| Blue View |
White View |
| By Tim Olsen |
By Mark Nance |
| Thoughts on the USU-BYU game |
| The USU-YBU game was an interesting one. It started out exactly like many people though it would, but ended with most Aggie fans applauding the effort by the team. After spotting the Y-ners 24 points in the first quarter, the Ags outscored the Cougars 14-10 the rest of the game. On one hand, the Aggies didn’t roll over like they’ve been known to do and not only pushed the No. 8 team in the country back, but pushed them around. On the other hand, Aggie fans and I’m sure players were left wondering what might have been had the Aggies not shot themselves in the foot so early in the game. Overall, I think it was a positive performance for the Aggies. If USU plays a whole game like the second half of last week’s, a positive season lays ahead. Go Aggies. |
I’ve never been so excited and happy after a loss. Excluding the first quarter, the Aggies fought with the Cougars to the very end. I almost felt as if we scored that last touchdown we would have won the game. Our football team can hold their heads high after scoring twice (almost three times) on the No. 8-ranked team in the nation. I feel that both sets of fans left the games satisfied, although the Cougars held their heads down low when they realized that USU was a tougher challenge than they would have expected. Aggie fans should be proud of how our football team played. Our defense was solid and intercepted a Heisman Trophy candidate twice. We made BYU look bad. Hail the Utah Aggies. |
| Thoughts on MLB’s Divisional Series |
| After 162 games, it doesn’t look like the regular season amounted to much. The NL leading Cubs and the AL leading Angels folded quickly in their divisional series games. The Red Sox moved on to the next round, just as I predicted, to set up an all AL East ALCS, and the Dodgers led by former Yankee manager Joe Torre swept the Cubs. I wonder if the Yankees are regretting letting Torre move on right about now. The most amazing thing was the Cubs monumental collapse. For a team that had such high expectations, they greatly underachieved. It wasn’t just that they lost, but how they lost. On a different note, kudos to the Tampa Bay Rays. One year after posting the worst record in baseball, the Rays won the AL East, set a new record for wins in a season and won the franchise’s first playoff series. |
Everyone loves the Red Sox. I hope Tampa mops the floor with them. The big story was the Cubs. The Cubs definitely did not show that they even belonged in the postseason. A couple of years ago, Bartman was the Cubs’ curse. This year: Manny Ramirez. He hit .500, had two home runs, three RBIs, five runs and was walked four times. He proved that the Chicago Cubs will never win a World Series again, because another curse will always shows its ugly head. I’m surprised the Cubs still have fans. It’s one thing to tease them in the regular season by winning the division and having the best record in the NL, but it means nothing if you don’t do well in the playoffs. Look for some major changes in the Cubs roster next year. With a new owner, Lou Pinella may as well resign and half of the team should be playing somewhere else next year. The Cubs woes will continue as long as they’re still the Cubs. |
| Should Jason Varitek’s tag of Reggie Willits counted? |
| What’s October baseball without a little controversy? Monday night the Boston Red Sox bounced the Angels from the playoffs when Jason Bay scored on Jed Lowrie’s two-out single in the bottom of the ninth inning, winning 3-2. The controversial play came in the top of the ninth inning when Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek ran down pinch runner Reggie Willits when batter Erick Aybar missed on a bunt attempt. Varitek dove for and tagged out Willits just before he reached the third base bag. However, the ball squirted out when Varitek hit the ground. The Angels argued the call, but it was the correct one. Varitek tagged the runner and the third base umpire called him out well before Varitek lost the ball. It’s a similar situation to a fumble in football. The ground cannot cause a fumble. |
I didn’t even know that it was possible to debate on such a lack-luster topic. A tag is a tag. It’s not a big deal if Varitek dropped the ball after the tag. The real problem is the Red Sox. Since when has everybody loved the Red Sox so much? I’ve heard them being called America’s team. I don’t know how they took a poll on that, but in my opinion, the Red Sox are the new Yankees or spawn of Satan. They throw just as much money into their baseball team as the Yankees, yet no one seems to care, because they are “America’s” team. The Red Sox get all the love from the umps, analysts and the news because they are winning. They will be like yesterday’s news if they start to lose. Look at what happened to the Yankees. They didn’t make the playoffs for the first time in 15 years, but no one cares, because they lost. When the Red Sox start to lose, I hope America’s new team will be the Kansas City Royals. Just like the Red Sox, they need the World Series handed to them every now and then. |
| The NBA preseason is officially underway, who will win the NBA finals? |
| I’m going to go out on a limb here, but not really. The Utah Jazz are finally going to win an NBA championship. Sure, this is a hometown pick, but I’m not alone in this thinking. ESPN.com’s John Hollinger has the Jazz as part of a three-headed monster atop the Western Conference, and gives them the edge to represent the West in the NBA finals. Here is why the Jazz will win the finals: they have one of the best young point guards in the NBA in Deron Williams, they’re interior scoring is second to none, they have the most depth out of anyone in the West and they’re about as beatable at home as the Aggies are. The Jazz had no big losses in the offseason and one of the youngest teams in the NBA will continue to grow. After a trip to the Conference finals two years ago and a second-round appearance last year, this is the year the Jazz break through. |
Since the NBA preseason is now one day old, it seems about time for analysts to come together and sound like idiots as they pick who will win the NBA championship this year. Usually what they do is look at who played in the championship last year and guess one of those teams, or just say their favorite team. I’m going against the grain this year. The 2009 NBA champions will be the Oklahoma Thunder. That’s right. You may have never heard of them. They used to be the Seattle Supersonics, but ran out after a dismal year. They have horrible players, (Kevin Durrant is their only real player) and had one of the worst records in the NBA last year. So, as the rest of America picks the Celtics, Lakers or, according to one expert, the Jazz (I’m snickering at this point), the Thunder will not lose a game and win the championship. Plus, if I’m wrong, I will just join the other 95 percent of sports writers. |
| Rant |
| What is the deal with Fresno State? This year the Bulldogs were supposed to be tops in the WAC and the number one non-BCS school to challenge for a BCS bowl bid. Now, after six weeks, Fresno State is 3-2 and 0-1 in the WAC after last Saturday’s loss at home to Hawaii. To put this in perspective, Hawaii lost on the island the previous week to San Jose State. Fresno State has now lost two home games and dropped out of the rankings – most likely for good. For a team with such high expectations coming into the season, it was a hard and fast fall. Boise State again looks to be the class of the WAC, but behind the Broncos it is a wide open race, and anyone – including the Aggies, could move up the ladder. |
I’m going to come clean. I went to BYU for three semesters and grew up going to all the football games with my dad. I was a true Cougar. However, after Friday’s game, I have never been more proud to be an Aggie. I was disgusted by the BYU fans that traveled to our stadium and how they acted. Two minutes before the game started, several BYU fans sat in front of an old Aggie fan and stood the whole time so he couldn’t see. After asking nicely for them to sit down, the BYU fans yelled at him to stand up because it was a football game. To those BYU fans: it may be one thing to have posters that invoke scriptural references implying that God loves you more, or come to our stadium and lynch our mascot, but for fans that supposedly represent a religion, you didn’t show any respect for an old man who has every right to see his Aggies play in our house. You may think you’re “Fully Invested”, but when you come to our place, show respect or stay in Provo. |
