[Vision2020] BSU President fires one across the bow

Tue Jul 27 17:20:30 PDT 2010

In part, Carl wrote:

"Actually, the unfortunate animosity has not been a one way street.  Neither
side has clean hands."

Precisely, Carl.  I could regale Visionaries with tales of my experiences of
bad BSU behavior towards UI - both here and in the southern part of the
state -- back when I first moved here in the Dark Ages (1988) and even
before I officially started at the UI (1/1989), but what's the point?  The
rivalry in good forms and bad - in sports and in academics -- existed long
before I moved here.

BSU Kustra's comments are simply, IMHO, another example of BSU trying to
convince others too smart (that would be UI graduates <g>) to fall for it
that their BS doesn't stink.  Will his revisionist history succeed with
anyone other than BSU administrators, students, and alum, or will it just
make BSU look like a bunch of thin-skinned whiners rather than educated
adults?  Only time will tell, but I'm betting on the intelligence of the
good people of Idaho to recognize that the sports-and-academic rivalry has
always been a two-way street with plenty of good and bad from both sides.
Should everyone strive to do better?  Absolutely, and that clearly includes
BSU's Kustra.

And, as a gal born & raised in Oklahoma who will always be a Sooner (one
parent a Sooner & the other an Aggie/now Cowboy), it's clear Kustra doesn't
have a clue as to what he's talking about with respect to other rivalries!
Living a sheltered life can have that effect, I suppose.

To bring it closer to home, surely an educated man like Kustra can't truly
be so totally clueless as to the serious academic-and-sports rivalry right
across the state line between UW & WSU?!  If so, it's clear the man is
highly overpaid!

One other point:  while I'm not a Nellis cheerleader, I've got to give him
kudos for his classy response.  Perhaps Kustra could benefit from some
lessons.

Just the Humble Opinion of Someone Who Thinks the Importance of College
Sports is VASTLY Overrated

& a UI Alum

& a UI faculty wife,

Saundra Lund

Moscow, ID

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do
nothing.

~ Edmund Burke

***** Original material contained herein is Copyright 2010 through life plus
70 years, Saundra Lund.  Do not copy, forward, excerpt, or reproduce outside
the Vision 2020 forum without the express written permission of the
author.*****

From: vision2020-bounces at moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com]
On Behalf Of Carl Westberg
Sent: Tuesday, July 27, 2010 4:30 PM
To: vision2020 at moscow.com
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] BSU President fires one across the bow

Actually, the unfortunate animosity has not been a one way street.  Neither
side has clean hands.  The response to this will be interesting, as there is
much intermarriage between the two schools, both literally and figuratively.
Could make for some interesting family reunions in our state.  I'll probably
have to disown my BSU graduate niece now.  BTW, here is the response from
President Nellis............"I was disappointed to learn of President
Kustra's reported remarks during his meeting with the Idaho Statesman
editorial board. I'm sorry to hear that Bob feels so negatively about his
visits to Moscow. Both the University of Idaho and the city of Moscow take
great pride in the friendly, welcoming and warm environment that a
quintessential college town like ours can uniquely provide. 

"Bob is right that athletic rivalries bring out passion in people for their
alma maters; I've seen this first-hand between national rivals like West
Virginia and Pitt, or Kansas and Kansas State. And I've experienced this
here in our own state - both positive and negative. People with passion for
their institution can say and do things that they regret. It's unfortunate
that this happens and all of our institutions should work to ensure that we
don't accept this unacceptable rhetoric. Late last week, I reached out to
Bob to let him know that I was personally disappointed in the student
opinion piece published by our student-run newspaper. I shared that
disappointment with the Argonaut editorial board as well. 

"In-state rivalries are meant to be fun. Our long-time rivalry with BSU is
important to the state, the economy, and the fans from both teams. We
embrace and celebrate that rivalry and I very much hope it continues. It
goes without saying that we value our relationship with Boise State both on
the field and court and in the many ways in which our two institutions work
together to serve our state and its citizens."

  _____  

From: reggieholmquist at u.boisestate.edu
Date: Tue, 27 Jul 2010 16:34:18 -0600
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] BSU President fires one across the bow
To: sunilramalingam at hotmail.com
CC: bear at moscow.com; idahovandal1 at live.com; vision2020 at moscow.com

Win at football.

I keed, I keed.

Seriously, though.  I just transfered up here from BSU, and I think the
animosity exhibited by UI boosters toward BSU in general is kind of silly.

-Reggie

On Tue, Jul 27, 2010 at 4:30 PM, Sunil Ramalingam
<sunilramalingam at hotmail.com> wrote:

What have they done to achieve this?

Sunil

  _____  

From: bear at moscow.com
To: idahovandal1 at live.com
Date: Tue, 27 Jul 2010 15:16:32 -0700
CC: vision2020 at moscow.com
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] BSU President fires one across the bow

Carl,

This is a surprise to you?  Just look at a comparison between not just
athletics  but also academics at both schools, and you'll see that Boise
State is planning to, if it hasn't already,

become the premier flag ship university in Idaho. And we have "US" to thank
for it........

On Jul 27, 2010, at 2:31 PM, Carl Westberg wrote:

>From the Statesman.....doesn't seem very politic of a university
president......

Kustra on the BSU-Idaho football rivalry: No reason to play it, even in
Boise

Staff - Idaho Statesman

Published: 07/27/10

Boise State president Bob Kustra said he stands behind football coach Chris
Petersen's statement that his team should no longer travel to Moscow for
games, Kustra said Tuesday in a meeting with the Idaho Statesman editorial
board.
The future of the 40-year-old series is in doubt after this season's trip to
Moscow, with Boise State headed to the Mountain West Conference in 2011,
while the Vandals will continue in the Western Athletic Conference.
"I frankly don't care whether we ever play 'em again as long it goes,''
Kustra said. "I don't see any reason to do it in Boise, but if somebody sees
a reason to do it in Boise, fine.
"I guess (Idaho football) coach (Robb) Akey would argue that if he upsets
Boise State, then that's a really big deal, but why is that to Boise State's
advantage?''
Petersen said Monday, while in Salt Lake City for the annual WAC preview
meetings, "Why would we (go to Moscow)? I don't think our fans even like to
go up there. Most of Idaho's fans are in Boise anyway.''
Kustra said he and Petersen talked about the issue last month, on the same
day Boise State was invited into the Mountain West. He said they are on the
same page.
Kustra said it's a "cultural issue,'' pointing out an article last week in
the Argonaut, the University of Idaho student newspaper. The headline of the
article was, "Who do we hate?''
"This is a great example of why my wife and I no longer travel to Moscow
games,'' Kustra said. "It's a culture that is nasty, inebriated and civilly
doesn't give our fans the respect that any fan should expect when visiting
an away team. ... I don't think at Boise State you're going to find that, so
for me personally, when I read what Pete said I knew, I knew.
"For me, this is not about football. For me, this is a cultural issue. It's
about fans having to learn how to treat other fans and universities. What
bothers me more than anything else, is that the fans are not about
denigrating our athletic program. ... What bothers me personally is the
denigration of our academic programming. That's what I simply can't
tolerate.
"I've seen rivalries all over America, Oklahoma-Oklahoma State, Texas-Texas
A&M, Kansas-Kansas State, but you can go inside those rivalries and you'll
find all kinds of slams and digs and whatever, but I've never seen the
nastiness aimed at the quality of our academic program that I find here in
Idaho from the University of Idaho Vandals and as long as that goes on, why
would I want to encourage a game where people don't know how to act like
grownups?''

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