Thursday, July 3, 2008.

Not to be outdone by Boise State, Hawaii has submitted an athletic department budget of $29.6 million for 2008-09, $200,000 more than BSU proposed to the State Board of Education last month. Of course, Hawaii was not necessarily trying to keep up with the Joneses, the school was just doing what it has to do in today's challenging landscape. The difference between BSU and Hawaii is what happens at the end of the fiscal year. The Broncos balance their budget, while the Warriors habitually fall short--way short.

Oh yes, things evened out in the fiscal year that ended Monday. For one reason: Hawaii's Sugar Bowl appearance. The school had to use $2.2 million of its nearly $4.4 million BCS windfall to balance the budget. UH still has $4.4 million of accumulated debt in its athletic department from the past five years. This new Hawaii budget projects a $2 million deficit, and it could get worse--a lot worse--with travel costs in crisis mode over there.

With July here, we get a clearer picture of what NFL training camp rosters are going to look like. We already know about the nine active Boise State products returning from last season, plus this year's draftees, first-rounder Ryan Clady in Denver and fifth-rounder Orlando Scandrick in Dallas. But what about the free agent hopefuls out of BSU? Well, one of the four was cut loose yesterday, as Jared Zabransky was released by the Steelers. You wonder if it's meant to be for Z. It was a bad omen when Pittsburgh drafted Oregon's Dennis Dixon. The other three are still ticketed for camp. Drisan James is on the Raiders' roster, fellow wideout Jerard Rabb is on the 49ers' list, and offensive tackle Dan Gore is slated to get his shot with the Dolphins.

For the second time in five nights, the Boise Hawks were taken behind the woodshed last night. Tri-City manhandled the Hawks, 13-0, scoring five runs in the first inning and never looking back. Marcus Hatley, the Hawks starter on Opening Night, got the call against the Dust Devils. Hatley came into the game with a Northwest League-leading ERA of 0.79. But he promptly allowed seven runs in 2 1/3 innings, six of them earned, to see that ERA explode to 4.61. Boise had been routed 14-0 by Yakima last Saturday night at Memorial Stadium.

A couple other Hawks notes: Rebel Ridling has been named Northwest League Player of the Week. Ridling got on a roll last week, hitting .458 with a home run, seven doubles, and eight RBI. The 2008 draft pick out of Oklahoma State leads the league in doubles with eight and is second in RBIs with 15. And, there's a smattering of standing room only tickets left for tomorrow night's game against Vancouver and subsequent fireworks show. But there'll be fireworks tonight, too, and seats still remain as the Hawks return home to face the Canadians. Also, former Hawk John Lackey was named AL pitcher of the month for the second time in his career after going 5-0 with a 1.16 ERA in his five starts for the Angels during June.

Two former Boise Hawks were the spotlight-grabbers in the Marlins' 4-2 win over the Nationals yesterday. Alfredo Amezaga hit a two-run homer in the seventh inning after an hour-and-a-half rain delay to provide the winning margin. It was only Amezaga's second home run of the season, and it gave Hawks alum Ricky Nolasco his ninth win of the season for surprising Florida. Nolasco scattered three hits and struck out eighth in notching his fourth straight victory. The Marlins remain a game and a half behind the division-leading Phillies in the NL East.

Now that Nick Symmonds has guaranteed Idaho a track and field athlete in the 2008 Summer Olympics, we can see if there'll be more as the final weekend of the Trials commences in Eugene. Stacy Dragila, the Pocatellan who blazed a trail in the women's pole vault in the late 90's and won the first-ever Olympic gold medal in that event in Sydney in 2000, will give the Games one last shot. She competes in the prelims tonight along with Idaho Vandal standout Melinda Owen. Boise State grad Jarred Rome, Post Falls grad and former Washington State Cougar Ian Waltz, Idaho star Russ Winger, and Emmett High grad Matt Lamb are all looking at the discus prelims tonight, and BSU All-American Ryan Grinnell goes in the triple jump tomorrow night.

Dan Ellis is the first former Idaho Steelhead to become a real-for-real regular in the NHL, becoming the starter in goal for the Nashville Predators and signing a two-year, $3.5 million contract 10 days ago. B.J. Crombeen has the best chance to be the second, as he's been inked to a one-year, two-way contract with the Dallas Stars that would pay him $550,000 for the 2008-09 campaign at the NHL level. Crombeen, a member of the Steelheads' 2007 Kelly Cup championship team, played in eight regular season games with Dallas last season, notching two assists and 39 penalty minutes. Former Steelies Derek Nesbitt and Jeremy Yablonski have also signed two-way NHL contracts, with Phoenix and Ottawa, respectively.

For the second time in four years, BanBury in Eagle is getting all dressed up for a major event. BanBury successfully hosted the U.S. Girls Junior Championship in 2005--now it's the Pacific Northwest Golf Association Men's Amateur beginning Monday. It's the 107th edition of the PNGA Men's Am, and past champions include Tiger Woods in 1994, Rick Fehr in 1981 and Mark Weibe in 1979. Mark Weibe's son, Gunner, will compete this year, as will as Greg Norman Jr. and Mark O'Meara's son, Shaun.

This Day In Sports...July 3, 1976:

Sweden's Bjorn Borg, who is 20 years and 27 days old, becomes the youngest Wimbledon champion in 45 years when he defeats Ilie Nastase in straight sets. Borg would go on to win five straight Wimbledon singles titles before being stopped in the 1981 final by John McEnroe. We'll find out this weekend if Roger Federer can top Borg's streak.

(Tom Scott hosts the Scott Slant segment Sunday nights at 10:30PM on KTVB's Sunday Sports Extra and anchors five sports segments each weekday on 1350 KTIK/The Ticket. He also handles color commentary on KTVB's telecasts of Boise State football.)

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