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.

Morning paper: Boise State football links 8/4

Brian Murphy on QB competition [Statesman]
Coach Pete and Harsin have been there before.

Chadd Cripe on QB competition [Statesman]
Well, at least the Statesman isn't blowing this thing out of proportion.

Alex Guerrero doing color on Spanish radio [Fight Fight BSU]
Donde esta el futbol? En el endzone! Seis puntas!

Broncos ranked #26 by NYT [New York Times]
A good read, if you're into looking up words in dictionaries.

15 minutes of fame for the laundry guy [Statesman]
No word on the Tide-to-go pen.

Dinwiddie CFL player of the week [CFL.ca]
Bags of milk for everyone!

If Aztecs are out, will Broncos be in? [Union-Tribune]
SDSU may be without stadium, which makes it hard to play football.

Nevada gets QB commit [Gazette-Journal]
See? Early recruits can happen outside of Boise.

WAC recruiting budgets [ESPN]
Blogger is out to get us [Blogger Buzz] 

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.

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.

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.

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.

Jadon Dailey your new Bronco color commentator

Former Boise State center Jadon Dailey will be joining Bob Behler in the KIDO booth this fall.

Idaho Radio News has the scoop:

“The addition of Jadon to our broadcast team will add an insight unique to the Broncos,” Peak Broadcasting’s SVP Kevin Godwin said in a prepared statement. “His recent experience with this team will provide listeners with a vivid description of all the action from start to finish.”

Dailey was excellent on the Out of the Blue documentary, and he should bring a lot of fun to the radio broadcasts. Congratulations, Jadon.

We wonder if the Statesman will ask him if he saw the Fiesta Bowl?

Dailey named new color guy for BSU games [Idaho Radio News]

Life Coach: the ABC's of LaTech's offense

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'm curious. If the Broncos are running the "Q" offense, then what offense is Louisiana Tech running?
Intrigued in Idaho City

Good question, friend. Louisiana Tech's offense is the Chinese character for slothfulness, which looks kind of like a panda captaining a sailboat. Occasionally, they'll switch to running the “lowercase u” offense: an obvious homage to the fact that their offense always comes behind BSU’s.

Dear Life Coach,
Do you have Oregon tickets?
Desperate in Driggs

I am one of the lucky few to have some Oregon tickets, and I didn’t have to be a prominent BSU booster or win a ticket in the lottery, either. How did I do it? Let me tell you.

I guess Phil Knight and Nike thought it would be a good idea for Oregon to wear a different jersey design for each quarter during the game, so they had a contest for fans to send in their design ideas with the winner getting tickets to the game. Lo and behold, my design won! So I will be there on the 50 yard line to see the Ducks in their tapestry green with ruffles and lace. What a third quarter that will be!

If you still need tickets, I hear they might be looking for an overtime jersey design.

Mr. Life Coach,
If KTIK stands for “the Ticket,” then what does KIDO stand for?
Sincerely, Bob Behler

If KTIK is the “the Ticket,” then KIDO should have the nickname of “the Program.” If KTIK can get you in the door with “the Ticket”, then KIDO would be the “the Program” that you get at the door that gives you all of the information for what is going on there. KIDO is newsy like that.

Although, if this nickname sticks, they will probably have to change their call letters to KPRG, which doesn't quite roll of the tongue as easily.

Bob Behler reaction...with perspective!

Welcome to Bronco Nation, Bob Behler.

The long local nightmare that was the Peak Broadcasting radio search is finally over, and now that the dust is settling, we are starting to get a feel for the new guy, Bob Behler. We know that he is from the University of Massachusetts. We know he has done March Madness and a few big-time sporting events. But there is still so much we don't know about the guy. For instance, who is his favorite character on LOST? We'll have to check Brian Murphy's blog in two months to find out.

Our immediate observation is that he seems like a great candidate. The immediate observation of most Bronco fans is that he is not Paul J. That he can be both a great candidate and not Paul J. Schneider is a blessing and a curse, but we feel that a few years down the road, the former will be much more apparent than the latter.

What gives us our blind hope? Mostly Behler's photo. Merely looking at Behler, it appears he oozes professionalism. We feel like we should not go up and talk to him unless we are wearing a cardigan and drinking something named after a golfer. And good thing, too, because Boise State deserves someone of Behler's caliber who will handle the radio position with class, talent, and expertise. Will there be duck au gratin in the broadcast booth? Maybe. Will we hear the word "conflagration" during a BSU blowout? Don't be surprised. One thing's for sure is that Chris Fowler will no longer be the most nattily dressed man in the media room when ESPN comes to town.

Taking a step back from the situation, there are a lot of interesting subplots to notice.

1. Replacing Paul J in the minds of Bronco fans will not be easy.

Hours after the Statesman posted a Behler story, there were 50 comments discussing, to a varying grammatical degree, the merits of Behler versus Paul J. For every fan that is happy to see Paul J sail off into the sunset (and take his broadcast mistakes with him), there are two who cannot even fathom having any other voice on the radio.

2. The effusive praise of Behler from UMass fans.

If the heartfelt reaction from Behler's former listeners is any consolation, Bronco fans are in good hands. We have yet to come across anyone who thought poorly of him.

It won't be the same without him, the ultimate pro and was in my opinion
the best we ever had in my 40 years following UMass. Best of luck Bob
you will be sorely missed!

Bob - If you see this thanks for all of your hard work. You behind the mike enhanced UMass sports for me...whether I was there or not. You'll be missed. Enjoy the potatoes.

3. Behler was third on Peak's list.

We're not sure which is a worse offense--that Peak was forced to settle for its third choice or that an announcer of Behler's caliber was third on the list to begin with. We mentioned earlier today that Peak will be interviewing two candidates for the color commentator position; shouldn't they get three just to be safe?

4. When will Behler's first broadcast be?

Everyone has written about Behler's first broadcast at the season-opener on August 30, but we are not naive enough to think that we won't hear Behler's voice before then. Peak would be doing a disservice to fans if they did not broadcast at least the final fall scrimmage. Although, on second thought, doing a disservice to BSU fans is what Peak seems to do best.

Tuesday: Links with welcoming

Story of the day:

Behler's here; who's next? [Statesman]

Peak Broadcasting and BSU announced yesterday that Bob Behler will be the new Broncos play-by-play man. Who will be doing the color commentary? The Statesman has some info.

Peak Broadcasting will interview two potential color analysts for Boise State radio broadcasts Tuesday, Peak general manager Kevin Godwin said Monday afternoon. Godwin said the list is not limited to former Boise State players.

Oh, good, if Peak is interviewing candidates on Tuesday, then we should have an answer by Labor Day. At least we weren't given empty promises and loose deadlines.

Let the speculation begin for a color commentator to join Behler in the booth. Our money is on a return of Jeff Caves, but we wouldn't fight it if J Bates got the call instead.

Here are some more links to Behler stories:
Audio of Behler: football, basketball
Statesman profile
Bronco Country thread
Idaho Press-Tribune
KTVB.com
Most Valuable Network

Other links:

Mr. Irrelevant lives it up [the Big Lead]
Watching musicals at the Playboy Mansion is David Vobora's idea of a good time.

Dave Southorn tours the Stueckle Sky Club [Dave's Blog]
And writes his name on the inside of a bathroom wall.

WAC tidbits for a long offseason [Pugs, ponies, and preps]
Not so much "tidbits" as "Google facts."

Encouraging Boise State preview [Red Zone Report]
Anything that has the Broncos on top of the WAC is okay by us.

Message received: Broncos find radio voice

Bob Behler has been named the new voice of Boise State football.

KTVB.com has the details, and we thank Fight Fight BSU for bringing the story to our attention. The announcement ended a week's worth of speculation over how Peak screwed the pooch, culminating in our ill-timed open letter to the radio magnate this afternoon. Did our admonishment of Peak get the decision made any faster? No. Did it feel good to get it off our chests? Yes.

We'll have more on Bob Behler tomorrow. Congratulations, Bob.

Bob Behler profile [Umass athletics]

An open letter to Peak Broadcasting

Dear Peak Broadcasting,

Where do we even begin? I guess first off, let us wish you a happy Monday, or as Bronco fans have come to know it, the 10-day anniversary of the day you were supposed to decide on a radio team. Hope you're having a great day doing whatever it is that you do at Peak headquarters, which we imagine includes sitting around with your thumbs up your noses, making Darth Vader voices into the audio equipment, and trying to figure out how you can convince Gene Bleymaier to dissolve Paul J's pension. Best leave by 3:30 so you can beat the traffic!

Oh, by the way, tomorrow is July 1, which usually only means turning a page on your giant Garfield wall calendar but actually has a fair amount of significance this year. Starting tomorrow, you are the official home of Boise State football and basketball.

Kind of sneaked up on you, didn't it? Well, it is not always easy to program reminders into your company-issued smartphone (yes, the one that plays Bejeweled 2). Tomorrow is the first day of your governance of BSU radio, and from the looks of things, you couldn't be more unprepared.

Quite frankly, we are disappointed. When you won the Boise State contract a few months back, we had tangible excitement over what you could bring to the broadcast. Boise State football is a growing entity, and we felt that your winning the contract could help usher in a new era of BSU media.

Certainly, that was what needed to happen. The way that local legend Paul J. Schneider was unceremoniously dumped opened wide the doors of criticism and anger, and it placed extra responsibility on you to make Bronco fans forget the past and move into the Peak Broadcasting future. Mission not accomplished.

That future, by the way, looks pretty awful. Based on the events of the past 14 days, you have shown yourselves rather incapable of doing anything right, and Boise State fans have no choice but to worry about having this radio contract in your hands. We know you've lost a candidate to another school. We know you are bad with deadlines. If all this holds true, your football broadcasts will begin in the second quarter of the game and will feature the riveting radio duo of Peak general manager Kevin Godwin and a BSU communication major doing work study. Godwin: "The kicker put the ball through the uprights. He gets some points for that!" Student: "You told me I wouldn't have to talk."

How you'll recover from this is anyone's guess. A good place to start would be naming a radio team. As Idaho Radio News pointed out, if you chose someone today, that person would have about one month to gain an expertise on Boise State athletics, develop chemistry with a play-by-play partner, and discover the wonders of the Fanci Freez. Expediency is an issue, but quality and name recognition are just as important. Boise State fans are expecting something big, which your track record suggests may be a Nigerian child expecting an African-American Santa to come down the chimney. A let-down is almost certainly inevitable.

Our advice: turn off Days of Our Lives, find whoever it was that put your contract pitch together (she obviously knows what she's doing), have her teach you Organizational Management 101, and then start acting like you deserve to be the home of Boise State football. It's not too late to find a qualified candidate who will do an excellent job. It is, however, too late to have Bronco fans ever trust you again.

Sincerely,
OBNUG

Thursday: Links with losing

Story of the day:

Fresno State: national champion [Sports Network]

The Fresno State baseball team completed a surprising run to the finals of the College World Series by defeating Georgia and winning the whole thing. How refreshing that a collegiate sport have a tournament to decide the national championship regardless of school size or conference affiliation.

The school became the lowest seeded team to win an NCAA championship in any sport. It was a fourth seed at the Long Beach Regional, and began its unlikely run there, knocking off 11th-seeded Long Beach State and sixth-ranked San Diego. In the Super Regional, Fresno State won two of three against third- ranked Arizona State to reach the College World Series.

Fresno State went on to beat fifth-ranked Rice, eliminate second-ranked North Carolina and staved off elimination three times in the same tournament, ending with a 47-31 record.

We've joked that Boise State could replicate Fresno's success if they had a baseball team of their own, but after reading the unlikely and amazing road they took to the championship, we're not so sure that the Broncos could do that. (Just kidding; the Broncos could do anything!)

Congratulations, Fresno State.

Other links:

The Statesman joins the Peak radio curiosity [Murph's Turf]
Better late than never, we guess.

The Big Lead's take on superconferences [The Big Lead]

OBNUG's take on superconferences: yes.

With the 49th pick in the NBA Draft, the Warriors take... [Press-Tribune]
Reggie Larry? One can certainly hope so.

Revised ESPN Top 25 [ESPN.com]
Still no Boise State. Send it back for more revisions!

Wednesday: Links with virtue

Story of the day:

Still waiting for BSU radio announcement [Idaho Radio News]

Last week, the Statesman got everyone's hopes up with a giant hint toward a Bronco radio announcement on Friday. Five days later, we are all still waiting.

Kevin Godwin, Peak's head honcho, made it seem clear that we would know something by now. Dragging this decision on is only further souring the whole radio ordeal in the minds of Boise State fans.

It’s interesting to set a public deadline… then miss it by several business days. KBCI says there are four finalists - and the last candidate was interviewed last week. The four candidates have experience from college to NFL levels.

What we don’t know is who it will be… or when we’ll find out.

We're not the only ones getting antsy, either. Channel 2's website had a story up about the long wait. Fight Fight BSU discovered a possible reason why the decision is taking so long. And Rush Limbaugh's face on the KIDO website has a pained, anticipatory expression.

At any rate, we are still anxiously looking forward to some sort of announcement...and anxiously waiting by our phones should Peak try to call.

Other links:

ESPN's Schlabach does bowl predictions [ESPN.com]
Roady's Humanitarian Bowl, here we come!

Schlabach does conference predictions, too [ESPN.com]

BSU apparently is not BCS bowl material

More bowl predictions [Bleacher Report]
Not sure whether or not to be excited about the GMAC Bowl

Blue Turf Towel guy surrenders [Statesman]
This has the makings of a gripping Law and Order episode

Thursday: Links with feminism

Story of the day:

Markle commits to Washington State [Idaho Sports Zone]

Local prep standout Darren Markle from Mountain View High School has given his verbal commitment to the Washington State Cougars.

An opportunity to play in the Pac Ten and an opportunity to play early were cited as contributing factors in Markle's decision, as well as a high level of comfort with the new coaching staff in Pullman, headed by former Cougar offensive lineman Paul Wulff.

No word yet on whether or not he's actually visited Pullman.

Many BSU fans had hoped Markle would join the Broncos next fall, considering his local ties and apparent beastliness. Oh well; you can't get all the local recruits (right, Idaho?).

Other links:

More news on BSU radio search [Statesman]
An announcer with NFL experience? Bring on Jesse Palmer and Ron Pitts!

Comprehensive list of preseason polls [LSUfootball.net]
Boise State is at least in the discussion.

Non-BCS odds at a national championship [Fanblogs]
Odds? Not very good.

Statesman and Press-Tribune to merge printing [Statesman]
Can a single Sunday paper be far off?

BSU radio job to be announced by week's end

The search to find a replacement for Paul J has hit the homestretch.

The Idaho Press-Tribune is reporting that Peak Broadcasting has narrowed its search down to four candidates and that final interviews will be conducted this week.

“We hope to make an announcement by the end of the week,” Peak Broadcasting senior vice president Kevin Godwin said.

Should we be concerned that we've had an awfully hard time getting a hold of Larry Gebert this week?

Peak interviewing final four [Press-Tribune]

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.

Monday: Links with America

Story of the day:

J. R. Simplot (1909-2008) [Associated Press]

Idaho lost one of its most successful and recognizable businessmen today when Jr. Simplot passed away in his home. He was 99.

While this news item is not expressly about Boise State, Simplot did have a soft spot in his heart for the Broncos, as explained by a story from the Tri-City Herald.

In his 90s, he seldom missed a Micron board meeting and was often seen about town, at events from Boise State University football games (he routinely bet $10 on the Broncos) to Art in the Park.

Betting on the Broncos? No wonder people considered him to have a brilliant business mind.

Other links:

Peak Broadcasting's BSU network [Idaho Press-Tribune]
You're welcome, Pocatello.

Don't expect BCS changes by 2018 [ESPN.com]
But do expect hover-cars.

Give Greg Graham an extension! [Parsing the WAC]
His players graduate!

None of BSU's Fiesta plays make list of memorable moments [ESPN.com]
And we're done reading ESPN.com forever.

Why is this year different for Fresno State? [Fresno State football blog]
"Because it is," says Fresno State fan.

Monday: links with professionalism

Hey all, welcome to the first day of the rest of your three months. We're going to be linking to the best Bronco stories on the 'Net every morning and then bringing you something original in the afternoon. Or at least that's the plan.

Boise State links

Vandals confuse attendance with extortion [Idaho Statesman]
Idaho is forcing fans who want single-game tickets to buy tickets to an additional game.

Fight, Fight's talking boycott [Fight, Fight, BSU]
Boycott?! We're in.

Good to know that someone has his priorities in order [Statue Left]
Have a good summer, Statue Left.

Orlando Scandrick turning heads in Cowboys camp [DC Fanatics]

WAC links

LaTech coach Dooley shares his vision for the Bulldogs [Shreveport Times]
Diagnosis: farsightedness.

Hawaii not in rebuilding mode? [ESPN.com]
Would "starting over from scratch" mode be more apt?

Miscellaneous links

Murph's Turf responds to blogs [Idaho Statesman]
Must....bite....tongue.

Bronco radio search narrows [Idaho Press-Tribune]
Probably because they just received our application

OBNUG's radio application

The search is on for the next voice of the Boise State Broncos. We think it should end with OBNUG.

That's right. After a good 15 minutes of deliberation, we have decided to throw our hat into the ring of potential candidates for Paul J. Schneider's successor. We want to be the Isaac to his Abraham, the Frasier to his Cheers, the BK Breakfast Sandwich to his Whopper Jr.

And we think we have what it takes to do it.

Here is the job description, as listed by Idaho Radio News:

Boise State University Play-by-Play

Boise State University has a football and basketball radio play-by-play opening.

This could be either a part or full-time opportunity based in part upon the preference of the successful candidate. Similarly, potential additional responsibilities will be determined based upon the strengths and desires of the successful candidate.

Sportscasters Talent Agency of America is screening for this position. Email applications are preferred but not mandatory. Please do not include more than two mp3 attachments with your submission.

"Strengths and desires"? We have those! In fact, we have just about everything it takes to be a successful play-by-play voice, and we said as much in our cover letter:

To Whom It May Concern:

Love acronyms? Enjoy sarcastic reparteé? Then OBNUG is the perfect candidate for the Boise State Broncos' play-by-play position.

Over the past three months, we have filled the Internets with Bronco news and information, leading a charge of quantity over quality that has earned us rave reviews for our general lack of censorship. We feel that these skills would translate beautifully into a radio booth.

During games, we have the ability to shoot the breeze about a wide variety of topics: Dairy Queen, politics, the Office, Marty Tadman, Madden 07 Gamecube strategy, and when robots will achieve singularity. There will never be a quiet moment in the booth (except for when we take bathroom or snack breaks, which will be often).

But that's not all. Here is a list of other assets that we would bring to a Bronco broadcast:

• We are young and hip.
• We speak fluent English.
• We own radios.
• We’ll be at the Bronco games anyway.

If you are still unsure of our qualifications, then know this: We love the Boise State Broncos. We love the radio. We love self-promotion. If that doesn't convince you, then nothing will.

Our two mp3 attachments will be a mixtape of selections from our Bronco Nation NOW podcasts and a cover song we did of Rhianna's "Umbrella." We'll let you know what we hear back.

Job: Boise State play-by-play [Idaho Radio News]