Abby Vandal

Abby wants to know why I have a Boise State hat

I've been a BSU football fan for many years. I've enjoyed watching them build their reputation from an unknown to a nationally recognized team. It was fun watching them during their "FBS Buster" days. The major conferences wanted to keep control of the big bowls, and all the big money that went with them. The suits who ran the established conferences always tried to come up with schemes to keep the smaller schools out. But no matter how hard they tried to rig things in their favor, BSU would always find a way to beat the system. It reminded me of the old movie Rollerball.

Since the BSU football team did a good job of representing the small city of Boise when they played against the Big Boys I would often wear Boise State caps and tshirts. That changed when I went to work for the University of Idaho. They were rivals in football for many years with the Vandals having the upper hand. That changed after BSU made the jump to Division I and as the Broncos got better they left U of I far behind. The Vandals are like a Big Brother who was used to pushing their younger sibling around. Now the younger brother has grown up to be bigger and stronger and the tables have turned, and it doesn't sit well with the Vandals. So I certainly don't wear BSU gear at work. I don't even wear it around town anymore although I still wear Boise State sometimes when I travel. And I have an old, beat up BSU hat that I wear sometimes when I work in the (back)yard.

I don't think Abby approves of my hat

The first time that BSU was in the Fiesta Bowl we were in the process of moving to Singapore. The movers had come to pick up all of our furniture just before New Years to put in storage. But we worked out a special deal with them to leave the tv over the holiday and promise to come back and pick it up first thing in the morning on January 2 before they drove our stuff to the warehouse for storage. Sandy, Shannon and I sat on the floor watching the game on tv in an otherwise empty house.

The second time that they were in the Fiesta Bowl we were back from Singapore. It turned out that the Packers were playing the Cardinals the weekend before so we were able to get a package deal that included both games. We took a lot of abuse because we were staying in the same hotel as the TCU marching band, but they got really quiet after the game when the Broncos won. Sandy still can't stand seeing the Horned Frogs hand sign after that week, but it was a fun trip.

That settles it - Abby isn't a Bronco fan

Now the Broncos made it to the Fiesta Bowl again.

Although Abby would sit on the couch with me when I watched BSU football games, I don't think that she is a Bronco fan. I got the feeling that in a lot of games she was rooting for the other team: Washington (the Huskies), Fresno State (the Bulldogs), Nevada (the Wolfpack) and the New Mexico (the Lobos). I guess she is loyal to her genus. So when I left my BSU hat laying around and Abby found it, she was quick to grab it. It didn't take long and she made her true feelings known.

She completely shredded the hat. I guess that she is not a Bronco fan. Well, at least I don't have to worry about anyone from work seeing me wear a BSU hat anymore.