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Boise State Broncos prepare for the most hyped rivalry game against the Idaho Vandals
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Coach Pete always approaches this rivalry as an outsider, and so do the players. Pete says they warned him about this rivalry, so he takes it seriously, and he calls it healthy. The news hypes it like it is some kind of war.
The fact is, Boise is divided as a city. BSU is the local school, but a large percentage of Boise residents are actually Vandals. University of Idaho has a lot of offer, and it pulls many of its students from here. Many Vandals fans only come out of the woodwork for this rivalry game and pretend to be Broncos fans the rest of the year. After all, black and gold does not match the prevailing colors here.
Broncos fans have been trying to worry about this game all year. Idaho has done some great things so far this season, and with their passionate feelings toward Boise, they might bring some hurt with them. However, after the Vandals lost to Fresno last week, and their earlier loss to Nevada, it is hard to work up anxiety.
This game also has some strange dynamics in the form of conflict of interest. It might be in the Vandals’ best interest to lose this game because of the loss of revenue shares if BSU is unable represent the WAC in a bowl game. On top of that, the Vandals have nothing to lose in terms of their hopes for the post season. They are already bowl eligible, and losing to BSU will not hurt that.
None of this will affect the game, though. The Vandals hate losing to the Broncos, which they have done consistently since the 80s. Before that, they used to beat the Broncos consistently if memory serves (it has been a long time). They also certainly do not want to answer the inevitable media questions about the conflict of interest.
Vandals fans seem to feel this rivalry more than Broncos fans do. Broncos fans see this as a rare game where the opposing fans make a difference. The Vandals see this as an opportunity get revenge after years and years and years of embarrassment (you can see the pain in their faces).
Even the UofI administration is getting into the act. Horizon Air Lines, one of the larger local carriers, has been painting airplanes with the colors of football teams in the cities they serve. Recently, they honored Boise with a Broncos plane. That plane was in Moscow last week, and a UofI administrator refused to board it. He drove to Spokane to take a different flight to wherever he was going (Boise).
It promises to be a lively game in the cold this afternoon. This is the coldest day of the season so far with a skiff of snow on the ground and a bitter breeze. It will be worth putting up with the cold to put the Vandals to bed one more time.
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