadel, so I think folks will appreciate the coverage. KBOI intends to still produce pre and post game shows, and competition will make them both better. Either way, the fans win.

What has been a highlight of yours (sports or otherwise) during your time at KTVB and IRN?

I know it'll sound like I'm just playing to the audience - but damn the Fiesta Bowl was incredible. I was working for KTVB, and sitting on the sideline with a laptop in my hand when the game ended. I've never experienced anything like it. I could blather on about it here, or you can just read what I wrote about it on IdahoRadioNews.com at the time (http://idahoradionews.com/index.php/2007/01/05/the-feeling/)


Boise State football seems to be the hottest ticket in town nowadays. Do you see this continuing? Do you see this changing if the team loses more games than usual? Where do you see the whole Bronco Nation phenomenon going from here?

Just before answering these questions, I walked over to look at the stadium expansion. It's incredible. Before the Fiesta Bowl, I pulled an old John Miller story about guys clearing snow at Bronco Stadium. Pokey Allen was hoping to get 20,000 fans into the stadium for a game. This was 1995. No corners. No Allen Noble. No Caven-Williams. No Stueckle Sky Club.

It feels like a less-than-stellar season is always possible, but the school has built such an incredible base that the momentum will be hard to stop.

• Favorite radio station?
  I'd never live it down if I answered that!
• Favorite radio show?
  Same deal.
• Favorite TV show?
  The Office
• Favorite website?
  That I'm not involved with in some way? TVNewser.com
• Favorite book?
  Freakonomics
• Favorite sport?
  Football
• Favorite BSU memory?
  My first game with my grandpa and dad in the 1980s.
• Who is your choice for starting QB this year?
  I think Justin Corr might have some eligibility left.

Media interview: J Bates

KTIK sports director J Bates has done many things. He has spent significant time in Glenns Ferry, ID. He has worked for KTVB and the Utah Jazz. He was a host on the Spud Brothers (a personal favorite of ours). But he has never had a conversation with OBNUG. Until now.

We found the whole thing enthralling. We hope you enjoy. You can visit J's daily blog by clicking here.

OBNUG: Tell us a little bit about your background. Where'd you grow up? Where'd you go to school?
J Bates: There is some confusion out there on this. Most of my family is from Idaho and nearly all my aunts and uncles live in the Glenns Ferry area so I've always considered that "home". But I grew up in Utah and went to college at Weber State University, back when we were good and giving the Broncos fits, I might add.

We always find it interesting how people get into a career in radio. Was it something you wanted to do growing up? How did you end up at KTIK?
I had a friend who got me a part-time job as a "board op" in high school. Essentially I ran the commercials and changed the RECORDS for "Dick Clark's Rock, Roll and Remember" and "Cruisin' America with Cousin Brucie" Nothing says ladies man like working at an OLDIES radio station in high school. From there I ended up as a DJ, and the college station at Weber heard me, had a great radio program, and offered me a scholarship to work there. I got a little sidetracked with TV, but I always liked radio better. The dress code is so much more my style.

We check out your blog on KTIK every day. It's some good stuff, and it is unlike most other blogs in the Treasure Valley. What was the idea behind starting it? Have you received a good response from it?
Creative outlet was the main reason behind it. I started blogging the first time I was at KTIK because I wasn't getting a lot of airtime after the Spud Brothers was canceled. When I worked for the Jazz I saw the power of blogs thanks to David James and when I got back I just wanted to keep that up. My blog is pretty lazy right now, basically a daily list of the crap I read on the internet everyday. But this football season look out. Live blogging from games, weekly online columns and of course the Daily Links.

How much do you personally get to work with the Boise State football team? Do you get to attend practices and set up interviews?
Boise State has really clamped down on access to the team. It's not like it once was where we could interview anyone who walked by before or after practice. It makes it harder to get to know these guys, because the chit chat before and after an interview is really where you interact. I try to go to any practice I'm allowed to. I'm a practice geek, and one of my favorite things to do is sit and watch Greg Graham and his assistants run through drills.

Online media has been growing bigger and bigger as a reliable, popular form of news and information. Print media seems to have struggled adapting to this shift in ideology. Is it as much of an issue for radio? How has KTIK changed its approach in this new climate? What changes, if any, have been discussed?
We discuss it a lot, but sometimes implementing those ideas is a struggle. Radio is evolving and our company sees that. People will still listen to local radio (especially sports and news), but where the focus used to be all about "drive time" and listening in the car, the next push for radio is listening on your computer at work or on your ipod.
To be honest, we struggle with that sometimes because the short term economic gains aren't tangible, and sales drives radio. If they can't sell it, then it 's not a priority. But we're better at it than the print media because radio has a rebellious streak in it by nature, kind of like the internet.
Print media has troubles with it on several levels. But one that doesn't get talked about is that writers are against blogging for their paper's website because they don't get paid any extra for doing it. They are paid to write, and they have an increased workoad when they blog, but not increased pay. That would make anyone hate the idea. It's the economics of covering sports again....everything comes down to money.

What is your opinion on blogging and its place among traditional media both locally and nationally?
Locally it's got a way to go. It may be an extension of population, but the handful of blogs just don't have the reach separately that they could. It was why I devised Idaho Sports Zone; I hoped it would be a hub for linking up the state's best blogs for "one stop shopping" as an Idaho sports fan. My partners wanted to be a more traditional medium with a magazine and publications. Oh well, creative differences broke up the Beatles too.
Nationally, I think it's funny how more and more we're finding it's traditionally trained media writing on these blogs like Deadspin and The Big Lead. It gives me some hope that it's not all about money. Sports fans want information, and blogs are filling the void both for the fans and the writers. And they're allowed to write what they want how they want without an editor or sales monkey telling them what they should write.

What does KTIK think (if anything) of the local Bronco blogs?
I don't read the local blogs daily, but I do have most of them set up on my Google Reader. So from that perspective I hope I'm giving them some respect. If you're asking me about Caves or Prater? They couldn't name half the blogs out there. It's just not their thing, and I'm not sure if they get the difference between blogs and message boards. It's all about Broncocountry.com to them. Which is a step in the right direction....or not...depending on your point of view.

Idaho Sports Talk has somewhat of a monopoly on the radio aspect of Boise State news and talk. How does this affect what you cover or talk about? Do you feel that this gives the show a certain responsibility to the Boise area?
I'm not sure what you mean by responsibility, but I think sometimes the mob mentality of Boise State Football fans can derail IST off some good topics. I know who the big dog in town is, but I've always maintained that if you do a show only about gardening then only gardeners will listen. That said, no one does it better. Period. The contract can change hands 25 more times and Caves and Prater will still be the show to listen to for Boise State football news.

Everyone recognizes Idaho Sports Talk as a staple of KTIK's programming. What are some other shows or programs that KTIK utilizes to cater to the local audience?
My Saturday morning show I think did some good things last year. I like talking media and sports and that's a niche I know people responded to. Even Bryan Harsin and Bush Hamdan have admitted to listening to it. As for the rest of the lineup we are really happy with Colin Cowherd. His Northwest ties and college football mentality fit very well in our lineup.

What is the hardest issue to deal with as a sports radio station in Boise, Idaho?
Being treated like everyone else. No one considers us a mainstream media outlet like the paper, TV or even KBOI. Because Caves and Prater are so opinionated (and surprisingly influential) I find my job covering the teams more difficult because I have to answer for things they've said on Idaho Sports Talk. It's caused issues with every sports franchise in town so don't think that I'm railing against BSU or anything. (Although I will say the University of Idaho is the top of the list when it comes to this.) It's kind of like a kid getting beat up by a bully and then trying to take it out on his kid brother because they don't want to get beat up more by standing up for themselves.

How do you think the local sports media does as a whole? Do you see things moving in any certain direction in the future and what kind of improvements can be made?
Oh boy is this the question I've always wanted to answer. I see print media only getting better. The Press Tribune has done a good job of creating an alternative to the Statesman sports section and as a result Prater is stepping up more every year. Chadd Cripe is the best source of Bronco football information in the market hands down and the Statesman needs to do a better job of exploiting that.
TV sports in this town has degraded badly in the past five years. It started when I was still at KTVB, but it's gotten downright embarrassing. The days of Tester, Dzuback, and Johnson I think were the golden era of sports in Boise, and what passes now for for sports is hard to stomach. It's not all the sports departments' fault by the way. Too often newsrooms see the sports department as nothing more than a chance for the news producer to take three minutes off and get a soda. There isn't the commitment to local sports like there once was. Unless it's Boise State football, and then it's all about Ian and Chrissy or a pinewood derby car to appease the female viewers. Local sports is dying on TV because no one covers local sports.

What has been a highlight of yours covering the sports scene in the Treasure Valley?
The 2004 Kelly Cup run by the Steelheads and filling in for Paul J on the basketball team's trip to Albany this past season. That Steelheads team caused me to cross the line between fan and journalist a few times just because of the personalities on the team. And Greg Graham, his staff, and the players made me feel so comfortable on a trip when I was nervous out of my mind. I saw them become the team that everyone witnessed in the WAC tournament that night. I could see this season was different even when fans still didn't believe.

Who has been your favorite player or sports personality to interview or work with over the past few years? Do you have any good stories that you want to share?
Well my favorite story is the night Korey Hall had three interceptions against Oregon State. I had been a substitute teacher and assistant basketball coach at Glenns Ferry high school only two years before that and coached Korey. It was his first press conference and he was so nervous giving "aww shucks" two-word answers. There was an uncomfortable pause in the press room and everyone looked at me. I cracked a joke at his expense, asked the next question, and Korey settled down and gave a great answer. From there on out he and I had a decent rapport. I would be remiss if I didn't mention my friendship that Will Hoenike and I developed. Will's leaving Channel 6 was really the point where Boise TV sports jumped the shark.

Boise State football seems to be the hottest ticket in town nowadays. Do you see this continuing? Do you see this changing if the team loses more games than usual? Where do you see the whole Bronco Nation phenomenon going from here?
That is the big question. I don't see anything surpassing BSU football. Maybe ever. But do I think a sub .500 season, or even a couple of 7-4 seasons would show up as empty seats in Bronco Stadium? Yes. There are hardcore fans and there are casual fans, and it wasn't long ago that selling out a home game depended a lot on who the Broncos were playing. It's always more fun to cover a winner, so I hope it won't happen, but no one can sustain it forever. Not Notre Dame, not Florida State, not USC. It's more a matter of if, than when.

• Favorite TV show?
  LOST. Not since the early days of ER or the Sopranos have I planned my week around watching a TV show.
• Favorite website?
  The Big Lead, although What Would Tyler Durden Do? is making me laugh hard lately (sometimes NSFW).
• Favorite book?
  There are four books I have read more than once and therefore fit this answer. The Withcing Hour by Anne Rice (7), Missing Links by Rick Riley (3), The Stand by Stephen King (4) and Great Expectations by Charles Dickens (2)
• Favorite sport?
  Baseball, although basketball is making a comeback for me.
• Favorite team?
  I have the most worn-out disgusting Red Sox hat that I wear all the time, but I'm spread out really. A lot of Detroit teams are mixed in there because of the time I spent covering them in Michigan.
• Favorite BSU player of all-time?
  I see Korey more as a Glenns Ferry Pilot than a Bronco so I'm disqualifying him. Bart Hendricks and Ryan Dinwiddie have both been very good to me even after their playing days. Marty Tadman was always great, ditto for Daryn Colledge.
• Favorite current player?
  Big fan of Austin Pettis; that guy is sick good in practice. George Iloka won me over with one interview. That kid is class.
• Favorite radio station to listen to other than KTIK?
  I'm a little bit country (KIZN 92) and whole lot of ipod (John Mayer, Jack Johnson, Mat Kearney).
• Favorite ESPN Radio show?
  Colin Cowherd. Its the one show I could see myself producing at ESPN radio and not wanting to turn on my own mic and chew out the host.
• Caves or Prater?
  Prater. Caves=Sky Boxes and Country Clubs; Prater=Sports Bars and Muni golf courses. I'm a truck stop, sit in the South End zone kind of person, so that's why I'd say Prater.
• Who is your choice for starting QB this year?
  My choice for the first game is Bush Hamdan, but my choice by the last game is Kellen Moore. I think they won't be able to keep him off the field this year.

Media interview: Dave Southorn

Dave Southorn is the Boise State beat reporter for the Idaho Press-Tribune. You may recognize him from his stellar reporting of Bronco football or from his cool hairdo on the picture on his blog. Hopefully after this interview, you will recognize him as a man who cares for the Treasure Valley sports scene and who has a forward-thinking view of Internet media and the future of news. Visit his Bronco blog by clicking here.

OBNUG: Tell us a little bit about your background. Where'd you grow up? Where'd you go to school?
Dave: I was born in Minneapolis on July 4, 1982. My family moved to the Seattle area when I was one, and I lived there for 10 years. Then we moved back to Minnesota, and I graduated from high school there. I went to college at the University of Colorado and graduated in 2004.

How did you end up at the Idaho Press-Tribune and how did you grab the Boise State beat?
I was hired in August of 2005 after working at the Daily Camera in Boulder. I was blessed to work with those guys in Colorado and was hired at the IPT just after I turned 23, so I am truly happy to be given the chance by the folks here. After our previous sports editor left, Phil Dailey moved into his position, opening the BSU beat. I had covered CU football in college and helped Phil out with BSU coverage for two seasons, so I think it was a pretty seamless transition last July.

We enjoy reading your blog at the IPT website. What kind of goals do you have for your blog? What do you see as its purpose? What kind of response have you received? (That was a lot of questions all at once there. Sorry.)
I appreciate that, first off. Our goal has been to supplement our BSU football coverage, because simply put, there can never be enough. It has helped add a little opinion and insight that may not be able to fit into the daily paper. Luckily, I got a new laptop, camera and digital recorder from the IPT last month, so I am really excited about the blog's future, adding video, photos and sound that will really give folks a different view of the program.

Newspapers have been slow to embrace the idea of blogging and instant online news. We've noticed that the IPT seems to be doing a lot of solid things with its Internet coverage, especially compared to that of other local print media. What is the IPT's web strategy?
I've been really happy with what people around here have done in the last year in regard to the web. For sports, Phil has placed a lot of emphasis on posting breaking news because getting the news out there first is vitally important. Quite a few of us are "mojos" (mobile journalists), so being able to put up breaking news immediately or multimedia ourselves is definitely a new era, but one that is really cool to be a part of. The web is not the future, it's the present, and anyone in newspapers knows we have to embrace it that way.

Looking at your site, we feel that you "get" the idea of blogging. What do you see being the primary role of blogs here in the Treasure Valley?
It's great to see fans out there having a voice. To me, having a rapport with fans and readers is absolutely necessary. People here are rabid fans, and blogs can foster that excitement around the program and also can gauge what those 30,000 fans each Saturday are feeling.

We've noticed that when people talk about Boise State news, they usually bring up the Statesman as the first source. How do you guys deal with having big competition like the Statesman in your back yard? What kind of things do you guys try to do differently or better to grab readers? (Whatever you're doing, it works for us.)
From my experience covering schools out here, I think our foothold with local news is very solid. Getting news of Canyon County kids going to BSU tends to come through here first. That being said, it's true other outlets might have more resources than us. We can't always try and imitate them. Instead, we have put a big emphasis on the web. Phil has a blog, I have mine. We both update ours frequently, and he offers some opinion. Putting up video, photos or audio on a regular basis is something we can bring to the table, and it's also really important since a lot of fans in Ada County don't get our paper, but they can still see what we're doing.

How do you think the local sports media does as a whole? Do you see things moving in any certain direction in the future and what kind of improvements can be made?
I have a great comraderie with just about everyone in the media around here and know that everyone works extremely hard. I've been a little dismayed at some of the cuts in media outlets — I know most local TV stations have had to function with one or two people at one time. There's a lot of sports news out there (I know BSU alone has plenty), so it's rough to see hardworking people stretched so thin. I personally see more and more media outlets getting involved — more radio stations, TV, internet, whatever. Boise State is not just of interest here in the Treasure Valley. The Broncos have gone national.

Other than the Fiesta Bowl, what has been the highlight of your time covering the Broncos for the IPT?
Good question. Certainly, being able to fly out to Hawaii and be paired up with Greg Kreller, our photographer. We were the only paper from Idaho to send a photographer out there, so that was exciting. Other than that, the 69-67 game against Nevada was just awesome. I could've written 3,000 words.

Who has been your favorite player to interview or work with over the past few years? Do you have any good stories that you want to share?
Hands down, Marty Tadman. He used to have to drive from home just to do interviews, and he was there every week. That guy was quotable on every thing under the sun. You could ask him about an offensive lineman, and he'd have something good to say. The first thing he said after the Hawaii Bowl loss was to thank the people of Boise for supporting him and Nicole. That's just classy, in my book.

Boise State football seems to be the hottest ticket in town nowadays. Do you see this continuing? Do you see this changing if the team loses more games than usual? Where do you see the whole Bronco Nation phenomenon going from here?
Even four losses in a season is more than usual, and that happened in 2005. Even then, there was still a big following. It only felt weird because Hawkins was leaving. I don't see the trend slowing down at all, especially with the growth we have around here. Another Fiesta Bowl may or may not be down the road, but this program knows how to win and plays a really exciting brand of football. I don't think that will ever go out of style. Believe me, I have plenty of friends from out-of-state who want to come out here for a game. Not that they'll ever find a ticket...

What was Phil Dailey thinking when he declared Bush Hamdan ahead in the spring QB derby?
Don't forget that Bush might have had a slight lead last year before getting hurt. I think if the coaches had to pick a QB at the end of spring, it would have been him. Then again, the season isn't until the end of August, so if Moore can limit his youthful mistakes, it'd be hard not to hand him the reins with all that talent.

• Favorite TV show?
  I'd say a tie between Lost and Dexter.
  
• Favorite website?
  VinyCollective.com, Cracked.com and sportsline.com (fantasy baseball).
  
• Best friend on the Idaho Press-Tribune staff?
  Honestly, I get along with all of them very well. It sounds diplomatic, but true.
  
• Favorite sport?
  College football
  
• Favorite team?
  Denver Broncos, and also my CU Buffs
  
• Favorite BSU player of all-time?
  Ryan Dinwiddie was the first Bronco I ever watched, and to this day, he still amazes me.
  
• Favorite current player?
  I don't really think I have a favorite.
  
• Favorite newspaper section other than the sports?
  Even though about 90 percent of them are lame, the comics.
  
• Who is your choice for starting QB this year?
  I think the winner will still be either Hamdan or Moore. You can see the virtues of having a senior and letting the freshman be the primary backup, then letting him start for three years, but you can also see why Moore was a big-time recruit and that you can't keep a good player down long.

Tad Miller interview

Former Boise State OL Tad Miller is busy preparing for the NFL Draft and NFL training camps, but he still found time to chat with OBNUG about football, life, and never blocking for Idaho Vandals. The following is an email interview with one of our favorite Broncos:

OBNUG: What are you doing now in regards to football?
Tad: I'm currently training. Since the beginning of January I've been down in Southern California at a facility called Pro Active Sports Performance. Marty Tadman was down there with me, we were roommates. We trained twice a day, six times a week. We got Sundays off to relax.

Marty and I both came back to Boise for the Pro Day and will probably be heading back down to California to continue training at Pro Active until the Draft (end of April).

OBNUG: If you had to block for an Idaho guy, would you do it?
Tad: No.

OBNUG: Compare Coach Hawkins to Coach Pete.
Tad: They were both great coaches. I highly respect Coach Hawk and Coach Pete. Coach Hawk had a lot more sayings and metaphors, Coach Pete is more to the point. Both styles were very effective and I enjoyed playing for both.

OBNUG: When Dan Hawkins left, did the team feel betrayed? Was there any motivation the following year to show him what he missed out on?
Tad: No, he did what he thought was best for his career, and our team was just focused on playing football.

OBNUG: Aside from the Fiesta Bowl, what was your favorite BSU experience?
Tad: Just being able to play football every week and Clady's Lambeau Leap into the endzone.

OBNUG: What was your worst experience?
Tad: Losing to Georgia in 2005.

OBNUG: Which player gave you the most trouble when you faced him?
Tad: Montavis Stanley from Louisville. It was my freshman year and he was a great player.

OBNUG: Which player did you own?
Tad: I played against too many guys to remember just one in particular.

OBNUG: What do you think of Andrew Woodruff?
Tad: He is one of my best friends, he is also a groomsmen in my wedding coming up in July. He is going to do great this year leading the O-line.

OBNUG: Do you know the other new guys on the line?
Tad: Yeah, they are all good guys and they'll have an awesome year.

OBNUG: Do you stay in touch with the other senior lineman?
Tad: Yes, were all good friends. We all hang out and keep in touch.

OBNUG: Did you have any nicknames for each other?
Tad: No, not really.

OBNUG: Are the Cavenders really twins or are they just one person?
Tad: No, they are twins. They are best friends. Each of them have their own
personality.

OBNUG: What is Tad short for?
Tad: I get asked that a lot. It's just Tad, it's not short for anything. I got the name from my Grandpa.

OBNUG: Do you have any kids? Are you going to make them play football?
Tad: No, I'm getting married July 5th of this summer. Maybe a couple years
after that though. And I'll let them play whatever they want.