A Simmering Hatred

Boise State football has always fascinated me. That fascination started when Chris Petersen was named the BSU coach. Petersen is from Yuba City, California which is a town near where I grew up. Coach Pete's father was the long time coach at Yuba College the local Juco school. Coach Pete then went on to play at UC Davis. So I knew Coach Pete's story when he was named the BSU coach and because of that I immediately became a fan of Boise State.

Other factors contributed to me becoming an even bigger BSU fan. Their victory over Oklahoma. Their little brother swagger. Their bag of tricks. Most of all though I like the fact they make BCS schools uncomfortable. I find BCS schools, including Pac-10 schools like Cal, to have a very elitist attitudes. The schools and their fans obviously think they're too good to even acknowledge Boise State.

And that's why I love Boise State. I love they make bigger schools and their fans uncomfortable. I love how Boise State refuses to be ignored when everyone else is trying to ignore them. I love how other teams fans don't want their team to go to Boise because the "stadium is too small" or because "the blue turf is unprofessional" or whatever excuse they might have.

Non Boise State fans have a simmering hate for the Broncos. They hate the fact that Boise State could take a BCS spot from their team. Hate the fact they even have to discuss the Broncos in the BCS discussion. Just plain hate the Broncos.

This would be an excellent conversation with the Colonel I figured.

Mos Eisley Cantina was mostly empty on Tuesday night. Everyone must be taking a night off from the long holiday weekend, I figured. Only the Colonel and couple of people I didn't recognize were in the bar. The Colonel was eating a burger and drinking a Sierra Nevada. I had Coors Banquet and no food. Important matters where at hand.

"What's your opinion on Boise State?" I ask the Colonel. "You went to a BCS school, do you believe Boise State belongs in the BCS conversation and does it fascinate you about how people either love or loath BSU?"

"Yes I believe BSU should play for the national championship," says the Colonel. "They run the table almost every year. I don't care what their competition is, they should be rewarded with a chance to play for the national championship.

"I think the reason so many people hate Boise State is because they do have a minor league appearance. From the blue turf to playing in the WAC now the Mountain West, they do have a feel to them to being a gimmicky minor league team instead of a school."

"Is that a good enough reason though not to go to Boise to play them?" I ask. "I've heard people say they wouldn't want their school to play in Boise because of the blue turf."

"That's a pretty weak excuse in my opinion," says the Colonel. "I know teams from the South and probably the North and West refuse to play in Boise because the stadium is small. Which in my opinion is a weak excuse also. That being said, all these excuses wouldn't surprise me at all why BCS schools won't go to Boise."

"What do you think about their schedule being an excuse to hate them?" I ask the Colonel.

"They can't help what their in conference competition is going to be," says the Colonel. "They shouldn't be punished for who they play in conference. Just like how I feel that SEC teams shouldn't be helped by who they play in conference because those teams usually play soft non-conference schedules."

The debate will always rage on with Boise State until either there's a playoff in Division I-A football or until they're accepted into the Big XII. There will always be the group of people who defend Boise State and those who will try to tear down everything Boise State. And there is no middle ground in this discussion.