COLUMN: Not a closet BYU fan … anymore
I have a deep, dark secret to reveal. Some of my closest friends may already know this, but now it’s time to tell it to the world. I can’t hide it any longer.
I am a BYU fan. I know, I know, this is a sin. It’s going against my “nature” as a Cache Valley-ite. But I’ve always been this way. In fact … I think I was born this way. That’s right – hard-wired to have affections for BYU.
I’ve tried to cover it up. I’ve attempted to force myself to hate BYU, as I’m required to as a good God-fearing Aggie. But, every time I say I don’t like BYU, I’m only being dishonest with myself.
In an attempt to make others believe I hate BYU, I laughed at the BYU co-ed jokes. I lamented with those who were upset that BYU got into the NCAA tournament. I even nodded in agreement when people told me that all BYU students are self-righteous hypocrites. But it was all a front to hide my true self.
Now that everything is in the open, I’ve come to a conclusion. I believe it’s possible to love both BYU and USU. I can be a BYUSU fan and be proud of it.
Many locals say that if you love USU, then you must hate BYU, and vice versa. They quote the scripture that says one cannot serve both God and mammon. Logan residents declare that loving both BYU and USU is impossible because the two are mutually exclusive.
Well, I’m here to preach a new doctrine. I say that if BYU and USU are playing separate games, it’s OK to root for BOTH teams from Utah. And if they’re playing each other, it’s OK to have ambivalent feelings.
This doctrine of tolerance for BYU is a new step for USU students. They need to understand that it’s OK to have special feelings for BYU. We need to treat these closet BYU fans like normal people.
Perhaps, you might blame my parents that I turned out this way. They attended, and even met each other, at USU. They both graduated from this fine university. But, my mom and dad made sure to create an atmosphere of love, respect and tolerance for those who harbored unholy passions for our partners from Provo. I was raised to believe that I was OK, but when I came to USU I felt persecuted and out of place.
So, in conclusion, let’s be more diverse and open to all points of view. Let’s have tolerance for those sacred souls who cheer on the Cougars and the Aggies. Whether single-minded USU students like it or not, those people are here to stay.
And I propose that to recognize all those (and I know there are more of you out there) who like both USU and BYU to wear blue. Even if you aren’t a BYUSU lover yourself, but you support it, wear blue also. Who knows? You may already be inadvertently endorsing our cause.
Mark LaRocco is a senior majoring in print/broadcast journalism. Comments may be sent to him at marklarocco@yahoo.com.