Play ball: the case for a Boise State baseball team

I figured if this post was going to be written, it'd have to be by me. The last time I saw Kevan even watch a baseball game was when his dad forced him to keep the book for the Babe Ruth team his brother and I were on. In fact, I can't really blame him after that.Kevan did a great job last week of summing up Boise State fans' reaction to Fresno's College World Series championship. It was a great story and good to see a team from the WAC break through and win a national championship, but it won't resonate nearly as much as the 2007 Fiesta Bowl and most likely be forgotten with the first snap in the fall.

But, I was left wondering -- if Fresno can accomplish this, what could a Boise State baseball team do? Better yet, why does Boise State not have a baseball team?

A little web sleuthing brought me to this page for the Boise State Baseball Club. The page definitely is not affiliated with the athletic department and has this disclaimer at the bottom "Being just a club sport we have no ability to become affiliated with any NCAA division, however, we can belong to the National Club Baseball Association along with over 75 other club team across the nation." Well, that's disappointing. Most additional searches just return Boise State hats.

So, could a lack of a Boise State baseball team be due to Title IX? Currently, Boise State has 7 men's sports (Basketball, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Tennis, Track & Field, Wrestling) and 10 women's sports (Basketball, Cross Country, Golf, Gymnastics, Soccer, Softball, Swimming & Diving, Tennis, Track & Field, Volleyball).I'm not too familiar with Title IX, but it seems as though there is room to add another men's sport. I think it's time for Gene Bleymaier to take time away from scheduling Portland State and Idaho State and get this accomplished.

Thirty more days: Bronco football nears

Move over, America's birthday. There's another reason to celebrate today: In exactly one month, the Boise State football team will take the field again for fall practice.

Only thirty more days stand between Bronco Nation and Bronco practice, which means there is finally a light at the end of the tunnel of summer. Fortunately, there have been things to talk about over the past two months (early recruits, Bob Behler, Phil Steele), but nothing will ever replace real, actual football.

And certainly, the next four weeks should go by quickly. The Bronco players will be finishing up their summer training, the latest NCAA Football video game will be released, and the WAC will hold its annual media session (check the Idaho Statesman's blog in September for details). Before we know it, August will be upon us, and we can start reading into the quarterback situation again.

Happy Fourth of July, Bronco Nation. And an even happier Thirty-Days-Until-Football Day.

Friday: Links with independence

Story of the day:

Karl Benson bares his soul [Denver Post]

The Denver Post is celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the Mountain West's split from the WAC the only way they know how: making Karl Benson relive it all over again.

DP: That had to be the lowest point of your professional life 10 years ago when the Mountain West teams left...

KB: May and June 1998 was certainly difficult. It was challenging, tumultuous and gut wrenching both professional and personally.

Next question!

Aside from the start of the interview (great ice breaker, Denver Post), the story ended up being a positive look at how the WAC has survived throughout the past 10 years. Benson gave a lot of praise to Fresno State for soldiering on in the early years, and he of course had good things to say about Boise State football, too. But God bless him if he didn't try his best to put a positive spin on Utah State, Idaho, and NMSU.

DP: You're like the Statue of Liberty of college athletics: Give me you poor, your tired, your huddled masses. 


KB: We were forced to fill some holes, fill the gaps... We claim when teams join the WAC they get better, some get better quicker than others. I'm still confident our last three additions are going to get better.

Translation: my bad.

The behind-the-scenes information from Benson was pretty neat to hear, and the Denver Post followed the story up with a feature on the present state of the WAC and the MWC. For all the bad things that are said about the WAC, it was nice to find a story that showcases the conference to a certain degree. That said, we'll flip to the Pac-10 in an instant if they come calling. Sorry, Karl.

Other links:

BSU's Grinnell competes for Olympic berth [Scott Slant]
The triple jump finals or Mars Attack? We could go either way.

Nick Jezierny's interview with BSU's latest recruit [Statesman]
Watch your back, Chadd Cripe.

BSU President Kustra working for the NCAA [Press-Tribune]
Alright! We got a man on the inside.

Colt Brennan autograph signing tour [Pictures Plus]
He will not be signing souvenir Sugar Bowl T-shirts.

Ian Johnson a top five running back [End Zone Buzz]

Why, UNLV?! Why?! [UNLV Rebels]
Thank goodness we don't have to see these uniforms in person any time soon.

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.

Thursday: Links with consistency

Story of the day:

Statue Left not in Steelers playbook [Press-Tribune]

The Pittsburgh Steelers cut former BSU quarterback Jared Zabransky on Wednesday, just five months after picking him up as a free agent. The Steelers' drafting of former Oregon QB Dennis Dixon spelled Zabransky's doom. Dixon is a one-of-a-kind clipboard holder.

Now the question is where will "Z" land next? The way we see it, he has plenty of options.

• Another NFL team. Zabransky could take the place of an injured third-stringer during the preseason. Or he could start for the Vikings pretty much tomorrow.
• The CFL. Canadian football is like graduate school for Boise State players.
• The Boise Burn. The Burn have never turned down a former Boise State quarterback (Nick Lomax, take heart).
• Ryan Clady's entourage. Perhaps Clady needs an NCAA Football 2008 playing partner.
• An area Pioneer Title. Brock Forsey should know some people.

The story is a little bittersweet for us, not because we are Zabranksy fans (it's complicated), but rather because Zabranksy getting signed by the Steelers was one of our first posts on this site. OBNUG has officially lasted longer than Zabransky's Steeler career. We never thought we would say those words until at least after the first preseason game.


Other links:

Warriors - Brennan = suckiness [the Big Lead]
Replacing a Heisman candidate is hard. Will Tyler Graunke be dying the Hawaiin islands into his hair?

Bronco coaches courting a 15-year-old [Sammamish Review]
There is no age limit on success...obviously.

Who says BSU has too much money? [Warrior Quotes]
Hawaii's athletic budget trumps Broncos by several hundred C-notes

A Marty Tadman video? [YouTube courtesy of Bronco fan Heath]
We know how we're spending our three-day weekend

Boise State is a six-touchdown favorite over Idaho State [Scott Slant]
Yet somehow, we still like those odds.

HOF nominee: Ian Johnson's Oregon State romp

Once again, we are privileged to feature the written-word stylings of Drew from Fight Fight BSU. A Boise State diehard and an occasional mascot interviewer, Drew has the honor of introducing the final nominee in the inaugural OBNUG Hall of Fame class: Ian Johnson's five-TD game against Oregon State.



We were sitting in the stands at Bronco Stadium on the night of September 7, 2006, and some rowdy Oregon State fans nearby were reveling in the Beavers’ fast start. Oregon State’s Sammie Stroughter had just returned a Boise State punt for a touchdown to put the Beavers up 14-0 in the first quarter, and a cocky OSU fan stood up and announced, “All day, baby. All day." The mood in Bronco Stadium echoed the lackluster play of the Broncos to that point.

Then something happened. My wife and I weren’t really even paying close attention as the Broncos hadn’t given us much to cheer about as of yet, but a loud cheer was starting to emanate from the crowd. I looked up to see the sophomore running back that everyone had been high on in spring ball slashing past two Beaver linebackers and outsprinting Oregon State’s secondary for a 60-yard touchdown. The crowd was on their feet and life seemed to be coming back to the sluggish-looking Broncos.

“Who was that?” my wife asked.

“Ian Johnson," I replied. "He’s supposed to be a good one."

Not even I knew how good Johnson would be on that September night...or how good he would be that whole year. Nobody knew, at that moment in the first quarter when the Broncos made it a one touchdown game, that Ian Johnson was going to be something special, perhaps even the greatest Bronco running back of all time. But by the end of regulation, we knew.Johnson came into his own that night, patiently following blocks, keeping his feet churning for extra yardage, showing explosive acceleration and determination. He was the feature back that everyone had been waiting for, and he didn’t just upstage the Beavers that night--he embarrassed them on national television.

Johnson rushed for 240 yards on 22 carries and scored five touchdowns against the Pac-10’s Oregon State. 240 yards on 22 carries?! Yeah, that is almost 11 yards per carry--11 yards per carry against an Oregon State team that defeated USC that same season.

None of Ian’s touchdowns more exemplified just how good he was that night than his third TD. Ian got the ball at about the four or five yard line and was hit at about the two. He was pushed back about a yard before surging forward again as Oregon State defenders piled on, trying in vain to stop him as he eventually carried the whole stack of ‘em into the endzone.

Around the time Ian scored his fifth TD, putting Boise State up 42-14, the Oregon State fans sitting nearby started to quietly head for the exits. I don’t know what came over me, but I stood up and shouted after them “All day, baby. All day.”

Ian has had some impressive and heroic games since that night. Certainly he is en route to be the greatest Bronco running back ever, but on September 7, 2006, Ian was simply amazing.

Voting for Ian Johnson's Oregon State romp will take place through next week. Use the poll in the sidebar to cast your vote.

Wednesday: Links with anticipation

Story of the day:

D-1 bowl trolling for D1-AA participants [Missoulian]

Got any holiday plans, Weber State? If not, then there might be a desperate lower-tiered bowl that wants to speak to you.

We found a lot of gems in the Missoulian's series on the University of Montana's chances for a move to Division I-A, but none of the tidbits were as strange and embarrassing as this one.

Last fall a lower-tier bowl called the Big Sky Conference to inquire about inviting one of its teams. We are not making this up.

“It kind of caught us by surprise,” said Montana athletic director Jim O'Day. “But I think it's something that might have to happen.”

The obvious question is which bowl was doing the inquiring. There are only a few small-time West Coast bowls that would have been interested in a Big Sky team, and yes, the Humanitarian Bowl would probably be on that list. Any guesses would be pure speculation. That said, we are looking at you, Emerald Nuts San Francisco Bowl.

The story was somewhat of an admonishment of Division 1-A's lax standards on bowl eligibility. How great would it be to see a 6-6 Minnesota lose out to an Alcorn State? Is this why NCAA administrators are so hesitant to go to a playoff system?

Other links:

A great recommendation from a Behler peer [Gazettenet]
Wonder if this guy was on Behler's resume reference list.

Ian Johnson gets a 93 from EA Sports [Vetzballin]
Tim Tebow and his 99 rating: "Hmm, that's cute."

Dan Hawkins and the Buffs a team on the rise [SI.com]
Stewart Mandel has his eye on them.

Toughest video game rebuilding projects [Bleacher Report]
Good to see the WAC well represented.