Presented by BLAZ’N DIAGNOSTICS.
Thursday, May 22, 2014.
If Bronco Stadium is going to lose its name, one that actually dates all the way back to 1950 when the original wooden facility was built, I can’t think of a better alternative than Albertsons Stadium. That is now how the home of the blue turf is known, at least through the year 2028, as the Boise-based grocery giant and Boise State have struck a $12.5 million naming-rights deal. Albertsons Stadium becomes the 10th college football facility in the country with corporate identity. Selfishly, it resonates with me. Albertsons is the reason I’m in Boise—the company hired my father from Safeway when I was a junior in high school, and I’ve been here ever since. (And how ironic was the Albertsons bid in March to take over Safeway?) I see Albertsons Stadium as a very Boise thing.
The big picture: Albertsons has come full circle with this announcement. That day in January of 2006 was wrenching for a lot of us, when—in its 67th year as a Boise corporate and community anchor—Albertsons was sold in part to SuperValu as part of a $17.4 billion buyout. It was Joe Albertson’s supermarket, and his legacy was being yanked away. Then-CEO Larry Johnston was seen as parachuting away with $48 million. The price paid locally was steep for the chain. Essentially, the stores went local again in March of last year when Albertsons LLC bought out the Supervalu side. And that was under the leadership of CEO Bob Miller. Albertsons is a Boise corporation again, and there’s no better way to demonstrate that than to bond with the blue turf.
When the company sold in 2006, the future of the Albertsons Boise Open was called into doubt. It was one of the most popular stops on the then 16-year-old Nationwide Tour. To Supervalu’s credit, the Boise Open would survive and thrive with Albertsons remaining as title sponsor. Miller was asked yesterday if this monetary commitment to Boise State affects the Boise Open sponsorship, and the answer was a definitive “no.” Ironically, it’s been almost exactly 10 years since Boise State announced a 15-year deal to rename the BSU Pavilion as Taco Bell Arena.
CBS Sports.com reports that Mountain West athletic directors have recommended using the College Football Playoff selection committee poll to determine home field for its conference championship game this December. The contest is supposed to be played at the home of the highest-ranked division winner, which last year was Fresno State (using the BCS standings). If neither qualifier this year is in the CFP Top 25 at the end of the season, the conference would use the old BCS computers. Mountain West presidents are expected to approve the proposal when they meet on June 1.
“Time to get GQ and head over to the White House!” tweeted former Boise State standout Jeron Johnson yesterday as he prepared to meet President Obama. Former Idaho stars Benson Mayowa and Korey Toomer were also presumbly part of the Seattle Seahawks entourage that was feted for its Super Bowl championship. Toomer, by the way, participated in the Seahawks’ rookie mini-camp after missing most of last season with a knee injury. Reports say the linebacker had a strong showing, intercepting a pass and returning it for a touchdown. "Korey's had great workouts. He's in great shape and he's very determined," coach Pete Carroll said. "It's exciting to seem him have another chance at it. We're all pulling for him."
Graham DeLaet takes a No. 33 world ranking and No. 21 FedExCup standing into the Crowne Plaza Invitational today at Colonial in Fort Worth. The former Boise State star is coming off a top 10 finish last week at the Byron Nelson and is almost assured of going over the $2 million mark in season earnings if he makes the cut tomorrow (he’s less than $32,000 away). His career total is more than $6.8 million. He teed off in the first group this morning at 6 a.m. our time.
DeLaet’s coach at Boise State, Kevin Burton, has stepped down after nine seasons with the Broncos. Under Burton, a prominent local pro and one-time PGA Tour player, BSU logged only three tournament victories (and no conference championships), but it had great individual successes. DeLaet was WAC Player of the Year in 2006 and Troy Merritt earned the same honor in 2008. Including his WAC championship as a senior, Merritt won seven tournaments in 2008, the most in Division I-A. T.K. Kim, currently playing on the PGA Tour China, was All-Mountain West last year and seems destined for a pro tour stateside.
Andy Bettles’ Boise State tennis career is over following a 6-3, 6-3 loss to Virginia’s Ryan Shane in the opening round of the NCAA Men’s Singles Championships yesterday in Athens, GA. Bettles, the Englishman who led the Broncos to three straight Mountain West championships and NCAA Tournament berths, finishes with records of 106-42 in singles and 83-36 in doubles.
Former Boise Hawk Jeff Samardzija, the one-time Notre Dame wide receiver, was sharp again yesterday—and again he has nothing to show for it. Samardzija threw seven scoreless innings against the Yankees at Wrigley Field and left with a 2-0 lead. Then the Yanks tied it in the ninth and won it in the 13th, 4-2. Listen to this: Samardzija is winless in his last 16 starts dating back to last August and is 0-4 this season. Yet he has lowered his ERA to 1.46, the best in the majors.
This Day In Sports…brought to you by ZAMZOW’S…nobody knows like Zamzow’s!
May 22, 2004, 10 years ago today: Capping an unlikely but spectacular run through the ECHL Playoffs, the Idaho Steelheads win it all in their first season in the league, taking the Kelly Cup with a 5-2 win over the Florida Everblades before a raucous standing-room-only crowd in the Bank Of America Centre. The Steelheads were on the brink of elimination in the first round against Las Vegas—then goalie Dan Ellis returned from the Utah Grizzlies and put together a remarkable 13-3 record with three shutouts to earn Kelly Cup Playoff MVP honors.
(Tom Scott hosts the Scott Slant segment Sunday nights at 10:30PM on KTVB’s Sunday Sports Extra and anchors five sports segments each weekday on 93.1 The Ticket. He also served as color commentator on KTVB’s telecasts of Boise State football for 14 seasons.)
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