Overanalyzing the preseason poll

Don't be mad, don't be sad, but especially, don't be glad.

If you are a Wyoming football fan, don't get twisted over the fact that the Cowboys were picked last in the annual MWC media preseason poll, or as we in the media like to say -- dead last.

It was no real surprise that the Cowboys are getting no love from the rest of the league's media. Why should they?

You also have to remember that the media has never really given Wyoming a lot of credit in football or basketball, for that matter -- even when the Cowboys were pretty good.

Besides, the media are just a bunch of blowhards. Wait a minute, I'm the media. I guess I have been called worse.

The thing is the Cowboys don't deserve anything much higher, based on past results and the fact that Wyoming felt compelled to fire its popular head coach, Joe Glenn.

And let's face it, UW's schedule isn't going to do them any big favors, with back-to-back games against Texas and Colorado in non-conference play and back-to-back games in the MWC against BYU and Utah.

And TCU is favored to be the cream of the MWC crop.

Christensen and the Wyoming football program have to prove itself on a consistent basis to get any respect from the rest of the country and the conference. Even then, it will likely be doubtful that the Cowboys will be a favorite, at least anytime soon.

I think the Cowboys will finish in seventh place. Maybe I am optimistic, maybe not.

I will say that although the Cowboys were probably picked where they belong, Christensen, the Cowboys and their fans aren't satisfied with the selection, although preseason polls really mean nothing.

Nobody wants to be thought of as a last-place team, especially next year.

Maybe we should just get the season started. Then, we'll know for sure.

***

As we in the media like to say on occasion, "and in other news at the league meetings, " the Mountain West Conference Board of Directors announced that MWC Commissioner Craig Thompson has agreed to a contract extension through June 30, 2012.

Thompson was the Mountain West Conference's first employee when he was named Commissioner on Oct. 15, 1998. The MWC became an official NCAA Division I conference on July 1, 1999 and will enter its 11th season of competition in 2009-10.

And that's about it

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