By Chadd Cripe
ccripe@idahostatesman.com

With four weeks to go, we’re starting our weekly Bowl Championship Series and WAC bowl projections this week in Bronco GameDay.

The BCS is difficult to figure because the bowls likely would have to go against what’s in their immediate best interest to pick Boise State over a team like USC or Penn State. However, I have been saying for weeks on the KBOI game-day shows that the BCS power brokers might nudge the bowls to take Boise State and prevent the heat from Congress from getting more intense. Chris Dufresne of the

I had a chance to sit down with Idaho athletic director Rob Spear on Wednesday in Boise to discuss all things Vandal.

Unfortunately, Spear’s decision not to fly on the Horizon Air's Boise State plane did not come up.

Here’s what we did discuss:

The Obama Administration’s stimulus package has pumped millions of dollars into Idaho’s struggling economy and energy development is one of the areas that has benefited.

Micron Technology got $5 million to help jump start its efforts to move into light emitting diode manufacturing, which may get it in on the ground floor of a huge new energy efficient lighting technology. Amalgamated Sugar and Simplot got feasibility studies dollars to look into co-generation and energy efficiency programs that will improve their bottom lines.

Various sediment creates a wall of green slime on the spill way at the Diversion Dam Power Plant east of Boise this week.

Want to learn more about slow-cooked BBQ? Which Mad (Wo)Man you are? Or what city should play Shelbyville to Boise's Springfield?

Come to the Egyptian Theater tonight at 7 p.m.

It's Ignite Boise 3 night, which promises a full and eclectic evening of fun presentations. The rules: each talk runs five minutes, accompanied by a 20-slide presentation. One slide every 15 seconds.

A leftover from last week:

Former Sen. Larry Craig joined a diverse, bipartisan group of co-signers on a petition calling for the closure of the Guantanamo Bay prison — and for the prosecution of terrorism suspects in federal courts.

The petition caught the notice of Wall Street Journal blogger Jess Bravin. "Hours after the petition’s release, the Senate rejected an amendment that would have barred prosecuting Guantanamo inmates in federal court," Bravin wrote.

FISHING
The coolest thing we've heard this week is that trout fishing at C.J. Strike Reservoir is surprisingly good. Trolling with Rapalas near the dam could net you some 16-inch rainbow trout. Check out Roger's Fish Rap in today's Idaho Statesman.

RAFTS

By Chadd Cripe
ccripe@idahostatesman.com

The Boise State athletic department has created a non-profit corporation — Boise State Broncos Inc. — and will sell shares for $100, athletic director Gene Bleymaier announced Wednesday.

Shareholders receive a certificate and can vote on board members at an annual meeting. They do not receive any dividends and the stock doesn't appreciate. The purchase is tax-deductible.

The money will be used to help Boise State expand facilities, Bleymaier said. The idea came from the Green Bay Packers.

Even on a dull gray day in Boise I was able to find some color.

I don't think the 1st Congressional District race will really take shape until the end of November — or whenever Bill Sali decides whether he plans to seek his old job.

The Republican lineup changed considerably Tuesday, when state Rep. Ken Roberts of Donnelly left the race and state Rep. Raul Labrador of Eagle entered the race.

But Sali remains the wild card. And to some degree, I think things will remain in a holding pattern as long as Sali's campaign is in a holding pattern.

So let's look at the current shakeout, player by player: