Sports Fandom is a funny thing isn't it? You look forward all week to watching a bunch of over-sized yahoos chase a ball around then, when they get their keister handed to them, you spend the first part of the next week acting like someone just kicked your puppy. Until about Thursday when you decide "Hey, I think they have a chance this week". Turns out they not only have a chance, they actually win. Then you spend the next Monday through Wednesday happy as a pig in slop, until Thursday rolls around. Then you start to worry, which team will show up this weekend? The team that got stomped in week 1 or the heroic bunch of superstars who gutted out the big win in week 2? And now scientists have found that football fans experience a 20 percent drop in testosterone after their teams lose a game. No wonder there has been a significant decrease in the Provo's birth rate the last 3 years.
It's a 5 month cycle that takes over a sports fan's life. It can't be all that healthy. Then if you are a big basketball fan…well, by December you are a twitching mass of paranoid dread.
Think about it. Think about how you feel about your favorite team now and the emotions that team elicits in you week in and week out. Now decide, is this healthy or not. I'm not so sure it is. That must be why I like sports so much.
Knute Awards Week 3
The "Man I'm a Whiny Little Bitch" Award: Say hello to Utah fan and Utah media guy covering the Utes. In less than 2 short years, Ute fan has gone from non-existent to BYU fan wearing a different color. I don't hear this much whining and crying at bedtime, and I have 3 kids! The local media was the best, replaying the infamous "He's out of bounds but the clock still runs on those plays in Texas" play late in the game and the game winning TD where the outside receiver set a pick. I have news for you BYU fans masquerading as Utes now that your team sucks who are still grousing about those plays. Get over it. The out of bounds call was terrible, no one disputes that. But the pick on the TD? It's just like holding, happens every play and most of them aren't called. Besides, if you take off the homer glasses and watch the play again, the DB covering on that play was trailing by 6 yards, that's a TD no matter what.
The "Everyone Can Whine Like it's a Saturday in Provo but We Just Need To Suck it Up and Play" Award goes to Kyle Whittingham. He said his piece about not liking the calls, then he moved on and reminded anyone that if the Utes would have taken care of business in the first place, the streak would still be alive.
The "Larry, Moe and Curly Just Turned Over in Their Graves" Award: To the Mountain West Conference officials. Specifically those that worked the Utah/TCU game. But his here Knutie goes to all of them. They are just about the best group of couldn't-make-it-in-rec-league clowns that money can buy. Further proof that the Mountain Worst Conference is really one of the big time conferences.
The "Who Let Him Talk" Award: BYU RB Curtis Brown. Apparently, Mr. Brown is working on his PhD in Delusional Thinking as he said this week that BYU's defense is better than Utah's and their offense is better than Utah's and furthermore, said offense is the best in the nation when it's clicking. WHAT?! Let me get this straight, you beat Monument Valley High School at home 2 weeks ago and suddenly BYU is the best offense in the country? This is why we both love and hate the Boogers folks.
The "If Sex Was This Good, I Wouldn't Always Watch The Game" Award: This goes to the Notre Dame/Michigan State and Miami Clemson games. Wow! I needed a cigarette and a sandwich when they were over. In fact, they were so good, I cuddled with my TV and talked to it for awhile after the games. Mrs. Lombardi hates me. Too bad for her.
The "You Just Bought The DC Another Week" Award: I'm throwing this one in to the Denver Bronco defense. I usually don't delve into the NFL in this space but I'm a hopeless Broncomaniac and the second half performance of the Denver defense was like nothing I have ever seen before. 41 yards and three points for one of last season's most prolific offenses. Champ Bailey is GAWD! That still doesn't mean I have a good feeling about this season overall for the Broncs. If the D plays like that all year then the playoffs are in sight, but if they slide back to opening Sunday status…say hello to Reggie Bush Bronco fans.
TOCB
TOCB starts the season 5-0 but this week could be the streak buster.
Air Force @ Utah
Memo to the U AD: Time to bring the guy who counts empty seats as actual fans back. There needs to be an over/under on score for this game and the attendance. That big thud you heard last Thursday night was about 15,000 "Ute fans" hopping off the bandwagon. I am convinced that Utah is the biggest bandwagon state EVER. There are about 5,000 hardcore Aggie fans, 10,000 hardcore Ute fans and 25,000 hardcore BYU fans…oh and 8,000 hardcore Jazz fans who go to every game they can and passionately care about their team. The other 2.45 million losers in the state just hop on the wagon of whoever is good that year and claim "I've always liked (insert team name here)". If it's trendy and makes them look like they are associated with success, Utahans will support anything. So Air Force blew a game last week to Wyoming while Utah whizzed away a game at TCU. So who rights the ship?
Utah.
Bryan Johnson made good decisions last week in TCU and impressed me overall. I thought the coaching staff should have left him in the gun a little more, that spread option attack isn't as effective with the QB under center. That game was in the bag but then Utah forgot how to defend the edge. I don't think that happens this week. I don't think it will be easy, Air Force has always given Utah some headaches but the Utes will be too much as they get back on track against the Falcons.
Utah 34, AF 24
TCU @ BYU
One win over an intra-mural team and suddenly the Cougs are strutting like George Jefferson on Meth. You think they are bad now, wait until next week. TCU showed a very good defense against Utah but their offense, for some reason left a bad taste in my mouth. They made some huge plays to get back into the game against the Utes but they had all the intangibles on their side, home game, hot and humid, national TV. The intangibles will be on BYU's side this week, home game, altitude, unrealistic opinion of their ability, and TCU just seems too shaky to me. I picked them to beat Utah more on the fact that all the stars were aligned for a Ute loss rather than the thought of TCU being that good. Although it makes no sense, they are the worst winning team I have seen this year…so far. The Zoobs will be insufferable after Saturday but let me say that even if they beat TCU it does NOT mean they are better than Utah.
BYU 23, TCU 16
UNLV @ USU
So the Aggies are on the Grant Hill program, play a game, take a few weeks off, play a game again. With all the practice they have done, this team should be soooo good. But nothing can prepare you for game speed and game situations quite like, well, games. I think the Aggies are on the right path, but it's a long road back to respectability. They went into Vegas and beat the Rebs last year but can they do it this year. I really, REALLY want to say no. I think USU's youth and lack of performing with live bullets flying is going to hurt them. Romney Stadium provides very little home field advantage to speak of and UNLV is hungry for a win. But Knute, Idaho barely lost to UNLV and Nevada beat them you say. True enough, but the Rebels could have beaten 4-0 New Mexico so which team is going to show up? I know which USU team will, the young, inexperienced one that is 2 to 3 years from being a serious threat in the WAC. But the one that will also give fans hope, even in defeat. Something Aggie teams of the past couple of years have not done for one reason or another.
UNLV 21, USU 17
That'll do 'er sports fans! Have a great gridiron weekend!
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