The "defend your fandom" thread

[cougjunkie]

I grew up going to Utah games. I've sat on the cement that used to be in north end zone. I've worn my football jersey as a little leaguer (you got in free) and played football in the south end zone during halftime (Before the renovation there was grass behind the south end zone stands). My only goal during high school football was to be able to play on the "turf" up in Rice stadium. I went to the two Freedom Bowls in the early nineties with friends when I was in high school (Solon was there too). I would have been at the copper bowl in 1992 but tooblue had to get married in Canada so me, my brother and I watched the game from bowling alley in buffalo NY.

I've also loved Utah basketball for ever. I was at the "king of the fing hill". I was at the Utah game where there was mouse released. I still count as one of the greatest moments of my life was when Utah beat byu in Provo in 1998 (basketball).

I also got my undergrad at Utah and I usually get out to one or two football games a year and One or two basketball games a year.

MRD you are truly a diehard.

[beefytee]

I am a black sheep in my family for attending BYU.

Even though I grew up in Canada, I was raised a BYU hater (Yes it is hated internationally). My aunt went to BYU and my dad has teased her ever since.

I never wanted to go there until I attended computer geek camp there one summer and decided I wanted to come down here to school.

I loved college football before I came to the US for school and was excited to attend.

I have been a BYU fan ever since.

[Senioritis]

My dad played hoops at the U under Jack Gardner. And when I say "played," I mean competed against the starters in practice.

My mom was in a sorority at the U, but we're relatively certain that my dad is my father.

I honestly can't remember not knowing the words to Utah Man, but I remember thinking, way back during my days at Leo J Muir Elementary school, that they were kind of stupid. But their stupidity made them awesome.

Lynn Archibald's family moved into my ward in Bountiful when he was hired as Utah's coach, and I became really good friends with his youngest son. When Lynn was in the Bishopric, the coach's show was on Sunday, 5:00pm on KUED, hosted by that public exhibitionist Bill Marcroft. I remember leaving Sacrament Meeting with Lynn and his boy right after the sacrament, stopping at 31 flavors on the way out, and chilling in the old KUED studio while the show was filmed.

I also remember tons of time spent playing games on the floor of the Hunstman. Somehow, we figured out how to turn on the clocks and scoreboard, so we'd make it really official. Unbelievable fun.

My old man was on the founding board of the Crimson Club, so we got to know a bunch of Ute folks really well. He became good friends with Lynn and Jim Fassel, who both got canned within months of each other. Both programs got better, however, and my fandom stayed strong.

I've really got to say, though, that sixth grade was the pinnacle of my fandom. I still live and die with the Utes, but sixth grade is the last time I cried over a Ute game. Since then, it hasn't been quite as important, and it wanes just a tiny, tiny bit more every year.

[Blueintheface]

Also, I prefer watching the Utes because you can buy a beer in RES but can't at LES.

Still on that? I guess since you "know" that Bauman lied and have declared this several times now that you were the one that poured beer on him?

[Mormon Red Death]

MRD you are truly a diehard.

thank you... Hopefully someday I can be the superfan. Living in Michigan has hurt my cause considerably. However, I have put in my will that at the grave site everyone is to sing "Utah Man". If possible they should have the band there to play.

As a tangent the best superfan ever was a guy who has had one season ticket to Utah basketball games for 40 years. He even missed the birth of his only granddaughter to go to a game. That guy wherever he is rocks.

[tooblue]

I grew up going to Utah games. I've sat on the cement that used to be in north end zone. I've worn my football jersey as a little leaguer (you got in free) and played football in the south end zone during halftime (Before the renovation there was grass behind the south end zone stands). My only goal during high school football was to be able to play on the "turf" up in Rice stadium. I went to the two Freedom Bowls in the early nineties with friends when I was in high school (Solon was there too). I would have been at the copper bowl in 1992 but tooblue had to get married in Canada so me, my brother and I watched the game from bowling alley in buffalo NY.

I've also loved Utah basketball for ever. I was at the "king of the fing hill". I was at the Utah game where there was mouse released. I still count as one of the greatest moments of my life was when Utah beat byu in Provo in 1998 (basketball).

I also got my undergrad at Utah and I usually get out to one or two football games a year and One or two basketball games a year.

Do you all see what I had to grow up with and MRD is only one of three brothers like this -- not to mention a brother-in-law who's just as bad.

I too grew up getting into games free wearing my jersey, sitting on cement, playing football in the south end zone and watching crappy Utah teams get pummeled by the likes of Idaho. When I turned 10 - 11 years old I figured out that I could pretend I wasn't feeling well and stay home to watch BYU pummel it's opponents with QB's like Steven Young at the helm.

[woot]

My fandom is indefensible and I wish it would go away. I disagree with pretty much everything BYU stands for. Such is the irrationality of sports, I suppose.

Regarding how I came to be such a big fan, my dad went there and I grew up being a big fan for as long as I can remember. I attended a few games over the years and watched them on TV at every opportunity. I also ended up getting a bachelor's degree from BYU, but that is incidental and I would probably still be a BYU fan even if I hadn't.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

I grew up going to BYU games. My older brothers were much older than me and I would often spend Friday night at their apartment and go to the games the next day. Or I would catch a ride to Provo with an older couple from my ward, the Moses', and go with my brothers.

The first game I remember going to was against Temple in 85 or 86. That game I had ridden down to with Yvonne and Chad Schmidt wife and son of defensive guru Ken.

I don't think I missed more than a handful of games between 87-96. As I have moved away and gone to school eslewhere I still have a lot of love for BYU. However it is different than most here. BYU is nostalgia for me. Great memories of spending time with my brothers, which was more improtant to me than I can properly explain coming from being raised by a single mother. Reflections of childhood and dreams that didn't come to pass and probably weren't realistic anyway, as childhood dreams probably should be.

[Goatnapper'96]

My old man was in a fraternity at SDSU. It was his 3rd institution of higher education in 5 years (Cobleskill JC, San Jose State and then Cal State San Diego). He thinks he was a junior by then, but his memory is foggy. He then met a Twin Falls farm girl studying pre-med. She was actually a student at the U but back in those days the pre-med students from the U spent their sophmore years at a Cal State campus and the Cal State students spent their junior years at the U. The UC campuses didn't participate because of BCS bias. Well, boy meets girl...boy gets a hard on...girl introduces boy to crazy stories of flying angels and golden bibles. Boy wants to get laid and the beauty of the real LDS missionary arm comes to fruition. I don't know if my mother played any role in saving my old man's soul, but there can be little debate that she saved his liver. Somewhere along the line he moved to Utah and carpooled with a bunch of Aggie fans from Pleasant View to what was then Thyokol, I think. He got sick of their arrogance and frontrunning bullshit so he started cheering for the suckiest sucks of the religious academy down in Provo. Sometime a dude named Lavell was hired and my dad became a fanatic - he even wore royal blue shirts to games before it became cool for BYU fans to sport team colors. I came of age in the best municipality in Ventura County in the 80's. I was raised to hate triple d and his faggity Lancer lover friends and to love the BYU. Great days to be a BYU fan in SoCal. I went to the bowl games and even looked the other way when my pops blurted out the F-word when his tire popped near San Clemente High after Quentin Corryatt had "F'd" Ty Detmer in both his shoulders. I lived through the highs and lows and have loved BYU sports since I started following the Cougars religiously in about 1980.

Today, even beating Air Force still makes my nipples hard, but I am an admitted hopeless romantic!

RISE AND SHOUT BITCHES!

[Mormon Red Death]

Do you all see what I had to grow up with and MRD is only one of three brothers like this -- not to mention a brother-in-law who's just as bad.

I too grew up getting into games free wearing my jersey, sitting on cement, playing football in the south end zone and watching crappy Utah teams get pummeled by the likes of Idaho. When I turned 10 - 11 years old I figured out that I could pretend I wasn't feeling well and stay home to watch BYU pummel it's opponents with QB's like Steven Young at the helm.

[landpoke]

I find this thread to be exclusionary and offensive. Par for the course for you people.

[JohnnyLingo]

I find this thread to be exclusionary and offensive. Par for the course for you people.

No Wyoming fan needs to defend their fandom. Let's just leave it at that.

[Jeff Lebowski]

My parents weren't much into sports. But the father of my best friend growing up had season tickets and I got invited a few times. I remember watching a game where Pete Van Valkenburg ran like crazy (how could I forget that name?). I remember a game or two with Gary Sheide. I remember the agony of watching what's-his-name shank that field goal in the last few seconds against Indiana.

Anyway, I was hooked early on and don't recall ever being tempted to be a Ute fan.

[BigPiney]

My parents both went to the BY. My mom was on the track team back in the early 70's. My Uncle was an all american long jumper at Byu.

I remember going to see games at the Stake center as a kid. Also my dad would listen to Byu basketball games on KSL during the winter, when you can get the signal in the Bay Area at night.

Byu was the only school I applied to, though I did consider Cal for athletic reasons. Was a 4 year varsity athlete in a Title IX destroyed sport. My brother was on the football team for a spring not too long ago, but gave it up for academic reasons.

I am fan of all the sports, but most importantly football. Went to all of the fb and bb games while I was there, and most volleyball games.

I got a masters at Oregon state, and was able to attend all of their home games during the Fiesta bowl year. They are team #2 when it comes to allegiences, but only in football.

[Portland Ute]

[

No Wyoming fan needs to defend their fandom. Let's just leave it at that.

I think MRD just explained it, without defending it.