FanHouse HumanitarianBowl

Turkey Legs to Go is FanHouse's complete travel guide for all of the 2008-2009 college bowl games. Here, we cover the Humanitarian Bowl (Boise, Idaho), which pits Maryland against Nevada.

Overview/Matchup: You would THINK that a Maryland - Nevada matchup would get the old ticket sale - juices flowing, right? Yeah, you would be wrong. Because the Terrapins have sold all of SIXTEEN tickets. SIXTEEN! In other words, people in Maryland are none too fond of having to travel all the way up to Idaho and watch their team play. And since Nevada's only slung eight tickets, well, yeah, this might not be the most crowded game. Good news for you = easy hotel reservations!

Hotels: There isn't much in Boise in terms of world-class accommodation, but there are a number of good-quality hotels and budget rooms within easy driving distance of the hotel. Although the nearby Hotel 43 is a competitive alternative, we recommend The Grove Hotel for well-heeled travelers. Just across the river from the stadium and offering a popular on-site restaurant, and even more popular on-site sports bar, the Grove is also probably the best all around value for any bowl traveler. For those who would feel more comfortable in a traditional midrange, try the Courtyard by Marriott. It's also located just across the river from the stadium and has reasonable rates and consistent service. Budget-minded travelers should try the Best Western Airport Inn. Located just two blocks from the airport, the hotel offers rooms for US$79 per night. However, keep in mind before booking that rooms at the Courtyard are only a few dollars more and the location is far superior.

No, seriously.

Buried at the end of a positive article on the Humanitarian Bowl "hoping for a big turnout" that matches the whopping 26,000 that showed last year is this stark reminder of what happens when your bowl game is played in Boise, Idaho:

As of Monday afternoon the University of Maryland says it's sold about 16 tickets to the game. The University of Nevada says it's sold 8 so far.

"About" 16 tickets? How can the word "about" ever be followed by the number 16? If I worked in the Maryland ticket department I would at all times have a completely accurate number of tickets sold in my head: 16.

It will remain 16 until the game, at which point it will remain 16 for all time. If I run in to someone who worked at the Maryland ticket office in 2088 I will immediately query them about the number of tickets sold to the 2008 Humanitarian Bowl and if I do not get the answer "16" I will pull the mask from their face, revealing the supposed Terrapin to be a googly-eyed alien invader. This, I predict, will save the planet.

You're welcome in advance.

(HT: ONBUG)

Every bowl game is important to the teams involved but not all of them are important to the rest of us. Still, they all deserve at least some of our attention, so FanHouse is previewing all the minor bowls in three sentences or less. Part 1, which covered all the games played before Dec. 30, may be found here. In this installment, we look at the rest of this year's less weighty games. If a game isn't covered in Part 1 or Part 2, we'll give it more attention soon.

Your New Year's Eve Eve will start off with the Humanitarian Bowl (Maryland vs. Nevada), and the over/under is 43. That's not for points; that's for the number of Maryland fans who will actually fly across the country to watch a 7-5 team play another 7-5 team in a stadium that takes its color cues from the Brady Bunch's rec room.

Later that same day we get the Texas Bowl (Western Michigan vs. Rice). Both these teams feature wide-open offenses and purely theoretical defenses, so expect a lot of points. Actually, don't expect anything, because it's on the NFL Network and you probably won't be able to see it.