My experience in Happy Valley

I can't stand Utah fans that hate byu more than they like Utah so I hesitate posting this because I do not want to be considered one of those people. I consider myself to someone that can take an objective opinion on the byu when they're not playing the Utes. So here it goes.....

I was invited to the Byu-St. Mary's game last night by a co-worker who is a byu fan. I didn't anticipate having as much fun as I did. There is something satisfying about watching 22,000 byu fans in utter frustration. However, as an active Mormon myself, I was flat out embarrassed at how the fans acted during the game.

Byu fans were warned during the first half after numerous items were thrown on the floor disputing a call that the next time it occurred byu would be assessed a technical. A questionable call to open the 2nd half resulted in a few items being thrown on the floor and byu was immediately assessed a technical. It was the first time I have ever witnessed a technical assessed on the crowd. Classic!! St. Mary's immediately hit a 3 following the technical giving it 5 points in one possession to open the 2nd half to open its lead to 15. Something Byu never recovered from. Fans continued their class act in the final seconds of the game by once again throwing things on the floor.

I am the first to admit that the officiating wasn't in the game. I think there were numerous bad calls throughout the game. However, it went both ways! St. Marys was called for technical because bench players were standing up at one point (I did not notice a warning, either). That is something that shoudn't be called. Poor officiating aside, it was obvious that St. Marys was the superior team in every way. Byu's guard line looked stupid against the smarter and more disciplined St. Marys back court. The fans' actions were horribly disrespectful and uncalled for.

I wish I could say I have never seen Ute fans act poorly. I was a student at the U during our basketball heyday in the late 90s, early 00s. I can remember Ute fans throwing stuff on the floor a couple of times. However, each time this occurred, I remember Majerus grabbing the mic and telling the fans to show some class. Such actions immediately ceased and the game went on.

I expected somone from the byu side to do the same last night but it never occurred. Although, I had to stop myself from laughing at various points of the game, I found myself embarrassed for them. They looked stupid and childish in a brand new conference. I thought byu only acted in these ways against Utah but I was amazed that they are poor losers regardless of who they're playing.

That all being said, the atmosphere as embarrassing and distasteful as I found it to be, it made me miss Utah basketball. The crowd was at least into the game. It was a packed house. It made me look forward to the day when going to a game at the Huntsman Center doesn't feel like going to an Opera house. It made me long for a day when our basketball crowd does more than sit on its hands.