Supporting the wrong shade of blue
Seems like every town had a kid like Craig Hirschi back in the day. You know, the kid who rooted for the Soviets to make it to the moon first. The odds are favorable there was a guy in Tombstone back in the nineteenth century who was incredibly pissed off when the Earp Brothers won the shootout at the OK Corral.
Hirschi is a young man who has probably helped you at the USU Bookstore. He’s a nice, polite fellow who just happens to have very poor taste in headgear. The Perry, Utah native grew up going to every BYU home football game “since I was knee-high to a grasshopper” and this appreciation for the Stormin’ Mormons carries over to the BYU hat he wears around USU campus.
Hirschi, a senior majoring in broadcast journalism, doesn’t even pretend to root for his school when it plays that team from Provo.
“When they play each other it’s all BYU,” he said.
In a situation where an individual has divided allegiance, like Hirschi, it’s human nature to lean toward the more consistent winner, which historically has been BYU’s football team.
Hirschi is a severe case, however, who favors BYU over USU even in areas where USU is obviously superior, yes, even in basketball.
“Even in basketball, I do cheer for Utah State,” Hirschi said, “I love watching Utah State play, but when they play BYU I cheer for BYU.”
Hirschi said this is not some way of manifesting a subconscious desire to study at that snooty private institution in the armpit of Utah County.
“No, not at all,” he said when asked if he secretly wished he could have gotten into the Y, “I’ve generally never had a desire to go there, I’m just a fan of the athletic department. When it came time to decide on a school I visited all the universities and from the moment I stepped on campus I knew this is where I wanted to go. It just felt like home.”
Hirschi puts himself in the company of the hardcore BYU fans who have fallen so completely in love with their Cougs they divorce themselves from reality.
“I knew this year they weren’t going to go undefeated,” Hirschi said, “but I am one of those fans who always has high expectations and I expect the team to win every single game.”
“Up here at Utah State, with being a BYU fan, a lot of people give me grief,” he said.
Although he’s not allowed to wear his hat to work, (kudos to the USU bookstore management for this wise policy,) Hirschi said the hat’s displeasing “Y” emblem is visible in its cubby and customers comment on it every day.
Hirschi even gets harassed by his coworkers. “They’ve been trying to give me a Utah State hat and I’ve never worn it,” he said. “They always try to steal my BYU hat and hide it.”
This Saturday when the Cougars and Aggies kick off at LaVell Edwards Stadium, the namesake of the stadium won’t the lone USU alum cheering for the school that stole USU’s colors. Hirschi will be too, and he predicted the winner: “BYU. And it won’t be close.”