(12-21-2014 02:04 AM)epasnoopy Wrote:  Yeah, the support from Boise was pathetic for the Potato Bowl. Wonder how much longer that game will last.

As long as the Idaho Potato people want it to last?

(12-21-2014 05:35 AM)BruceMcF Wrote:  

(12-21-2014 02:04 AM)epasnoopy Wrote:  Yeah, the support from Boise was pathetic for the Potato Bowl. Wonder how much longer that game will last.

As long as the Idaho Potato people want it to last?

Contract negotiations concluded last year so we are stuck with the Potato Bowl for 5 years right?
I was apprehensive about the Camilla Bowl but it looked like a packed house and the game did not disappoint. The Boca has even greater buzz so I expect much of the same. I suspect these new bowls will do well.

The sooner the Potato Bowl gets moved the better.

(12-21-2014 05:58 AM)SApuro Wrote:  

(12-21-2014 05:35 AM)BruceMcF Wrote:  

(12-21-2014 02:04 AM)epasnoopy Wrote:  Yeah, the support from Boise was pathetic for the Potato Bowl. Wonder how much longer that game will last.

As long as the Idaho Potato people want it to last?

Contract negotiations concluded last year so we are stuck with the Potato Bowl for 5 years right?
I was apprehensive about the Camilla Bowl but it looked like a packed house and the game did not disappoint. The Boca has even greater buzz so I expect much of the same. I suspect these new bowls will do well.

The sooner the Potato Bowl gets moved the better.

If the MWC is so keen to have two of their bowls on "home turf", I wish they'd find some sponsor who'd like to move the Idaho Potato bowl to Denver.

(12-21-2014 05:58 AM)SApuro Wrote:  

(12-21-2014 05:35 AM)BruceMcF Wrote:  

(12-21-2014 02:04 AM)epasnoopy Wrote:  Yeah, the support from Boise was pathetic for the Potato Bowl. Wonder how much longer that game will last.

As long as the Idaho Potato people want it to last?

Contract negotiations concluded last year so we are stuck with the Potato Bowl for 5 years right?
I was apprehensive about the Camilla Bowl but it looked like a packed house and the game did not disappoint. The Boca has even greater buzz so I expect much of the same. I suspect these new bowls will do well.

The sooner the Potato Bowl gets moved the better.

I'm excited about these new bowls (e.g., Camellia, Boca, Bahamas).

The locations are nice, the weather excellent, and the timing (right before Christmas) ideal.

Decades ago the bowl game model was built on the notion that fans of northern teams (e.g., B1G) would gladly travel to warm weather cities to see their ranked teams play other ranked teams in high profile games.

The Boca bowl meets that criterion at the G5 level: Boca Raton is certainly a warm weather city. And NIU vs Marshall is high profile at the G5 level.

(12-21-2014 02:04 AM)epasnoopy Wrote:  Yeah, the support from Boise was pathetic for the Potato Bowl. Wonder how much longer that game will last.

It was 39 and pouring the entire game...

It's Boise in December pretty much every year. Enough said.

(12-21-2014 09:40 AM)BobL Wrote:  

(12-21-2014 02:04 AM)epasnoopy Wrote:  Yeah, the support from Boise was pathetic for the Potato Bowl. Wonder how much longer that game will last.

It was 39 and pouring the entire game...

So, your point? Surely when the bowl game was created someone thought that in December in Idaho that bad weather could very well be a possibility.

(12-21-2014 10:36 AM)epasnoopy Wrote:  

(12-21-2014 09:40 AM)BobL Wrote:  

(12-21-2014 02:04 AM)epasnoopy Wrote:  Yeah, the support from Boise was pathetic for the Potato Bowl. Wonder how much longer that game will last.

It was 39 and pouring the entire game...

So, your point? Surely when the bowl game was created someone thought that in December in Idaho that bad weather could very well be a possibility.

The point is that support from the locals is MUCH higher in better weather. Case in point, when NIU played there in 2010. Take a look at crowd shots when the game started. Much higher turnout, with decent but not great weather (cold with snow by the end of the game).

2010 Humanitarian Bowl attendance - 25,449
2014 Potato Bowl attendance - 18,223

Know what you're talking about before you make a statement like that.

The utah state vs toledo game was near a sellout in Boise in 2012

If we're going to have to play a MWC team thousands of miles from our schools, we might as well make it a destination like we've just done with the Bahamas. Ideally we could switch our tie-in from Boise and Hawaii with C-USA, otherwise we should do everything we can to move the Potato Bowl to Denver (Seattle would even be an improvement) like BruceMcF said. From what I've heard, Boise is a decent city with nice people, but you could justify a bowl game in Topeka if that was the standard.

(12-21-2014 01:10 AM)Rightupinthere Wrote:  This was the strangest game I've ever seen.

BG coaching is outrageously bad.

S. Alabama was outmatched in most facets. Even their speed advantage was only intermittent. But BG managed to keep it close.

(12-21-2014 05:07 AM)emu steve Wrote:  I got the impression the game wasn't between two great teams, but it was a very entertaining game.

It was all full of highlight plays including the ones at the end which decided the game.

I agree. South was probably the 6th best team in the SBC this year, and it showed. They are madly inconsistent, and while they have some good athletes, they don't have the smartest football players.

They are your typical 3rd year FBS program. They are capable of keeping every game close, and pulling surprises when they get overlooked, but they don't have the clear level of talent yet because of a lack of recruiting. They'll get better.

I was far from impressed with BGSU. Looked like a decent team, but coaching left a lot to be desired, and that's a large portion of the game.

Texas State or Arkansas State would have been a far better match for BGSU, but stAte had already been selected, and there was no way Montgomery was turning down the local team unless forced too.

BG was more than likely the 4/5 best team in the MAC. They only played in the championship game because the east division is so bad

(12-21-2014 10:54 AM)huskiebob Wrote:  

(12-21-2014 10:36 AM)epasnoopy Wrote:  

(12-21-2014 09:40 AM)BobL Wrote:  

(12-21-2014 02:04 AM)epasnoopy Wrote:  Yeah, the support from Boise was pathetic for the Potato Bowl. Wonder how much longer that game will last.

It was 39 and pouring the entire game...

So, your point? Surely when the bowl game was created someone thought that in December in Idaho that bad weather could very well be a possibility.

The point is that support from the locals is MUCH higher in better weather. Case in point, when NIU played there in 2010. Take a look at crowd shots when the game started. Much higher turnout, with decent but not great weather (cold with snow by the end of the game).

2010 Humanitarian Bowl attendance - 25,449
2014 Potato Bowl attendance - 18,223

Know what you're talking about before you make a statement like that.

The weather is just an excuse. Its DECEMBER in IDAHO! What else would you expect? 60s and sunny?

If it was a Boise State team in the game it would have been sold out.

And there were definitely not 18,000 people at that game.

(12-21-2014 09:22 PM)numbersdontlie Wrote:  BG was more than likely the 4/5 best team in the MAC. They only played in the championship game because the east division is so bad

MAC FB Conference Record 2014:
NIU 7-1(West)
Toledo 7-1(West)
WMU 6-2(West)
CMU 5-3(West)
BGSU 5-3(East)
Ball State 4-4(West)
Ohio U 4-4(East)
Buffalo 3-4(East)
Akron 3-5(East)
U Mass 3-5(East)
Miami U 2-6(East)
Kent State 1-6(East)
EMU 1-7(West)

BGSU MAC West Losses:
WMU
Toledo
Ball State
NIU

Yeah, what he said above. BGSU was likely the 6th best team. So in reality it was a fair matchup.

Probably a couple thousand AFA fans and a few hundred WMU fans, then the rest locals who braved the elements. 18k probably would have been there if it didn't rain. I talked to lots of people that said it was a family tradition to attend that game and root for the MWC representative. Why is it hard to believe thousands of Boise fans bought tickets to the game like they do every year, but in the end passed because of weather. No doubt in my mind the tickets were sold... But hard rain and 39 isn't exactly normal in Boise. 29 and sunny would have granted many many more butts in seats.

(12-21-2014 11:14 PM)UofToledoFans Wrote:  Probably a couple thousand AFA fans and a few hundred WMU fans, then the rest locals who braved the elements. 18k probably would have been there if it didn't rain.

18k was likely the number of tickets sold. If so, that's not exactly strong support for a bowl game. Bowl games need to sell more tickets than that to be successful.

(12-22-2014 01:52 AM)epasnoopy Wrote:  

(12-21-2014 11:14 PM)UofToledoFans Wrote:  Probably a couple thousand AFA fans and a few hundred WMU fans, then the rest locals who braved the elements. 18k probably would have been there if it didn't rain.

18k was likely the number of tickets sold. If so, that's not exactly strong support for a bowl game. Bowl games need to sell more tickets than that to be successful.

18k and I bet all were pre sold. If it was more favorable weather they would have had a lot more locals head to the stadium and buy tickets at the gate. Ask anyone who has been there, the locals do support the bowl well. You could play the game at the horseshoe and if OSU aint playin, not many locals are going to be like "lets sit in the rain and cold to watch two random teams play."

(12-22-2014 02:21 AM)UofToledoFans Wrote:  

(12-22-2014 01:52 AM)epasnoopy Wrote:  

(12-21-2014 11:14 PM)UofToledoFans Wrote:  Probably a couple thousand AFA fans and a few hundred WMU fans, then the rest locals who braved the elements. 18k probably would have been there if it didn't rain.

18k was likely the number of tickets sold. If so, that's not exactly strong support for a bowl game. Bowl games need to sell more tickets than that to be successful.

18k and I bet all were pre sold. If it was more favorable weather they would have had a lot more locals head to the stadium and buy tickets at the gate. Ask anyone who has been there, the locals do support the bowl well. You could play the game at the horseshoe and if OSU aint playin, not many locals are going to be like "lets sit in the rain and cold to watch two random teams play."

Exactly the point I was making. I was at the UDrove Humanitarian Bowl in 2010. Even though it was NIU-Fresno State and chilly weather, the locals turned out in strong numbers. We saw thousands of fans wearing Boise State gear.

They do know and appreciate college football in Boise!