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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Huckleberries Online

Peanut Gallery (Who cares about Griz?)

(The battle between Hayden Hermit and Eagle Eye has spilled out onto the section front from the "comments" section of Best of the Northwest today. Hayden Hermit'd better hope my sister-in-law Lisa, a Montana grad, doesn't see this. Make sure you read Eagle Eye's poetic response below.)

Okay, nobody outside of Missoula cares about I-AA football. HA HA HA, I have to laugh at you... 20,000 fans at Grizzly Stadium. My my, that IS big-time, isn't it? Montana is the most successful I-AA football team in the country and they're losing millions. If Idaho is to win again at the I-A level (lest we forget the '96 through '99 seasons?) they can't be recruiting sub-par Idaho talent. Even Boise State knows that, and they get state subsidies too.

Sorry Eagle, the high schools in Idaho just aren't producing enough I-A level talent. But thank goodness for such powerhouses as Montana and Eastern Washington so our local boys can get a scholarship.

Speaking of Eastern Washington, look at the year they had... And what was their regular season attendance average? Less than 10,000? Yeah, I-AA football is really bringing in the fans.

If you look at the Vandal roster you'll see that Nick Holt and Staff have done a fine job of building a team of mostly HIGH SCHOOL recruits. But they go after the BEST, regardless of what state they grew up in.

Like I said, the Big Sky is a losing proposition and ANCIENT HISTORY. The Vandals found immediate success in I-A until a bonehead coach named Tom Cable came along and coached them into the ground.

Get over the Big Sky. It's done. Idaho is back with its original, and best rivals, Nevada, Boise State and Utah State. Where it belongs.

We're in, are you?

Hayden Hermit

DFO: To which Eagle Eye responded:

Hayden Hermit, he's a big Vandie fan
And he loves Coach Holts football plan
He doesnt want any Idaho boys,
Just taxpayer money and some fan noise
He says Idaho can compete,you'll see!
All I can say is 65-7, Boise!

DFO: If I didn't know Eagle Eye wasn't The Bard of Sherman Avenue ... (Hermit & Eagle, take a bow for your outstanding exchange today; the rest of you can read the entire set under Best of the Northwest.)




Huckleberries Online

D.F. Oliveria started Huckleberries Online on Feb. 16, 2004. Oliveria's Sunday print Huckleberries is a past winner of the national Herb Caen Memorial Column contest.