Writing some Bull Sheet
Entering the student section of the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum, fans find a staple of Utah State University Men’s Basketball home games. Filled with dirt on the other team and cheers for the Aggies, the Bull Sheet is a satirical newsletter that encompasses the spirit of USU’s HURD.
A long-running tradition that has had several teams of volunteers composing its editions, the current “Anonymous Writers” of the Bull Sheet allowed The Utah Statesman to interview one of its authors. The author has been provided anonymity to protect their ability to continue creating their sometimes controversial content and home court advantage. The Statesman has independently verified their identity as an author of the Bull Sheet.
Even though it is run by Aggie fans and students, the Bull Sheet is unaffiliated with the university or the HURD. The author shared it was intentionally not professional but is instead for fun. The author began writing the Bull Sheet because of their love for Aggie basketball, and they have enjoyed the role.
“I’m a big basketball fan, believe it or not, and I love the Mountain West basketball — the conference,” the author said.
They said this passion makes them a better writer.
“I watch a lot of games, and I read a lot about these games, and I interact with a lot of other fans, and they tell interesting things,” the author said. “I write a lot about the basketball side of things. Obviously there are some times where I do talk about their personality and personal life, but it’s a lot about basketball and what’s happening on the court.”
When it comes to writing the sheet, they say it takes about five to seven hours to curate. They’ve also said they had a few standouts in their tenure.
“I’m pretty proud of Boise because, as we all know, we all don’t like Boise,” the author said.
They added that Boise’s proximity often allows people to have friends who attend and even USU players could be former teammates with their Bronco opponents. In addition, they said they were proud of the Wyoming Bull Sheet.
“I really liked calling head coach Sundance Wicks ‘the high school coach who looked like he would give you Kendrick Lamar lyrics to dissect in class’ or something like that,” the author said. “I do really respect coach Sundance Wicks. He’s a really great guy, and I hope that he’s successful, but it is just a little funny.”
The author said the next paper they are excited to write is for the game against New Mexico.
“I’m personally really licking my chops at New Mexico,” the author said. “There’s a lot of stuff about there.”
The author shared how they determine what goes into the sheets. They said there are lines they will not cross.
“I don’t want to be in the news — or the university in the news — for the wrong reasons,” the author said. “There’s a lot of stuff that we’ve written that we can’t use because it’s too dark. We want it to be fun, creative and hilarious.”
The Statesman then asked the author to break down USU’s players and create a “Pro-USU Bull Sheet.”
“For Mason, he embodies the Utah State kind of player where he’s from Cache Valley, and he works hard, and just every single play does the small things right,” the author said. “It’s so fun to watch him play and succeed for Utah State.”
Ian Martinez was next on the list.
“I don’t think we’ve seen a more athletic person at Utah State University than Ian Martinez,” the author said. “He has done things that I didn’t think the human body was possible of doing. I mean, we love him. It’s so fun to watch him take over games.”
Isaac “Fish” Johnson then got a second in the spotlight.
“We love Fish. He’s so fun,” the author said. “I mean, he’s come here, and he’s found a home. I mean, he was the deciding reason why we beat TCU in March Madness to give us our first NCAA Tournament win in over 20 years. And so he’s going down in Aggie history for that.”
The author then sang the praises of Karson Templin.
“Karson Templin is the greatest player ever. He’s a future All-American,” the author said. “A lot of people might not remember Justin Bean. He’s Justin Bean if he had 20 pounds of more muscle. His stat lines from this year — they don’t look super impressive in a vacuum, but if you watch the game, you realize he’s always there. He’s always helping. He’s always doing everything.”
USU’s true freshman Jordy Barnes also got a moment to shine.
“Jordy Barnes is such an incredible story,” the author said. “In the state of Utah, he has done amazing things. I cannot wait to see him grow. And he’s also really crafty.”
Finally, the author spoke on Dexter Akanno.
“It’s also really fun to watch Dexter Akanno,” the author said. “Just for him to be here and just be a blur on the field and still be humble and so passionate. It makes me so grateful that he’s in a Utah State uniform.”
The author shared one of their favorite aspects of writing for the paper.
“One of my favorite things about this is I have a lot of thoughts and a lot of opinions, and I really get to sit down and write it out and broadcast my thoughts and my opinions to a ton of people,” the author said. “I’m not saying that my opinions are better, but it is also fun just to hear that a lot of people care.”
Kolton Freeman, a member of the HURD committee, shared what he loved about the Bull Sheet.
“Honestly, the Bull Sheet is kind of just like a representation of what we’re about as a student section,” Freeman said. “It’s kind of a fun way that we can do a little bit of research on other teams and make each game more personal. It gives us ideas on what we can cheer on and what we can do. I think it’s something creative that is a tradition at this point. It’s been going on for years, like over 10 years, and it’s just something that sets us apart from the rest.”
Jaylen Porras, another HURD committee member, added to Freeman’s statement.
“The Bull Sheet is something that students look forward to every single game, something exciting, and it’s something super unique that no one else does in the country, and it’s very much so a bragging right that we have earned and has given us credibility,” Porras said.
As much as the “Anonymous Writers of the Bull Sheet” love their work and its impact, they recognize that it is a part of a much bigger machine that creates Spectrum Magic.
“The Bull Sheet is obviously one part of it, but I would say that the HURD and the Spectrum as a whole is special,” the author said. “The reason why we win isn’t because of the Bull Sheet. It’s not because of any one person. It’s because there are thousands of students who, every single night, no matter who they play, pour in and care. It is a team effort.”
The author shared why USU is special.
“You don’t see this at other universities. Cache Valley and Utah State loves basketball and the Spectrum,” the author said. “Spectrum Magic is real, as corny as it seems, as stupid as it sounds. It is real.”
They also shared how students can help make Spectrum Magic.
“If everybody is loud and everybody is jumping and everybody is bought in all the way, it’s almost impossible to lose in the Spectrum,” the author said. “It’s such a dominant atmosphere. I’ve seen teams just give up and quit because of the Spectrum.”
They shared some last advice for students who love Aggie basketball.
“If you just have an idea, a stupid idea, that you think would be fun, just do it,” the author said. “The HURD is known for its creativity and freshness. It takes everyone to keep on and improve.”