A light mist spread over Manoa as the Boise State football team began arriving at the University of Hawai'i practice fields for its first Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl workout yesterday.

And, some of the Broncos smiled.

Then, a rainbow arched in the valley and several Broncos pointed and smiled some more.

It was 81 degrees where they were, and 44 degrees with a possibility of overnight snow back in Boise, where they had been 24 hours earlier.

Not even a banner that stretched across a maintenance shed celebrating UH as "WAC Champions" seemed to detract from their first full day in paradise.

"Everyone (at home) has kind of been making me feel guilty because I have a lot of friends still taking finals and they are not happy that we get to come back (here)," quarterback Taylor Tharp said later, a quick smile suggesting they had not altogether succeeded.

It wasn't just envious classmates who have taken issue with the Broncos playing here against East Carolina Sunday instead of staying back to play in the hometown Humanitarian Bowl. It has been a touchy issue with fans and community where it has been left to Fresno State and Georgia Tech to entertain the home folks on the smurf turf after the Broncos overwhelming voted for — and received — a date at Aloha Stadium.

But if there were any lingering doubts or slightest pangs of conscience about the Broncos' choice of postseason sites, they seemed to have vanished in the sun yesterday. To see the Broncos gazing upon the beach or walking in Waikiki underlined what their words said about it being the right choice.

If there is any team that should have its pick of bowls and choice of climates, it is these Broncos. After what many of them have done for their school, their city, the Western Athletic Conference and, indeed, college football, they deserve their choice of postseason options. Their 13-0 run last season and the Bowl Championship Series bucks it produced helped balance the budget of not only, you suspect, UH but several other WAC schools. Their knocking off Oklahoma both inspired and wrote the road map for the have-nots, including a football team close to you that nominally hosts the Broncos.

After a 23-2 run, who could begrudge them a return when what they mostly see during WAC visits here is the hotel, practice field, stadium and airport?

"It is kind of funny," Boise State defensive end Nick Schlekeway noted. "A lot of people were kinda angry about (the Broncos coming back to Hawai'i), but when asked if they were 21 years old and had an option to go to Hawai'i what they would do, they understood."

Just to be on the safe side, when the Broncos call home they might want to pretend like they aren't enjoying themselves too much.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8044.

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