Some sports and their teams represent more than just the people and places of its constituent parts.
After the World Trade Center attacks in 2001, the New York Yankees transcended into something more than their traditional original fan base. They represented all of America. Even in defeat to the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Yanks were glorious in amazing comebacks in Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. They defended their homeland in dramatic fashion while the ruins of south Manhattan were still smoldering, while lists of people were still being vetted to figure out who died and who had escaped those huge skyscrapers and their mind numbing demise. And the rest of America could not help but be moved. If you were not there, if you were not alive then or quite aware, you have to believe me about this.
Last year (2013), when the Boston Red Sox went on to win the Fall Classic after a terrible Boston Marathon bomb attack earlier in the season, killing and dismembering dozens, the people of Massachusetts and many others saw it as fitting the beloved hometown heroes went out champs, defying the odds and uniting with the victims of the sports tragedy in a witness of will and courage. The people may be struck and hurt and even mortally wounded, but the warriors of a good cause would not quit. Boston did not quit. Innocents died, peoples' lives irrevocably altered forever, but the team symbolizing their hopes and perseverance would not stop. Not till victory was theirs. Or at least some symbolic stand for fortitude.
For many Brigham Young University fans, the football team fights for a lot of things beyond the gridiron. It plays and fights for the Honor Code of this school owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It plays for glory of principles that it tries to adhere to, which include a dress code of modesty, speech that reflects non-profane utterances, morals that transcend the 21st century secular world. It espouses and enforces even, the rather radical and at times unpopular practice of no smoking and drinking, even eschewing caffeine and coffee. Is that normal or right?
Whether one believes or respects the correctness of these principles and practices, the school does stand for a few things that make it unique. Especially in major college sports.
Some think that the mission of BYU's success, both academically and athletically, is to bring more attention and acclaim to its overall church mission of bringing people to Christ, to help others see the good in the school, the sports program, the church and its membership. To bring people a positive light to all of the above. To show that God does indeed have a hand in our lives and that competition is to be celebrated and honored. To fight the good fight, as Paul might have said. That the mission of this faith is a fight for all that is good.
Of course there are many people, including tons of folk within the state of Utah itself that think that prospect is not true at all.
Nevertheless, there are BYU people, Latter-day Saints and a few others that believe that the BYU underdogs and chasers of the morally principled dream are striving for something beyond sheer sports glory.
As I had shared in a previous post, , there were big hopes in and beyond Provo this year.
Potential Heisman winning quarterback Taysom Hill. A possible undefeated team. Making a run for the first playoffs as an outsider independent.
But none of that was meant to be be.
There were signs that the team overall was not good enough even before Hill went down in game number five, in the second quarter, with a bad leg break. The defense was not stellar against Virginia or Houston previously. Fissures were evident in the overall team. In game five, that cemented it when his replacement came in after the sudden loss of its nationally recognized leader and he, back up QB Christian Stewart, could not rally the troops to the win against its state rival. First lost to Utah State at home since 1993.
The next game would prove tantalizingly close but futile as well, the Cougs bending and hanging tough but breaking in overtime to Central Florida, in Orlando. BYU was not unblemished nor did it have the Heisman hero, but the team had a chance to still have an exceptional season. And now the somewhat crushing loss (third) to Nevada-Reno, again at home in Lavell Edwards Stadium. First back-to-back home losses for the football Cougars since 2004, a year that ended the short lived career of the former head coach Gary Crowton.
Ahhh...
Cougar fans lament what might have been.
An undefeated season. A Heisman candidate. A lot of controversy, hailing the memories of the original ruckus makers of 1984. Lots of college football fans are still mad about that one. But BYU wears it with pride. They beat the big boys, they beat the system.
A second undefeated team would validate the 1980s and its glories, the legacy of Hall of Fame Coach Edwards. Validate or justify that Brigham Young is as legitimate as Notre Dame, or at least other religious schools like TCU or Baylor.
But the visions and dreams of glory was not meant to be. This year.
Nonetheless, Taysom should come back next year, 2015, his last. He may be as fast and strong as ever, and he may learn to tuck in his body and avoid the big season ending hit and injury. And his arm may be more accurate, and his receivers more sure-handed, and his blockers even better... And maybe, just maybe, like we always think, the young ones on defense now and the rest will be ready for the big time spotlight. Glory. Success. Acclaim. The big time, even bigger than 1984.
A statement that BYU is as good as it wants to be because of a bigger reason: it has Providence looking on its big picture. It just might be that it is meant to be.
But not this year. Small steps and progress...despite the rash of bad ankles.
Mormons, too, shall overcome. Someday.
Sound preposterous or arrogant? Maybe.
There is a Book of Mormon scripture of a prophet who says he does not feel wrong to boast of His God. To some BYU faithful, the teams' success on the field bespeaks the greatness of the system, the beliefs behind the players and administrators and fans. No drinking, no smoking, no cursing, no unlawful sex, keeping the Sabbath day holy leads to something real. Consciously trying to put God's kingdom first leads to a powerful outcome.
Winning. Rising above the fallen world we live in. Being the best. Reaching the divine.
Go Cougars.
Blog on. EMC
After the World Trade Center attacks in 2001, the New York Yankees transcended into something more than their traditional original fan base. They represented all of America. Even in defeat to the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Yanks were glorious in amazing comebacks in Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. They defended their homeland in dramatic fashion while the ruins of south Manhattan were still smoldering, while lists of people were still being vetted to figure out who died and who had escaped those huge skyscrapers and their mind numbing demise. And the rest of America could not help but be moved. If you were not there, if you were not alive then or quite aware, you have to believe me about this.
Last year (2013), when the Boston Red Sox went on to win the Fall Classic after a terrible Boston Marathon bomb attack earlier in the season, killing and dismembering dozens, the people of Massachusetts and many others saw it as fitting the beloved hometown heroes went out champs, defying the odds and uniting with the victims of the sports tragedy in a witness of will and courage. The people may be struck and hurt and even mortally wounded, but the warriors of a good cause would not quit. Boston did not quit. Innocents died, peoples' lives irrevocably altered forever, but the team symbolizing their hopes and perseverance would not stop. Not till victory was theirs. Or at least some symbolic stand for fortitude.
For many Brigham Young University fans, the football team fights for a lot of things beyond the gridiron. It plays and fights for the Honor Code of this school owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It plays for glory of principles that it tries to adhere to, which include a dress code of modesty, speech that reflects non-profane utterances, morals that transcend the 21st century secular world. It espouses and enforces even, the rather radical and at times unpopular practice of no smoking and drinking, even eschewing caffeine and coffee. Is that normal or right?
Whether one believes or respects the correctness of these principles and practices, the school does stand for a few things that make it unique. Especially in major college sports.
Some think that the mission of BYU's success, both academically and athletically, is to bring more attention and acclaim to its overall church mission of bringing people to Christ, to help others see the good in the school, the sports program, the church and its membership. To bring people a positive light to all of the above. To show that God does indeed have a hand in our lives and that competition is to be celebrated and honored. To fight the good fight, as Paul might have said. That the mission of this faith is a fight for all that is good.
Of course there are many people, including tons of folk within the state of Utah itself that think that prospect is not true at all.
Nevertheless, there are BYU people, Latter-day Saints and a few others that believe that the BYU underdogs and chasers of the morally principled dream are striving for something beyond sheer sports glory.
As I had shared in a previous post, , there were big hopes in and beyond Provo this year.
Potential Heisman winning quarterback Taysom Hill. A possible undefeated team. Making a run for the first playoffs as an outsider independent.
But none of that was meant to be be.
There were signs that the team overall was not good enough even before Hill went down in game number five, in the second quarter, with a bad leg break. The defense was not stellar against Virginia or Houston previously. Fissures were evident in the overall team. In game five, that cemented it when his replacement came in after the sudden loss of its nationally recognized leader and he, back up QB Christian Stewart, could not rally the troops to the win against its state rival. First lost to Utah State at home since 1993.
The next game would prove tantalizingly close but futile as well, the Cougs bending and hanging tough but breaking in overtime to Central Florida, in Orlando. BYU was not unblemished nor did it have the Heisman hero, but the team had a chance to still have an exceptional season. And now the somewhat crushing loss (third) to Nevada-Reno, again at home in Lavell Edwards Stadium. First back-to-back home losses for the football Cougars since 2004, a year that ended the short lived career of the former head coach Gary Crowton.
Ahhh...
Cougar fans lament what might have been.
An undefeated season. A Heisman candidate. A lot of controversy, hailing the memories of the original ruckus makers of 1984. Lots of college football fans are still mad about that one. But BYU wears it with pride. They beat the big boys, they beat the system.
A second undefeated team would validate the 1980s and its glories, the legacy of Hall of Fame Coach Edwards. Validate or justify that Brigham Young is as legitimate as Notre Dame, or at least other religious schools like TCU or Baylor.
But the visions and dreams of glory was not meant to be. This year.
Nonetheless, Taysom should come back next year, 2015, his last. He may be as fast and strong as ever, and he may learn to tuck in his body and avoid the big season ending hit and injury. And his arm may be more accurate, and his receivers more sure-handed, and his blockers even better... And maybe, just maybe, like we always think, the young ones on defense now and the rest will be ready for the big time spotlight. Glory. Success. Acclaim. The big time, even bigger than 1984.
A statement that BYU is as good as it wants to be because of a bigger reason: it has Providence looking on its big picture. It just might be that it is meant to be.
But not this year. Small steps and progress...despite the rash of bad ankles.
Mormons, too, shall overcome. Someday.
Sound preposterous or arrogant? Maybe.
There is a Book of Mormon scripture of a prophet who says he does not feel wrong to boast of His God. To some BYU faithful, the teams' success on the field bespeaks the greatness of the system, the beliefs behind the players and administrators and fans. No drinking, no smoking, no cursing, no unlawful sex, keeping the Sabbath day holy leads to something real. Consciously trying to put God's kingdom first leads to a powerful outcome.
Winning. Rising above the fallen world we live in. Being the best. Reaching the divine.
Go Cougars.
Blog on. EMC
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