"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
--Yeats
“True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”
--John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell
Agree or disagree?
Spencer CheckettsVerified account @1280Spence 7m7 minutes agoMore
Text from VERY influential BYU alum: "Everything changed when Kyle (Whittingham) chose Utah over us. Everything."
Was listening to the RPO podcast that 1280 puts out.
He said that reports out of practice this week is frustration re: Tanner's accuracy.
It did not seem that significant at the time, but in hindsight it was a significant game changer. It gave Utah a solid coach who wanted to stay at Utah and build something. The PAC 12 certainly put Utah over the top. I would say that hiring/firing Mac and catching lightning in a bottle with Urban were also critical events.
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
--Yeats
“True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”
--John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell
I've enjoyed reading so many memories of wins and losses today. I don't have anything new to say. I'll add voice and memory to 1978 and 1988. In '78 my grandfather had to take an adult instead of his favorite buddy for the game, me (at least that's what he told me). I listened on the radio at home. When Gomez threw the game-winner I ran outside with a metal spoon and big pot. I ran up and down the street yelling Utes win as I pounded the pot. Ten years later, I was sitting in the first few rows of the student section cheering for Scott Mitchell and crew. I've never felt more elation in a win than that day. One play particularly stands out. Someone hit Covey so hard it looked like he went threw him (was it Filipo's Dad?).
Let me finish with a question for the board. For those of us that witnessed the many blowouts of the 70s and 80s at the hands of BYU, I wonder why we aren't stacking a few more of them up in the 2000s? Yes 54-10 happened, but there have been a number of years when I think we should simply lay it on them and we haven't. This year is another such year. I mean no disrespect. I think the talent level is significantly weighted our direction. Our offensive inconsistency seems to be an obvious reason but what other reasons are there? These last few seasons I've expected blowout wins but the narrow, nail-biting wins continue. A lot of credit goes to BYU players and coaches. I hate saying that.
Jon Wilner just did a 20 minute podcast with Coach Mac. Listening now, so I can't vouch for it's quality. So far, good memories shared.
http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/09/0...and-much-more/
Hindsight on Whittingham's decision I'm actually surprised it was as hard of a decision as it was. Put another way, you are given two choices: coach a team that is a cinderella and media darling and that you've been part of building, or go clean up the dumpster fire that Gary Crowton had created. It actually helps me respect Bronco Mendenhall more, dude inherited a mess.
I'd disagree.
I'd say everything changed for BYU when they went Independent. They went from top 25 recruiting classes, 10 win seasons, easy path to BCS bowls to...nothing. No rivalries. No conference titles. No ranked seasons. No big bowls.
Their pride killed them.
Had they stayed in the MWC and won 10+ per year, won a BCS Bowl and battled with TCU, they'd be in the Big 12 instead of WV.
He's still a massive weirdo though.
Last edited by Rocker Ute; 09-07-2017 at 04:40 PM.
"What's my favorite BYU win as a head coach? Gosh, there's been so many as a head coach, I don't know that I can say..." Whit bringing the fire!
Evan as an independent, they balked at joining the Big 12, because they weren't sure the Big 12 would not disintegrate, and did not want to bolt the WCC so quickly. They were afraid that if the Big 12 did disintegrate, the WCC would never take them back and they would be in a world of hurt. When they balked, TCU got the golden ticket.
This is so true. My Utah/BYU awareness happened around '82. I was about 7, and I didn't really know much more than that I was a Ute fan and in my suburban Salt Lake elementary school there were fans of this other blue team that claimed that Utah sucked. That was the beginning. From there I endured year after year of the taunting and the losing. The 1988 win was a nice little reprieve, but it came crashing down with the next year's beat down.
I could make this story longer, but just to say that by the time '93 happened, it was nothing short of a miracle. I head out on a mission and come back to a three-game winning streak which I basically thought was straight up fiction happening before my eyes. But at that point, the BYU emperor had been exposed. It took many more years and Ute wins for BYU to remotely acknowledge that Utah might maybe, possibly be their competitive equal (let alone, superior) but at least on the Ute side of the fence, we didn't fear them anymore. The mystique had been broken with that three-game streak.
Still, based on my growing up, I think, selfishly, there will always be a demon that won't be exercised until we win nine straight.
Last edited by FountainOfUte; 09-07-2017 at 05:25 PM.
I honestly believe they thought the Big 12 would implode, Texas and Oklahoma would go independent, and BYU would be the leader is sports as other colleges cut the dead weight and went indy as well, and BYU would be left with the big time independents, such as Michigan, Ohio State, Penn St, USC, Texas, Oklahoma and so on.
For all the inspiration they claim, they sure do have a hard time making a good decision.
The talent level is absolutely tilted in Utah's favor now. But the balance of power is not a mirror image of the old days when Lavell could name the score annually. Utah had a few great players surrounded by mediocrity, while byu had tremendous talent across the board and deep into the bench, with a terrific coaching staff to keep them in line.
Oh, and post-game opioids. Those helped too.
I never tire of watching this.
Last edited by LA Ute; 09-07-2017 at 08:07 PM.
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
--Yeats
“True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”
--John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
--Yeats
“True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”
--John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell
"Roles have been reversed: It’s now Ute supporters who have the superiority complex as once-haughty Cougar backers recede into shadows"
http://www.sltrib.com/sports/utah-ut...ssed-with-byu/
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
--Yeats
“True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”
--John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell