And here's my latest blog entry for "Beyond the Universe":
LaVell Edwards Stadium, home of the BYU Cougars, photo courtesy of Ken Lund on Flickr.com
I consider myself a fairly loyal fan. Lately, however, I have to ask myself- am I a grateful fan? Example: My freshman year at BYU (2003), the Cougar football team went 4-8. I purchased my student season tickets and went to every single game but one - our home opener against Georgia Tech, which we won (I wasn’t in town yet). That ended up being our only home win of the season. I was there when the Rams torched us 58-13. I was there for the 50-12 Boise State drubbing. And I was there for the Grand Chawhee stinker of a lifetime - the miserably cold, miserably boring, and almost unbearably depressing season coda, the 3-0 Utah game, where I faced the awful truth that I would have to wait at least until after my mission (2006) to personally witness a win at LaVell. Yet I yelled myself hoarse through nearly every minute of that painful season, supporting every one of the 15-odd quarterbacks we put on the field that year (I’m still surprised we didn’t suit up Cosmo for a few downs).
Don’t question my loyalty.
Energy Solutions Arena, home of the Utah Jazz, photo courtesy of Edgar Zuniga Jr. on Flickr.com
My gratitude, on the other hand, is something I’m realizing I need to work on. My Utah fan triad (BYU football, BYU hoops, and the Jazz) has done very well in the past few years - winning seasons and bowl games/tournaments/playoffs ever since I got home from my mission. The thing is, we’re always on the cuspiest cusp of true greatness, but just can’t muster the moxie to get there. We can go 11-2, but can’t quite crack the BCS. We can make it to the NCAA Tourney with a seed that gives us a reasonably beatable opponent, but the second round eludes us still. We can make it to the Conference Finals but no further. The problem is that we’re not good enough to make it to the big time, but not bad enough to celebrate a .500 season. You see, it’s easy to glance around at USC, Florida, or even the whole state of Massachusetts of late, and get jealous of all their winning programs, because I feel like we could be there with some helpful officiating (BYU v ASU), some healthy bodies (The ‘08-’09 Utah Jalopies), some good recruits (au revoir, Manti Te’o), and a pinch of luck. So close, yet so far!
Sigh.
Sigh.
The Marriott Center, home of the BYU Cougars, photo courtesy of Josh Bancroft on Flickr.com
It has to start with a shift in expectations. I really thought the stars were aligning for me this year. The Jazz should have been better than ever, and with the West Conference in shambles (D’Antoni-less Suns, geriatric Spurs), I started to think a shot at the Finals was a walk in the park for Jerry Sloan. Along come injuries, and kerplunk. I totally bought into Bronco’s “Quest for Perfection,” and the UCLA and Wyoming games were the spoonfuls of sugar that helped it go down all the easier. Then, like all Cougar fans, when TCU clobbered us, I felt like my friend pantsed me in the middle of the cafeteria. I’ll stop there, because I’m tired and growing increasingly more frustrated. The point is, I’m disappointed because I’m setting my sights at Trojan or Gator or Celtic level, and that’s just foolhardy. So I hereby resolve to see my 52-oz Bubba Keg (my sports-viewing cup) as half-full. Also, I’m secretly rooting for the Magic.