What made you a fan

[pellegrino]

I confess to being one of the BYU fans who had no qualms pulling for the Miller-Jensen Final Four Ute teams.

I hate you people. My family are also big Carolina fans, I remember watching that Utah vs UNC game with a bunch of "friends" who identified as BYU "fans" who cheering for Utah. I was the only one cheering for UNC and they were all talking smack as if Utah had been their team for life.

[CardiacCoug]

I confess to being one of the BYU fans who had no qualms pulling for the Miller-Jensen Final Four Ute teams.

Same here.

I was in Chapel Hill for the Utah win over UNC in 1998 and I admit taking a little pride at seeing the smug looks wiped off the Tarheel fans. I played against Drew Hansen in high school, so it was pretty awesome to see him as part of that Ute team.

[oxcoug]

I hate you people. My family are also big Carolina fans, I remember watching that Utah vs UNC game with a bunch of "friends" who identified as BYU "fans" who cheering for Utah. I was the only one cheering for UNC and they were all talking smack as if Utah had been their team for life.

Hah well I'm not one of THOSE people - I wldn't be caught running pro-Ute smack.

But I had more of a personal rationale than I'd guess those guys did

1. A couple of my buddies (roommates as well) at the Y were friends and high school teammates of the Jensen brothers and I ended up playing some pickup ball with them on a couple of weekend visits to Centerville/Bountiful and knew they were just good guys
2. I had good reason to think that some of Utah's top talents in those years - including Alex Jensen - would have been at BYU if BYU had anything resembling a normal basketball program in those years
3. One of my best buddies from high school - Jimmy Carroll - had gone to Utah (before breaking his foot, hating Majerus and transferring to UNR) and his time there had softened me on Utah hoops a bit.

[oxcoug]

Same here.

I was in Chapel Hill for the Utah win over UNC in 1998 and I admit taking a little pride at seeing the smug looks wiped off the Tarheel fans. I played against Drew Hansen in high school, so it was pretty awesome to see him as part of that Ute team.

Yeah that was the other thing. There is that element that kicks in when you're just happy to see national snobs get smacked by a team from the Mtn West.

[thesaint258]

I hate you people. My family are also big Carolina fans, I remember watching that Utah vs UNC game with a bunch of "friends" who identified as BYU "fans" who cheering for Utah. I was the only one cheering for UNC and they were all talking smack as if Utah had been their team for life.

Same here. My dad's side are all UNC fans, so I cheer for them (unless they're playing BYU). That game (and the aftermath) was NOT fun.

[San Juan Sun]

For me it was a few things:

1. At age 6 BYU wins the National Championship. Living in Vernal, Utah at the time, this was a big deal. And kids like to bandwagon, so that's where it started.

2. At age 12, BYU beats Miami. That was huge, and following Ty Detmer was a bit like Jimmermania now. During the next few years, I had a close association with Bob Stephens, who was Detmer's center.

3. Age 18, I was living in Provo for the 1996 season. A great time to be in Provo.

So basically, every 6 years BYU was awesome, and I got hooked.

[FN Phat]

I played a Pop Warner regional championship game in the Carrier Dome. I was able to meet Paul Pasqualoni after the game (this was in the prime of Syracuse football with players like Marvin Harrison, Kirby Dar Dar, Qadry "The Missle" Ismail, Jo Jo Wooden, Chris Gedney, MArvin Graves, etc.). I was in complete awe of the whole experience. From the time I lived in Syracuse (from 1992-95) I was able to catch quite a few football and basketball games. I remember Allen Iverson and the Hoyas come into town the day after Christmas and put on a show. I'll never forget Iverson breaking Mike Lloyd's ankles and dunking all over John Wallace. Lawrence Moten dropped 19 in a losing effort. I wore knee high socks from 1992-until past high school in respect of Lawrence Moten.

I am a Raiders fan and Boise State fan by biological default.

[New Mexican Disaster]

My parents were converts to the LDS church in every way. They loved BYU with an unequaled passion. So much so, in fact, that every morning when our mother came to wake us up she would turn on the light and say "Rise and Shout Cougars," and then proceed to sing the fight song.

When I was five my father began working at BYU and someone in my family attended every basketball and football game, most baseball games, and even track and field events. We had most of our family home evenings on campus at the Wilk and in the censored movie theatre.

I ate slept and drank Cougar sports from the time I was old enough to know what was going (which was 1982). Even though I graduated from a school with a superior football tradition, I will always think first of BYU for my affections. You can't change who you are.

Oh, and I cheered like crazy for the Utes in 1998. I am proud of my home state institutions except when they play us.

[pellegrino]

Oh, and I cheered like crazy for the Utes in 1998. I am proud of my home state institutions except when they play us.

I can't understand this.

[venkman]

I was too young to appreciate the game, but seeing my parents reaction to McMahon to Brown in the Miracle Bowl made a fan out of me.

[LA Ute]

I can't understand this.

I always cheer for Utah State. After a few decades in CA I am still a Utah boy at heart. As a Mo, I will cheer a lot more for BYU now that their success won't really impact my Utes directly.

[SCcoug]

Earliest prefan memories: I vaguely remember going to the church and watching some games in the RS room on the padded chairs. Later I remember getting put to bed and hearing cheering for the 1990 Miami game.

I really started to pay attention in the 96 season when I was in 8th grade. My older brother was a freshman at BYU at the time and we could actually watch a couple of the nationally televised games. That season had several memoriable ones, the pigskin classic against aTm, the beat down on the hill, the WAC championship game against Wyo and of course the bowl alliance controversy which lead to the Cotton Bowl win. I remember waking up every Sunday morning and turning to the sports page to try and find the BYU score and following the polls on Monday. That was also about the time I signed up for CougarNet and got my first taste of a message board like experience, I'd later find the BYUboard, cougarboard, cougarfan and cougarblue. My ritual for when the games were on TV was to wear every BYU t-shirt, sweat shirt, hoodie, hat or other paraphernalia I could find to cheer the cougars on. From then on I was hooked. I'd try and stream KSL on the old 56K modem for the games we didn't get and stay up late to finish the basketball games.

Other highlights include going to the 2000 Virginia game and witnessing one of Engemann's few highlights. Watching Doman bust on to the scene in the UNM game and engineer Lavell's last miracle and pitch to Staley for the go ahead TD against the Utes. I luckily missed most all of the Crowton dark age thanks to the mission but got back in time to cheer on the Cougars for their return to glory under Elder Mendenhall and Rose.

[Green Monstah]

Hey, congrats man.

[pellegrino]

I always cheer for Utah State. After a few decades in CA I am still a Utah boy at heart. As a Mo, I will cheer a lot more for BYU now that their success won't really impact my Utes directly.

a rival is a rival is a rival. Duke, State, and Wake are three teams that geography and history say I should be happy to see win, so long as they aren't playing UNC. I could care less what happens to them, and I will always cheer for whoever is playing Duke. The same goes for Utah.

[LA Ute]

a rival is a rival is a rival. Duke, State, and Wake are three teams that geography and history say I should be happy to see win, so long as they aren't playing UNC. I could care less what happens to them, and I will always cheer for whoever is playing Duke. The same goes for Utah.

You obviously need to work on being more Christ-like.