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WIR: 500 isn't old if you're a tree

Week in Review (WIR) was happy to have another busy week of Bronco football, and with a scrimmage tomorrow night (6:00pm at Bronco Stadium, in case you hadn't heard), the good vibes will continue into the weekend.

Also, the good vibes will continue into Monday, when we reveal our big surprise. Is it an OBNUG video game? Are we joining forces with Murph's Turf? Is this site going public? Stay tuned and find out on Monday.

Here are the best stories from the past week:

• Ryan Clady disappoints Woody Paige.
• First BSU scrimmage in the books.
• Nick Lomax in the QB derby?
• Season previews for Utah State and Nevada.
• Brian Murphy stirs debate.
• Happy 500th post, us.
• Practice going better than the scrimmages.
• Patience for the QB race.
• NFL preseason week two preview.
• Dustin Lapray: grandiloquent.
• What to watch for at scrimmage #2.
• Boise State adds two to schedule.
  

See you at the scrimmage, Bronco fans.

An open letter to Dustin Lapray

Dear Dustin Lapray,

As diehard Boise State fans and admirers of excessively wordy reporting, let us be the first to say thank you for your informative, expressive, and detailed reports from Boise State football practice. What's that? We're not the first to say thank you? The guys at Bronco Country have already erected a paper mache statue to you in the end zone at East Junior High? Our mistake.

In that case, congraulations on winning over the Bronco Nation fan base in such a short amount of time. By our account, David Augusto is still trying. You have managed to fill a niche that was desperately void up until you and your thesaurus (and your bandana!) came traipsing into town.

RE: the thesaurus, we find it fascinating the words that you have used to describe the Broncos' practices, but we are loathe to admit that we may not know the meanings of some of them. Are the following definitions correct?

• Bellow: the sound John Gott makes when he bends over
  
  
• Inglorious: a euphemism for the Idaho State game
  
  
• Emulate: we believe you meant to write "Are you late"
  
  
• Azure: an adjective used to describe the quarterback situation
  
  
• Collusion: a Kyle Brotzman tackle attempt
  

Any help on these definitions would be much appreciated.

Your writing style is certainly unique to the Treasure Valley sports journalism scene, which is probably why you have been met with so much success in these first few weeks. You write as if the fate of the world depended on your ability to fit as many complex sentences into a single paragraph as possible. Seriously, a 40-word sentence? You are all man, Mr. Lapray.

For sure, the Twin Falls Magic Valley Times News must be thrilled to have you on staff. Who wouldn't love a person who can put the following inside joke about graduation orchestral arrangements into a sentence about Doug Martin and DJ Harper?

Neither has the grace of Ian Johnson, but they both got pop, and circumstance to spell the All-American.

LaDustin, you slay us!

We now must wonder whatever will you do for an encore. Your practice prose has been remarkably outstanding, so we are anxious to see what you will do during the football season. Will we be treated to an extemporaneous essay on the virtues of the "Q" offense? Will you write a play based loosely on the Oregon game? Your audience waits on pins and needles and quick-reference dictionaries.

Keep up the good work, DL.

Bellow.

Sincerely,
OBNUG

Ps. Please stop with the vague injury updates (ex. Jeron Johnson may or may not have hurt his foot). We'd hate to have BSU campus security forcibly remove you from practice.

Alex Guerrero visits Bronco podcast

The latest Bronco Nation N.O.W. podcast is up, and it is entirely more professional than ever. Boise State's new Spanish color commentator, Alex Guerrero, paid a visit to discuss Bronco football, sprinting, and how you say "Fresno State is overrated" in Spanish.

Take a listen. Here's the link: Bronco Nation N.O.W. podcast.

An open letter to the Idaho Statesman

Dear Idaho Statesman,

We know we’ve had our differences over the past few months, what with you being unwieldy and archaic and us being fresh and relevant, but we are prepared to bury the hatchet provided you continue rocking the coverage of fall camp.

Great job yesterday. We loved reading all the news and information you got from the players and coaches. Even hearing your observations was refreshing. You showed us yesterday that somewhere deep inside the structure and bureaucracy of the newsroom lies some knowledge of new media and that, more importantly, you are willing to overcome your fears and ignorance of blogging, uploading, and—dare we say—podcasting in order to provide fans with the copious amounts of Bronco news they desire. Thanks for that.

As a result, we are starting to slowly regain our trust in you, kind of like White Fang regaining his trust in humans. Just don’t tie us to a dog sled and make us race to save the farm! (Or was that Iron Will?) We are coming to appreciate the service you provide for the community of Bronco Nation—a service that up until yesterday was more like the service at the Overland Burger King than anything else.

Speaking of yesterday, let’s recap your newsiness blitzkrieg:

• Chadd Cripe blog: Jeremy Childs news, walk-on information, more Drew Hawkins news than we care to read
• Brian Murphy blog: camp news, WAC quarterback news (better late than never), rumors of suspensions

These instant news updates were supplemented by your always thorough analysis in the print edition, and it worked fairly effectively. More importantly, we could tell that you had been planning this new strategy for quite some time.

Mike Prater: Alright guys, let’s talk about fall camp. How do you think we should approach this?

Chadd Cripe: Well, what does OBNUG do?

Brian Murphy: Post all the time.

Prater: Right! Post all the time! We can do that!

Cripe: Meeting adjourned. Let’s go to Sonic!

Of course, this letter would be incomplete if we failed to address the coming weeks and months. Getting off to a good start is commendable, but keeping your momentum will be the real sign that you have arrived. We imagine that sometime in the next two or three days, you are going to get tired of writing HTML into your blogging program and want to forget the whole thing and go back to throwing news into the print edition. Don’t. That is not what Bronco fans want, and we think you know that.

Keep posting as frequently as you have information. The Press-Tribune does it this way, and we love them for it. You have an advantage that the rest of Bronco Nation does not: access. Use it wisely.

We believe in you for the first time in a long time. Don’t betray our trust. We’d hate to have to eat you like White Fang ate that kid. (Or was that Free Willy?)

Sincerely,
OBNUG

Life Coach: did somebody say Lagoon?

The Life Coach believes that there are no stupid questions, just stupid Vandal fans who ask questions. His purpose is to shepherd Bronco Nation to the calm waters of illumination, guiding them through their perfunctory problems with grace, flair, and competent advice. Got a question for the Life Coach? Email him at OneBroncoNationUnderGod@gmail.com.

Life Coach,
I heard the WAC media convention was in Salt Lake City this year. How much time do you think the journalists spent at Lagoon?
Snoopy in Silverwood

Half to two-thirds. Unless you have a specific reason for being in Salt Lake – and the WAC media convention is not a real reason – then you will spend most of your time at Lagoon. I mean, for real – what’s not to like? There are rides, carnival games, candy apples, and Mormon hotties. Lagoon is the Disneyland of the Great Salt Basin – minus the cleanliness and joy.

But I hear that that weekend is going to be “Lagoon: Get WACd!” Journalists are going to go crazy.

Life Coach,
In regards to new Bronco radio color guy Jadon Dailey, should it matter that he has as much announcing experience as I do?
Sincerely, guy who has never announced anything ever


It only matters when he messes up. Anytime he makes a mistake or isn’t funny or spot-on with a comment – we will all say to each other, “Man, how old is this guy? I could do this way better than this little kid, respectively.” But if he is awesome, then we will all be like, “It is great having a fresh perspective in the booth. This guy is so much better than David Augusto!"

So should it matter that Jadon Dailey has as much announcing experience as you do? Only time will tell…

Life Coach,
I am a Boise state alum and citizen of Bronco Nation who unfortunately had to leave our beloved state capitol to pursue a graduate degree at Idaho State University. I can see the Idaho State football team practice through the windows of my classes and can't help but weep at the thought that I have to wait another month until I can watch Boise State smear them across the new Blue field turf. I was wondering... since it was brought to my attention that Boise state is supposed to beat Idaho State by like 44 points (according to some odds wizards out there), is that a good thing or a bad thing? I mean, if we win by 43, did we let everyone down? Should we hang our heads in shame if we only beat Idaho State by 6 touchdowns? Please put this in perspective for me.
Perplexed in Pocatello

First of all, this is a great problem to have. I remember the worries of BSU fans used to be a lot scarier when we were getting our you-know-what's handed to us by South Carolina and Arkansas and almost every Big Sky team. So if we keep this in perspective – really, it is not a problem at all.

But, on a personal note, if we only win by 43, we should count that as a moral loss because Idaho State will be counting that as a moral victory.

And now that we are good, we hate moral victories.

Headlines from WAC media convention

With the WAC Football Preview (motto: "What happens in Salt Lake, stays in Salt Lake") out of the way, we can finally turn our thoughts toward the start of the college football season. Not that we weren't already anyway.

The media convention was a typical, predictable yakfest between obliging players and coaches and opportunistic media members, but that's not to say that it wasn't without some interesting stories.

Here are some of the highlights:

Boise State tidbits

Ian Johnson = media dreamboat

The most popular player in Salt Lake City was Boise State RB Ian Johnson. The buzz around Johnson wasn't quite at the level of last year's convo, which had extra hype due to the Fiesta Bowl win. Still, he provided plenty of good quotes, and several media outlets were able to cull somewhat original stories from the interviews.

No insurance policy against injury

• Johnson has chosen not to follow the financial footsteps of previous college stars in taking out an insurance policy to protect against a career-ending injury. Here's hoping that US Bank savings account holds up!

Kickoff return duties are his

• "The secret's out," Johnson said, smiling.
  Worst kept secret ever.

Speaking in third person; OBNUG likes

• “It’s definitely not as crazy,” Johnson said. “It’s been great because it’s given me time to focus on the couple issues I have — being a great husband and being the best Ian Johnson I can be for the upcoming season.”

Ian Johnson believes in Ian Johnson

• "I'm going to step up and I'm going to put this team on my back," Johnson said Thursday at the WAC football media preview. " I've gotten myself ready to take the hits for a full season and to be a punishing back for a full season. The fact that I have guys biting at my heels, I've got to prove that I am better than them and that they can't just come out and play without us skipping a beat."

Could have played in Hawaii Bowl

• Apparently, he told the coaches he was healthy enough to play. Let the conspiracy theories begin!
  "They never asked the question (whether I could play), my number was never called," Ian Johnson said. "I told them at the beginning of the game that I was ready... I try not to show too much emotion. It was a call that was made for the team and if you feel the best way to go is someone else I can be a little angry but I'm going to accept it."

Coach Pete's cryptic analysis of Johnson

• "One of the things that's probably going to help Ian is the depth that we have at that position," Petersen said. "We don't have to play him every down and hopefully get him to last the season and also to be pushed a little bit by some of these other guys that we have."

Taking the Taylor Tharp approach to QB competition

The Boise State coaches learned their lesson last year about not jumping to conclusions in the search for a starting quarterback.

“It worked for us before to be patient and work this thing out,” Petersen said. If by "worked out," you are referring solely to the New Mexico State game, then yes.

No Jeremy Childs news until August 4, so stop asking!

"I'll still say the same thing (about Childs)," Petersen said. "When we get back, we'll see. If everything checks out when we get back on the fourth, then he's a go. We'll probably put that whole thing to rest on the fourth."

Mike T. Williams not as popular as Ian Johnson

Photographic proof here.

WAC rivals tidbits

Colin Kaepernick to start at Nevada

"There is no quarterback controversy at the University of Nevada,” said Wolfpack head coach Chris Ault, obviously referring to the fact that Kaepernick could hardly be defined as a "quarterback." According to Ault, the skinny-legged "Kap" has some work to do in order to become a polished product, especially in the "noun" area. “Last year, he was a thrower, not a passer,” Ault said.

Taylor Bennett forgot to transfer his skills


The fate of the Louisiana Tech program rests in the hands of Georgia Tech transfer QB Taylor Bennett. Someone might want to let him know.

Sophomore Ross Jenkins emerged from spring practice as the starting quarterback, with Bennett as the backup. Perhaps the ACC is a lot worse than we anticipated.

SJSU excited about RB, oblivious to expectations

San Jose State, one of several mediocre teams purported to make a push in the WAC this year, received good news when former starter Yonus Davis was granted a sixth year of eligibility...and immediately started printing WAC champion T-shirts.

Holbrook confuses bulking up with Carl's Jr

New Mexico State quarterback Chase Holbrook wanted to add some weight this offseason to be able to absorb the hits he'll take this year. Mission very accomplished.

Holbrook will weigh in at 245 pounds this season. Maybe the motivational Jared Lorenzen wall poster wasn't the best choice.

Utah State embraces idea of depth

Even if the wins don't come this year for Utah State, at least their players will be less tired. The Aggies had little more than 50 players in total last season, but thanks to the recruiting prowess of Brent Guy ("We have XBox!"), Utah State will be able to field a full roster. Not necessarily a good roster, but a full one.

Greg McMackin has not watched the NFL for years

ESPN.com's Graham Watson made the mistake of assuming Hawaii head coach Greg McMackin follows football. Her bad.

GW: So you're going to play DB Ryan Mouton on offense. What went into that decision?
GM: He's so quick. He's got God-given quickness. He's a big playmaker. I just really like him. He's a big-play guy. He ran a kickoff back, he ran a touchdown back on defense, and we can just throw out a screen and let him do his thing.
GW: Is he in the Devin Hester-type mold?
GM: Who?
GW: The guy from Chicago? Uh, how about Deion Sanders?
GM: Oh, yeah, like Deion Sanders.

Sources

• Idaho Press-Tribune
• Idaho Statesman
• Honolulu Advertiser
• Scott Slant
• Reno Gazette-Journal
• Idaho Statesman WAC roundup
• ESPN.com's non-BCS blog

Friday: Links with regret

We'll recap the WAC media convention later today. Lots of good things to learn.

Story of the day:

Coach Pete reveals roster updates [Statesman]

At the WAC media convention yesterday, Coach Pete had a veritable laundry list of roster turnover to discuss, including some disappointing news about two potentially exciting recruits.

Linebacker Jack Sula of Carson, Calif., told the Broncos staff that he will not join the team because of family issues, Petersen said.

Van Drumgoole of Vallivue High, a speedy wide receiver, plans to attend a junior college instead of Boise State to improve his academic record, Petersen said. The Broncos had planned to grayshirt him.

Petersen also said that OL Paul Lucariello's BSU career is over due to medical reasons, and DL Phillip Edwards and DL Kapono Rawlins-Crivello will not be returning to the team. Spencer Gerke, an incoming will recruit, will be the only one to grayshirt out of the incoming class.

There was no word on WR Jeremy Childs, and there was even less of a word on the starting quarterback.

Other links:

USA Today picks Boise State [USA Today]
And if USA Today says it, it must be true.

Alex Guerrero returns home [Fight Fight BSU]
The afl2 playoff chase is so on!

SJSU player arrested, keeps scholarship [ESPN.com]
Probably because no one else wanted it.

Dinwiddie's reign over CFL begins [Winnipeg Sun]
450 yards passing? Game-winning touchdown? Sounds like Dinwiddie to us.

The name says it all [Holbrook4Heisman]
Thanks for the tip, Graham Watson. Or rather, no thanks.

Oregon picked third in Pac-10 [ESPN.com]
One more reason to be scared.

Coach Pete press conference audio

Coach Pete will be speaking at the WAC media convention starting at 1:30 this afternoon. Possible topics of discussion include:

• QB situation
• Current two-game losing streak
• Jeremy Childs
• How the buffet was
  

We'll update this post with the audio/video of the press conference once it becomes available on WACSports.com. We are nothing if not freeloaders. Check back here in a little bit.

Update: Dave Southorn has posted his notes at his IPT blog. Still waiting for the audio/video. 

Update2: Here is the link to the audio/video:

• Coach Pete press conference
  

New Mexico State media stumps for Tadman

Yesterday, we joked about including Marty Tadman in the discussion for preseason WAC defensive player of the year. The New Mexico State media? Not joking.

The preseason picks for offensive and defensive players of the year should be announced later today. We voted for Chase Holbrook for offensive player of the year and Boise State's Marty Tadman for defensive player of the year.

Here's a close-up image of their selection.

Tadman lost to Hawaii's Solomon Elimimian, who is still an active player.

Preseason Football Poll Update [Bleed Crimson]

Update: This was not a typo. These guys actually voted for Marty Tadman.

Thursday: Links with technology

Story of the day:

Karl Benson's state of the WAC [ESPN.com]

In his press conference at the WAC media days yesterday, commissioner Karl Benson had plenty of good things to say about the recent success of the WAC and the high national profile that the conference has earned over the past few years. The only thing that could bring down his good times? Idaho, Utah State, and NMSU.

"We need to get better at the bottom of the league," Benson said. "There are 120 FBS programs and we've had teams in the hundreds, and those teams need to get better. It has an impact on the teams in the top half in terms of BCS standings."

Besides those three black sheep, Benson was pleased with the conference's progress. And he always loves a good MWC ribbing.

"The WAC has re-established itself as the second-most recognized conference in the West behind the Pac-10," Benson said. "It wasn't intended to compare the WAC to the Mountain West. The WAC is well-grounded, well-established and continues to perform at a high level."

Benson did not confirm an ESPN TV deal, but he did promise better officiating and a concerted effort to keep anyone from using the term "non-BCS conference" ever again. Good luck with that.

Other links:

Broncos will speak this afternoon [WAC Sports]
Ian Johnson, Mike Williams, and Coach Pete on the mic.

Notes from WAC media days [Press-Tribune]
Shirtless Idaho players? We're kind of glad we're not there.

Media votes Colorado seventh-best Big XII team [Big12 Sports]
Dan Hawkins wonders if BSU will take him back.

The Sugar Bowl did more harm than good [Salt Lake Tribune]
"Hawaii debacle" is a pretty strong headline.

Coach Pete conquers Blue Angels [Statesman]
Not blowing chunks in an 800 mph airplane is quite the achievement.

Ian Johnson weight update [Dave's Blog]
He's at 207. Update your Excel spreadsheet accordingly.

Honest, biased preseason WAC standings

Yesterday: preseason WAC players of the year
Today: preseason WAC poll
Tomorrow: a nap

The WAC media and coaches have released their picks for conference favorites, and now it is time to reveal ours. As is always the case, our preseason poll has an unconventional look to it, and plenty of bias and passive-aggressive anger went into the picks. Feel free to tell us how badly we botched things.

1. Boise State
We see them going undefeated and winning the national championship, which is probably why we weren't invited to the WAC media convention.
2. Nevada
Why are we giving Nevada respect? Beats us, but we do see them winning six conference games
3. Fresno State
We'd be surprised if anyone else had the Bulldogs this low, but if there's a way for Fresno to screw the pooch in conference play, they'll find it. We imagine it's hiding under the guise of a road game at LaTech.
4. Louisiana Tech
Speaking of LaTech, the Bulldogs may show flashes of a program on the rise this season. However, they will also show flashes of LaTech.
5. San Jose State
If the Spartans win in Hawaii in September, they could certainly finish here. If they don't, then we will never trust them with anything again.
6. Hawaii
The Warriors may surprise us, or they may completely implode under the shaky hand of Tyler Graunke and the deer-in-the-headlights stare of Greg McMackin. We're betting on the latter.
7. Idaho
The Vandals are a poorly-coached, undisciplined, talentless football team. That's good enough for seventh place in the WAC.
8. Utah State
Happy trails, Brent Guy. Pick up your parting gift at Deseret Industries on your way out.
9. New Mexico State
Finishing below Idaho and Utah State is no easy task, but considering that the Aggies lost at home last year to USU and get both of the teams on the road this season, we're confident they are up to the challenge. Catch the Hal Mumme fever!

Robb Akey on the mic at WAC media convention

Enjoy. Or don't.

• Robb Akey press conference 

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

Far out predictions for preseason WAC awards

Today: Preseason WAC players of the year
Tomorrow: Preseason conference standings
Thursday: a nap

The official preseason players of the year in the WAC will be revealed in the next couple days, and they are sure to reek of predictability and groupthink. Ian Johnson, anyone?

Our picks are a little different. We know from experience that a college football season rarely plays out as planned, which is why we've done our best to think outside of the box with preseason prognosticating. Does Chadd Cripe know any better than we do about what will happen this season? Of course not.Will his ballot reflect a stuffy assuredness of safe answers and false modesty? We hope not.

To be sure, we know the right answers to the preseason players of the year questions; they are obviously outlined in every preview magazine on the shelves. However, we stand by our decisions for players of the year, and we're more than happy to eat crow when things start falling apart in Week Three.

So without further ado, here are the picks:

OBNUG's preseason WAC defensive player of the year

Jeff Schweiger, San Jose State DE

Who? What? Are San Jose State linemen even eligible? These same questions ran through our heads, too, but we put peer pressure and good sense aside and went with Schweiger anyway.

Perhaps a little background would help: Schweiger is a 6'5", 255-pound transfer from USC. He owned SJSU's spring practice, and he was so good that 2007 all-WAC DE Jarron Gilbert has moved inside to tackle. Obviously, Pac-10 competition is a step above WAC play, so we're expecting Schweiger to really be an animal this fall. San Jose State is supposed to be one of several strong WAC defensive teams, and Schweiger will be the reason.

Don't let us down, Jeff Schweiger. Although, from a San Jose State Spartan, we may be asking the impossible.

What the media will say: Solomon Elimimian or Adam Leonard, Hawaii LBs

Other candidates we considered: Ryan Winterswyk, Derrell Acrey, Jake Hutton, David Veikune, Moses Harris, Elimimian, Leonard, Marty Tadman

OBNUG's preseason WAC offensive player of the year

Nick Graziano, Nevada QB

The Nevada Wolfpack have tangible hype going into the season, which could be dashed in an instant by a 4-for-26 Colin Kaepernick quarterbacking performance.

The funny thing is that you probably didn't even flinch at the absurdity of those numbers. Kaepernick completing one-sixth of his passes is a very real possibility, and thusly Kaepernick finding the bench is just as plausible. When it happens, we could see former starter Graziano stepping in and saving the Pack's season.

He'll have a wonderful running back behind him in Luke Lippincott. The offensive line will be solid. He'll have every chance to put up big numbers, and he could bring stability to an offense that will become fairly predictable once Kaepernick starts breaking the pocket immediately on passing plays. You may be thinking, "Then why not pick Lippincott for player of the year?" Because we're idiots. But only time will tell.

FYI: We were thisclose to picking Idaho RB Deonte Jackson, but we couldn't bring ourselves to openly support anything that has to do with the Vandals or anyone who shares a backfield with Nathan Enderle.

What the media will say: Ian Johnson, Boise State RB

Other candidates we considered: Jackson, Malcolm Lane, Ian Johnson, Titus Young, Ryan Mathews, Taylor Bennett, Lippincott, Ryan Dinwiddie

What do you guys think? Who would get your vote? Do you agree with our picks? Are we idiots? Actually, don't answer that last one.

Tuesday: Links with stardom

Story of the day:

Boise State radio details [Idaho Radio News]

For those still curious as to how the whole Peak/KBOI/BSU radio deal went down, Don Day at Idaho Radio News has the details. The report from IRN is vast and impressive, giving insight into virtually every aspect of the dealings. We were particularly interested to hear about the "inappropriate overtures."

BSU president Bob Kustra mentioned several “overtures” on behalf of groups that wanted “this contract very badly.” He told the board that no back-channel requests ever came from Peak. But clearly someone at Citadel did something that Kustra thought to be improper.


“It’s particularly distressing that we bent over backwards to be fair, to be objective and to ignore some overtures that I think that were improper,” he said.

We imagine those overtures to be Magic 93.1's free Rhianna tickets.

The whole story is a good read, and we would suggest checking it out. Day put in some good work to get those details (200 pages of documents, emails, records, and a dozen Red Bulls), and you can tell from the final product.

Other links:

Channel 2 belongs to J Bates [J's Blog]
Well, at least the sports department and Wayne Dzubak.

WAC media day schedule [WACSports]
Plan your day around the Akey news conference.

Behler's competition for the job [Idaho Radio News]
Is there anything Don Day can't do?

The Mountain West media go to Vegas [ESPN.com]
The WAC media burn with jealousy from their Salt Lake City hotel rooms sans cable TV.

Unique photo collage of BSU QB race [Odd Waffles]
Nick Lomax, we hardly recognized you.

Salt Lake City braces for WAC media

The WAC media convention is nearly upon us. Starting tomorrow, media members from WAC cities across the country will meet in Salt Lake City for three days of interviews, buffets, and Sugar Bowl jokes. Sounds like fun, right Will Hoenike?

We think it sounds like fun. However, being excited about a media convention is not enough to get invited to a media convention, and as such, we will be following along from the comfort of our office chair and gigantic, old Dell monitor. Too bad because we had always wanted to tour the Mormon Temple with Chase Holbrook and Luke Lippincott.

The media will be releasing their picks for players of the year and conference champion, and there will gads of interviews that will lead to gads of Honolulu Advertiser feature stories. As for the Statesman, we'll be curious to see if they marry the idea of all-day football news and blogging. There's a first time for everything.

Other things that we're excited about:

• Kellen Moore coming up in conversation entirely too often.
• Colin Kaepernick crashing the party.
• Hawaii coach Greg McMackin drinking his weight in Coke.
• The Marriott running out of continental breakfast and every column mentioning it in his WAC media days article.
• Whether or not San Jose State bothers to show up.
• Hearing Robb Akey use the word "family."
• Living vicariously through Dave Southorn's blog.
• Mormon Keno.
  

Who do you think will be the players of the year? What will the conference standings look like? Who is your pick to win the WAC? Let us know by leaving a comment or sending us an email. We'll reveal our answers to those questions over the next couple days, and we'll keep you updated on all the other WAC media convention news.

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.

Monday: Links with body paint

Story of the day:

WAC to renew TV deal with ESPN [Honolulu Advertiser]

After a couple fruitless summers of negotiations, it appears Karl Benson and the WAC finally have the deal they want from ESPN. The Honolulu Advertiser is reporting that the WAC will sign a new deal with ESPN that will increase the exposure of the league's teams and pay the conference royally for the right to do so.

The WAC had been receiving $900,000 per year on a six-year deal set to run through the 2009-10 academic year. That figure was down from $1 million after Texas-El Paso and three other schools left for Conference USA in 2005. The new agreement is expected to be worth, on average, approximately $4 million per year to the conference.

That's a 400 percent raise! Was Dwight Schrute involved in the negotiation talks for the WAC? The extra money is encouraging, and the extra exposure, especially for men's basketball, is exactly what the conference needs.

Under the current contract, the WAC (men's basketball) has been guaranteed only three games per season (two regular season games and the conference championship). The new deal is expected to more than triple the opportunities. In football, the WAC has been guaranteed a minimum of eight games, though it has averaged about 10 the last couple years. The new deal could double those opportunities.

Unfortunately, we are one step closer to Pam Ward covering Idaho-Utah State football.

Good for the WAC and good for Karl Benson. This TV contract is unlike any other that a small conference has. Rather than create their own station (Mountain West Conference) or toil in anonymity (Sun Belt, MAC), the WAC has found the kind of exposure and national spotlight that most conferences covet. Now if only Benson could fix the WAC competition, he'd be onto something.

Other links:

Notes from the highly entertaining BSU charity softball game [Fight Fight BSU]
We're curious what Raphiel Lambert ordered at the concession stand.

Bush Hamdan ranked 47th best fantasy quarterback [Fantasy College Football]
Points awarded for not talking to the media.

Bruce Feldman likes Boise State's recruiting taste [ESPN.com]
Southwick and Peterson are keepers; Burks may or may not still exist.

Another pick for BSU in the H-Bowl [Saturday Soundoffs]
What would make them think the Oregon game is unwinnable? Past precedent?

Checking in with some incoming BSU football recruits [Statesman]
Bigger, faster, stronger, and less Guitar Hero.

Phil Dailey gives a vote of confidence to Behler [Press-Tribune]
The same vote cast for Hamdan or a different one?

College football countdown...catch the IPT fever!

The Idaho Press-Tribune's Phil Dailey and Dave Southorn have embarked upon the daunting task of ranking all 120 Division 1-A teams before the season starts and, in so doing, have discovered the most awesome form of busy-work ever. How serious are they about the task? Serious enough to give the countdown its own personal website.



The countdown, which began with Western Kentucky and will hopefully end with Boise State, is already into the 90's, which typically means that half of the WAC would be mentioned by now. And sure enough, Utah State, Idaho, San Jose State, and NMSU have already been highlighted...or low-lighted, as it were. Here are some kind words the IPT guys had to say about the University of Idaho:

The season is a success if ... The team wins more than three games.

We thought #112 was a little high for the Vandals.

With nearly 100 more teams to go, there is still a lot of intrigue left in the countdown. For instance, will Phil Dailey's love for Louisiana Tech propel the Bulldogs ahead of Nevada where they probably do not belong? Is there any way that Dave Southorn does not vote Colorado #1? How does William Love fit into all of this? Are the IPT rankings part of the BCS formula? Will a conflict of interest prevent them from voting for Boise State? Is this whole thing an excuse to write off Southorn's preview magazine purchases at Barnes & Noble?

And most importantly, what will happen to the College Football Countdown once there is no college football left to count down? We're just praying that the Women's College Basketball Countdown is not in the works.

College Football Countdown [Press-Tribune]

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.