Idaho: The Sickest State in America

My clock radio alarm went off at 6:30am this past Saturday morning. About ten minutes later I was laying in bed, still mending my emotional wounds from working close to 12 hours on Black Friday. I was in no mood to get out of bed, shower, eat, and drive to work. But then a clip of a play-by-play announcer yelling "The Boise dream is over!!" rang through my radio.

This did not change my feelings about working on a Saturday. However, it alerted me to the heartbroken population of Idaho - the angst, disgust, and sick feeling those people had to be dealing with. Suddenly working on a Saturday seemed less torturous.

As I ate breakfast and saw highlights of the game, I realized just how awful those Boise fans had to be feeling. They had the game won. It was right there. A 26-yard field goal is nothing more than an slightly extended extra point. Heck, even I kinda felt like throwing up.

Think about what Boise St. lost on Friday night. They lost a BCS bowl berth. They lost a chance to potentially play for the National Championship. They lost money - last year, the Broncos earned the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) close to $8 million for appearing in a BCS bowl.

But to the people of Idaho, much more was lost.

On a national level, Idaho is known for two things - potatoes and Boise State football. Personally, when I think of Idaho I think of the movie "Napoleon Dynamite" (I heard once upon a time that the movie was filmed there). The bottom line is this - no one really pays attention to the state of Idaho and what happens there. They (people of Idaho) go about their business, and the rest of the country does the same. What Boise State football brought to the state of Idaho was an identity. The Broncos gave Idahoans something to take pride in - something that they could look at and say "that's OUR team." And the rest of the country not only paid attention, but wondered if that team could possibly play for a National Championship.

So we strained our eyes, trying to make out what exactly was going on down on that blue carpet that high definition TV so annoyingly enhances. We watched Kellen Moore and Titus Young baffle opponents with spectacular throws and catches. Nearly three months ago we watched this team make a 4th quarter comeback and win against a Virginia Tech team many believed to be one of the best in the country. And so we began the process of wrapping our minds around the notion that the Broncos could be a legitimate title contender. For three months, we continually asked the question "Can this team really compete in the BCS championship if given the opportunity?"

That notion was put to bed on Friday night, and a dagger was driven into the pride felt by those citizens of Idaho.

Boise State will continue to play football. The fans will continue filling the bleachers and the turf will be blue as ever. But this senior-laden 2010 team will look much different next season. Will they be able to climb back to the top-3 in the BCS in 2011? Will they be relevant on a national level? That remains to be seen, but the quick and obvious answer is no. However, Chris Petersen has proved himself as a head coach and more recruits are taking a serious look at Boise State. All we can do now is wait and see if the Broncos can grab our attention once again.

Until then - here's to you, Idaho. The potato capitol of America.