[Vision2020] Banquet Barbs Fire Up Boston College

[Area Man (Dan C)]

again, I reiterate:

Who do you hate?

DC


-----Original Message-----
From: vision2020-bounces at moscow.com
[mailto:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com] On Behalf Of Tom Hansen
Sent: Thursday, December 29, 2005 10:49 AM
To: Moscow Vision 2020
Subject: [Vision2020] Banquet Barbs Fire Up Boston College


>From today's (December 29, 2005) Idaho Statesman -
 
Mathias Kiwanuka, if you remember, is the Boston College foreign
exchange student who, after surviving his freshman year at BC as a
walk-on, earned a scholarship and a starting position on the BC football
team.  He is now attempting to extract his mother (and family) from
Africa where their lives are threatened daily.
 
So, naturally, the Boise mayor and the Beyond the Game Dinner at the
Boise Centre on The Grove decide to make light humor of his name.
 
Way to go, boise.
 
 
Banquet Barbs Fire Up Boston College
 
By Nick Jezierny
 
It turns out that all the motivation Boston College needed for
Wednesday's MPC Computers Bowl came from right here in Boise.
 
Eagles coach Tom O'Brien and several BC players said after they beat
Boise State 27-21 that they were offended by comments made by several
speakers - including Boise mayor Dave Bieter - at Monday night's Beyond
the Game Dinner at the Boise Centre on The Grove.
 
What irked the BC party was the number of speakers who ended their
speech by saying "Go Broncos."
 
What infuriated the Eagles was when Bieter and MPC Computers CEO Mike
Adkins mispronounced the name of star defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka.
 
"I've been to 19 bowl games and have never seen anything like that in my
life," O'Brien said. "The pep rally was the next night. You don't
disrespect the best player on the other team by making fun of his name
and have everyone in the audience laugh at him. There wasn't anything I
had to do to get this team ready to play. I ought to thank the mayor and
people of Boise."
 
Kiwanuka said he felt "disrespected" by Bieter's comments and even worse
by Adkins'.
 
"As far as Mike Adkins goes, he took my name and made it a punchline," 
Kiwanuka said. "I felt he purposely mispronounced my name and then went
off to crack a joke on my family name, which is something I hold very
dear to me."
 
Kiwanuka is the grandson of Uganda's first prime minister.
Elissa Reid, the director of public relations for Nampa-based MPC
Computers, said Adkins' comments weren't meant to be defamatory.
 
"We were very happy to have Boston College here," Reid said. "We
apologize for any misunderstanding."
Bieter's spokesman could not be reached for comment Wednesday night.
 
Gary Beck, the executive director of the bowl game, said some speakers
were out of line because the Beyond the Game Dinner is a bowl event that
is meant to be neutral.
 
"Obviously there were some speakers who probably should have been more
neutral," Beck said. "As a director, I'm going to correct that
situation. We have to work on making sure what happened doesn't happen
again."
Beck said he apologized to BC athletic director Gene DeFilippo after the
banquet.
 
Ryan Glasper, a strong safety who made two interceptions in the game,
said the team was angry after the banquet.
 
"Our captain is a tremendous leader," Glasper said of Kiwanuka. "If you
offend our leader, you're offending the whole team. When you offend our
leader and our role model, you basically target our family and that's
what Boston College football is about."
 
 
Take care, Moscow.
 
Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho
 
"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of
arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to
skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, a drink in the other, body
thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming 'WOO HOO. What a
ride!'"