Spectacular September Saturday

As a dyed-in-the-wool, true-blue BYU fan, I am ecstatic about what I saw on Saturday night against #3 Oklahoma. OU’s (deservedly) highly touted QB didn’t play the 2^nd half, and as Bronco acknowledged, that’s a big deal. More on that later. What I saw from BYU that I haven’t seen in the past in big games was:

1. Big Defense Stands
2. Poise when playing from behind

One thing that’s always frustrated me about my favorite team was the seeming inability to take on a bigger, better equipped team and give them a game. That didn’t happen this time. Unlike last year, Max Hall stepped it up when the game was on the line (9/10 passing on the final drive, including key 3^rd and 4^th down conversions) and it has come to my attention that he called all the plays on that final drive. It was all very Manning-esque.

Another reason to be happy about this win is because it’s not like BYU played a perfect game and managed a 1-point win – they were sloppy at times, like any team is in Week 1. And, with all the injuries they had (yes, BYU was playing hurt, too) they are only going to get better with time.

Now for why I’m miffed. I have spent the past couple of days scouring the internet and the TV for some acknowledgement that BYU beat OU. I’ve found two articles that give the Cougars any credit: one by Mr. Pat Forde from ESPN and one on Rivals.com.Everyone else is hanging BYU’s win on a missing Sam Bradford and other OU mistakes. Well, the facts are stubborn things and I’ve gathered a couple of them to illustrate that BYU didn’t have any advantage in the game that allowed them to win – they just won.

OU: Four new offensive linemen
BYU: Four new offensive linemen (returning lineman playing with broken finger, other projected starter out for season with torn rotator cuff)

OU: Missing All-American TE; did not play
BYU: Missing 2-time 1000 yard RB; did not play

OU: Lost starting QB, 2nd to last play of 1st half
BYU: Lost starting LB mid-way through 1st quarter

OU: Replacing top two WR
BYU: Replacing top three WR

OU: Returning 9 starters on defense, including entire front 7
BYU: Returning 6 starters on defense (2 DL, 2 LB, 2 DB)

OU: Returning two 1,000 rushers, Heisman Trophy winner (for ½ the game)
BYU: Returning 2nd team all MWC QB, TE w/ 1,000 yd receiving

OU: Approx 60,000 fans in attendance
BYU: Approx 15,000 fans in attendance

OU: Norman, OK to Dallas, TX = 200 miles
BYU: Provo, UT to Dallas, TX = 1450 miles

OU: Penalties – 12/93
BYU: Penalties – 10/87

OU: Turnovers – 2
BYU: Turnovers – 4

OU: Offense: 158 yds w/ Bradford; 103 w/out Bradford
BYU: Average starting position for offense in 2nd half: Own 15 yard line

The man at the helm

A couple things have inspired this post: First, the bye week has made it seem like an eternity since the Cougars of BYU have taken the field and I have a bunch of Cougar Blue bottled up inside me and it needs to go somewhere or there will be an explosion. And Paula hates messes. Second, BYU's football team is now entrenched in the top 10 in every poll - funny how against Washington they block a PAT and win, then drop in the polls but they don't even take the field last week and jump up three or four spots...gotta love the pollsters.
This post isn't to discuss how BYU would do in a BCS game (certainly they'd lose no worse than Ohio State has the past 2 years) or how valid their ranking is (3 top 10 teams losing to unranked opponents last week). All that is subjective. Detractors and apologists would all have valid points on the topic, I'm sure.
One thing with winning is that the press comes calling, especially when said team is an underdog (speaking of BYU's position as a non-BC$ school). And with the press comes greater scrutiny, visibility and exposure to the world. This can be unnerving because whoever does the talking suddenly becomes the face of the organization - a visible representation of the acronym by which the entity will be recognized across the nation. The weightiness of this representation is multiplied significantly when the organization also portrays a faith. So it is at BYU.

And as a died-in-the-wool Cougar fan, I'm thrilled that this face is that of Bronco Mendenhall.
Reading the words of Mendenhall in a newspaper column can paint the picture of a man full of hubris as he talks about the standards, aspirations and goals of BYU football. Such was the reaction of many when the motto for the 2008-2009 season was revealed: "Quest for Perfection". Comments and message boards are like train wrecks - a gruesome, ugly affair but difficult to turn away from - and scattered through the wreckage was the derission towards Mendenhall and this motto.
But to read is different then to hear or to see. (Any doubt about this, one just needs to go back through the comments on this blog for evidence.) Between the antenna-like picture on The Mtn and other media outlets, listening to Mendenhall explain his philosophies about coaching at BYU and the goals and aspirations he has for his team is interesting to say the least. His approach to the game of football at BYU isn't close to any other program - granted, this is partially out of necessity - and it's refreshing to listen to.

Mendenhall was on the Jim Rome radio show and the interview was very cool. Here is the link for your enjoyment.
This is a link to an interview Bronco did on a Seattle radio station before the Washington game.

Anyway, whether or not you are a BYU fan, hopefully you can appreciate the integrity and well-grounded nature of the man who is at the helm of Cougars of BYU.

A Satisfying Weekend

I'd be remiss if I failed to mention my Cougars of BYU. As many of you know, I am a big fan of the Cougars and an advocate for all their program stands for. One of the reasons I love BYU football is because of what it embodies: a group of athletes who are not the premier at their position, but are individuals who are good people. While I'm not ignorant to the errant ways of some, as a whole I believe these football players are honest, moral and good people; I would go as far as to say there isn't another football team in the nation that espouses the virtues of the BYU Cougars. Find me a team that presents a spiritual devotional every Friday night before their game on Saturday, whether at home or away; find me a coach (not local law enforcement) that requires regular community service participation.
The consequence of such standards is that it prevents the elite athletes from attending BYU. Nothing against the Mark Sanchez's, Beanie Wells, Knowshon Moreno's and Michael Crabtree's of the game, but there's no way they'd go to BYU even if they were in a BCS Conference going 11-2. No alcohol after the game? No sex? No Starbucks? No chance. So, BYU competes with below average athletes with above average morals. And sometimes that translates to a mark in the 'L' column. Such is the trade-off. And a trade-off I'm happy to make.
However, in recent years it seems moral fortitude and athletic ability have converged to produce the nations longest winning streak, the 2nd leading receiver in the nation, a QB 3rd in YPG, % and TD's, and a scoring summary (against a BCS team who knocked of a ranked BCS team their previous game) that is rarely seen. It's something to rise and shout about.

Summer Vacation

Well, summer is over and so should my lack of blogging come to an end. I just realized that from June to August I only posted three times. Dang. Ridiculous. What can I say - life got/is busy and the blog became last place on the priority list. And I work in front of a computer all day, so after work I have very little desire to get back in front of a computer monitor.
How about the political landscape? Wild, wild stuff. I've thought many times about posting some talking points concerning who I will vote for and why...I mean, it's not a mystery since I'm morally, socially and economically conservative. But one of these days I'll tell you why I'm voting for Cynthia McKinney and why she is the person who should be leading our country in these trying times. I just haven't had the energy for that 2000 word rant. I'll leave that to this blog Paula directed me to.
Why haven't I had the energy? Two things, really. One is college football. The season is young but it is here and I love it. My Cougars are 2-0 after a win over the Washington Huskies in Seattle; unfortunately, the fact that our QB had a 75% completion rate for almost 350 yards and our RB picked up over 130 yards on the ground or that our TE still leads the nation in receiving after 2 weeks or that our special teams blocked the game tying (not winning) PAT. The focus by the pundits is on the correct call of a crap rule. If you want to read an entertaining and totally bias blog, go to this blog by Adam. He's a Florida and SEC homer and rags on the non-BCS schools, but I like Adam so I'm directing traffic.
The second reason I'm usually spent is because I arise every morning to teach a religion class. It's true. Let me give a little bit of a rundown about what's going on.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is run by a lay ministry - no one gets paid. Not the Bishop in charge of the congregation, not the Stake President who is in charge of 6-10 congregations, not the Sunday School teacher...no one. These people are called from the general membership of the Church to serve. I've been asked to serve in a number of callings through the years. Anyway, I'd been teaching the 14-15 year old Sunday School class for a few months when I was asked to teach Seminary. Seminary is a class for high school aged students to attend daily before school. Each year a different book of scripture is the topic - this year is the New Testament. So, every morning I get up around 5am, shower, throw on a shirt and tie and go teach Seminary from a little after 6 to just before 7.
I get a lot of sympathetic looks and comments from people, but I really enjoy it. Why? Well, first of all you spend a lot of time studying which has been very beneficial; of the 14 potential students (I teach freshman and sophomores) on the roll, I have 12 out regularly and that's pretty impressive. Early morning seminary is not for the faint of heart and I give props to the kids for showing up every day and staying awake.
There are my weak excuses for not blogging more. If anyone still reads this thing.

Another Reason to Bleed Cougar Blue

Just a quick post an another reason why I love the essence of BYU athletics.

Bronco Mendenhall's name was swirling around as a potential prospect for the head coaching gig at UCLA. In a time where there is maybe a minutia of honor or integrity left in the hiring process in NCAA programs, it is nothing short of refreshing to have a head coach like Bronco. I really like what he says in this video clip about why he coaches at BYU. While I make no naive generalization about the integrity of the entire population of BYU student athletes, I do have confidence that the overwhelming majority follow in the footsteps of their head coach.

Yet another reason to rise and shout...
Now for my soapbox speech:
I know personally and from life experience many people who hate - that is no exaggeration - BYU. H-a-t-e it. Passionately. The thought makes their blood boil. I'm not talking about the random hater. I'm talking about LDS folks. (Caveat: This isn't about folks who just prefer another university; I'm talking about the angry and bitter little people out there.) And I have to question why. What is it that invokes such indignation, such animosity, such bitter bile that people become almost unable to utter anything coherent?
Is it because of the standards BYU espouses?
Is it because of the rules BYU enforces?
Is it because of the meshing of spiritual thought and secular learning?
My hypothesis is this:
These people hate BYU not simply for all the above reasons, but because those who attend BYU are mortal; and, by being in such a state, they fall short of the standards, rules and codes of the institution - either by deliberate action or a hiccup of better judgment. And these transgressions make them hypocrites because they have not followed by every rule to which they agreed but still espouse the rules which they violated.
The ironic thing to me is that, each members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has made covenants to live at a certain standard. In essence, each has signed an honor code. And these people are mortal; and, by being in such a state, they fall short of the standards - either by deliberate action of a hiccup of better judgment - and transgress the code by which they promised to abide. And these transgressions make them hypocrites because they have not follow by every standard to which they agreed but still espouse the rules which they violated.
But that's just one guy's observation.
Cougar-faithfuls and Cougar-hatefuls, now it's your turn to tell me what you think.

Week in Review

I’ll tell you what – it’s been one of those weeks. In a good way. Nothing incredibly profound or extraordinary, like winning a million dollars or having all the Dems experience an enlightening and turn from their path to socialism, but good nonetheless.

First, and perhaps most importantly I finished the fight. Master Chief (Spartan 117) again defied fate and saved Earth and the universe from the sinister parasite Gravemind and the delude Covenant. It wasn't easy and there were casualties everywhere - like my sleep. But freedom isn't free. Nor is it won without sacrifice.
I’d like to thank those that made this possible. First my wife for allowing me to dabble in silly things like video games and loving me anyway; my well exercised thumbs for the nimbleness and cat-like reflexes on the analog controller; Microsoft, for their aggressive and dominating marketing that hooked me; Archie, Zach and Nathan for countless hours of mayhem; and my new partner in Xboxing, my daughter Lydia.

Second, the Cougars of BYU pulled off a road win. This is no little task, especially since BYU is located in Utah and the state was 0-11 in road games this year until last night. I didn’t realize that New Mexico was 4-0 going into the game and that it was their homecoming, so this win is a little more impressive than it normally would. I’ve determined that we’re just a young team and as such, prone to some nervous mistakes. That’s good news for the future. Lydia was especially excited with the win, as evidenced by her wide-eyed, floppy headed gaze into the heavens and the fact she wanted me to enjoy her pacifier for her.
Editor's Note: The awesome BYU onesie is from the Sucher family. In the words of my wife's forebearers - Muchos Gracias.

Next, the season premier of The Office was this week. Not only would this normally be awesome, but the fact it was an hour long episode was icing on an already amazing cake. Three more weeks of hour long episodes...need I say more?

Also, I got a notice from Equifax that my credit score went up and it changes the rate at which I’d get a mortgage. I don’t understand this whole credit score thing and after reading up multiple times on it, I don’t think anyone does. There’s no clear cut criterion for what makes your FICO score what it is; my speculation is that credit scores were created the same way the doctrine of modern day Christianity was at Nicene: some one in charge who knew nothing about credit got together a bunch of accountants and told them to come up with some number system, though none of them really agreed about the body, parts or passions of the score. But it was the best they could do.
The reason I say this is because I have 0 (zero) debt of any kind. None. I carry no balances on any of my credit cards. I have 1 (one) delinquency notice three years ago on a Kohl’s card I didn’t know I had, but it’s only a month over due. But people with car payments and student loans and such have a better score than I do. Doesn’t make sense.

Anyway, the reason this is good news is because the house we had made a bid on a couple months back and lost on is available again. The contract fell through the seller agent called our agent and told her even before the contract was terminated that she thought it would and we should be ready to offer again. So we did on Friday. Who knows – I could be a home owner soon. Weird and wild stuff. Married with a kid and owning a home. I feel so established. And grown up.

Good thing I have an Xbox to clearly illustrate I’m not.

Just stuff

What’s crappenin? Huh. Evidently spell check isn’t working because it has accepted ‘crappenin’ as a word. Maybe the world has come to accept ‘crappenin’ as a legitimate part of the English language. Just another word or phrase that got its roots from the halls of Pine View in good ol’ Rexburg. It’s nice to see the world is coming around. Better late than never…

Anyway, that got me off on a tangent. Weird. What I wanted to do was start out by thanking everyone from their outpouring of support for the mighty Cougars. Six comments! That’s the most since the post about maiming…er, piercing…Lydia’s ears (7 comments) and equal to the cumulative total of the previous five posts. So, to all you who commented – the faithful, the converted, the investigator and casual observer – I, along with Bronco, would like to thank you for the outpouring of support. It was not in vain as our beloved Cougs laid a thumping on the UA Wildcats, grabbing an opening day win and setting the tone for the season. Check out Cougarfan.com for all the coverage. This week we’re taking on UCLA, ranked 13/14 in the nation and picked to finish 3^rd in the Pac-10. I’m hoping for a win – especially after App. State laid the wood to Michigan at The Big House in Ann Arbor – but will settle for a close game.

Last week, Forrest and Rachell carried the load in Provo and will continue to do so for all home games. The Nerf is going to be in attendance, so he has proudly and courageously volunteered to harness everyone’s faith and bring it to the game. Cousin Ben Scoresby from the Allred side of the fam is making a road trip for the Tulsa game, so we got that covered. We just need reps at New Mexico, UNLV, Wyoming and SDSU. Please let me know what you can make so we know where who to harness our positive thoughts through. Thanks.

Out here in GA things are moving right along. We didn’t get the house we had bid on, so we’re back in the hunt. It was a bummer to not get the house, but since there are 107,000+ houses for sale in the Atlanta area, I think we’ll be fine.

Lydia’s on her way. She’s due on Sunday, the 9^th. It’s crazy to think about, that she’ll actually be here. Paula had a check up on Tuesday and was dilated to a 1. I don’t know if that’s TMI, but whatever. She was wish she was farther along and was bemoaning the fact the baby would never come. I assured her that I was quite confident it would; don’t know why, but that didn’t go over well. Apparently she knew that, but it just feels like the baby is never going to come. So anyway, we are still anxiously awaiting little Lydia’s arrival. We have everything we need – I surprised Paula with the travel system purchase last week and we have over 300 diapers at our place. I’m going to make a point to bring my computer to the hospital when the time comes so we can get picture up ASAP. I’m thinking of posting a live video feed of the birth. I kid! I kid!

That’s about it. Hopefully next week I can come to you with another Cougar win and pictures of my daughter.

It’s weird to say that.

Hmmm.

Bleeding Blue

College football approaches. Of more import than the dawn of that day are the blue and white rays of light that lie just over the horizon, stretching forth from amidst majestic mountains. There’s an excitement stirring deep within my soul – an excitement surpassed only by the anticipation of my daughter’s birth. I can say in no uncertain terms the expectation of a 5:30pm Eastern kickoff time is more palpable to me, more electrifying to me than the prospect of the bid we currently have on a house. Why?

I love my God. I love my wife. I love my country. And I love BYU Cougar Football.

I am truly a son of BYU, born in Provo, Utah to two young parents struggling to raise and support a family while there pursing a higher education; 20 aunts and uncles, 16 cousins, 2 grandparents, and four siblings have attended the school. I grew up in Wyoming a BYU fan and was subjugated to not only mockery, hostility and literal threats because of my love for the Cougars of BYU, but of my religious convictions because of this association. But never have I faltered; never have I wavered; never have I shirked from the responsibility of cheering for my team.

Now I live in the South, where college football is second to none. Coaches are paid a king's ransom to win games and a bowl system is designed to ensure a continual monetary supply. Here the ridicule is the same as my youth, though instead of stones slung by the pauper, I am accosted by the prince. I face ridicule from the proud and haughty hosts that mock the efforts of a successful team in a ‘mid-major’ conference. Little defense have I against the deluge of jibes and taunts of those who have amassed so much prestige and honor through years of on-field success and accolades; yet, even in the midst of such sneering and laughing I am not ashamed. Instead I stand tall, proud to be an ambassador for the Cougars. I am not ashamed because of what my team stands for, what they’re expected to be not only on the playing field, but in life.

Success on the playing field is not enough for the true Cougar fan. A perfect record, a flawless season, a radiant trophy, prestige and recognition…as wonderful and sought after as these honors are, they are but dross – hollow, weak, rubbish – without the commitment to a higher purpose that is required of those who come to compete at BYU. I can, without equivocation, boldly state that the student-athletes of BYU are held to the highest standard of moral, scholastic and athletic character than any other NCAA team in the United States of America.

Could any team that has won a national championship in the past 10 years even come remotely close if it were to ask its student-athletes to actually be student-athletes? Could any one team in the SEC compete with the others if it required its athletes to abstain from alcohol, tobacco, drugs and pre-marital sex? The answer is a resounding and emphatic no.

Give me men of honor, of integrity and of principle. Give me men who will contribute to society in a positive manner. Give me men who are not the greatest of athletes but are the greatest of men. Give me men who the world deems as sub par and inferior that continually exceed expectations while holding fast to principles that make men real men.

This is why I love it. This is why it is honestly more than a game. This is why I get so involved and invested in the successes and failures of this team. This is because no other team, at no other university, teaches such a powerful life lesson, a lesson that is needed more now that at any other time in the history of our nation, our world. That lesson is this:

Who you are matters. What you do outside of the window of public view matters. Actions in private have repercussions in public. It is not sufficient to be glamorous and eye-catching in the moment; it is paramount to be solid and grounded in character. Actions have consequences…always there are consequences. Success in the world is fleeting and can be swept away without a firm foundation. No prestige and honor can compensate for the lack of moral fortitude. As history old and new continues to make clear, when there is no conviction of character, surely follows conviction of a more sordid sort.

I want my football team to be men - real men, men of character who pursue perfection on and off the field. As a Cougar fan, one is not acceptable without the other. But if ever one must suffer, let it be the former; for without the it, accolades of the latter are simply hollow victories forgotten in time, helpless and without power to inspire greatness.

Give me substance.

Give me BYU Football.

(Transcript from the above link):

Today…is your defining moment. Expectations are extremely high, but you knew that before you set foot on this campus; before you signed the honor code; before you put on your first BYU shirt. We have a tradition unlike any other. Those who have gone before us are the giants upon whose shoulders we now stand. There’ll be no sitting on the sidelines. No waiting for somebody else to make to happen…and there will be no compromises. What I’m asking for…is for your performance today to come from a deeper place. No matter how hard, no matter how tough, you are expected to make a difference. There is no other way here, other than greatness, and now it’s your time to perform. My question to you is are you ready? Today are you ready? Are you at your best?

Because once you leave this room people are counting on you. They’re counting on you to be great. They’re counting on you to be great. And they’re counting on you to do all the things you’re supposed to do as a representative of BYU.

Please never forget why you’re here. Never forget who you are. And never forget – so much…so much depends on what you do today.

Countdown to Kickoff

Rise and shout, Cougar Fans! Fall practice has begun, which means it's time to officially get excited about another season of college football. Don't get me wrong, I've been actively engaged in follow the new commits, projected starters, predictions, players breaking the law and it being front page material, though none of it would have made the news at any other school. But the start of fall practice really means it's just around the corner.
Here are a couple links to get you up to speed on this years campaign:

Cougarfan.com - This picks up stories from sources around the nation (mostly Utah) about what is going on with the Cougs. Love it, need it.
Highlight Vids - This awesome site gives whets your appetite for some more football. I try to watch one or two a week, just to keep my senses sharp. Good for down time at home, the office, church, dentist, doctor, delivery room...
Total Blue Sports - This is part of Scout.com; gives some more in depth coverage of your defending MWC champs and holders of the 2nd longest winning streak in the NCAA.
Chat - This site lets you chat it up with other BYU fans and a fair number of anti-BYU folks. Always good for a scoop, but make sure you have the salt shaker near
Official Homepage - This is the official site of BYU Football. Good stuff, including links to purchase some excellent BYU paraphenalia.

If any of you tried and true, Cougar Blue, thru and thru fans have other websites you'd like to give me, let me know and I'll add them to the list and give you credit for the find.

Rise all loyal Cougars and hurl your challenge to the foe.
You will fight, day or night, rain or snow.
Loyal, strong, and true
Wear the white and blue.
While we sing, get set to spring.
Come on Cougars it's up to you. Oh!

CHORUS:

Rise and shout, the Cougars are out
along the trail to fame and glory.
Rise and shout, our cheers will ring out
As you unfold your victr'y story.

On you go to vanquish the foe for Alma Mater's sons and daughters.
As we join in song, in praise of you, our faith is strong.
We'll raise our colors high in the blue
And cheer our Cougars of BYU.

July 2007

It’s not that a lot hasn’t happened since the 4th of July post, it’s just that I haven’t written anything. But now I’d like to remedy that.
Things are going well, just plugging along. Not much really – just a baby due in the next 4-5 weeks, making offers on houses, spending a few days in the wilds of North Dakota, seeing a brother who’s been out of the country for a couple years, getting more and more busy at work, counting down the days until college football is back (T-minus 31) – basically what everyone else is doing.
We found a house the other day and were actually making an offer, but missed the cut by about 2 hours. It was really nice – a 2200 sq ft foreclosure going from $149k. All it needed was a paint job and a carpet, but we just missed it. The paperwork was out, I had my offer in my hand and 25 Tums in my stomach, but we missed it. But, with all the idiots out there with interest-only, adjustable rate mortgages buying more than they can afford, I’m supremely confident we’ll find one soon. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my life it is that the short school bus is always overflowing with fools and I can benefit from their mistakes. Selfish? Opportunistic? Cynical? Maybe. But it’ll get e a good deal on a house.
We spent some time in northern North Dakota (Grand Forks) the other week with my maternal side of the family. The Allred clan is large – my mother is one of 9 siblings, I am one of 55-60 grandkids – and it was a bit different for Paula, who comes from a very small extended family. But she embraced our right-wing oddities and we had a good time. Forrest was there, having just returned from two years of missionary services in south Brazil. He looked good, despite the fact his hair decided not to return stateside with him. What do you do? But it was good to see him, to catch up with him and the rest of my family. On a serious note, I feel extremely lucky to have such a strong bond with my siblings and parents. While I’m not daft enough to think we don’t have differences, I know that I am always excited to see them, that they love me in spite of myself and support me, even if they disagree.
Paula’s large and in charge. I’ll probably get a look for saying that, but Lydia’s growing and hence is Paula. But she’s a good looking pregnant woman and though her body weight as increased by 20% in this pregnancy, she still only weighs 135 pounds. I weighed that once, 14 years ago. I’m pretty much ready to do this. The anticipation is killing me. K-I-L-L-I-N-G me. (It’d be embarrassing if I spelled that wrong.) We went to a birthing class last month – 8 hours, 1 day – and I took it pretty well. Sure, I saw things I hoped I’d never see, was told things I hoped I’d never know, learned things I hoped I’d never learn. But I am grateful for one thing: the epidural. I don’t want to feel a thing.
And finally, BYU plays Arizona on September 1st. 31 days. That’s no time at all. I could save enough for a John Edwards haircut. Some might think that I’m more excited for football season than Lydia’s birth. I just laugh.

"Since You've Been Gone...

...I can breathe for the first time. Since you've been go-One..." Oh...this is a little embarrassing; you've caught me in a Kelly moment. Sheesh.
It’s been a while since I've posted, (the song reference was to this lapse, not my wife being out of town last week) so I’m just going to throw together a hodgepodge of events that have occurred because I have neither the time nor the inclination to write detailed descriptions. Plus, it’s sort of fun to have a fast, quick hitting post.

The Bachelor – Paula went to Utah this past week to hangout with her best friend Kami who just got back from her 1 ½ year church mission in Taiwan. So while they spent money and talked about the intricacies of Kami’s newest boy-toy out in the Rockies, I embraced one of the Seven Deadly Sins – sloth. I didn’t do a thing on my three-day weekend – between sleeping, Xboxing and sleeping, there wasn’t any time. When in Rome…

6 Degrees – I got this call from my brother Nathan late Friday night, almost Saturday morning. I missed it because i was in the other room, but the voicemail was: "Hey man, call me as soon as you get this." Then there was a text message with the same request. So I did. Twice. With no answer. I'm a little nervous, so the next morning I call. The urgent incident that made me worry? "Hey, I'm hanging out with Michael Eav and he has a good one for you for '6 Degrees to Kevin Bacon' and I wanted you to try it." (Hulk Hogan was in Rocky 3 with Sylvester Stalone [1] who was in Demolition Man with Benjamin Bratt [2] who was in Red Planet with Val Kilmer [3] who was in Top Gun with Tom Cruise [4] who was in A Few Good Men with Kevin Bacon [5]. 'YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!')

The Big Chill – A couple weekends ago we were invited to Augusta to visit Greg and Melissa, our friends who recently embraced the connubial life. (Great word; look it up) In all we had a crew of 11 people at their house, ages 25 to 31, eating and laughing and eating some more. It was pretty awesome. I’d say the highlight of everyone’s weekend was the many different facial hair motifs of Greg. It started with a beard, transitioned to biker/mechanic and ended with this mustache that...how do I say this...you frequently see on an episode of Dateline’s ‘To Catch a Predator’ series. Hilarious.

Epitomizing Meatheads – I love BYU football. Love it; want it; need it. Anyway, this weekend a couple of morons were arrested for burglary when they went after some guys who tossed a water balloon out a window that got one of their girls. You can read the details here, but suffice it to say this linebacker and tight end kicked in a couple doors looking for the mischievous aqua-bomb lobbers. The funniest thing is the second door they kicked in was the right one, but the perps were hiding in a closet and the police showed up in the nick of time. Awesome.

It’s All About Sex – In a couple of weeks, (April 23rd) we find out if the baby is a boy or a girl. Yikes. The moment of truth. I think most people would have been nervous that they were expecting a child; not me. I’m nervous to find out what it is. If it’s a boy, I’ll be excited and not too nervous – my confidence is strong to very strong when it comes to raising a boy. If it’s a girl…I might need meds. I have no clue what to do with a girl. There are questions, no answers: How do I discipline her? How do I protect her? What do we name her? What happens if she looks like me? How will I console her if no boys ask her out on a date? How will Paula console me when they do? Most important: how can I decorate my daughter’s room in Cougar Blue?! AARRGHHH!

The Century Mark – Soon I’ll hit my 100th post. Like this week maybe. That’s a lot of posts. On Seinfeld, for the 100th episode they did this collage of episodes that was hilarious. Maybe I’ll do the same thing. The Greatest Posts in Cyber Commorancy History. Feel free to cast your votes. I think it might be a very small post. Here’s the plan: leave a comment about your favorite post. And I’ll share those with the world. Unless I don’t get a lot, then I’ll make some up. In a different font. With flashing lights. And streamers. Yeah, definitely streamers.

BLUE 42! BLUE 42!!

Can you feel it? Companies everywhere are experiencing a drop-off in productivity from the XY employees as they delve into their wildest fantasy (league). The feeling is palpable; it’s a living organism with drug-like powers that grab hold of heterosexual males everywhere and captivating us for the next five months.
More powerful than scantily clad women is the draw of this most wonderful of seasons: football. The air turning cool, the sun setting earlier; sales of chips, dips and chicken wings have spiked. The raw, unadulterated grind of men engaged in an epic battle of monumental (though, in reality minimal) proportions, demonstrating incredible feats of strength on a field of real or imitation grass.
I’m living for the weekend. College football; professional football; even high school football draws me in. I’m in three fantasy leagues, with three drafts to attend next week; BYU is opening Saturday against Arizona on TBS at 10:30pm EST (that 6:30am bishopric meeting Sunday morning is going to come awfully early) and I watch it all, yelling, rejoicing and anguishing over every play. Here in the south, where football is king and people know ‘the Y’ as the YMCA, my opportunities to revel and revile in Cougar football is minimal at best; I’ve got to make the most of this.
Living in the south and having attended an Alabama game at Bryant-Denney stadium, I’ve realized folks out west don’t really grasp was college football is. Showing up in Tuscaloosa, I was one of maybe a dozen people not sporting crimson and white – not for long, because I went into the first shop I saw and dropped $50 on a hat and shirt. But it was crazy and awesome because everyone – parents, grandparents, students, babies, pets – was decked out. BYU fans need to be more like that: only blue, white and gold allowed in the stadium.
Even with this relative lack of football fanaticism (some would argue ‘proper perspective on what really matters’, but seriously...) I love BYU football; I bleed Cougar Blue; the wallpaper on my desktop is sportin’ the Coug’s and their 2006 schedule. Not since the 50’s have the cougars had three non-winning seasons in a row; I’m hungry for a great season. I need it, like a southerner needs their Coke and iced tea. And the potential is there. A Top 20 QB (John Beck) who finished #7 in the nation last year in yards per game; Top 10 TE (Johnny Harline) who led the nation in receiving yards for a TE; a 1000 yard rusher (Curtis Brown) with nearly 500 yards receiving; an O-Line that averages over 325 pounds. Defensively a new 3-4 scheme will take advantage of a strong linebacker corps; they just have to make a couple stops and let the offense rack up the numbers.
Prediction: 10-2 in the regular season, MWC Champs.
Rise and shout, it’s football season.

Steve

I just finished reading this article about Steve Young. My mom sent it to me because, growing up, I idolized #8. He was one of the main reasons I loved the 49ers. When I was in middle and high school is when Steve took over the helm at San Francisco and led the league in pass efficiency for four straight years. I lived 49er football. Allow me to illustrate:
When I was growing up, TV on Sunday wasn’t allowed; that was fine and no big deal until I discovered football. Then it became a little more difficult. As a freshman/sophomore, I was on the JV basketball team and had early morning practice, which ran from 6-7:30am. In order to get there on time, I had to catch the bus at 5am. When Steve and the Niners where rolling through the playoffs en route to the Super Bowl, I’d record the game on Sundays, wake up at 3:30 on Monday morning and watch the game before going to school so I’d know the results and be able to discuss it with my friends. The only Super Bowl I watched for the first 21 years of my life was when Steve got the monkey of his back and threw for a NFL record 6 touchdowns. Nathan and I snuck over to my Grandma and Grandpa Roberts to do it.
That was 10 years ago now and Steve is a Hall of Fame quarterback, getting in easily on his first year of eligiblity; more importantly, he’s a Hall of Fame person. We live in a day where heroes are determined by foot-speed and not faithfulness; by money and not morality; by popularity and not purity. These types of heroes entertain, but they do not inspire greatness of character. Steve Young is one who does what one should with wealth, fame and greatness. I know he’s not perfect; I know he’s made mistakes; however, I also know he has been a righteous steward over those things God has blessed him with.
I highly recommend the article to all to read. You can’t help but be impressed.

Celebrating Will Ferrell and NCAA football

First, inasmuch as I love BYU football (it's a difficult thing to do sometimes, but I bleed Cougar Blue), this is a clip from when BYU's kicker Matt Payne demolished a Boise State's return man. The irony of the whole thing is our kicker could lay a massive hit but couldn't hit the game winning field goal. Dang.

As another tribute to the upcoming NCAA 2006 season (30 days, but who's counting?)and the Talladega Nights movie, I'm posting the following video. It's the intro to the 2005 Rose Bowl as USC and Texas played for the National Championship; having some smooth operator like McConaughey trying to match wits with Will Ferrell wasn't even a contest. If the game had to be decided by this clip, USC would have dominated.

Long live NCAA football and long live Will Ferrell!