Sunday Sharing

Forgive me for stretching the limits of Sunday Sharing this week to discuss something that might seem a little non-spiritual, but fun still the same.

For those outside of Utah, did you know we have our own Holy War here every year?  It comes in the form of a football match-up between two rival schools:  BYU and University of Utah.

It's called a Holy War because BYU is a private school owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormon church).  Obviously, there is a world-wide fan base.  The University of Utah is a state school, but what a lot of people don't know is "the U" has actually been around a lot longer than "the Y."  In it's pre state school days it was Deseret Academy, and was started also by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

In Utah, this is the rivalry of all rivalries.  Everyone in Utah chooses sides.  If you move here and don't declare a loyalty, you'd feel like a foreigner.  

We're Utah fans.  Tim's dad taught at the LDS church institute at the University of Utah for years.  I am a graduate of BYU, and while I appreciate my education there, I never really felt a strong sense of loyalty to the school.  

My Master's degree is from the University of Utah.  I loved it there, and during my first year there, the Utes had a dream season, and went undefeated, and became the first non Bowl Championship Series team to be invited to a bowl game.  Tim claims Ute loyalty, but he doesn't watch football with me.  During that 2004 "bowl-busting" season for the Utes, Nate became my football buddy, and together we watched the Utes win game after game.  Nate became a loyal fan.

Megan also declared her Utah loyalty, but Jeran, just to be different, became a BYU fan.

Joie joined our family as the daughter of the world's greatest Boise State fan, and in an attempt to fit in, declared herself a "BYUte Bronco."  Gradually, we've won her over.  She and I both still cheer for Boise (another BCS-busting team), but if Boise plays Utah, we bleed red.  (Sadly, Utah lost to Boise last fall.)

Gabby, who has only been here less than a year is experiencing her first football season in Utah.  She has friends in our neighborhood who are BYU fans.  In a letter Gabby wrote to her sister this past summer, she declared her loyalty to BYU.  I asked her if she knew what BYU was.  She didn't, but she knew her friends cheered for their team, so she became a fan.  

Fast forward to the 2011 BYU-Utah rivalry game.  If you live in Utah, you know it was a painful night for BYU fans, who lost on their own field, 54-10.  It was fun during the game to explain football to Gabby and Joie...good times.  But when things started to look bad for BYU, Gabby said, "BYU, if you lose, I'm going to be a Utah fan."  

Utah answered with a score (then another and another and another...it really was painful for BYU).  Before the end of the 3rd quarter Gabby said, "I can't look," and closed her eyes and went to sleep.

This morning I asked her if she was a Utah fan now.  She said, "No, I'm still BYU.  My coach says it's not if you win or lose but if you have fun."  (I didn't tell her that it didn't really look like BYU was having fun.)  Jeran was also equally disappointed, and hurt that I called him a defector.  Sorry, Jeran.  I love you and love your loyalty.

But for this year, the Runnin' Utes reign supreme.  54-10.  Joie's throat is sore from screaming.  Nate couldn't type numbers fast enough on his facebook status to keep up with the score.  It was a good night to be a Utah fan.  

Go Utes!