BYU pulled off a thrilling overtime victory against the University of Utah Saturday, as Utah's defense, which had been causing headaches for the Cougar offense throughout the game, was unable to stop a 25-yard Max Hall touchdown pass to Andrew George to put the Cougars ahead 26-23.
The Ute offense moved the ball well in the first and fourth quarters but stalled in the middle of the game. The Cougars were held to a much-lower-than-average 265 yards total offense but managed to win in overtime.
After the game, Hall commented, "I don't like Utah. In fact, I hate them. I hate everything about them. I hate their program, I hate their fans, I hate everything. I think the whole university, their fans and their organization is classless. They threw beer on my family and stuff last year, and they did a whole bunch of nasty things, and I don't respect them, and they deserved to lose."
I have a lot of respect for Max Hall and the entire BYU football program, so I'm surprised Hall would talk like that in front of reporters after winning his senior rivalry game. (By the way, "classless" doesn't mean what BYU fans and players think it means. Look it up in the dictionary.) Is Thomas S. Monson classless? He's a University of Utah alumnus and appeared in person to accept a University of Utah "Superfan" award about a month ago. What about Joseph B. Wirthlin? He was a dedicated Ute fan and gave motivational talks to the Utah football team up until his death.
Here's a proposal. Why not turn the Utah/BYU war of bitterness into a war of niceness? Utah fans, why not give a neighbor who's a BYU fan a red rose, with no irony and no hidden agenda? BYU fans, why not give a Utah fan friend at work some blue frosted cupcakes, without any covert message? I'm kidding a bit here, but I'm also being serious. I'd like to see a grassroots movement to add some brotherly love to the Utah/BYU rivalry, and I think the Utah and BYU athletic departments and fan organizations could also get involved and take action change people's attitudes.
Listen to Hall's comments here
Photo by Getty Images
Comments
Merriam-Webster definition of “classless” = crass, boorish – seems fitting!