[Vision2020] An Open Letter to BSU President Bob Kustra

[Tom Hansen]

Courtesy of Mountain Home News (Mountain Home, Idaho) at

http://www.mountainhomenews.com/blogs/1137/entry/36258/

With special thanks to Rachel Turner-Bensen, a subscriber to the Vandal
listserve.

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An open letter to Boise State president Bob Kustra
Posted Wednesday, July 28, 2010, at 3:06 AM

Mr. Bob Kustra,

In response to your recent comments, I have four comments of my own to
share with you.

1. Part of the reason you would not like to see the rivalry game continued
is because Idaho fans question the integrity of your school's academic
programs.

"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 would like to personally apologize to you for the many, many times I
have made fun of Boise State's academic programming. I also send my
deepest apologies to VandalNation for my role in ending a storied
intrastate rivalry.

I've not only made fun of Boise State's academics, I've done so in print.
Prior to the 2007 game, I used my position as the Argonaut sports editor
to highlight the school's truck driving program to suggest Boise State
degrees only lead to jobs in the fast food and trucker industries.

My insults did not stop there. Just last week, for no real reason at all,
I made an unprovoked attack at the university by telling my facebook
friends, "if law school were easy, Boise State would have one," in this
note about preparing to move to Moscow to start law school next month.

Just because only 26 percent of your student body is able to graduate in
six years, and five percent do so in four years, does not mean academics
are not taken serious at Boise State University. These numbers, according
to the school's own student newspaper, rank Boise State in the bottom of
schools in the West for graduation rates, but surly that can't be an
accurate representative of the university.

I'm no college president Mr. Kustra, but if I were running a school with a
five percent graduation rate and a 14-0 football team, I, too, would make
the football team the face of my university. Because after all, how
important is graduating students at a university?

In an effort to clean up the "culture" at the University of Idaho, I
hereby pledge to refrain from making fun of Boise State's academic
programming, despite graduating from a school with a graduation rate more
than twice that of Boise State.

2. Respectfully, you are wrong to act as if you and football coach Chris
Peterson are suddenly bigger than a rivalry game that has been played
every year since 1971. Rivalry games are special in college football and
intrastate rival games are even more so.

To suggest the game has no value to the state or either program is ludicrous.

"I frankly don't care whether we ever play 'em again as long it goes,''
you said.

Intrastate rivalry games are about more than just the win and loss column.
They are about bragging rights for the next year for the fans of the
winning team. They are about "there's always next year"s for the losing
team. They are a big part of the college experience.

They bring people who live nearby together for an afternoon; they give
people who work together and support different schools a reason to joust
each other in good fun; they make going to a close away game more
meaningful. They mean traveling, can't miss games despite team records and
a weekend of fun for both teams. An entire season can often hang on just
one game.

Because so many Idaho fans live in the Boise area, the rivalry game is
unique. There aren't many areas where such a large portion of one school's
fan base lives in their biggest rival's backyard.

The game gives Idaho fans a chance to see their team without traveling
every other year.

The game also gives Boise State fans a chance to see a different part of
the state when the game is played in Moscow.

The game has value to the students and alumni base of both schools, no
matter where the game is played. The only place the game has no value is
to the Boise State athletic department's checking account.

Boise State will gain little from playing one of its few non-conference
games against Idaho every year. Idaho's poor on-field performance will
hurt Boise State's strength of schedule. If Boise State were to lose the
game to a 4-7 Idaho team, their national ranking and BCS Bowl chances
would take a big hit. They have little to gain and everything to lose in
playing Idaho every year.

Scheduling Idaho every year means Boise State would lose the chance to
play a non-conference game against a team like Virginia Tech, with a high
payout, national exposure and great BCS Bowl implications. Boise State
could also use the opening to schedule a school from another mid-major
conference or a team without any Division 1 players.

Sir, if money and ranking positions are the real reason you no longer want
to play an intrastate rivalry game, please just come out and say it.
People like honesty. There's no need to hide behind a college reporter and
try to pass the blame to her.

3. There's a really simple solution you and Idaho president M. Duane
Nellis --and your athletic directors --should employ after Boise State's
move to the Mountain West Conference makes an annual game a thing of the
past: instead of playing the game every year, agree to schedule the game
once every three to five years.

This would keep the rivalry alive, as opposed to just killing the
tradition all together, and would ensure all student-athletes and student
body members get the chance to experience the rivalry game at least once
while in school. This plan would add value to the game, as there wouldn't
always be a "next year."

Neither school would be tied into a game every year and the time between
games would hopefully allow Idaho to take steps to become more competitive
for the next game.

Idaho would also benefit from this plan, as the open schedule date would
allow Idaho to take a payout game, buy an additional win or schedule an
equal opponent without giving up its long-standing rivalry game.

4. You mentioned you and your wife no longer travel to Moscow for games.
This is unfortunate. Moscow is a great community and college town. I ask
that you reconsider your position and attend the November 12 game this
year, as it could be the end of a fantastic tradition and as Boise State's
president, you should be there.

If you do attend the game, I will be more than honored to show you around
Moscow for a little bit after the game. I have no doubt that if you got to
know Moscow just a tiny bit, you will find more than "a culture that is
nasty and inebriated."

Thank you for your time,

Robert J. Taylor

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Seeya at the games, V-peeps.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho
UI '96

Came a tribe from the north brave and bold . . .

"Here We Have Idaho"
http://www.tomandrodna.com/HWHI.mp3

"I-D-A-H-O Idaho Idaho Go Go Go"
http://www.tomandrodna.com/Vandals.mp3