THE FRONT ROW with Mark Nelke

Posted: Saturday, Oct 04, 2008 - 11:42:12 pm PDT
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Oh yeah, a game was going on, too

I have to admit, I didn't watch as much of the Idaho-Nevada game on Saturday as I normally would have.

There was more important drama going on inside the Kibbie Dome.

The storyline coming in wasn't so much whether Idaho could keep Nevada under 100 points as it was, what in the world were the new Vandal cheerleader uniforms going to look like?

You probably heard it revealed recently that the new Vandal cheerleader uniforms were a little too revealing. Since then the unis were scrapped (wonder if they're on eBay?) and the advisor has resigned, and more conservative outfits were ordered in time for Saturday's game.

Hmm, this might be more interesting than the 1-4 football team they're cheering for, I thought. So, like any good journalist, I had to do some research on this one.

Eight hours and one blown deadline later, I thought I had enough background information.

If you Google the words "Idaho cheerleaders" you come up with roughly 835,000 hits, as it were. A search for images on the same site shows the Vandal cheerleaders in their short-lived halter tops and short shorts.

Upon further review, they were definitely eye-catching but nothing to get too bent out of shape over -- especially compared to photos posted of cheerleaders in Argentina. Or at Florida State.

I have to admit, I didn't even notice the supposedly racy uniforms when they wore them for the home opener vs. Idaho State. Apparently that was such a riveting game that there was no time for the eyes to wander.

Or apparently I'm just really old.

BEFORE THE game, perhaps a couple dozen young men and women ran out to the center of the field and performed to music.

They were dressed in long-sleeve tops, kilt-like dresses and socks almost all the way up to the knees.

The only skin that was visible was from the top of the knees to the top of the shin, if that does anything for you.

If that was Idaho's idea of conservative, they've gone a little too far, we decided in the press box.

But alas, it was a false alarm.

Turns out they were from the band.

The actual cheerleaders emerged moments later, clad as you would expect college cheerleaders to be clad -- showing just enough skin to catch your eye, but not enough where you had to cover little Johnny's eyes or send him out for some popcorn.

EVENTUALLY THE teams took to the field and the game became the thing.

I am not sure if the curiosity over the cheerleaders' new duds had any effect on the game, but there were a few "coincidences."

• Tino Amancio, in his third year as the Vandals' placekicker, had never had a kick blocked. Until Saturday. We'll never know if the senior might have caught a peek of the cheerleaders out of the corner of his eye just before the kick.

• Standout punter T.J. Conley inexplicably dropped a seemingly good snap from center, chased the ball down and was tackled at his 1-yard line, leading to a Nevada touchdown. Who could blame him if, just prior to the snap, he snuck a peak to his right, where the cheerleaders were lined up, and it threw off his concentration.

• David Vobora, a former Vandal linebacker now on the practice squad of the St. Louis Rams (they have a bye this week) came out onto the field to receive an academic award.

When he returned to the sideline to watch his former teammates, guess where he wound up? Yep, not too far away from those cheerleaders. He's no dummy.

The cheerleaders apparently had little effect on Nevada, which handed Idaho its 21st loss in its last 23 games.

Soon the Vandal cheerleader uniform controversy -- a distraction, as it were -- will blow over, and the focus will return to the football team that also represents the university. As it should be, though it's a fun diversion while it lasts.

Now, on to other research ...

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via e-mail at mnelke@cdapress.com.