Tuesday, July 28, 2009.

Brock Forsey has perspective on what Ian Johnson faces in trying to make the Minnesota Vikings roster. The former Boise State star says it's all about reps in training camp, something Forsey got as a sixth-round draft pick in Chicago. The Vikings convene tomorrow at Minnesota State University in Mankato, and Johnson goes in with the "undrafted free agent" tag. Draft choices are always going to see more action in practice than free agents, and Forsey says that helped immensely in earning him a spot on the Bears' team as a rookie in 2003. The next year, he watched former BSU teammate Ryan Dinwiddie try to make the Chicago squad as a UFA and hardly get a snap. Johnson did get a lot of action during Vikings mini-camps. Now, will that translate into reps when it counts over the next month?

The national take on Johnson continues to be interesting after all these years. Steve Wyche profiles Ian's quest with the Vikings in a feature at NFL.com. "Johnson is a celebrity, of sorts, known by football fans, People magazine readers and romantics alike," writes Wyche. "His dazzling two-point conversion that gave Boise State a stunning victory over Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl engraved him in college football lore. His televised, down-on-his knee, marriage proposal to cheerleader/girlfriend Chrissy Popadics shortly after the captivating win made him an international symbol of chivalry." But Wyche says, "Unfortunately for Johnson, that's where things crested--at least when it comes to football. "A player seemingly destined for on-field stardom ended up having his 15 minutes of fame expire just in time for him to be snubbed on NFL draft day in April."

There are five tailbacks on the Vikings roster--Johnson will be competing with second-year pro Albert Young, who was on the practice squad last season, and rookie Khalil Bess for the third spot on the depth chart behind Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor. But Johnson knows special teams are his ticket. "I got an itch to play special teams. I love it," the irrepressible Ian told Wyche. "I'm a football player. I love to hit. I like to block. I like to manhandle people and get in their chests and hold them down on punt returns. That's what I think I bring to this team. Percy Harvin needs to get the ball (on returns) and not have a man in his face. That means someone has to lock down the man on line. That someone is going to be me."

Taylor Tharp says, "I don't know," but the prospects of seeing the former Boise State quarterback in the Boise Burn's first-ever af2 playoff game this Saturday don't look good. Tharp had an MRI yesterday on the arm he injured in Saturday night's 56-51 loss to Spokane. He said on Idaho SportsTalk, "It's tough to say right now." But Tharp added that the pain from the awkward third quarter fall on his shoulder is the most he's felt in his football career. If he can't go, the signals will be called by backup Mark Thorson, who nearly rallied the Burn to victory versus the Shock. Tharp said he can relate to Thorson's success, having been a backup himself until his senior year at BSU. Tharp has no regrets--he could have come out early since the game didn't matter in playoff seedings, but the game did matter to the Burn, who have never beaten the Shock.

The Boise Hawks had already won the war, but they lost the battle last night. In their final meeting with Eugene, the Hawks were roughed up 10-2 by the Emeralds, who clubbed three home runs. That's only two fewer than the Hawks have hit the entire season. Jose Valdez and Brett Jackson did extend their hitting streaks to 11 and eight games respectively, though. Boise won the season series with Eugene 6-4 and now has one of those rare Northwest League off-days, returning to Memorial Stadium tomorrow night to face the Vancouver Canadians.

The Atlanta Braves are suddenly looking like the division-winning team of old, and Casey Kotchman is helping. The guy we call the "honorary former Boise Hawk" is hitting steady at .280 and played a big part in the Braves' latest conquest--a 10-2 win at Milwaukee Sunday that gave them eight wins in their last 11 games. Kotchman is unusual for a mainline first baseman in that he doesn't hit many homers. But he rocketed one against the Brewers, a three-run shot that broke the game open. It was only his fifth of the season. The son of legendary Hawks manager Tom Kotchman appears fully healthy again after spending time on the disabled list last month.

Former Idaho Stampede forward Jermareo Davidson has been released by the Golden State Warriors. Coming off a March surgery, Davidson did not bounce back at the Las Vegas Summer League this month, averaging just two points and 10 minutes over five games. The only player of local note who really made a mark in Las Vegas was Coby Karl, the former Boise State and Idaho Stampede star who's deciding what his next move will be. Karl had a good showing with the Denver Nuggets' entry in Vegas, averaging 15 points and 4½ rebounds in five games. What scouts probably liked the most was the fact that Karl shot 61½ percent from the field.

Former Boise State standout Graham DeLaet finished the RBC Canadian Open yesterday in a tie for 46th--and took home a check for $13,872. DeLaet, the leading money winner on the Canadian pro tour, completed the rain-delayed third round with an even-par 72, then carded a 71 in the final round. But the best news for Bronco golf of the present over the weekend was Blake Brown. He lost in the round of 16 in match play at the Arizona Amateur, but the sophomore-to-be from Scottsdale won medalist honors last week at the 85-year-old tournament. He did it by shooting a six-under 66 to jump 22 spots and take the title.

This Day In Sports...July 28, 1984, 25 years ago today:

The Summer Olympics open in Los Angeles--without the Soviet Union and 14 other Soviet bloc nations. Those countries boycotted the Summer Games, partly in reprisal for the U.S. boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. But the organizers of the L.A. Games, including C.E.O. Peter Ueberroth, were able to turn a rare and surprising profit of $200 million. Stars of those Olympics included sprinter Carl Lewis, who won four gold medals, and women's gymnastics all-around gold medalist Mary Lou Retton.

(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.)

---