Letters to Boise State: Final Countdown
In my last segment of the Letters to Boise State series, we get real, yo. You can go here to read the first letter and here to read the second (which was SOOOO popular), but keep an open mind with this one The time is over for snark.
Dear Boise State (henceforth known as BS...U),
So, this is awkward. I know I said some things that got you (and some of our kind as well) riled up, but trust me when I say that it was all in jest. Poorly done jest, but, well, you get the point.
Anyway, I'm writing you in our final correspondence to clear the air. Some of it was lost in the shuffle, but I do implore you to go back and read a little deeper between the lines. For example, I wrote this quote about your team and your coach in the first letter:
Fiutak swears up and down that it's time for America to believe BS is a good team and I think he is exactly right....If there's a better coach in America that puts guys in the places they need to be in order to be successful, then I'd love to have him pointed out to me.
You guys ARE good. There's no doubt about that. Someone noted in the comments of both letters that it sounded like this UGA fan was nervous because I "poked the bear." You know what? I am.
I've said it repeatedly on the podcast that this is a game where we have so much to lose. You wouldn't understand BSU, because you've been winning more than you've been losing lately. As you know, we haven't. I'm not dogging on my team, but this game is INCREDIBLY important to us. This fan base is ready and rabid to see a Georgia team that reminds us of the teams we have so much fun remembering.
Yep, we did beat you in 2005. It doesn't matter now. You beat Oklahoma after that. That doesn't matter now, either. What matters is that we've both had extremely long offseasons and we're both ready to see our teams be tested against incredibly worthy competition and see how we compare. You know you're excited about playing Georgia. We're excited about playing Boise State.
On this day, where college football kicks off with the kind of fanfare that resembles the most Southern of church revivals, I write you to tell you that I'm looking forward to Saturday. I respect you Boise State. I'll respect you even more on Sunday morning, regardless of the outcome. I wouldn't lie to you, buttercup.
But man, do I want my team to beat you guys. It makes my blood boil to think about a loss. Please take that as a compliment, as I want this win to see if we are what we think we might be. Thinking about this UGA team and our impending season has almost driven me to the edge of madness. You don't know (or maybe don't remember) what it's like to wonder if you have a 12-0 team or a 6-7 team. Let me tell you, it's frustrating to say the least.
So yes, I will be rooting against you on Saturday. I'll be doing so with as much Red & Black Fervor as I can muster. There is not a team on this schedule I want to get a win against more than you. Why? Because you're a Top 10 team that's earned its place. Why wouldn't we want to beat you? That's football. It's why you play the game.
I just wanted to make sure you guys knew that through all the ribbing I've given you, it's all based out of respect for who you are and what you've accomplished. That's why this letter needed to be written today. We Georgia fans take pride in our school, our state and our football. While that pride sometimes gets the better of us before a game, the idea is to never let it make us forget our good Southern values of winning with class and losing with class.
But make no mistake, we're not playing this game expecting to lose.
Safe travels to you and yours. I'd say good luck, but I wouldn't mean it. However, if we win, we'll be huge Bronco fans afterwards, so you've got that going for you, which is nice.
Until next time kids.
Be safe. (and Go Dawgs!)
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I pride myself on being and knowing that there are many many others like me who celebrate our football team with a great deal of class. I’ve been looking forward to saturday for 8 month, and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I am in for an excellent game. though I wish to boise state wins, I’m more importantly wish that nobody is hurt, nobody loses their cool, and that both teams win out the rest of the year. I is well with a good luck, but I definitely wouldn’t mean it. see you saturday.
"-Insert quote by famous dead guy here-"
by Yamani_luvbsu on Sep 1, 2011 10:08 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
and that is the absolute last time that I use speech to text for a comment
"-Insert quote by famous dead guy here-"
by Yamani_luvbsu on Sep 1, 2011 10:09 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I is well with a good luck, too, Yamani.
I is well, too.
by vineyarddawg on Sep 2, 2011 12:01 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
great job luda
Just read them all (late to the game) echoed much of my thoughts yet continue to wrestle with…respect but the deep desire to see things turned around in a major way
by talldawg on Sep 1, 2011 11:22 PM EDT via iPhone app reply actions
Thanks man. I hope you enjoyed them all.
Things got a little dicey in the second letter, but I like the whole series as a whole.
"60% of the time, it works every time."
What's that comin' down the track?
It’s lean, and mean, and red and black.
There’s nothing finer in the land
than a bloggin’ Georgia Bulldog fan!!
Take it easy on me, UGA faithful… that’s a brainwashed UF grad’s twist on a ditty that was probably already thrice butchered before it got to me years ago.
GO DAWGS!!
The Pillar of Pessimism, the Narrator of Negativity, and the Dictator of Doubt is here to rain on your Utopian Parade.
by VDawg on Sep 1, 2011 11:36 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
...and thank you very much, kind sirs.
It is great to be back.
The Pillar of Pessimism, the Narrator of Negativity, and the Dictator of Doubt is here to rain on your Utopian Parade.
by VDawg on Sep 1, 2011 11:38 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions 1 recs
an addition on the psychology
I agree with everything above. I too want this game, probably more than any other. So I ask myself why ? I think part of that has to do with momentum, the obvious answer being the key impact it has on the South Carolina game. Unfortunately, that states the obvious and is something we have all known for months.
The deeper psychological aspect is the cross we [may think we] bare for our conference brethren, for better or for worse. Any logical football fan, as Vegas can attest, understand that Boise should beat us by 3.5 pts :) The problem is that the passion that flows through this conference demands that Georgia win this game. Thus is our cross to bare.
Where this all makes sense goes back to the momentum aspect. If we lose this game, it’s not only a momentum killer from the standpoint that any loss would be—but its the mentality that our SEC competition will take away, right or wrong that they may be, that UGA is “not ready for prime time.” It’s an unfair burden because, like Ludakit said, Boise is DEFINITELY one of the five best teams in the country. But this conference is so passionate that, once blood is smelled, its time to move in for the kill. Like all things, perceptions and stereotypes can become a self-fulfilling prophecy…. especially in the world of Twitter and 24/7 sports blogging….
Just my 2 cents.
A wayward dawg in Memphis looking for the voice of reason
Not in Lexington
Unless we really get stomped by BSU, I don’t think they are going to be smelling any blood in the water up in Lexington, KY after their fiasco of an opener against WKU.. Check out the open game thread at Sea of Blue if you want to see a fan base that has more to worry about than we do, win or lose on Saturday.
Yes, this, esquiredawg
From the perspective of a fan of an SEC program, this is like playing Ohio State in a bowl game. It’s not a fair burden, but losing would open us up to endless ridicule. And it’d be worse than losing a bowl game to the Buckeyes because of the traditional perceptions of the opponents. That is, it’s not as bad to lose to a Big Ten powerhouse as it is to lose to a mid-major “upstart”. Again, this is unfair, and it doesn’t reflect reality, but there it is.
Bama folks still hear about the Utah loss, but they’ve won a national championship since then. And Boise State is a higher profile opponent than da Utes.
by NCT on Sep 2, 2011 8:40 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
How are you sure that they're DEFINITELY one of the five best teams in the country?
They haven’t played a game yet this year. They weren’t a top five team last year. Maybe they were in 2009, but how is that relevant?
by FisheriesDawg on Sep 2, 2011 12:41 PM EDT up reply actions
Dawgs vs The Blue
Get a clue! I am not sure that we care if you are a fan of The Blue, we just deserve your respect— win or lose!
You deserve our respect?
This kind of attitude is why I hope we beat y’all back to Div II ball.
Success is never final. --Winston Churchill
by Inteljumper on Sep 2, 2011 9:07 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
If we didn't respect your program
…you wouldn’t have a first letter to reply to, much less a third one. I assure you Coastal Carolina will not garner even a tenth of the attention your team has recieved.
by Droz on Sep 2, 2011 9:09 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
Only if
…it has fingergunz. Otherwise I don’t see how it helps.
by Droz on Sep 2, 2011 11:28 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Every time I see that picture, I say a little prayer:
“Please don’t let us lose to a team whose quarterback thinks he’s Isaac the bartender from ‘The Love Boat’.”
Go 'Dawgs!
He won't be feeling that good.
"One thing I will never do as long as I’m at Georgia is lose to Florida." - Herschel Walker
Shooter McGavin lives on...
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2316344801
Back off, man. I'm a scientist.
Now, this is all snark aside (mostly)
But is there a program in America that has dominated headlines like Boise has, but still managed to play the whole “underdog” card through it all? I can’t think of one.
Mer, there’s not a team on your schedule that doesn’t respect you. You’ve won a LOT of games in the past five years. I think the thing Boise fans can’t get over is that they can be respected, but also be disliked. It’s mind-boggling to them. I don’t like Boise. I never have and I assure you that after Saturday, I’ll be rooting for you to win them all if we beat you. However, if we don’t win, I don’t want you to win out. That hurts UGA in the long run, but I DON’T LIKE BOISE.
You’ll get my respect and you’ll get all the sportsmanship that goes along with it (no one getting injured, UGA fans showing respect to travelers since we’re the “host”), but I won’t willingly root for you unless it means I’m rooting for a one-loss Boise team.
If there’s one storyline I’m over in regards to this game, though, it’s Boise’s underdog mentality. It’s unfounded. YOU’RE THE FAVORITE.
Man, I’m ready for this game.
"60% of the time, it works every time."
by Ludakit on Sep 2, 2011 10:28 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Yeah, the thing I can't get...
… is why, when #5 is playing #19 and #5’s entire season is riding on this game, why is everyone saying that the pressure is on #19?
The truth is that the pressure is on both teams (for different reasons), but there is no more pressure on Georgia than there is on Boise State.
by vineyarddawg on Sep 2, 2011 10:44 AM EDT up reply actions
Exactly...
Boise has their entire program riding on this game. Lose it, and take a massive step back in national recognition considering how far down we fell last year. It puts them right back where they were in 2005 almost, having to prove themselves all over again.
If we lose, we can still beat South Carolina next week, beat Florida and others later on, still win the East, perhaps the SEC and have a wonderful season. This game is much less important for us than it is for them. They can’t resalvage the season if they lose, and we can very easily. In fact, with the way the SEC gets love for schedule strength, I could see us with that single loss make the BCS game over an undefeated Boise.
http://sportsandgrits.com/
reading is
fundamental.
I just wanted to make sure you guys knew that through all the ribbing I’ve given you, it’s all based out of respect for who you are and what you’ve accomplished.
I can bake like a demon.
Mer-Rod, so you joined today to make your 1st post ever?
Smacks of Trollish behavior, tardy at that, with out any indication that you are even a “Fan of the Blue” yourself. Join OBNUG.com sometime and meet some other fans of Boise St., but this is DawgSports and they have their own place in the world that deserves our respect too.
by idaho_techsan on Sep 2, 2011 1:29 PM EDT up reply actions
All I want to say to the dawg fans.............
is ………YEE-HAH…………football season is here. Good luck to the dawgs after BSU takes care of business….I hope. We NEED to win and then you guys win the SEC…..yea- that’s the ticket. It looks like our other “tough” opponent-TCU- is getting their butts handed to them.
Damn it seems like the off season gets longer every year.
Been fun reading the Dawg blog this year and I want to say your T.kyle King writes a good story, and a fun read. Almost as good as OBNUG…….you just need to change your alliance and you would be great.
Again, good luck to Y’all…and have a good season.
Thanks, papaspud. We're glad to have you around, and we appreciate your participation.
Good luck to y’all . . . starting about midnight tomorrow night! :)
Go 'Dawgs!

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