You are So Zune...Be there or be Zune!

Quit being a Zune, let's go party!
It has been a few weeks and Microsoft's Zune is...well less than spectacular. In fact I have yet to see a review where the reviewer didn't compare the Zune to an iPod and then knock the Zune for lack of features that people really want. John Gruber at Daring Fireball said it pretty well "If the Zune’s best week was its first week, it’s in trouble — and it looks to me like its sales are sinking, not rising". So I want to get ahead of the curve and start using Zune as an adjective meaning "uncool" like "square" was used in the 1950's. I think that this could definitely be the start of new slang.

Here is another great Bronco article.

This is from our friends to the Northwest. Here is the link.

Here’s a thought: Instead of a Fiesta, give Boise a Rose

JOHN MCGRATH; THE NEWS TRIBUNE
Before I make the case why the Rose Bowl needs Boise State more than Boise State needs the Rose Bowl, let me point out that I’ve got no dog in this hunt.

I didn’t attend Boise State. None of my friends or relatives went to school there, either.

I once met a Boise State student – Coby Karl, son of former SuperSonics coach George Karl – but we didn’t discuss college, as Coby happened to be sitting on his dad’s lap at the time. The Sonics had just beaten Phoenix in a 1993 playoff game. After listening to his father answer questions from reporters for several minutes, Coby finally had heard enough.

“Dad,” he asked, “can we go home and play catch now?”

Thirteen years later, the kid is a star guard for Boise State’s basketball team.

Go Broncos.

It’s not that I’m a closet Boise State fan. I mean, if I’m rooting for a school that’s 12-0 – on its way to a New Year’s bowl – I’m telling it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere.

What I am is a fan of the Rose Bowl, or at least what the Rose Bowl once was: A showdown between the best football team on the West Coast against the best football team from the Midwest.

Had the traditional bowl system not been “repaired” by the Bowl Championship Series, the Rose Bowl would’ve been positioned to hold the national championship contest between No. 1 Ohio State and the presumptive challenger, Southern California.

But the Buckeyes are booked for a Jan. 8 date in Glendale, Ariz., and the Trojans need only beat UCLA to join them.

The good news for the Little Old Granddaddy from Pasadena is that it’s the Rose Bowl’s turn to choose the best of the rest. Projections are pointing to Big Ten Conference runner-up Michigan against Oklahoma (if the Sooners get past Nebraska in the Big 12 title game next weekend), or Michigan against Louisiana State.

Does Michigan-Oklahoma fire you up? Does Michigan-LSU?

These are big-time teams from big-time conferences, but nothing about either scenario screams “New Year’s Day in Pasadena!” Nothing about either scenario even whispers it.

So here’s an off-the-wall projection:

Michigan against Boise State.

Granted, Boise State’s undefeated season – it included a victory over Sacramento State – was achieved not so much against the ranks of college football’s “Who’s Who” than college football’s “Who’s That?” To call the Broncos schedule soft is like saying Paula Abdul was not born to be a homicide detective.

On the other hand, Boise State trounced Oregon State, the only opponent it faced from a league affiliated with the BCS. And it was the Beavers who were responsible for USC’s first regular-season defeat since grade-school desks were built with ink wells.

Boise State is bound for a BCS bowl, most likely the Fiesta Bowl, and giddy Broncos fans will show up in Arizona on planes detoured through a layover on Cloud Nine. But the Broncos belong in the Rose Bowl, an event steeped in the premise of a protagonist based in the West.

There are 39 players from California on Boise State’s roster, 20 from Idaho, five from Oregon, three from Washington. We can debate whether the Broncos deserve to be ranked among the top 10 teams in the country, but there’s no doubt they are the second-best in the West, behind USC. And barring an epic upset next weekend, USC looks like it’ll be preoccupied during the New Year’s Day prelude to the most consequential bowl.

Before champions from the Big Ten and what is now the Pacific-10 Conference became annual postseason foes in the wake of World War II, the Rose Bowl was built around a host from the West Coast. Once in a while, two teams represented the West. For instance, Mare Island, assembled from the Navy base in San Francisco, beat Camp Lewis (known these days as Fort Lewis) in the 1918 Rose Bowl.

Only twice has the Rose Bowl veered from the status quo: In 2002, the BCS arranged for Miami to take on Nebraska (the Hurricanes won 37-14). In 2005, Texas, behind the outrageously talented Vince Young, edged Michigan in a 38-37 thriller.

This just in: Vince Young doesn’t play quarterback for Oklahoma, and he doesn’t play quarterback for LSU. So why not arrange a West Coast foe for Michigan? Isn’t 90 years of tradition worth preserving?

The Rose Bowl committee, which ought to be more vigilant than any of us about sustaining tradition, won’t buy it. Ever haughty, Rose Bowl executives look at Boise State as a newcomer unfit to attend college football’s oldest postseason party.

A team representing the Western Athletic Conference? What next, a co-champion from a junior college circuit?

And there’s the Boise State heritage: Until the Broncos ran the table on a slate of inconsequential opponents, they were famous as the team that played its home games on a blue field – a concession to birds in the Boise area prone to mistake green football fields for landing pads.

Boise State doesn’t cut it, which means that Michigan probably will face either Oklahoma or LSU in the Rose Bowl.

I’ll watch Oklahoma-Michigan, as long as it doesn’t conflict with another game’s fantastic finish. And I might even tune into Michigan-LSU for a minute or two.

But I’d make it a point to camp in front of the TV for Michigan-Boise State, a classic match-up between the blue bloods from the Big Ten and the mid-major outcasts from the blue field – the big-timers used to hearing “The Victors” blared for 105,000 fawning spectators in Ann Arbor against the guys whose pulses race to, uh, whatever song the BSU band plays for them before kickoff.

All I know is that they’re from the West, they’re 12-0, and they’d give me the only reason I can think of to care about the Rose Bowl.

Go Broncos.

Bronco Update

I found a video of some Bronco fans at the Nevada game last week. Looks like it was fun. Go Orange! Go Big Blue! Fight, Fight, BSU!

BCS #8...Computers don't lie

Boise State BCS Bound! Boise State did it. They slaughtered Nevada and finished a 12-0 season ranked #8 in the BCS, #10 in the AP top 25, and #9 in the USA Today poll. They have performed superbly. We went to my dads to watch the game. We enjoyed turkey noodle soup that Tammy prepared from the Thanksgiving leftovers. It was yummy. Warmed us up quite well after working on Christmas lights all morning. Relaxing with a hot bowl of soup and watching a Bronco Victory, a great way to spend a Saturday in November. Now after winning, Boise State awaits the invitation to a BCS bowl game, probably the Fiesta Bowl. We should find out by this weekend. There have been great stories about Boise State and the BCS here is one example :

SPORTS COMMENTARY: DAVID WHITLEY

How about Boise State in BCS title game?

After all, Broncos and Buckeyes are the only unbeaten teams.

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

There are only five shopping days left before the Bowl Championship Series bids are announced. Have you bought your earplugs yet?

Here are some hints which institute of higher football should face Ohio State in the BCS championship game.

The school colors are orange and blue. It had a puny non-conference schedule. Its entire running game doesn't consist of quarterback draws.

That eliminates the Florida Gators. We are left with America's most under-respected team. Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for the Boise State Broncos.

Go ahead. Laugh, roll your eyes, make potato jokes. But big things can come out of Idaho.

Philo Farnsworth came out of Rigby, Idaho, and he invented television. Without him we wouldn't even be having this debate because TV gives the BCS a zillion dollars not to have a playoff.

Notre Dame's badminton team gets on TV more than the Broncos, yet Boise State has built a dynasty. It's 39-1 since joining the Western Athletic Conference. More importantly, it has a couple of numbers none of the other contenders can match: 12-0.

As in undefeated. As in untied. As in try to undermine that, you snotty big-conference boys.

"Let them play six in a row against the SEC and see if they're still undefeated," Clemson coach Tommy Bowden said. Yo, coach, get back to us when your team stops blowing 28-14 leads to South Carolina.

The Broncos haven't done that. They thumped their archrival, the dreaded Nevada Wolf Pack.

They have the best running back in America, sophomore Ian Johnson. He leads the nation in touchdowns (24), has more yards (1,613) than anyone but Garrett Wolfe and Steve Slaton and is averaging 6.5 per pop.

Jared Zabransky will go down as the finest quarterback in NCAA history whose last name begins with a Z. And no school has as distinctive a field as the famed blue turf at Bronco Stadium.

These points are highly subjective, but so is everything else in the BCS verbal brawl. Was Michigan's win over Notre Dame more impressive than Southern Cal's? Gators scoff at a Michigan-Ohio State rematch, but they all were for a sequel when Florida beat FSU for the 1996 national championship.

USC fans think Boise is on Neptune, but the Trojans' lone loss was to Oregon State. And guess who demolished those Beavers 42-14? Boise State did.

"They were very good," Oregon State coach Mike Riley said. "I think anybody on any given day would have a hard time with Boise."

How sweet would it be if that day came on Jan. 8 against Ohio State? OK, so it's not going to happen unless USC and Florida lose on Saturday, LSU goes on probation and Michigan secedes from the Union.

But since we have to have the argument, the Broncos deserve to be in the conversation. Just listen to their fight song:

Go Orange

Go big Blue

Fight! Fight!

B-S-U

If those aren't the perfect initials for this entire debate, my name is Philo Farnsworth.

David Whitley writes for the Orlando Sentinel.

I couldn't have said it better myself.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving week is here. We are having two Thanksgiving dinners on Thursday we are having a dinner with Tammy's family at her parents home. Then on Friday we are going to eat at my Dad's. There should be plenty of leftovers for everyone. There are many things that I am thankful for this year. I am thankful for my family, especially my wife. She is such an inspiration to me, she does so much for our kids and she puts up with so much from me. This year with Gabe starting kindergarten Tammy got involved with the PTO (she is the vice-president) and has spear-headed many activities. The kids are great and I love everything they teach me, I learn something new everyday. Last night, I learned from Reece that my hat looks good when I wear it sideways. Gabe and Selah are growing so much. They come home from school each day and amaze me with their knowledge. I am also thankful for faith. Faith helps me as a father and husband face each day knowing that my family will be safe. I love them all so much (especially my sweetheart, Tammy).

Boise State Tailgating... Go Broncos!

Boise State #11! Well, #11 in the BCS and #12 everywhere else. We had a fun time at the game. Cort and I arrived about 7:00 am and there were already people in the location where we were last year. So we moved west a few hundred yards. After we set up we were enjoying the fire and we saw four deer come prancing through the park toward Broadway on the east side of the park. It was pretty peaceful early on, Cort had a funny experience though. I went to get some breakfast burritos from Carl's Jr. and while I was gone a man asked Cort about the parking in the park (they have 2 hour parking from Sept- May because of Boise State classes), Cort looked at the sign right by where we were set up and then told the guy that he would be alright since it is only May thru September. Then the guy looked at him like he was crazy. That man now knew what we have known for years. Everyone else showed up by about 9:30 am. In attendance were Gary and his three sons, Gary, O'Dell, Carley, Cort, Emily , Tammy , and Chris. It was a fun time. Check out the pictures below.

Boise State vs. Utah State

Boise State vs Utah State

Boise State Vs. Utah State Tomorrow is the big game. Well not that big, but it is a conference game, so it is not something that Boise State can ignore. We are having a little tailgate party in the morning in the park across the river from the stadium, it should be fun. We had get together last year at the same location and it was fun. Cort and I are going there at o'dark thirty to get the spot, (click to view the spot) then everyone is coming later. We are going to take a portable fire pit and set up a good spot. Last year there were a few people there when we arrived at 8:00 AM. This year we will get there earlier. Go Orange Go Big Blue Fight, Fight, BSU!

New City Ordinance

Another reason Idaho gets the reputation that it has.
"Idaho Town: Buy a Gun to Fight Off Refugees
The town of Greenleaf in Idaho has passed an ordinance asking all residents that do not have an objection to have a gun in their house to protect themselves from refugees fleeing disasters.
Approximately 80% of the 862 residents already own a firearm. Local citizens say that the town is supporting the Second Amendment and that the new ordinance will keep the menace of high crime at bay as the area grows.
The most violent thing reported in the town founded by Quakers in the last two years was a fistfight. The exemption for people with an objection, religious or otherwise, was added after opposition from a local church."
Source: Newsday

I live right down the road from Greenleaf and this is pretty accurate. The city council passed this resolution. I guess they think that having every farmer, migrant worker, and citizen should be armed to the kilt. I would hate to be the guy who stumbles to the wrong home after a night at Burke's Lounge, they would be in for a surprise.

Boise State/WAC/Nevada

Boise State and University of Nevada may be part of a conference that when it comes to college football is seen as less than stellar. But this week Boise State, Nevada, and the WAC (Western Athletic Conference) did something that not many collegiate athletic organizations would, they stood up to sports powerhouse, ESPN. On November 1st after the Fresno State game EPSN wanted Boise State to move it's game with San Jose State to a later time and then they would broadcast both the San Jose and Nevada games. ESPN wanted the Nevada game moved to Friday November 24th instead of on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Boise State, Nevada and the WAC thought this was a bad idea and they did not cave. It shows that even though Boise State and the WAC love the ESPN coverage, they are not going to let them dictate what they should do. When Boise State goes undefeated and get a BCS bowl bid ESPN will be begging to get all the coverage they can.
Read more here.

Election Day

Today is Election day. I will visit my polling place on my way home from work. I hope that I don't have to wait in any lines. Voting is important because it lets a person vote with their conscience for the person that will best represent them, so if you haven't yet... Go Vote!