The following editorial appeared Tuesday in the Twin Falls (Idaho) Times-News:

For some college football teams, it’s bad enough to play a bowl game in December in Boise. It’s worse when the hosting city insults the team and its top player.

Organizers for the MPC Computers Bowl in Boise appear to have learned their lesson after an embarrassing episode last week involving Boston College’s football team. The Eagles were in Boise to play the hometown Boise State University at Bronco Stadium.

Overshadowing a fantastic game last Wednesday, bowl officials and some local figures took some well-deserved heat after comments made at a “neutral” team banquet. Boston College players and coaches were not amused when speakers peppered their comments with pro-Bronco cheers during the Beyond The Game Dinner. BC Coach Tom O’Brien said the event’s blue-and-orange fervor served as a motivation for the Eagles 27-21 win.

“I ought to thank the mayor and the people of Boise for getting this team ready to play,” said O’Brien. “I’ve been to 19 bowl games in my life and I’ve never seen anything like that in my life when we sat through that banquet here.”

O’Brien jeered Mayor Dave Bieter for throwing in wishes for BSU to win a close game. Nothing controversial, just extra home cookin’ that didn’t sit well with the visitors. The jokes MPC Computers CEO Mike Adkins made at BC defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka’s expense were worse: Adkins joked about mispronouncing Kiwanuka’s name – a really bad choice. “You don’t disrespect the best player on the opposite team by making fun of his name and having everybody in the audience laugh at him,” O’Brien said.

“I’ve never been that disrespected as a player on Boston College football, as a member of the city of Boston, and as an individual,” Kiwanuka said. “To see the mayor get up and definitely say some disrespectful things and then to have that followed by the CEO of the title sponsor, saying what he said and kind of attacking me personally, I think that was ridiculous to say the least.”

Adkins, Bieter and MPC Bowl Executive Director Gary Beck all quickly apologized. And as embarrassing as the episode was, it shouldn’t be allowed to become a black eye to Boise’s successful college bowl enterprise. Teams from around the country have been cordially treated with respect in the Boise bowl’s nine-year run. But when the game features the hometown Broncos, the city, its leaders and bowl officials need to do everything they can to stop looking like a bunch of homers. Otherwise the joke’s on them.