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Game day is HERE

I’m giddy. I woke up this morning a full hour before my alarm went off. It feels like Christmas. The countdown clock is winding down. 0 weeks, 0 days, 10 hours, 12 minutes, 34 seconds until kick off.

Click here to feel the love

Fight Broncos, celebrate the orange and blue
Boise will stand up and cheer for BSU!
Fight for distinction and our Alma Mater
Bravely defending BSU!
Fight on courageously for Boise State
Success and honor make her great!
Boise’s proud tradition
Heads-up competition
Glory to BSU!

Go Orange, Go Big Blue, Fight! Fight! BSU!

I’ve often wondered if when you get to heaven you will get statistics on your life. How many miles you walked, what meal you had the most often, etc. etc. In that vein, I’ve wondered what song I’ve heard the most times in my life. More than likely for most people it would be something boring and mundane like ‘Happy Birthday’, or if they’re big sports fans, maybe the Star Spangled Banner. I can guarantee what my song will be. It’s the BSU Fight Song. Doing some rough math, I haven’t missed a home football game in 14 years, so say 6 per year is 84 games. I usually am able to catch at least one road game so we’ll call that an even 100. Before that, I went to a bunch of games as a kid, say another 50. 150 Boise State football games, the song had to have been played by the band at least 20 times a game, which is probably a conservative number. That’s 3000 times. Not to mention the hundreds of BSU Basketball games, the parades, the on campus events, hell, even the NCAA College Football video game plays the song (my team is obviously Boise State) on an endless loop. Given all that, I have to figure I’ve easily topped 10,000 times I’ve heard that tune. Probably more. And I’m only 32. In fact, I’ve listened to it another dozen times since I’ve been writing this. If I’m lucky, by the time I finally kick off, I may have heard the song 50,000? 70,000? Who knows. Just put me in an orange and blue coffin and call it a day.

All this week, I have been wearing a different orange shirt to get ramped up. How many people in my office noticed? Zero. But dammit, I didn’t do this for others. I did it for me, and my team. Boise State football is my only true love in life. Other fans may have multiple teams that they love. One in each sport. But growing up in Idaho, isolated from all other pro and college sports, there was one game in town. I have ‘sports monogamy’ to the nth degree. I love sports, but simply do not have a favorite team in each one to root for. I might need a ruling on if that makes me less of a sports fan or not. I just say I’m a product of my environment. For me, the world stops when Boise State is playing.

This year is different. I’m moving on in life and that includes my gameday experience. See, the ex-laws always did a big tailgate, that grew exponentially when I was there. The first year was low key, but by the time last year rolled around, it was a serious deal. For me, those 6 days a year WERE better than Christmas. We would spend all day in the parking lot tailgating. We would get there at 9am for a 6pm kickoff. I love the atmosphere. The friends. The food. The beer. Capped off by the game (plus the fact that we are 45-2 at home since 1999) then more beer and food postgame… just an unbelieveable experience.

But, now I’m on my own to figure out how to get the most of the gameday. I’m disappointed the be on the outs now, but goddamnit, I’m not going to let it ruin Boise State Football for me. So, maybe now I’ll get to see a few more national games on TV. Maybe I’ll find some other friends to tailgate with. Who knows. But I do know one thing. I love Boise State football more than anything else. Bottom line.

And for me, that makes today VERY special.

Go Broncos.

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Boise State Football LotD

In order to get myself geared up as well as share the wealth to anyone who might be interested, I’ve created a new page on this site. On the right you will see a link titled “Boise State Football Link of the Day”. Every day I will post 1 (or maybe more than one if I have them) links to articles I’ve found that mention or are about Boise State football.

It is my one true passion that I have. I figure I spend so much time finding information, I might as well try to get it to someone else who might be interested. I began it Saturday, July 15th. As of this post going live, we’ve got 46 days, 4 hours, 39 minutes and 27 seconds til the season kicks off. Not that I’m counting or anything…
So, visit daily if you want. If you couldn’t care less, ignore it. Simple athat.Go

Go Broncos.

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Ultimate Bronco Fan

Ok… one more sports related post. I wanted to post this… well, I guess it’s an essay… I wrote to win a contest the local sports talk radio show was running. Essentially, tell us why you’re the biggest Boise State fan, sorta thing. Well, that was right in my wheelhouse, so I stepped up and knocked it out of the park. For the record… yes, we are the team with the blue field. No, geese do not crash into it thinking its water. Yes, I love it. I ended up winning a Boise State swag package, Season review DVD, autographed Poster by the head coach, t-shirt, tickets to the spring game, etc etc etc.

Bear in mind, this was written when I was still happily married, so there will be references to that in there. I’m not going to edit it at all, cause it was true when I wrote it, April ’05. I have added a little explanation of some items for those of you out there who don’t have an intimate knowledge of the Broncos.

Enjoy.

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What demonstrates that I am a dedicated Boise State Bronco fan?Well, the possible answers to that question might well be endless.

It could be that my dad, my sister, my wife and I are all alumni, but many people could boast that.

Perhaps its because I have basketball season tickets, and did not miss a home game this season… which is saying something. My basketball experience began as young impressionable kid with Bolden, Childs, Usitello, Jones, and King and can be traced in a continuous line through Beard, Coker, Huleen, Jackson, Bergersen, Washington all the way to adulthood with Lane, Karl, Ellis, and Blackburn. When I hear KJ Mac in his radio day job, I keep expecting to hear him call, “Wwwwwwwwalking… ball to the BRONCOS!”

It could be that I have not missed a home Bronco football game in 13 years, and I’m only 31 years old. Maybe it’s because I proposed to my wife prior to the 2002 Fresno State football game, and both families gathered at the tailgate party to celebrate. The whole family and many friends tailgate at every home game, both pre and post game. All are welcome, and they always know where to find us, no invitation required. Something has to be said for the first people to roll into the stadium lot in the morning also being among the last people to call it a day and go home following another Boise State win. To us, a football game just isn’t a game. It is a state holiday that we celebrate with vigor 6 or 7 times a year. Go all out, or don’t go at all. You just know going in that you need to plan to be there for 12 hours or more.

Yes, I do consider Bobby Dye and Pokey Allen personal heroes.

Perhaps its because 3 of my top 10 all-time life moments involve Boise State Football:

  • Boise State ending “The Streak” (12 straight losses) against arch rival Idaho in 1994, 27-24 to win the Big Sky conference (watching Offensive Coordinator Al Borges among the fans hanging from the goalposts) and the ensuing playoff run culminating in playing in the 1-AA national championship game (Pokey would die of cancer just over a year later… I still remember the cancer he had: rhabdomyosarcoma)
  • 2001, Boise State 35, undefeated #8 and media darling Fresno State 30 (in their house on national television)
  • 2002, the aforementioned ‘engagement game’ Boise State 67, Fresno State 21 and being part of a Bronco Stadium record crowd (and the first one truly decked out head to toe in orange). Quarterback Ryan Dinwiddie coming back from a broken ankle, not playing the whole 1st quarter, but still ending the game 19-22, 406 yards and 5 touchdowns. Greatest performance I have ever seen live.

It could be that I cannot imagine hearing anybody but Paul J. as the voice of Boise State Athletics, and think it will be a sad sad day when he retires.

Maybe it’s the fact that half of my wardrobe is indeed orange.

But lets be honest, there are thousands of people in this valley who could say the same to any or all of these things. There is one aspect of my Boise State fandom that belongs to me and me alone. It is a part of family lore and is a favorite story that has been told many many times. Saturday, November 24th, 1973, Boise State was finishing its regular season schedule with an away game at UC Davis that afternoon. My dad, being an alumnus and fan, was listening to a young Paul J call the game in his first season on the job. My mom was very pregnant with me. In the middle of the 2nd quarter, Mom gives him those dreaded words, “Its time to GO”. Of course, he’s both upset and excited at the same time. I feel for the guy… the game is TIED for pete’s sake! Fortunately for all involved , he made the correct choice and grudgingly drove mom and me to the hospital, game on the whole way. Upon arrival, mom is admitted and dad is off to find a radio. As my mom is wheeled into the delivery room, the doctors are actually listening to the game while my mom is giving birth to me. I’ve always said, I’m not sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing that BSU won the game (32-31) since I was risking a spike or a fumble either way. Luckily, both the doctors and the Broncos held on. It is very likely, that the first words I heard in my life belong to that of Paul J. Schneider calling a Boise State football game.

It doesn’t get any more true Blue & Orange than that.

Go Broncos!