The Bigotry Begins

Over43 · #1 (**permalink**) 09-07-2008, 08:41 AM

BYU was aided in their football game against Washington yesterday on an unfortunate call by the refs. It doesn't mean Washington would have won, but already the sports forums are alight with "Anti" BYU posts. One poster went as far as calling Coach Mendenhall a "fairy".

I have been watching BYU sports since I became active 27 years ago. I have come to undertsand that much of what is said about BYU sports has less to do with athletics and more to do with people's dislike for the univeristy's religious affiliation. This ranges from Bryant Gumbel's "Bo Diddley Tech" reference in 1985 to the present day.

Bottom line, this comes down to plain bigotry. It is a shame that it happens, and I hope none of us return the bigotry by "insulting" other's because of their belief system. I think it is wrong that 18-24 year old young men and women get punished publicly in this country because of what they stand up for, and represent that on an athletic venue.

Jon

BenRaines · #2 (**permalink**) 09-07-2008, 09:15 AM

I agree but something I have gotten used to. So BYU has the oldest team, so they have the most married players, so they have the most Eagle Scouts.

It is seldom that the announcers go on and on about how many felons a team has or how many have illegitimate children. Well maybe if we are talking about a Jerry Tarkanian basketball team.

Play football. Here is well wishes for next week against UCLA at home.

Ben Raines

siouxz72 · #3 (**permalink**) 09-07-2008, 10:01 AM

I just wish I could watch BYU football..I guess I could pay a bit more and get the chanel.. Go Cougars!

Palerider · #4 (**permalink**) 09-07-2008, 01:49 PM

the media can write and say what they want....the bottom line is this.....that kid should have made that kick.....no one to blame but the team in front of the kicker for not completing their assignments....and the coach knows that to....

Islander · #5 (**permalink**) 09-08-2008, 12:03 AM

I think the LDS Church is the only legitimate and culturally sanctioned target for bigotry in the media. I think most of what is reported under a very thin veil of "humor" could to pass muster if it was said of any other religiously affiliated university. The outcry would be heard all the way to the FCC in Washington.

bmy- · #6 (**permalink**) 09-08-2008, 12:40 AM

Garbage call IMO. That penalty is there to prevent taunting and pre-meditated/obscene dances.

If it was any other quarter in the game.. flag him. But with the less than 10 seconds on the clock.. in the 4th?

Yes, yes -- it's in the rule book. It's the 'spirit' of the law.. not the letter of it that matters.

A player last week was flagged for 'pumping his arm' into the sky. I'm sure this rule will be changed before next season starts.

[Keep the players out of it. The only person in question is the ref who made the call.]

Moksha · #7 (**permalink**) 09-08-2008, 01:16 AM

Just sour grapes. BYU was a nationally ranked team. Washington wasn't.

Moksha · #8 (**permalink**) 09-08-2008, 01:19 AM

BTW, big win for Utah over UNLV.

Over43 · #9 (**permalink**) 09-08-2008, 08:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bmy-

Garbage call IMO. That penalty is there to prevent taunting and pre-meditated/obscene dances.

If it was any other quarter in the game.. flag him. But with the less than 10 seconds on the clock.. in the 4th?

Yes, yes -- it's in the rule book. It's the 'spirit' of the law.. not the letter of it that matters.

A player last week was flagged for 'pumping his arm' into the sky. I'm sure this rule will be changed before next season starts.

[Keep the players out of it. The only person in question is the ref who made the call.]

I didn't see what happened, it very well may have been a garbage call. That doesn't mean the team made it. The PAC 10 refs are known for goof ball calls. Remember Oregon vs. Oklahoma a few years ago?

May have cost Oklahoma the national championship if I'm not mistaken.

The gest of many of the posts on other forums blamed BYU for the call,a dn then regressed into the last form of accepted bigotry in the US, insulting the "Church" and players, etc.

O43

Captain_Curmudgeon · #10 (**permalink**) 09-08-2008, 03:02 PM

The whole thing brings many things to mind:

The church and BYU are always getting bashed in various places. Check out the comments on the on-line SLC Tribune site. Most of it is pretty mindless.
It was a PAC-10 ref and he called the penalty on the PAC-10 player and he called it immediately. If he hadn't called it and Washington had made the kick and won in OT, imagine what all the BYU fans would be saying about the non-call. IMHO the ref is to be congratulated on making the hard, but correct, call.
If you wanted to see really bad home-cooked calls, you should have caught Weber State at HI.
IMHO there's way too much showboating and trash-talking and general bad sportsmanship running around loose these days and it's being admired and imitated rather than called out for what it is: attempted bullying. Worse in pro sports than in college, but you expect that: it's been shown that organized sports are a great destroyer of character in the participants (not to mention the coaches and supporters). I was watching one college game Saturday where the announcers remarked that one of the teams had a strict rule. At the end of a play, you hand the ball to a ref and go back to the huddle. Don't, and you back to the bench.
There was some coach (my memory for details isn't working well today) who said of being in the end zone with the ball: "Try to act like you've been there before."