East Coast Bias Blues

Have you ever watched a Boise State home game? How about the MPC Computers Bowl, which some suits in the wacked WAC cooked up so that Boise could play a home game and call it a bowl? I watched Boise State on its blue field last night, and it sucked.

Sure, my first instinctive reaction, like most people, was that something was wrong with the color settings on my TV. Then I realized that I could not look at the game for more than five minutes without developing a headache and nausea. But that’s not why the blue field sucks.

The problem with Boise State’s turf is that real college football fans – east coast traditionalists and west coast nationalists alike – know that real football is played outdoors on real grass. It’s tough to take a program seriously when it plays games on a Smurf-colored field. But still, that’s only part of why I was sickened last night.

What was really messed up about the game on blue carpet was that the WAC “powerhouse” was playing Oregon State. Actually, Boise State didn’t just host Oregon State on blue carpet, the Broncos beat up and shamed the Beavers 42-14, , a Pac-10 school with a history that includes one Heisman Trophy winner and a 41-9 spanking of domer in the 2001 Fiesta Bowl.

Even USC fans who, knowing that our nationally recognized program is beyond mere regionalism, had to feel the sting of embarrassment to see a Pac-10 team eat blue.

It’s one thing for Cal to lay down at Rocky Top or Wazzu to lose at Auburn – two SEC schools who play on real grass and wear black shoes. It’s entirely different when Oregon State receives a pummeling at the hands of a WAC school on frickin’ blue turf. And, on national prime time TV, no less.

Just more fuel for the east coast bias. Nice job, Riley.
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