Utes 12-14

[SeattleUte]

Originally Posted by Archaea

I follow Utah more closely than Mike, which isn't difficult, but believe your assessment of Utah's talent to be over-inflated. Utah has some pieces but Utah really needs an adequate point guard and doesn't have that for offensive consistency.

It has some pieces but doesn't mesh well together for enough games. It's a helter skelter team.

Bolyen seems capable enough if he can get some better players.

But UNM, UNLV and BYU will tend to be more consistent than Utah in basketball.

You'll fall hard as you always do.

Here's what's going on with BYU right now.

First, Jimmer really is a special player. An extraordinary high mid-major caliber player. He's also a point guard who scores in bunches and makes plays. There's nothing more dominant in sports than this kind of player in the college game.

Second, the Gipper factor. We all remember the tale of George Gipp at Notre Dame. He fell ill and died almost overnight in the middle of a season in which he was leading Notre Dame to glory. The team was grief stricken. Knute Rockne told them repeatedly, "Win this for the Gipper." The phrase always fired them up and they won game after game.

Now, imagine if George Gipp had risen from the dead. Imagine if he came, showed up in the locker room, put on his leather helmet and pads, and said, "Let's go play!" And the players saw this meant all to him. Imagine how much they would then be motivated, especially if they felt this was miraculous and the Gipper might be taken from them at any time, as quickly as he was the first time. They would not want him to taste defeat; they'd play every game like it was their or the Gipper's last.

I don't know about you, but I didn't know it was possible to recover from pancreatic cancer. These kids seem to have been fond of their coach. I emphasize, they are kids. Imagine how they felt last summer. They probably thought for a time, he had coached his last game; he was gone. But he's alive again, and with them; the Gipper has returned. They may have been fond of him before; they love him now. When they fall behind with ten minutes to go, they just have to look at the bench, and see Coach. I bet they get a knot in the throat, and new energy; they fly, and those shots miraculously ripple the nets.

Who knows how far this will take them? This doesn't seem to me to be overall a really athletic team. No doubt, Jimmer is a special player. But I do believe they are sort of playing on beams of light. We'll see how far this amazing cause to give all they have every minute of every game takes them. They seem to be enjoying a special season with a coach they thought was gone and making the most of their talents.

But these rare circumstances will pass, and Haws is mission bound. BYU is headed for more deep losing seasons.

[MikeWaters]

Originally Posted by SeattleUte

BYU is headed for more deep losing seasons.

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAHAAAAAA! [tears]

[SeattleUte]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAHAAAAAA! [tears]

I'm glad Utah hasn't had any losing seasons like these:

1996-97 1-26 0-14 last place
1997–1998 BYU 9-21 4-10 6th
1998–1999 BYU 12-16 6-8 5th
2004–2005 BYU 9-21 3-11 T-7th

[MikeWaters]

You lack historical perspective.

Why don't you go back to the 1950s, where BYU was the 32nd best program of the decade as ranked by Sagarin/ESPN. Far ahead of Utah at #36.

So, now we are seeing who has a selective memory.

[ute4ever]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

You lack historical perspective.

Why don't you go back to the 1950s, where BYU was the 32nd best program of the decade as ranked by Sagarin/ESPN. Far ahead of Utah at #36.

So, now we are seeing who has a selective memory.

32nd out of how many? Is it like BYU's Elite Eight banner from the year that there were 8 teams (and yes they lost in the first round)?

Utah was in the very first AP Top 10 poll, although granted I don't know the year. In the 30's I think.

And there we have it: Utah's penis is larger than BYU's penis, and the dads of Utah students could beat up the dads of BYU students. I'm glad this has been undisputedly settled.

[MikeWaters]

Utah historically has the better basketball program.

The ESPN/Sagarin results say as much. Utah was about at #20. But BYU was respectable at #41.

So that's why this year is such a catastrophe. The rest of the MWC rises, and Utah falls.

[MikeWaters]

Check this out to see how dominant BYU has been in Men's and Women's sports in the MWC:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountai...ence_Champions

[SeattleUte]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

Check this out to see how dominant BYU has been in Men's and Women's sports in the MWC:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountai...ence_Champions

Two comments:

First, BYU has accomplished almost nothing on a true national stage. I'd honestly rather have the halcion high of routing Alabama in the Sug or the Final TWo than any number of MWC titles.

Second, BYU can have the MWC. It won't be long before BYU will be even more dominant after Utah and maybe TCU or New Mexico goes to a big conference.

[MikeWaters]

BYU is by far the dominant school of the MWC, just like it was in the WAC.

Utah will never be the dominant school in any conference it is in.

One thing that pleases me is the BYU dominance in women's athletics. It shows commitment and value to women in sports. Something that liberal critics of Mormonism are loathe to acknowledge.

[MikeWaters]

Btw, SU, winning the MNC in football is a good feeling as well. Maybe not as awesome as a BCS bowl win, but definitely up there. If you guys ever win the MNC let me know if it feels better or not.