“Online inquiries to the admissions office at Boise State University jumped 135 percent since the BSU Broncos football team won the Fiesta Bowl game Jan. 1.

BSU President Bob Kustra, who delivered his annual spring address to students and faculty this morning, said the graduate school also has seen an enormous increase in interest.

The graduate school normally gets three or four applications a day in the week after New Year’s. But, Kustra said, last week 30 to 40 applications came in every day — most of them from out-of-state applicants.”

I know, this just means more people moving into our state. At least it will give a lot of you something else to complain about.

Actually, Columbus currently has, and always has had (in the 15+ years I’ve lived here), an inferiority complex. We seem to live in mortal terror that we will never shake the sobriquet “Cow Town.” In response, our city council is an easy target for scammers that come in and tell them that such-and-such (Ameriflora, King Tut exhibit, etc.) will put us on the map.

These things always turn out to be financial boondoggles, and the losses are always passed along to us Cowpokes.

The exuberance expressed by all of us is almost palpable. The Broncos had their debut on the national scene and really gave an outstanding performance. The win unites us as a community and a state to a point in time which is a source of pride. For that one point in time we were not Ada/Canyon County residents, not urban/rural dwellers, not Democrat/Republican voters. We were Broncos. Whatever our differences (I’m a Vandal), we have this accomplishment by the team in common. I believe that this source of pride is a positive and can translate into other areas to the benefit of our community.

When we know people are watching we will want to put our best foot forward. We clean our homes and plant flowers when vistors come or spruce up our factories when travelling dignataries come seeking to strengthen economic ties. We do this to express our pride in our accomplishments. I think that the win may cause some people to get more involved in correcting the problems of which you write. But being the perrennial gadfly can give a negative cynical perception that doesn’t seem appropriate right now. Don’t rain on this parade.

And as far as the platitudes (put Boise on the map), surely you’ve watched interviews conducted by any sportscaster on TV. Fertile ground for pointing out mindless gibberish.

Don’t be so narrow minded. It’s far more than a “game.”

Know what would be nice too? Cats & dogs holding hands, singing in harmony.

More scholarships, more funding for low income students to help them with the basic necessities of life- food,housing, school expenses, transportation money. I would like to see every college,university in every town in America concentrate less on glorifiying a sport and it’s all too temporary ( and local) hero’s and start concentarting on helping all those students struggling with the demands being placed on them, especially financial, so that they can get a better education and become a contributing part to our great country…a country founded on a love of learning which produced a wisdom based on freedom and equality for all!

But the whole “put Boise on the map” crap reminds me of the pandering types we have in high places that still think Boise is stupid and toothless. They are the ones who are duped, impressed, swayed, used and eventually abused by the likes of developers, the Boise Chamber of Commerce, and just about any big shot from out of town.

Get ready for more Bill Agees and Larry Johnston types because we just don’t leave the gate open, we grease it so it will never shut.

This kind of attention (ESPN, Fox Sports) gets much more traction than a freak loose head on the highway or some nobody on just another popular reality TV show. My phone lights up with calls from out of town friends when BSU does big things in sports.

It doesn’t with this other stuff. People take notice of Boise and Idaho when BSU & their blue turf is splashed on ESPN. We owe Coach Pete & his team a debt of gratitude. So you too drop the shoulder chip & embrace these guys for mapping the way.

Drip Drop, Buddy