Guilty. I used the Olympics for multiple analogies in a YM's lesson a few weeks ago.While a graduate student at Penn State, Lunt wrote a paper titled, "Mormons and the Olympics: Constructing an Olympic Identity." In it, Lunt made the case that the state's predominant faith used the Olympics to promote its doctrine to its own members as well as help mainstream the religion to the rest of the world.
“To me there is no dishonor in being wrong and learning. There is dishonor in willful ignorance and there is dishonor in disrespect.” James Hatch, former Navy Seal and current Yale student.
Some pretty interesting polling results regarding the state of Utah sports allegiances. Here's the Public Policy Polling site for raw numbers: http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/m...ght-think.html
Here is a summery of the rivalry related data written up by Vanquish the Foe: http://www.vanquishthefoe.com/2016/8...m-in-the-state
-Utah wins out over BYU when it comes to college sports loyalties in the state, 32/26. Utah State is third at 16%, followed by Weber State at 4%, Southern Utah at 3%, and Utah Valley at 2%. There are massive political and religious divides on college loyalty. Among Democrats Utah leads with 54% to 15% for Utah State, with BYU only tied for third with Utah Valley at 5%. But among Republicans BYU wins out with 40% to 21% for Utah, and 15% for Utah State. The political divide mirrors the religious split- among Mormons, BYU leads with 40% to 20% for Utah and 17% for Utah State. But among non-Mormons Utah romps with 55% to 14% for Utah State with BYU registering at only 1%.
These numbers are close to what I would have guessed. I bet if you take the Salt Lake area out, BYU gets a much higher percentage of Mormons. And if you look only at the Salt Lake area, BYU might be down to just 20% or less of the LDS vote.
That author, Matt Brown, was in my ward in New Orleans. Really cool guy.
I recently posted almost this exact same thing on CS. I don't know what to make of this BYU team. I feel like I could honestly make an argument that they could go 10-2 and feel like it wasn't a completely idiotic thing to argue. I could then turn around and argue that they could go 4-8 and feel like it wasn't an idiotic thing to say.
Before ESPN killed the P12 blog by having it written from Bristol by people who know less about the P12 than the average fan of the conference, Ted Miller used to write a Best Case/Worst Case for each team that had a very similar feel to that article. I agree with LaUte that comments about the Utah game and Sitake exorcising the Hall curse were intended to be tongue in cheek. What is the preseason for if not to dream?
It is funny, HuskyFanNorthwest, because there are so many wonderful and level-headed people in your fanbase (you for example).
But when it comes to crazy zealotry some of them pull out all the stops!
Yeah, but HFN is a Duck first. He represents the future. When BYU shuts down, Mormons all over the country will root for their local teams and their alma mater.
North Carolina and Louisiana were pretty cool because nobody in the wards cared at all about BYU or Utah. It was all tarheels and tigers.
Last edited by LA Ute; 08-25-2016 at 10:12 AM.
"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
10-2 is a stretch, but I think the idea is right. The game-by-game odds according to ESPN's random FPI:
Zona - 38%. I'd call this 50/50 instead of 60/40.
Utah - 36%. Sounds about right to me.
UCLA - 29%. If BYU beats Utah, this could be the first Provo sellout in a while.
WVU - 26%. I don't understand why this is so low.
Toledo - 81%. BYU can't afford to blow it vs any of the bad teams on the schedule.
MSU - 28%. The toughest game of the year on paper, but who knows if MSU can keep up with what they've been doing? The percentage could seem too low come October.
MissSt - 47%. Too high? It is in Provo, and the SEC doesn't travel.
Boise - 32%. Is Boise good again? This seems low.
Cincinnati - 56%.
SUU - 95%, too low, should be 99%.
UMass - 96%.
USU - 82%. Based on recent head-to-heads, this seems awfully high.
Not true, I never attended BYU. My alma matter is mere miles from my current home. My distaste for Washington did start when they crushed BYU's dreams in 1996, but upon enrollment at Oregon post mission my mission president who I remained close with after I returned home had played football at UW and then led a successful life in Sedro-Woolley sent me a bumper sticker that said "I support a Husky free Northwest" and was yellow and green with a note that said "I know you understand the BYU/Utah rivalry, but you better learn to understand this one quickly!". Then the teams didn't play in 2001 and I was like "ok we hate these guys, whatever" then Skippy Neuheisel brought a team to Eugene and in a driving rain storm kicked Oregon's ass in 2002 and came back out on the field and celebrated on the O after the game. Then I attended the 2003 Oregon beat down in Seattle and experienced the road version of the rivalry. I gained a complete understanding of it.
Many apologies, HFN. I didn't mean to slander you and call you a BYU graduate!
That Skippy Neuheisel team was excellent. It included Hope Solo's husband, the (alleged) murderer. A real bunch of thugs. Suffering a decade of a wishin' and a hopin' for mediocrity has been a hefty price to pay for Neuheisel's foul deeds.
Last edited by NorthwestUteFan; 08-25-2016 at 10:53 PM.
After more reflection I will say that HFN's experiences with the Newweasel-led Husky teams seems to mimic my own experiences with the Lavelle-led Cougar teams. That is why I will enjoy running the current win streak up to 12 games...
#6 is coming up shortly...
I don't know if you guys saw Boney Fuller's USU letter to the Big 12, but that dude has game. It inspired me to write a poor imitation of one for BYU:
BYU Letter.jpg
"Be a philosopher. A man can compromise to gain a point. It has become apparent that a man can, within limits, follow his inclinations within the arms of the Church if he does so discreetly." - The Walking Drum
"And here’s what life comes down to—not how many years you live, but how many of those years are filled with bullshit that doesn’t amount to anything to satisfy the requirements of some dickhead you’ll never get the pleasure of punching in the face." – Adam Carolla
The first verse! I love that the prophets of expansion have twitter handles TuxedoYoda and DudeofWV.
What I learned about BYU from 1280 the zone this week:
BYU has 12 OL that can start. USC only has 8. Nice for BYU.
Hill is a Heisman contender.
Jamal Williams is the best RB BYU has ever had and maybe the best ever in the state (even though he only averages 4 yards a carry and 76 yards a game vs P5 schools).
Harvey Langi is a better DE than Nate Orchard.
Tuiloma is easily as good as any DT Utah has.
Kai Nacua is the best safety in the state. What makes this really impressive is that Marcus Williams was named by CBS as the best junior FS in football and projected to be the first FS drafted in 2018 (although he will go in the next draft).
Warner is a better LB than Van Noy (he actually might be). And Langi's backups might actually be better than Langi. Even though one was a RB last year. Sitake is amazing at developing talent. Amazing.
And even though their corners have never played man to man, they look amazing and their secondary should be as good as Utah's.
Got DAMN BYU is legit.
Why are we talking about the Big 12? With a team like that, they are going to win a national title THIS year.
"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