The Brethren and BYU Football

[Ruby Soho]

Anybody else feel that they enjoy and appreciate BYU Football as a PR & Marketing arm of the LDS church, but they never want to see the program reach the religious-like following of so many other major to elite programs around the country? That kind of fan devotion doesn't jive with the "eternal perspective" that Mormons culturally follow.

My feelings were expressed best by a TBS poster voicing his concern by saying "...the arrogant attitude that I should show up, shut up, and put up ($) for 6 games and then go home after the season is over and not think about football again until the season starts."

[Indy Coug]

I'm sure there's a point being made here somewhere, but you've done a crappy job articulating what it is.

Does the church want to sell its soul for more wins? No.

Are many of the GAs huge BYU fans and want BYU to win as much as possible? Yes.



It appears that BYU71 has either hijacked your account or possessed your body; so you either have my condolences or my disdain for your inability to create a "strong" password.

[byu71]

I'm sure there's a point being made here somewhere, but you've done a crappy job articulating what it is.

Does the church want to sell its soul for more wins? No.

Are many of the GAs huge BYU fans and want BYU to win as much as possible? Yes.



It appears that BYU71 has either hijacked your account or possessed your body; so you either have my condolences or my disdain for your inability to create a "strong" password.

That's it Indy. Enjoy your position of sticking your head in the sand and letting your bare ass blow in the wind.

[Fiyero]

The spirit of contention is with Indy. Maybe he unknowingly demonstrated Ruby Soho's entire point.

[smokymountainrain]

My feelings were expressed best by a TBS poster voicing his concern by saying "...the arrogant attitude that I should show up, shut up, and put up ($) for 6 games and then go home after the season is over and not think about football again until the season starts."

I guess I missed the GA's talk about not thinking about football during the offseason.

Seriously, where the hell does that come from? Is that TBS poster making this up in order to create controversy where none exists?

[Ruby Soho]

I'm sure there's a point being made here somewhere, but you've done a crappy job articulating what it is.

Does the church want to sell its soul for more wins? No.

Are many of the GAs huge BYU fans and want BYU to win as much as possible? Yes.



It appears that BYU71 has either hijacked your account or possessed your body; so you either have my condolences or my disdain for your inability to create a "strong" password.

Do you really exist out there in the world? I've got to meet you someday. You completely lack the ability to understand anything that isn't black and white.

I'm not talking about wins and losses here.

[Ruby Soho]

I guess I missed the GA's talk about not thinking about football during the offseason.

Seriously, where the hell does that come from? Is that TBS poster making this up in order to create controversy where none exists?

It was in response to BYU Football furthering it's policy of denying access to fans and media.

[KillerDog]

I think there is a strong feeling that they would like the BYU fans to be another breed of fan. They want the fans to be passionate but only in a positive way. They want the fans to donate money but not take ownership of the program. They want the fans to link the Church and the football program but not to take it to the extreme of a religious belief that the team should win. It is a fine line they are trying to walk. I think the program is still going through a maturing period. They administration and the coaching is still trying to come to terms with the program and how to capitalize on it while still making it what they want it to become. I think they are getting there.

[KillerDog]

I guess I missed the GA's talk about not thinking about football during the offseason.

Seriously, where the hell does that come from? Is that TBS poster making this up in order to create controversy where none exists?

I think it is clear that BYU both loves and hates the BYU football fans. They have a lot of difficulty trying to figure out how much access to allow the fans and how much contribution to request of them. A great example is the scholarship program where the school identifies a player and you donate the equivalent of their cost of school. At first they didn't want that to include any player interaction. For a time you had a lot of access to players and coaches if you were doing this. Now, you have some access to players, none to coaches and a lot to the administration. They are still trying to define what they want from the fans and what they are willing to give up to get it.

[Indy Coug]

Do you really exist out there in the world? I've got to meet you someday. You completely lack the ability to understand anything that isn't black and white.

I'm not talking about wins and losses here.

What makes you think you know what the GAs do or don't think about football? What makes you think their attitudes are completely homogenous on the subject?

How big of a sample size is required? If you find just one GA that fits your stereotype, is that all you need?

Do you have any actual experiences to share, or are you just throwing out the existence of some unnamed TBS poster's "concern" which may be completely baseless?

[smokymountainrain]

It was in response to BYU Football furthering it's policy of denying access to fans and media.

I would then have to ask...Is this a Bronco Mendenhall decision or a LDS church decision?

My guess is the Brethren don't give a rat's ass whether or not fans and media have access to BYU football. But then I'm out of the loop on this, so perhaps I should stop commenting.

[Indy Coug]

It was in response to BYU Football furthering it's policy of denying access to fans and media.

That policy is being dictated by the Board of Trustees?

As a way of comparison, are other schools that aren't owned by churches also being more restrictive with their access?

Are you OK with sportswriters/bloggers spilling the beans of all the special gameplanning you are trying to install to hope to have a prayer of beating a superior opponent?

[smokymountainrain]

I think it is clear that Bronco Mendenhall both loves and hates the BYU football fans. Bronco Mendenhall has a lot of difficulty trying to figure out how much access to allow the fans and how much contribution to request of them. A great example is the scholarship program where the school identifies a player and you donate the equivalent of their cost of school. At first Bronco Mendenhall didn't want that to include any player interaction. For a time you had a lot of access to players and coaches if you were doing this. Now, you have some access to players, none to coaches and a lot to the administration. Bronco Mendenhall is still trying to define what he wants from the fans and what he is willing to give up to get it.

When you say "they" and "BYU", read it as edited. Perhaps I'm wrong, but that's how I perceive this situation. I just question how much the Brethren or the church has to do with these decisions.

[Ruby Soho]

My guess is the Brethren don't give a rat's ass whether or not fans and media have access to BYU football.

And this statement is the point of my original post. The Brethren are the Board of Trustees for BYU. Everything filters down from the top.

I honestly feel the BOT would have a problem with thousands and thousands of die-hard and devoted BYU Football fans following the programs every move like those of us on CB, TBS and here. Sunday meetings, FHE, scripture study, seminary, institute, scouting, mutual, ward activities, etc. So much time is asked of LDS members to attend to these meetings and study. I believe the Brethren fear members of the church focusing their attention on the Football program instead of all the other things they ask of us.

Side note, I have no problem with limiting media access when you've got some rogue Trib writer out there reporting things he has been told not to. Make the limited access temporary though. If the team doesn't perform up to expectations the media will have a feeding frenzy.

[byu71]

When you say "they" and "BYU", read it as edited. Perhaps I'm wrong, but that's how I perceive this situation. I just question how much the Brethren or the church has to do with these decisions.

I don't know how much they have to do with decisions. I have it on good authority though that GA's, I am not just speaking of just Apostles, feel very comfortable in calling up AD's and coaches and venting their feelings whether it is you should have ran the ball to kick the kid off of the team.

Can you imagine Holmoe calling up one of the brethern and telling him if he has any problems he needs to go through the proper channels.