Being a BYU Fan

I always say that I am a true BYU fan.  When I lived in El Centro, California, we used to have to go driving in the desert to listen to games on KSL or if we were lucky enough to get a little radio reception, they always had me sit with one hand on the antenna and the other on some kind of metal.  My earliest memory is of cheering for Kresimir Cosic on the basketball team.  That was a long time ago.  My sister used to have a crush on him and she had a job cleaning the Marriott Center and she would get his shoes out and try them on.

The Holy War didn't mean much to me living in California, or even for the first couple of years living in Utah.  I liked to see the Y win but I didn't really care about Utah.  They were not even on my radar.  Then, it hit -- the reaction to Ute fan.  I remember going to a game with my brother, probably in the early '80's and we were cheering for the Y and some Ute fan tried to pick a fight with my brother because we were in Rice Stadium and were Cougar fans.  I don't know, I thought we paid for a ticket, so we could be there.  That was the start of the dislike.

Over time, I have gone to several games at Utah and have been wholly unimpressed by their fans.  Now, I must say, mostly their drunk fans.  I don't know what the excuse is for Coug fans in our stadium because not even the coca cola is leaded.  I myself have thrown a few starbursts at Ute fans.  In my defense, I missed and hit a Cougar blue hair.  My throwing days are over.

I worked at the airport for the Sugar Bowl and loved watching the true Ute fan go to New Orleans.  I would joke with them and even laugh at their taunts against the Y.  It was okay, they were true red!  I saw Brian Johnson, who might I say, is one gorgeous man.  Yes, I wanted to trip him a little, but instead I told him to have a good game.

I used to love calling DJ and PK on the radio during this rivalry week and give my 2 cents worth of banter, but its gotten too ugly and hateful, now.  I liked it when it was in good fun.  When I have called in in recent years, I have been called stupid, a dyke, an over medicated general authority's wife with a boob job.  Mean and nasty.  So, I might call but the older I get, the more tender my feelings are and so I probably will not.

Now that the Utes have made the jump to the PAC 12, I am green with envy about their schedule but I can now cheer against them without guilt.  I can glory in their losses because it doesn't matter any more what they do and how it reflects on BYU.

I have good friends who are Ute fans and I love them.  I take their "crap" with a grain of salt because I know, deep down, they are good people who have made bad choices in their life by going to the U or cheering for U or whatever.  LOL.  Love you all.  Please be nice.

Anyway, I am going to predict a BYU win 34-31 just because I hate that score.  I hope it comes down to the last minute and I hope it is a pass to our tight end.  The Cougs seem to like to do that to the Utes.

But no matter what happens -- Can't we, please, all get along?

P.S. You know the true color of blood is blue, right?