Wednesday: Links with determination

Story of the day:

For Oregon fans, BSU a better draw than some Pac-10 teams [Arbiter Online]

No wonder tickets for the Boise State-Oregon game are in such demand. Duck fans would rather see the Broncos than several conference opponents. Sorry, Stanford.

"Frankly, the Boise State game has garnered the type of interest amongst our ticket holders and donors that is as great as some of our conference games and greater than some conference games," Mike Marlow, senior associate athletic director at the University of Oregon said. "It's been a ticket that has been in demand from our season ticket holders and donors as well."

We're curious to find out what demand is for the Utah State game (or if "demand" is even the right word).

Also in the Arbiter's story was news that the Boise State ticket lottery would be happening soon. However, they neglected to describe what kind of lottery it would be. Scratch tickets? Ping pong balls? Names out of a hat? Human tetris contest? College journalists have a lot to learn about asking the right questions.

Other links:

Brock Forsey to speak at local youth camp [Statesman]
OBNUG to crash local youth camp.

Nevada's terrifying schedule poster [Wizard of Odds]
The wolf eye follows you everywhere.

Ada County Vandal picnic on Saturday [Statesman]
Bring your lowered expectations. And a Jell-O salad.

Minor glitch in Boise State's NCAA 09 schedule [GameZone]
No more Idaho State at least.

Flash animation of BSU's new turf [Statesman]
That's one way to spend your resources.

Reggie Larry riding the pine in NBA summer league

Reggie Larry's NBA career has gotten off to a rather tepid start.

The former Boise State standout is playing in Las Vegas with the Golden State Warriors' summer league team. Well, "playing" might be too strong of a word. The Warriors have played two games already, and Larry has seen exactly six minutes of court time in that span. His stats are understandably meager.

Reggie Larry: 1-2, 2 points, 0 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 blocked shot

All of those numbers came in Golden State's first game Friday nightsecond game Sunday against the Mavericks. Larry did not play SundayFriday against the Sixers.

There is still plenty of time for Larry to make an impact on the team, and with the Bobcats (tonight, 7:30pm), King, and Raptors still on the schedule, the competition certainly lends itself toward that end. However, getting an opportunity seems to be Larry's biggest obstacle.

Come on, Golden State. He's shooting 50% from the floor, and he's capable of doing this:

Tuesday: Links with procrastination

Story of the day:

Dave Southorn's WAC picks [Dave's Blog]

The Idaho Press-Tribune's Dave Southorn has posted his preseason picks for WAC media days on his blog at the IPT website, and we could not be happier to see that homerism reigns supreme.

I don't see the Broncos losing a WAC game before they play Fresno State at the end of the season. By then, the new QB will be comfortable, and the Broncos get the Bulldogs at Bronco Stadium, so that's why their (sic) my pick to win the conference.

Good for you, Dave Southorn. There's no reason to pick the Bulldogs just because everyone else is, especially when they have yet to prove they can handle pressure or win outright WAC championships.

But the good BSU football vibes don't end there. In addition to having the Broncos as WAC champs, Southorn also has a Boise State player listed as his player of the year.

Offensive player of the year: Ian Johnson, RB, Boise State

I think it will be extremely unlikely he matches 2006's numbers, especially considering the great depth behind him. However, no other player in the conference demands a defense's full attention like IJ.

Kellen Moore must have been a close second.

Other links

Coach Pete to fly with the Blue Angels [Fight Fight BSU]
Robb Akey to ride a float at Dairy Days.

That stadium sure looks good at night [Statue Left]
But does it look $30 million good? Yeah, we think so.

BSU athletic website previews the offense [BroncoSports.com]
Talk about a conflict of interest.

WAC quarterbacks aren't all that bad [Bruce Feldman blog]
Take that, Sun Belt QBs!

Colt Brennan signs with Redskins [YB Sports]
And the state of Hawaii has the day off today.

Matt Nelson signs with Spanish team [Press-Tribune]
Donde esta la biblioteca, Pedro?

Bold predictions for Non-BCS schools [ESPN.com]
BSU losing at home is not bold; it is erroneous.

Virtual football kicks off tomorrow with NCAA 09

Fall practice may still be three weeks away, but for many college football fans, the season begins tomorrow with the release of EA Sports' NCAA Football 09. And by "college football fans," we mean "geeky guys."

The release of NCAA has become an annual sign that the long, boring, football-less summer is almost over. Now, instead of playing out the Boise State season in our heads and with our M&M's, we can plug NCAA 09 into our PS3 and watch the whole thing unfold before us. (Full disclosure: we do not own a PlayStation 3. We own a Gamecube.)

For Bronco fans, the game may be a little less exciting than last year's Jared Zabransky version. Unfortunately, the Marty Tadman cover idea we submitted did not fly with EA Sports. However, there are still more than enough reasons to buy the game.

• Kill time before August 30.
• Have your own quarterback competition.
• Take as many tries as you need to beat Oregon in Autzen stadium.
• Prove that Fresno State is overrated.

There's a lot of information on the game available on the Internet (the entire Bronco playbook is here; eyes off, Akey!), and the early reviews have been excellent. Each year EA seems to improve from the previous version, and this year appears to be no different. Of course, what would an EA Sports video game be without loads of new features? NCAA 09 sure has plenty of upgrades.

• Online Dynasty Mode. Up to 12 players can compete with one another online in dynasties that can last as long as 60 years. With features like this, who needs girlfriends? Til death do we part, NCAA 09.
• Break Away Animation engine. Apparently, you will have more control than ever over the movements of the players. Want Ian Johnson to spin away from a tackle? Just rotate the control stick. Want Kellen Moore to sidestep a defensive end? Wiggle the analog to the left. Need to help a freshman with a midterm? Use the controller as a pen (feature available only on Wii).
• Composure. Have you ever seen a quarterback lose confidence after an interception? Of course you have! Boise State plays in the WAC! Well, NCAA 09 will take advantage of this real-life phenomenon by testing the composure of in-game players. Throw a pick-six, and you'll have to read the defensive photos to see where you went wrong. If you can't figure it out, then you must be playing with Nathan Enderle.
• Celebration mechanic. The Syracuse Orange wants to party! In NCAA 09, you can celebrate touchdowns with mascots, fans, or yourself with just a push of a button. Take that, NFL!
• Realistic lighting. The graphics engine has been souped-up to provide a more accurate rendering of time-of-day. This will come in handy for those 9:00am San Jose State home games.
• 60 frames per second. We don't know what this means (see "Gamecube," above).

A new play-calling system, customizable music, and much more will be included in the game. But our favorite feature of the NCAA series, more so than the unique stadiums, the crowd influence, the rankings, and the option, is the fact that you can end the season with a playoff if you want to.

That is reason enough to buy the game right there.

NCAA Football 09 [EA Sports]

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?

BSU recruiting: where are all the linemen?

The Boise State recruiting tally looks like this: a quarterback, a running back, two tight ends, two linebackers, two cornerbacks, one wide receiver...and zero offensive or defensive linemen. Strange, don't you think?

The Broncos have been the most proactive team in the WAC this summer, but they have yet to reel in a linemen on either side of the ball. Is this the curse of Ryan Clady leaving early? Is the WAC transitioning into a seven-on-seven conference? Whatever the case may be, the whole situation is making us very curious.

But perhaps we should clarify. Despite the lack of linemen, we could not be happier to have nine verbal commitments in mid-July. This kind of activity is something you normally expect from a BCS-conference school, so it is great to know that the Broncos have such an outstanding reputation in recruiting pockets around the country. Plus, Boise State is really separating itself from the rest of the WAC as a premier destination for football, and with early recruits becoming more and more the norm, the Broncos are at the forefront of the future of recruiting. Taste the revolution, Fresno State!

That said, we would still like to see some linemen.

In our opinion, the line is the most important position on the football field, so we would figure that it would be a focal point of Bronco recruiting classes. We imagine that when all is said and done, there will be plenty of hefty high school kids in the '09 class. But in the meantime, we are left to wonder why no big kids have come out and declared their BSU allegiance yet. Are they riding go carts at Camp Hope or what?

Here are some theories we have on the situation.

1. Linemen are harder to recruit.
   This could be true for a number of reasons: No one knows how big 17-year-old kids will get. The potential of linemen is harder to judge at an early age. There is not as much game tape available on linemen as there is for other positions. There hit-or-miss probability with a lineman is extremely high.
2. Boise State coaches are looking for JC transfers. Certainly, having two years in college under their belt would give any lineman an advantage. Plus, the coaches would be more aware of what to expect when the kids arrive on campus.
3. Linemen aren't born; they're created. Perhaps BSU is not in a hurry because they know they can grow their own linemen whenever necessary. Bronco coaches are notorious for molding players into outstanding linemen.
4. The line is young enough as it is. If this year's young class of linemen pan out, the Broncos will be set for at least a couple more years. Maybe the next recruiting class will be the windfall of big uglies we've been expecting.
5. The line isn't as important in the WAC. To be successful in the WAC, you have to score points and create turnovers. Linemen are not prominently involved in either.
6. The more you weigh, the less decisive you are. We have no evidence of this theory other than Jared Lorenzen's NFL career.

On an encouraging note, Scout.com has a list of linemen who are at least interested in the Broncos. Here some of the top guys:

• OT Charles Siddoway: 6'7", 310 pounds (offered)
• DE Jackson Powell: 6'5", 220 pounds
• OT Gavin Pascerella: 6'5", 260 pounds

The list also includes some junior college players and other big high schoolers, so at least the Broncos are trying. And the fact that we are concerned over a lack of linemen in a recruiting class that still has seven months to fill out and which has absolutely no bearing on anything that will happen on the football field this year, well, it's probably a bit presumptive of us. As always, the Bronco coaches know what they're doing, so we really needn't worry.

Our anxiety would be better spent on the "Q."

Friday: Links with kitties

Story of the day:

More recruits! How 'bout that! [Press-Tribune]

The Broncos have reeled in recruit number nine. QB/LB Gabe Linehan from Banks High School (Oregon) has given his verbal commitment to the Broncos. Does his name sound familiar? It should. His uncle is Rams head coach and former Idaho quarterback Scott Linehan, and his father was an All-Big Sky linebacker at Idaho.

Despite the fact that the Broncos' roster is already replete with quarterbacks and linebackers, Linehan was still happy to commit early. Of course, he won't be a QB/LB for long.

He said Bronco coaches want him to play tight end once he arrives in Boise, though he is the quarterback at Banks.

Currently, Linehan is 6'4" and 205 pounds, so he will need to put on some weight to be effective at the tight end position. Fortunately, Linehan has two 300-pound brothers who have played line for Pac-10 schools, so his mom should know how to feed him.

Here is some extra reading on Linehan:

Idaho Statesman

Scout.com

Fight Fight BSU

Other links:

Taylor Tharp cut by Panthers [Statesman]
Our immediate reaction: Tharp was still on the Panthers?

New turf is nearly complete [Statesman]
Next up? New Boise State inflatable helmet for team intro!

Coaches association discussing changes for recruiting [Birmingham News]
An early signing period would be nice right about now

BSU football is best sporting event in Treasure Valley [Statesman]
The Idaho Steeleheads will forever be bridesmaids.

Rather comprehensive WAC preview [Southern college sports]
We stopped reading after it said Boise State was rebuilding.

Highlighting the skinny BSU offensive linemen [Scott Slant]
Thirty pounds lighter than last year, but the heavier expectations should balance that out.

Yep, Oregon is still good [Rivals.com]
And we're still scared of going to Eugene.