boise state copies Fresno State
In talking to people, many haven't yet noticed the offensive copy-catting of Boise State, which now adopted a longtime Fresno State tradition of awarding a sledgehammer to the special teams player who makes the biggest play in the previous game.
It's been done at Fresno State as long as I can remember under Pat Hill and special teams coach John Baxter. And now (GASP!howdarethey) it's being done at Boise State too. And when the 'Dogs visited Oregon in 2007 and noticed the Ducks were doing it also.
Now, I do realize Fresno State getting upset about others stealing its traditions is kind of like a turtle calling a snail slow (since Fresno State ripped "The Bulldog Bounce" from Wisconsin's "Jump Around") but you do not, under any circumstances, steal an archrival's tradition. What if Michigan started dotting the 'i,' or UCLA started holding up the 'v' for victory, or Texas started yelling 'Boomer Longhorn'? Not cool, right?
I mean, how would Boise State feel if Fresno State painted its field blue and wore all blue uniforms and helmets to camaflouge themselves? Or if Fresno State played mostly easy non-conference games and ran up the score on lesser opponents to build a questionable sense of entitlement on the national scene? Or if a Fresno State player taunted his opponent after a win and got a haymaker to the chin?
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It must be flattering for you to think that Boise State "copied" the idea of the sledgehammer from the Bulldogs. While BSU installed the practice at the start of the 2006 season, the tradition has been around at Army, Purdue, UConn, Eastern Illinois, Oregon and I am sure countless high schools.
ReplyDeleteWhen the Broncos start to copy Fresno's pension for underachievement, folding in the 4th quarter and losing to conference cellar dwellars, then you can be offended that your true traditions are being infringed upon.
So basically what you're saying is the first team Boise State played under coach Petersen that had the sledgehammer tradition was Fresno State?
ReplyDeleteFor the record, I've never seen Army, Purdue, UConn or Eastern Illinois do it -- Fresno State's never played them and has no coaching ties that I know of. I have, however, seen Oregon do it, and noticed for the first time at Autzen in 2007. And I noticed for the first time Boise State doing it last season.
Fact of the matter is, don't copy your rivals.
Are you insinuating that the Broncos picked it up because they saw Fresno doing it in 2006? I am sure the BSU coaching staff saw the inspired play of the Bulldogs in a 24 point blowout and decided to copy it.
ReplyDeleteFor BSU it was introduced by Special Teams coach Jeff Choate who brought the "tradition" from Eastern Illinois who has had the practice in place going back to the late 70's.
http://www.eiupanthers.com/news/2009/3/18/FB_0318093115.aspx
Bellotti has long used the sledgehammer as a motivational tool, but it did not make its on field debut until the Michigan game of 2007.
The Hammer, like a lot of other traditions in college football, is widespread and has origins long before Fresno or Boise started the practice. Boise State (mainly the fanbase) is not immune from stealing ideas from other programs. The first down chant, crowd whiteouts, cheerleader pushups after scoring and players running out of a smoke filled helmet are all things "stolen" from somewhere else.
There are a lot of things to like about the Bulldog program and even some things that the Broncos could emulate. The Hammer, however, did not originate at Fresno State, nor was Fresno the inspiration for The Hammer becoming a part of the Boise State program.
Oh no! Now look at this, in an Idaho Statesman story about nicknaming the Broncos stellar defense, a boise fan is suggesting "Blue Wave" -- sounds eerily similar to Fresno State's born in the early 1980s tradition of calling its fans the "Red Wave."
ReplyDeletehttp://voices.idahostatesman.com/2009/09/14/ccripe/boise_state_defense_needs_nickname_post_your_ideas_here
You're right, we all want to be Fresno so badly. It's really turned into an obsession
ReplyDeleteNo gratuitous clip of the Falcon Punch from the Oregon game?
ReplyDeleteUh... Fresno stole "and that's another fresno state... FIRST DOWN!" from Boise.
ReplyDeleteFSDogs1, you are a misinformed twit.
Stash, the first down chant is used all over the place in the NCAA and NFL.
ReplyDeleteAre you claiming that boise state was the first to do it?
(For the record) around our parts of Bulldog Stadium we've put our own twist on it -- we all yell "FRESNO STATE" and let the announcer yell first down, instead of visa versa.
What you boise "twits" aren't understanding from FSDogs1 is not to copy YOUR RIVAL. And not that the Bulldogs were the first ever to use the hammer.
ReplyDeletePlain and simple, and to reiterate, don't jock YOUR RIVAL.
... and shouldn't they simply be called "the wave?" Haha!
Mizarkn, I don't think you got the point. Boise got the Hammer from a coach who brought the idea from another school, not from Fresno St. And Boise used the Hammer BEFORE Fresno St. So it was not copied from you.
ReplyDeleteSecond, who said you guys were our rival? A rivalry is not one team beating the hell out of another team every year. We would like for you to be our rival, but every time you have the chance to enter the game with us as a ranked team, or conference challenger, you lose to La Tech or somebody like that before we get to play and therefore hurt our SOS. And then we beat the hell out of you anyway.
I think you all miss the point that things like this are College Football Tradition.
ReplyDeleteFSDOGS1- Quit being so possessive, it makes you look ugly.
Sledgehammers, chants, cheerleader push-ups, crazy nicknames, are part of all of football. They can't be stolen. Come on.
Nothing else worth posting on your blog? slow day? Come on over to OBNUG, its nice and toasty inside.
Look at this quote from "Anonymous":
ReplyDelete"And Boise used the Hammer BEFORE Fresno St."
No. boise didn't. We've established this. In fact, Fresno State was using it 9-10 years before boise.
Mikrino, no worries, we're nice an toasty here too -- we're well on our way to tomorrow's 98 degree kickoff temperature. Enjoy.