A Change of Pace: Ben the TV Critic?

     There are three shows on TV that I absolutely have to watch each week.  The first (The Office) is one that I have followed for quite some time.  As it prepares to wrap up, I find myself intrigued by how it will all end.  The second (Shark Tank) has been a favorite for a couple of years now, and I feel like I learn a lot during each episode.  Finally, the third show (Go On) is new this season, and I am already hoping that it has a long run.

     I know, this blog is typically dedicated exclusively to sports but I thought I'd change it up today.  So, without further delay, here are the reasons these shows are "must see" TV for me:

     The Office:

    Like many of you, I have seen every episode of this show.  I love the writing and the style of this show.  Through 9 seasons, this show has kept me coming back and never getting bored.

    I know that a lot of people are disappointed in this ninth and final season.  In a way, I am too.  I am not a fan of how the Jim-Pam-Roy love triangle storyline is being repeated with Pete-Erin-Andy (at least that is how it looks).  I find that in each episode, I am laughing less than I used to.

    It still has its moments of course; Creed's subtle "thats what she said" comes to mind, but as a whole, it's just not as funny to me as it used to be.

    So why do I bother tuning in?  Because it's a classic.  As it winds down, there are just some things that I want to know.  Who is the Scranton Strangler?  What is the film crew really up to?  I just want to know.  I tune in each week hoping to see a surprise appearance by Michael Scott.  I cross my fingers as each episode goes by that I will not be subjected to another meaningless/obnoxious scene with Gabe in it.

     I'll see this one through to the end, even if it means less laughs than before.

     As a PS to this section, I want to address those who feel that "The Office" has crashed harder than any show in the history of television.  Try watching "Sabrina the Teenage Witch".  If you get through season 6 and continue to watch season 7, you will be thankful that "The Office" writers have only fallen so far.  Trust me.

     Shark Tank: 

     I believe that this show has some value to society as a whole.  I don't mean in a "Let's all get together and talk about our feelings, Full House" type of way.

     Watching this episode is a crash course in starting/growing/maintaining a business.  Those with an idea are often given advice or criticism in their path to success.  For people at home, this advice can be applied as the next generation of small-business owners.

     If you have never watched, here is how it works:  A person or group with an idea at various stages of production appear before a panel of investors "the sharks".  They explain/demonstrate their product or idea and give a presentation as to why a shark should invest in their product.

    Sometimes, the sharks dismiss the person quickly.  Other times, they get into intense battles over who can give this person the best offer.  Each has their own unique strengths.  Sometimes, they even work together to sweeten a deal.

    I believe that when we look back on American history years from now, it will be said that people with ideas for products saved the country, not politicians.  They put people back to work and as a result, America thrived again.

    I think that people are watching this show and taking notes.  I hope they are anyway.  If folks ask themselves the same questions that the Sharks ask of would-be business partners, they will save themselves a lot of trouble.

     This show is worth your time, every time.

     Go On:

     I saw previews for this show during the summer Olympics and didn't think much of it.  My wife is a big Matthew Perry fan and when it was announced that a special sneak peak would be aired, she convinced me to give it a try.

    I was hooked on the pilot episode.

    It follows Ryan King (Perry), a sports radio host who has just lost his wife.  He is sent to group counseling to deal with his grief (though he denies having any).  The show tells of the adventures of King and the fellow group members as they go through their daily life.

    I think the underlying thing about this show is that it shows that people who you might normally consider to be "weird" or "crazy" are really caring, loving people.  At any rate, the show makes me laugh.

    So there you have it, three shows that I have to catch each week.  You should to!

"You cant really smile until you shed some tears": The crazy, tragic, sometimes almost magic, awful, beautiful life of a sports fan, Part 1

    If you read this blog often, you know I like to talk about being a fan of sports and what that has taught me in my life.  Someday, I'd love to publish a book with all this stuff.  But in the meantime, this is what I have been thinking about lately...........

    This year has been a frustrating one for my sports teams.  I know, I know, insert the little "firstworldproblems" hashtag from twitter here.  From the Boston Red Sox to the Runnin' Utes, the ball just has not gone my way.  

     Sometimes, when things are like this, it gives you a perspective you couldn't gain anywhere else.  

     Back  in 2004, my teams were on top of the world.  The Utes football team busted the BCS, the Red Sox finally got rid of "the curse" and the Runnin' Utes were on their way to another sweet 16.  

     Now?  Well, the Red Sox are a joke.  The football team lost last night to Arizona, which ends a streak of 9 consecutive Bowl appearances.  The Jazz are extremely average.  And the Runnin' Utes, my favorite of all teams, across all sports?  They lost to an average Big Sky team at home after being up 13 in the second half.  

     I find myself at times wishing desperately that I could get back to the time when my teams were the talk of the town.  Those were the good old days.  

     But you know what?  It will happen again.  When it does, I will enjoy the heck out of it.  

    By nature, I'm an optimistic person.  The Jazz have some young talent that's going to explode.  The Football Utes will be great in 2014.  I truly believe that we are just a stone's throw away from getting our Runnin' Utes back.  (Wait a minute, when did this blog become a Morgan Philpot political commercial?  I thought we were past that!)  

     I have been fortunate to be in a position where I get to interact with athletes from a local college.  I have greatly enjoyed it over the last three years.  At first, I was star struck.  But as I have had a chance to get to know these kids, I have learned that that's just what they are; kids.  They like to do the same things that I do.  

They don't deserve heaps and heaps of criticism when they don't win.  Sometimes, its easy to forget that these are people with feelings, just like you and me.  

     So that's the lesson I have learned through this "trying" time.  When your team is having success, enjoy it! Treasure it!  It's not going to last, so celebrate!  And when your team is down, stick by them.  They need you to stick with them through the hard times, as well as the good.  Anyone would show up when their team is good.  A true fan shows up regardless.  

A change.........

     If you follow me on twitter, you know I am not a big fan of the local sports media in Utah.  At least mostly.  There are some guys that I really enjoy listening to.  Bill Riley, Hans Olsen, Jeremiah Jensen, Tom Kirkland, etc.  There are also a few journalists that I like, they are Jody Genessy, Tony Jones, and Brad Rock.

      One of my biggest complaints is the lack of coverage for the "small" schools in Utah.  It just doesn't exist.    As I mentioned today, SUU defeated the #1 ranked team in the FCS and they barely got a blurb in the DesNews.

       I think that the blogosphere for the "big" teams is overdone.  There are so many blogs out there for the Utes and Cougars.  But there aren't many for Utah State, Weber, SUU, etc.

      I have created a blog that aims to fill in the gap.  This will be a blog devoted to ALL sports in the state of Utah.  Are you a high school fan? We will have you covered.  Do you like the Dixie st. soccer team? We will have that as well.  We will also give coverage to the Utes, BYU, and the Jazz.  But it wont dominate.

     Needless to say, this is a big undertaking.  I cant do it alone ( I work full time now, thank goodness!).  So, I need some help.  I need people who want to write for fun and cover a beat.  I really feel like this site can get big with the right people.

     If you want to see it (its VERY basic, obviously, ill need some help on design), you can visit it here.  We are working on a twitter handle as well.

     So shoot me an email utahsportscentral@yahoo.com if you want to help.  Or tweet at me.  Any help appreciated!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the (Sports) Year!

     Tomorrow is the first day of October.  For the sports fan, that means one thing.........Sports Heaven!

     It doesn't matter what your sport is, there is something going on.  Seasons are wrapping up in some cases, and others are just getting under way in others.  For this month, they all seem to overlap and there is something for everybody.

      Do you like Major League Baseball? Good! Me too.  As we come up on the last few games of the season, there is some big time drama.  Who will win the wild cards in the AL?  Who will claim the title in the brutal AL East (Hint: It will not be my Red Sox.....I am petitioning to have this joke of a season erased from the record books).

      Throughout this month, we will get to see some great baseball as we get closer and closer to the world series.

     My prediction?  I'll take the Giants to beat the Yankees in a seven game thriller.

     How about College Football?  This is the time of year when things REALLY get interesting.  We are officially past the "let's see how good they are before we start talking" stage and into the "oh wow, we are really terrible/average/awesome this year!" portion of the season.  At this point, those who were overhyped in the preseason have gone by the wayside.  Over the next two months, we will witness some classics as teams try desperately to win their conference title.

     Locally, its going to be a fun week.  Utah will host the Trojans from USC on Thursday night.  I certainly don't expect the Utes to win, but I am hoping that they can come out and show some fight.

     The big match up this week will feature Utah State and BYU.  Five games in, and I am not sure what to make of either team.  I am looking forward to a close, low scoring game.

   There is a lot of football left to be played, so I won't make a prediction as to who will win.  I do have a good feeling about the Florida St. Seminoles, so we will see how that goes.

     I can't forget the Jazz!  I am intrigued by the makeup of this roster.  I feel that the team has depth at all positions.  But at the same time, this team is by no means a lock to get a playoff spot.  The competition will be fierce.

     How much has Gordon Hayward improved?  Is he finally ready to be the player we know he can be?  Will Alec Burks get more playing time this year?  As always, how do we find time for all of our worthy front court players?  Is Mo Williams an upgrade over Devin Harris?  How will we ever survive without CJ Miles? (sarcasm).

    I think the Jazz will take 6th place in the West this year.  I look forward to a fun season ahead!

    Is Hockey your favorite sport?  Well you are in luck!

    (this paragraph intentionally left blank)

     How about Real Salt Lake?  After winning the MLS cup in 2009, RSL has remained a force to be reckoned with in MLS play, but has yet to claim a second crown.  Could this be the year for RSL?  After a big win over the goats (Chivas USA) in LA last night, the team is playing with confidence.

     Getting past San Jose and Sporting KC will be difficult, but RSL has the talent, experience, and chemistry to do it if they can get/remain healthy.

     Whatever your favorite sport is, this is an exciting time of year.  If you are into all sports, then this is the most wonderful time of the (sports) year!

Some memories and thoughts on "The Battle of the Brothers"

    Tonight is the first time that Utah and Utah State have met on the gridiron since 2009.  I thought I'd give some of my favorite memories of this series.

1996:
This was right after my family moved to Utah from Texas.  It was the first game I watched as a real Ute fan (I had watched the 1994 Utah-CSU game in TX, and that remains one of my favorite all-time Ute moments).    Unfortunately, we lost, but that game is where I truly fell in love with Utah football.

2001:
2001 doesn't seem like that long ago, but it was back in the days when Utah football gave out tickets to anybody who would take them to fill the stadium.  As such, the kids in my ward (an LDS congregation) were all given tickets by the youth leaders.  We went and had a blast.  We sat in the North End Zone and I was in heaven, especially since we won.

2003:
My first game as a member of the MUSS (mighty utah student section).  My buddy and I were walking in and past a guy wearing a USU shirt.  My friend stopped, stared at him, started laughing hysterically, then kept walking.  I LOVED my time in the MUSS.

2007:
Fresh off our win over #11 UCLA, we had gone to UNLV and been blown out 27-0.  We were 1-3 on the season and things weren't looking good.  I came up from SUU where I was in school to go to this game with my Dad.  I remember converting a big 3rd down play and yelling "You just saved your job, Whittingham!"  A laughable thought now was amazingly spot on back then.  Strange, eh?

So that brings us to tonight.  Here are some of my thoughts:

-I LOVED Jake Murphy in last Thursday's game.  In that one game, he had more receptions and yards than in last year total.  However, Northern Colorado a) probably didn't game plan for him much and b) didn't have the personnel to contain him anyway.  Utah State will have both.  I'm anxious to see how Murphy does tonight.  Hopefully, he can show that he is a force to be reckoned with.

-I thought that John White would have a line more along the lines of 20 carries, 157 yards.  We also used him a lot more than I anticipated (he sat most of the fourth and still had 24 carries).  The backups had their moments, but they will need to get better.  John White is great, but we can't run him like we did last year.

-Keep your eyes on Seni Fauonuku, #98.  He is the backup to Star, but he can play either spot on the interior of the line.  He was extremely active during his limited reps last Thursday.  He has quite possibly the quickest jump off the snap on the team and remains active until the play is dead.  He is only about 6'0 but that can have its advantages.  The comparisons to Steve Fifita and Kenape Eliapo leap to mind.  Personally, I think he is going to be much closer to Fifita than Eliapo, which is a good thing.  Also, it helps ease my concerns over next year when Star is not here.  I'm not saying that there won't be a dropoff, but I think having Seni will be great for us.  Though I have no doubt that we will be endlessly bombarded with "The Utes are in trouble without Star!" from the media, but what else is new?

Prediction:

Utah 27-USU 17

The Best of the Rest

    The University of Utah football team has become the top dog in recent years up on the hill.  But that doesn't mean that the other sports are taking it easy.  Here is a rundown on how some other teams are doing this year.

    WOMENS SOCCER

    The Utes' are off to a great start to the season as they head into year 2 in the Pac-12.  So far, they have accumulated a 3-1-1 record.  Included in that record is a 1-0 victory over the Team Down South.  The victory was the first for the Utes over their rivals since 2007.

    Tomorrow at noon, the Utes face a tough test as the Texas Longhorns come into town.  First kick is set for noon at Ute field.  Next weekend, the team will head up to Boise to participate in the Boise St. Tournament.  The two games up there will be the final tuneup before the rigors of conference play start.

     WOMENS VOLLEYBALL

      The theme of this year's team has been a youth movement.  With only one senior, all conference candidate McKenzie Odale, the team is light on experience but high on talent.
 
     So far this season, the team is 6-2.  After a fast start, the team struggled a bit in last weekend's tournament at UC-Davis.

     The schedule does not get any easier as the team will be in Provo tonight to take on the Team Down South.  They will remain in Provo and take on Portland State and Bowling Green tomorrow.  It will be a grueling weekend, but they have the talent to win.

     Next weekend, they return to Crimson Court to host the Utah Classic.  On a personal note, if you have never been to Crimson Court, I STRONGLY recommend it.  GREAT environment.

     BASEBALL
 
      Utah has never been known as anything close to a "baseball school", but a couple of Utes have really done well this season.

     CJ Cron has been on a tear at High-A Inland Empire in "The Los Angeles Angels" (which can I remind you is "The the Angels Angels" when you translate it.).  He has far more RBIs than any other minor leaguer.  Look for CJ to start next season in Double-A and maybe even get some time.............at Triple-A Salt Lake!

    Less commonly known is former Ute pitcher Stephen Fife, who was drafted by my Boston Red Sox in 2008.  He has since been traded to the Dodgers and remains in their organization. He was able to get two starts at the Major League level this year, but has been in Triple-A with the Albuquerque Isotopes for most of the season.

     Last night, he recorded the win for the Isotopes as he went 7 innings, giving up three runs in the win over Omaha in the PCL playoffs.

    Check back in early next week as I update you on all that happened this weekend, and as always, GO UTES!

Digging Deeper-Utah versus Northern Colorado

    Thursday night marked the season opener for the Utah Utes.  With Northern Colorado coming into town, it was more of a chance for the Utes to try some things than to actually find out where they are as a team.  What can we learn from digging a little deeper? Let's find out!

    It's often said that a key to winning football games is to "keep the chains moving".  So it was with the Utes in this game.  Rather than big offensive plays that gained large chunks of yardage, the Utes seemed content (perhaps out of necessity?) to move the ball down the field methodically rather than with big hits. 

   One key to moving the chains is to convert on 3rd down.  In this particular game, the Utes were faced with 16 such opportunities.  They converted on nine of these, punted twice, went for it (and made it) on fourth down three times, tried a field goal, and simply let the clock expire on the last attempt.  

   Let's a look a little closer to see how they did and what we might be able to expect in coming games.....

   Of the 16 third downs faced by the Utes, eight of them could be considered "manageable" (4 yards to go or less).  Of these, they successfully picked up the first down seven times.  The only miscue was when Jordan Wynn missed a throw.  

   The team struggled a bit more on the longer downs, going 2-8.  Jake Murphy caught an 8 yard TD pass on 3rd and 8.  Kenneth Scott caught a pass from Travis Wilson is garbage time to pick up the other long conversion.  

    To me, its equally as telling to look at who was targeted on 3rd downs.  This gives us an idea of who has the trust of the QB and the offensive coordinator.  Not surprisingly, John White had the team lead for being targeted on 3rd down (tied).  He ran the ball twice, picking up the first down each time.  He also caught a six yard pass, which failed to move the chains.  Wolfman also picked up a fourth down conversion by scoring a five yard touchdown. 

   Tied with White, and this surprised me, was Jarrell Oliver.  He carried the ball 3 times on third down, and went 2/3.  That says a lot about what kind of trust Brian Johnson has in the freshman if his number is being called that many times in his first game.  

    Otherwise, Jake Murphy (2), Westlee Tonga, Dallin Rogers, Dave Rolf, Dres Anderson, Kenneth Scott, and Kelvin York were all targeted on third down.  

     Which players get the call on third down will be a fun thing to watch this year as we get into the meat of the schedule.  Having players who can make the big play when it matters most will be a big help to the Utes in their quest for a Pac-12 title.

     Other random notes:

     Where was VJ Fehoko?  I heard a LOT about him during camp and in the spring.  Didn't really hear his name called.  The stats show that he recorded one assisted tackle.  Seemed to me that Dave Fagergren was in on more of the action. He actually led the team in tackles.   

    I loved that we were getting our hands on the passes.  Six pass breakups in all.  Three were batted down at the line.  

    All in all, there were seven tackles for loss.  I have heard some who are upset that we only sacked the QB twice, and one of those was on a snap over the head.  Watching the tape, it looks to me like we were VERY vanilla on defense.  

    Next up: The Utah State Aggies! I am very excited for this matchup and look forward to a great game in one week.  

The Race-by DH Groberg

    I love to watch the Olympics.  I can watch just about all of the events (ok, well I struggle with Equestrian and that one where they ride their bikes as a team around and around and around.)

   Its fun to see people who have worked hard and reached the pinnacle of their sport.  Its amazing to see what people can train their bodies to do.  

    One of the things that it is hard to watch is when someone falls.  I feel so bad for them.  They worked so hard to get there and one little mistake ruins their chances to win.  

    As I see this, I am reminded of a poem that has inspired me and I think is a good metaphor for life.  Its attributed to DH Groberg..............

Whenever I start to hang my head in front of failure’s face,
    my downward fall is broken by the memory of a race.
A children’s race, young boys, young men; how I remember well,
    excitement sure, but also fear, it wasn’t hard to tell.
They all lined up so full of hope, each thought to win that race
    or tie for first, or if not that, at least take second place.
Their parents watched from off the side, each cheering for their son,
    and each boy hoped to show his folks that he would be the one.

The whistle blew and off they flew, like chariots of fire,
    to win, to be the hero there, was each young boy’s desire.
One boy in particular, whose dad was in the crowd,
    was running in the lead and thought “My dad will be so proud.”
But as he speeded down the field and crossed a shallow dip,
    the little boy who thought he’d win, lost his step and slipped.
Trying hard to catch himself, his arms flew everyplace,
    and midst the laughter of the crowd he fell flat on his face.
As he fell, his hope fell too; he couldn’t win it now.
    Humiliated, he just wished to disappear somehow.

But as he fell his dad stood up and showed his anxious face,
    which to the boy so clearly said, “Get up and win that race!”
He quickly rose, no damage done, behind a bit that’s all,
    and ran with all his mind and might to make up for his fall.
So anxious to restore himself, to catch up and to win,
    his mind went faster than his legs. He slipped and fell again.
He wished that he had quit before with only one disgrace.
    “I’m hopeless as a runner now, I shouldn’t try to race.”

But through the laughing crowd he searched and found his father’s face
    with a steady look that said again, “Get up and win that race!”
So he jumped up to try again, ten yards behind the last.
    “If I’m to gain those yards,” he thought, “I’ve got to run real fast!”
Exceeding everything he had, he regained eight, then ten...
    but trying hard to catch the lead, he slipped and fell again.
Defeat! He lay there silently. A tear dropped from his eye.
    “There’s no sense running anymore! Three strikes I’m out! Why try?
I’ve lost, so what’s the use?” he thought. “I’ll live with my disgrace.”
    But then he thought about his dad, who soon he’d have to face.

“Get up,” an echo sounded low, “you haven’t lost at all,
    for all you have to do to win is rise each time you fall.
Get up!” the echo urged him on, “Get up and take your place!
    You were not meant for failure here! Get up and win that race!”
So, up he rose to run once more, refusing to forfeit,
    and he resolved that win or lose, at least he wouldn’t quit.
So far behind the others now, the most he’d ever been,
    still he gave it all he had and ran like he could win.
Three times he’d fallen stumbling, three times he rose again.
    Too far behind to hope to win, he still ran to the end.

They cheered another boy who crossed the line and won first place,
    head high and proud and happy -- no falling, no disgrace.
But, when the fallen youngster crossed the line, in last place,
    the crowd gave him a greater cheer for finishing the race.
And even though he came in last with head bowed low, unproud,
    you would have thought he’d won the race, to listen to the crowd.
And to his dad he sadly said, “I didn’t do so well.”
    “To me, you won,” his father said. “You rose each time you fell.”

And now when things seem dark and bleak and difficult to face,
    the memory of that little boy helps me in my own race.
For all of life is like that race, with ups and downs and all.
    And all you have to do to win is rise each time you fall.
And when depression and despair shout loudly in my face,
    another voice within me says, “Get up and win that race!”

Ben There, Trolled That

     I boldly claimed that my run-in with Gordon Monson was the best troll fest I had ever started.  As I got to thinking about it, I realized that there are a few more that deserve serious consideration for that honor.

"Caught with........."

       During my time at SUU, one of my favorite things was to go to the basketball games.  SUU was half decent, we had the Goose Man (legendary, he deserves his own blog entry, ill get to him at some point), and we had a student section that sat right on the court.  Harassing the opposing team was no problem at the Centrum Arena.  

       About halfway through the second half of each game, a promotion called "Caught with a Coke!" was run.  Some PR lady would pick some random person in the audience who had a coke to be the winner.  The cheerleaders would hold up this big sign that said "Caught with a Coke!".  When there was a timeout, the PA guy would say "Turn your attention to Section F, Row 13 where Jeremy has been CAUGHT WITH A COKE!".  Good old Jeremy then got a free drink at the next game.  Some promotion eh?

       So my friends and I started trying to win this little contest.  We'd go by a drink before the game and we'd try to be over the top in showing off that we had them so we could get picked.  Didn't work.  

      One night, we are sitting in the convenience store right by the arena and we got an idea.  One of the guys said:

       "Why is it just 'Caught with a coke'?  Why isn't 'Caught with a..................(im scanning around the store looking for something obscure and I finished his thought)....can of creamy tomato soup?"

      And thus it was born.

     We bought a poster board that we knew was at least double the size of the little "caught with a coke" sign.  We make it look all fancy (ok, not really).  We had someone bring it in.  Then we waited.  

     With 12 minutes left in the game, we saw the cheerleaders get ready with their sign and we got ready with ours.  When there was a timeout, as soon as the PA guy started his little speech, we jumped right up and started yelling at the top of our lungs.  I had the soup can, and my friends on either side of me held up the sign. I think we had about 10 guys there in on it, so we attracted quite a bit of attention.

      Our timing was so perfect that the vast majority of the arena looked at us, and not at the Coke person.  Thus, the promotion was completely ruined that night.

     Here is what it looked like:

   
"Je-rry! Je-rry! Je-rry!"


        If you have never been to a baseball game at Spring Mobile Ballpark in SLC, I strongly recommend it. One of the neat features of the park is that there is grass all around behind the outfield to sit and enjoy the game.  This is my favorite place to watch a game from.

       On July 4, the team always has a fireworks show after the game.  In 2009, I took my girlfriend there.  I intended it to be a double date, but my buddies showed up alone.  Oh well.

       Anyway, and this will come as a surprise to exactly no one, but I like to heckle the opposing team at whatever sporting event I attend.  So, I made plans to get to this game very early so that we could get a spot right behind one of the outfielders, so we could heckle him.

       I discovered that the center fielder for the Tacoma Rainers was named Jerry Owens.  (For an in-depth analysis of this baseball legend, click here.)  Every time Tacoma came out into the field, we heckled this poor guy.  "You're the man, Jerry!", "How's Ichiro, Jerry?" "You were adopted Jerry!"  (I still cant figure out why that last one is insulting, theres nothing wrong with being adopted. but my buddy yelled it out!)

     Anyway, this spread like wildfire.  Soon, we had all the people around us heckling this guy.  It got to be a mob!  I felt bad when it got to the point that kids started hurling profanity in his direction.

     When the game was over, and Tacoma had won, Jerry came right over to us, pumped his fist a few times, and yelled "yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!" before pointing at us and running away.  Still, the fact that we led a mob that grew and grew throughout the game, was awesome.

     And by the way, despite this display of maturity, my girlfriend still agreed to marry me three months later!


"Hey!"


      My athletic career in high school was remarkably unremarkable.  And by that I mean non-existent.  Lots of reasons for that.  But I always loved to go to the games.  One night, we were playing Fremont in basketball.  Some buddies and I got together and decided to paint our faces to show school spirit.  While we are using the bathroom mirror to do that, some little kid walks up and asks for some face paint.

     Being the nice guy I am, I painted this kid's face all up  I put "VHS" on both of his cheeks and just did an outstanding job of making him look like a Viking.

     I forgot about it, I enjoyed the game.  We won.  As I'm walking out, joking around and talking with my buddies about the game, I feel this sharp, sharp pain in my leg.  I look down in time to see this kid launch another vicious kick that hits me right in the shin.

    "YOU PAINTED ME THE WRONG COLORS! GO FREMONT!"

    Whoops! My bad!

    All in a day's work for a troll like myself............
      

A Sweat Band and a Baseball Glove; The Journey to Find Out What it Means to be a Sports Fan

             If you follow me on twitter, you know I can be best described as all over the map.  Sometimes, I am dead serious as I share my feelings on a serious topic.  Other times, I couldn’t be less serious if I tried.  I’m usually trolling someone though, but you already knew that.

              Another thing that is all over the map is the way I “support” my teams.  For the Utes, I despise fair-weather, cynical fans.  For the Red Sox, I am a fair-weather, cynical fan.  For the Jazz I’m somewhere in between.  

              I got to thinking about why that is so.  I’m a Utes fan because my Dad played for the Runnin’ Utes and we just grew up cheering for them.  I’m a Red Sox fan because of the Carl Yastrzemski glove that my Dad got for his1 2th birthday in Bountiful, UT in 1968.  Dad cheers for the Sox, and he passed it on to me. 

              I have never been to Boston.  I don’t know if I’ll ever make it to Fenway.  I have always cheered for the Red Sox and always will because now, as I get into my late 20’s my Dad is still my hero and my role model.  

              The funniest thing about it is, through all of the frustrations that came as I grew up a Sox fan, I really have never had the chance to celebrate.  

              In 2004, when the Red Sox finally broke through and won the series, I was an LDS missionary in a tiny Midwestern town.  I didn’t hear about it until a week later and even then didn’t really think much of it because I was so deep into my time as a missionary.  In 2007, I was away at school.  I wanted so badly to be in my parents’ living room, to jump up and down and hug my Dad.  But there I sat watching it alone on a TV in Cedar City with people looking at me strangely as I pumped my fists.  

              Of course, Dad and I did get to watch Aaron Freaking Boone hit the Tim Wakefield  meatball out of the park in 2003.  Of course, the Sox have had one epic collapse after another whenever my Dad and I can watch games together.  So during the time of my Sox fanhood, I have enjoyed all of the bad and only a little of the good.  

              So, logically, why do I even bother now?  Why don’t I just write them off if I hate them so bad?  To me, my Sox fanhood is about the bond I share with my Dad.  It’s bigger than a trivial game.  I’m a Sox fan because it’s something that my Dad and I can laugh at together.  It reminds me that I’m so lucky to have such a Dad, and to not take him for granted.  

              In the meantime, I’ll probably troll them on twitter until the day that they block me!  

              What does it mean to be a fan anyway?  Is it being loyal to something your whole life? If that’s the case, I’m not a Jazz fan.  I was a die-hard Rockets fan until I was 10.  Tree Rawlins threw me his sweatbands at a game once!  To this day, Hakeem Olajuwon is my favorite player.  

              I think twitter has changed my view of what it means to be a fan.  

              For instance, I know that @davidwilbur and many others cheer for the Angels.  So, when I look at the box scores, I am always looking to see how the Angels are doing.   I always hope they are doing well, for the sake of my twitter pals.  

              I know that @clayjondavis and @utesfan89 are big Pirate fans.  So when I look at the scores, and see the Pirates doing well, I feel good for them.  

              Occasionally, I find someone like @crackalacka22, who cheers for the same teams I do, straight down the line.  I know I can tweet anything at him to get his take on it.  

              As another one, I know that @schumacherf2006 likes Formula 1 racing.  It was on TV the other day, and I gave it a try, simply because I knew that he was into it.  It was cool.  

              Heck, I am even starting to not be so bitter about the Yankees!  With people out there like @ChelleFC and @sublimed19, it’s so hard to remain bitter……thanks a lot guys! Why did you have to be so nice?!?!? 

              On Friday night, you may have noticed me talking about my little brother.  As I had the chance to kick back and chat with him about it, I had a wave of memories.  There we were as kids, pretending to be Ute football players kicking the football to each other.  He kicked the ball towards me and it sailed up and up and up and……………right into our sister’s window!  That cost a lot to replace…..  Or there were all the times we would make a snow man in the backyard, draw a big “Y” on it, line up next to each other in our three-point stances, and I’d yell “Hike!” and we’d run as fast as we could and hit that snow man with everything we had.  Then we would holler and yell like we had just won the Holy War!  

              Now he has worked hard to earn a walk-on spot at SUU.  And with him goes the spot as my favorite college football team.

              As I think about it, yeah, it’s possible to be a “fan” of multiple teams in sports because of the people you interact with.  I have a long-time friend named Brandon, aka @jazznmagic.  He invites me over every year for the first BYU game.  I always go, and I always want BYU to win because he and the other friends he invites have been a big part of my life, and I’m happy for them when their team wins.  

              I’m not trying to say I’m perfect (oh goodness no, not even close), but I just think that we get so bogged down with “I’m a fan of this team and to heck with everyone else”  It doesn’t have to be like that at all.  

              So what it does it mean to you to be a sports fan?  As you can tell here, I don’t have anything close to a finished product.  These are just some thoughts and anecdotes that have helped make me, me.  I’d love to get thoughts on what it means to you to be a sports fan.  Anything at all, it doesn’t have to be related to this, just tell me!

What makes a good radio host?

   Everyone will probably have their own unique answer to the question I posed in the title, but let me tell you what makes a good host for me.
 
   In the recent sports radio shake up, a lot of people were excited about the new shows.  An equally large number (and probably more vocal) group, are extremely upset over the changes and the loss of their favorite show.

   So why do some shows get big audiences, and others get cast to the side?

   For me, I like to listen to people who make me think, make me laugh, and keep me informed.

   I like to think of myself as being pretty well versed when it comes to sports.  But I don't know everything.  That's why sports talk radio is so fun for me.  I can get the perspectives of others who see things that I don't.

   I also like those who look beyond the obvious and try to look deeper.  I think that this makes someone interesting.  It's easy to read box scores or look at season statistics, but they often don't tell the whole story.  Those who can look deeply at the issues and make their arguments will get listeners.
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    It is also nice to be entertained.  It's possible to laugh and have a good time while doing sports talk radio.  Sure, a line needs to be drawn and it can go too far, but doing something to make the listeners laugh goes a long way.

    The funniest thing that I have ever heard on the radio was several years ago when John Lund and Hans Olsen called this number that was set up for fans to give Barry Bonds some well wishes when he broke the record.  John and Hans basically trolled it leaving all kinds of messages that made fun of Bonds, instead of congratulating him.

    Finally, it's nice to have up to the second breaking news.  When something big happens, it's nice to know when it happens and get the details out to fans ASAP.

    So, in no particular order, here are my rankings of local shows in the criteria I gave:

Make me think:
1. Bill Riley
2. Tony Parks
3.  Jake Scott

Make me laugh:
1. DJ and PK
2.  Hans Olsen
3.  Red and Blue

Breaking news:
1. Hans Olsen
2. Bill Riley
3.  Jake Scott

So tell me, what makes a good radio host to you?  Leave me a comment or tweet at me @BenInSouthDavis

Random thoughts from the sports world....

     

    In case you haven't seen it, The Sporting News came out with this list of the top college football coaches in the country.  Locally, fans were looking to see who was higher....Bronco or Whittingham.  Bronco gets the nod in this poll, coming in at 15 while Whittingham checks in at 21.  

     This caused some controversy on my personal favorite Ute fansite, Block U.  

     I don't get why there is such outrage over this poll.  Bronco has more 10 win seasons, more conference championships, and more seasons where his team finished in the top 25.  That is what the people making this list see and that's what they go with.  

     Upon further review though, I would take Kyle Whittingham any day of the week.  He has 2 BCS bowl wins to his credit.  Bronco has 0.  He has put FAR more people into the NFL than Bronco, despite having what experts call inferior recruiting classes.  (this has changed in recent years, but the point is the same).  

    My final argument goes back to last season's Holy War.  As the turnovers started mounting, the absolute worst thing that can happen to a team happened to BYU.  They quit.  If you don't believe me, go back and watch it.  I do not remember a Kyle Whittingham coach team quitting, ever.  Sure, they have been blown out and lost games they shouldn't.  It happens.  But they have never quit on him.  That says a lot to me.  

    So let the BYU fans enjoy this victory.  I'd rather have the 44 point curb stomping anyway.....

   ......Speaking of Utah football, as I look at the post-spring depth chart, something strikes me.  Our defense looks different than in previous seasons.  As of right now, Nate Fakahafua is the starting weakside defensive end.  Also on the depth chart is Thretton Palamo.  

     These guys are not your typical defensive ends.  They are far more athletic and fast than your typical edge rusher.  

     Take this for what its worth, but it looks to me that Utah is going to have a bit of a hybrid 4-3, 3-4 defense this year.  With versatile guys like this, Utah can play either way.  They have the athleticism to drop back into coverage, but also the ability to get to the QB.  It will make preparing for them very difficult.  

    This also makes sense when considering the interior of the line.  In the NFL, Star Lotulelei will probably be the middle man in a 3-4 scheme.  Moving him to right up on top of the center will give him some experience in that slot.  Also in the pros, Dave Kruger will probably be a space-eating end in a 3-4 scheme rather than a true tackle.  This 3-4 scheme will suit his strengths well.  At the college level, he has the strength and power to be a traditional tackle alongside Star, so the 4-3 still works well.  

 

    Just something to keep your eye on this fall.

     ......My good friend Brad Rock had a column the other day in the Des News that featured this gem from Carlos Boozer:

  "I thought I played well, especially with the kind of season it was," he told reporters. "We had the best record again in basketball, won our division again, had the top seed again, that's all that matters, yo."

     Good job Carlos.  You had the best record in the NBA, you won what is quite possibly the weakest division in basketball, got the top seed, and then were crushed by the lowly Philadelphia 76ers in the FIRST ROUND of the playoffs.  In fact, nothing that you mentioned matters.  The one thing that matters is the playoffs, and you failed again, yo.  

     

Five for Five

   In this segment, I'll take a look at my four favorite teams, and one hot sports topic.  As Max Kellerman used to say......

First Topic!

    1.  Utah basketball:

    There are three players who the Runnin' Utes really have their eye on.  Givon Crump, Renan Lenz, and Travis Wilkins.  Who are these players, and what do each of them bring to the table, should they decide to become Runnin' Utes?

     Crump is a small forward who can score.  He is a decent long range shooter, but definitely more of a "scorer" than a "shooter".  He is a pretty good rebounder. with some length on the perimeter.  As I look at his stats, I am impressed with how often he gets to the line.  His total free throw attempts last year is nearly double than the highest total for a Ute player (Jason Washburn).  We desperately need the firepower, shooting, free throws, and rebounding from the wing, that he can bring to the table. 

     I also really like the possibility of him playing next to Jordan Loveridge, either at the 3 and 4 when we go small, or at the 2 and 3 when we go big. 

     Lenz is a big body who can rebound (9.4 per game) and block shots (2.5 per game).  He also has some scoring punch (13.0 per game).  He could be the true power forward we have lacked for a long time at Utah.  As a team, we lacked rebounding and overall inside depth last year.  Lenz would certainly give us that. 

     Travis Wilkins is a solid shooter who can stretch the defense.  He could be to us what Kyle Korver was to the Jazz.  A guy that you have to be aware of.  Putting it nicely, we were brutal from downtown last year.  A guy to spread the floor would help everyone else and make us that much more difficult to defend. 

     Look for at least one of these guys to sign with us.  If we can land all three, we will be a very competitive team this year.  Look for their decisions to come within the next week or so. 

     NEXT TOPIC!

     Utah Football:

      Spring ball has gone well on several fronts.  First, the injury situation has been good so far.  Second, the offense and defense are playing well.  The talent in the program is as good as its ever been and we should have a very successful year. 

    I am a nerd when it comes to analyzing the depth chart.  Yeah, I know, its only spring.  But its interesting to me. 

    One thing that has jumped out to me is that Boo Anderson has yet to crack a depth chart.  Last year, this guy was the first linebacker in off the bench at all three spots.  I thought for sure that he would replace Matt Martinez  at rover.  But I have not heard his name mentioned at all and he does not appear on any depth chart. 

     That tells me that our linebacking group is going to be very good this year, if a bit inexperienced.  Or maybe it says that Boo is a goofball.  I dont know.  Guess we will see!

     NEXT TOPIC!

     Utah Jazz:

     Watching this team has been a blast this year.  As they make this playoff push, I can't help but be proud of this team and organization.  This is a team that does things the right way, and they always have. 

     I was torn at first over whether or not I wanted the Jazz to get to the playoffs.  A draft pick in this year's lottery is VERY tempting.  But as I watch this team battle, I want them to get to the playoffs.  Al Jefferson has never been there.  Neither have the young guys.  I want these guys to feel and experience that atmosphere. 

     They have dropped some games they shouldn't have, but they have battled all year.  And as a fan, that is all I can ask.  Bravo!

      NEXT TOPIC!

     Boston Red Sox:

     Ok look, I can handle seeing my team lose all the time.  For crying out loud, my favorite team is the Runnin' Utes!  What I can't stand is buffoons.  And that is what the Red Sox are becoming.

    Historic Fenway Park turns 100 this year.  The team has planned a celebration by bringing back all former living managers.  Only problem is, the greatest manager in the history of the team, Terry Francona, is not ready to come back.  And I don't blame him.  The way he was treated by the organization last season is repulsing and deplorable.  He was blamed for the meltdown when it was not his fault.  The team threw him under the bus and it makes me sick.

    I almost want to see the Red Sox just completely fall apart this year, just to stick it to the idiots calling the shots for this team.  I am a fan for life, but they are sure making it hard on me.

     FINAL TOPIC!

     College athletes transferring:

     I understand where coaches are coming from.  If I bring in a kid and its not a good fit, the last thing I want is for him to go to my rival and help them beat me.  But, in my opinion, thats just something that coaches have to live with.

    I saw one idea on twitter this morning that basically suggested that the University and student arrange for a prenuptial agreement. "If this doesn't work out, you can go here, here, or here, but not here, here or here."  Thats a little silly.

     In my mind, a kid should be able to go where they want.  The penalties are already severe.  If the coaches can leave for wherever they want, the kids should be able to as well.  



 

A YouTube channel?

    Ok, so here is how this post came to be. 

    On Sunday night, the Jazz played a franchise-record four overtime game.  Coach Ty Corbin did not choose to substitute fresh legs into the game at critical times and the team lost.

   On Monday, Ben Bagley of 1320 KFAN was ready on monday wtih his usual "fans are idiots, they shouldn't question Ty" schtick.  Of course, Bagley works for the same group that own the Jazz. 
 
    Twitter blew up.  Jazz fans don't like being called idiots because they question the head coach during a loss.  Jazz fans are knowledgeable and passionate.  In high numbers, people turned off Ben Bagley and turned on the alternatives. 

    As Jazz fans, we thought it would be cool make our own youtube channel where ideas can be discussed without immature name calling. 

    The response surprised me.  This is a list of those who told me that they wanted to participate:

    Thought this would be a good forum to discuss ideas and come up with a plan.  If anyone else wants in, or if those already in have an idea, leave a comment!  lets get this going! 

@SurlyMae

@crackalacka22

@davidjsmith1232

@tysonhtweets

@kyle11kirkham (Kyle is not allowed to produce any content unless ammon approves it first)

@canadianbraeden

@dianaallen

@da_breezman

@jazzyvandalute

@davidwilbur

@jeugenebennett

@shandonfan

Why I Believe That "Coach K" is the Right Man For Utah

                                                 Andre Miller playing against Kentucky in the 1998 NCAA Championship 
                                                                 game.  Can the Utes get back to this level?  Maybe..............read on!   



    I experienced one of those sports moments last night.  A moment of sheer sports euphoria.

     Despite the fact that they are terrible this year, I always know when the Runnin' Utes are playing.  I always make sure that I am following the game.  Before last night's game, the Runnin' Utes had trotted out onto the court 27 times.  22 of those times, they had fallen short.  Often times, their falls have been epically spectacular, or spectacularly epic, however you look at it.

     Last night seemed to be no different.  Stanford was in town, and the Utes quickly fell behind by 10 points.  As I am listening to Bill Riley and Jimmy Soto bring me every missed shot and turnover, I am just hoping that Utah can keep it close.  I want them to battle through this, to not let this game get out of hand.  I want the fair weather fans to pick up their paper tomorrow and see that Utah at least battled.

    Before I know it, its 21-11 and I have lost all hope.  The final game in the Huntsman Center this season will be another beat down.  Oh well, we will always have gymnastics right?

    Wrong.

    Jason Washburn and Chris Hines, two guys who to me embody what being a Runnin' Ute is all about, lead a charge and the Utes come back to take the lead going into halftime!

    In my mind, I am telling myself that this is fools gold.  Sure, they have a halftime lead. But Stanford will wake up and realize they are playing Utah and they will probably win this one going away.

    I text my friend Jesse to ask his opinion.  Jesse has been subjected to every painful second of this season at the Huntsman Center.  He knows this team better than anyone.

    "Do you think we can pull this out?" I ask

    "Called it before the game started, we are winning this one tonight." came the response.

    I hope he is right, I tell myself.

    I better explain myself here.  I am passionate about "my" teams.  I follow them like crazy and I cheer my guts out for them.  But if I absolutely had to pick my favorite team, it would be the Runnin' Utes.  Yes, I would take the Runnin' Utes over the Jazz, Utah Football, and the Red Sox.  I have my reasons, not the least of which is that my Dad was a Runnin' Ute in his day.  The Runnin' Utes are the only team where my fandom borders on dangerous for my health.  I want SO BADLY for this team to win, that it kills me.  I convince myself that they can't win, because if I believe that they can and they don't, then it just eats at me.  So I tell myself they won't have a chance, but inside I know I'm lying and I believe in them every time they step on the floor.

     Whew! That feels better.  Glad I got that off my chest.....back to my story.

     There is a battle in the second half.  And all throughout I can't shake the feeling that this will end like so many games have this year.  They will make it close, but Stanford will pull away at the end.  This team doesn't have a closer, and we are doomed.  But I keep listening.  I was a die-hard in '98 when we came so close, I am not going to bale on this team now that times are rough.

     Finally, five seconds left.  Washburn at the line.  Utes by 1.  I should really take this movie I picked up home and watch it with my wife (this is the reason I am in my car in the first place, I went to rent a movie).  But I can't.  I have to listen until the bitter end.

     Brick.  Stanford gets the ball.

     Their best shooter who has hit some big shots all night has the ball, and he is racing down the court so that once again my heart can be ripped out, thrown on the ground, and stomped on.  As Bill is describing these final seconds, I am getting ready to take out my frustration at this inevitable loss on the steering wheel of the car.

     But no!  He missed it!  And it bounced right to a Ute!  Game over! We won!

     YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  We are 6-22! In your face doubters!  Take that haters!  I looked at my phone and right on cue, there is the text from Jesse.

     "And that is a win".  Truer words were never spoken. 

     Ok, the title of this is "Why I believe that Coach K is the right man for Utah", and I have spent a large chunk of time boring you with a story about one truly statistically insignificant game.  The Utes aren't going anywhere this year.  In fact, there are a lot of growing pains before this team is back to its glory days, if they ever make it.

     My point is that what I saw and heard last night gives me a lot of optimism.  Not optimist for the immediate future, but hope that someday we might get back to the promised land.

     Truth be told, I liked Jim Boylen.  He had passion and a love for the program and the University.  He cared deeply about his players.  Add this to the fact that even though he went 1-7 against the TDS in his time, he still managed to get under the skin of their fans (I have never figured out any reason why this is so, but who cares?)

      I had complaints about him, don't get me wrong.  He just wasn't a head coach.  His offensive schemes were not effective.  While he was a decent teacher of the game, his players did not improve at the rate they should have.  He constantly preached about getting tougher, and his players never did.

      With this team, I have seen a noticeable and marked improvement over the course of the season.  I know that the naysayers are going to say "well, couldn't get much worse!".  Yeah, thank you for that.  Please feel free to crawl back under your bridge now.

    Instead of quitting, they have remained resilient.  They play their butts off every game.  Most of the time, they simply don't have the talent to win, but they are giving it everything they have.  Jason Washburn has come miles this season.  Players are improving.  They are playing as a team (yet another knock of mine on Boylen).  And at times, dare I say it, it even looks like they are having fun. There is a sense of toughness and mental strength this year that I haven't seen in recent years.  It's almost as if the team is repeatedly singing Bieber's "I Will Never Say Never!" Ok, probably not..............but you get my point. 

     Larry K has taken a team of no talent (yes, some can argue that he caused the lack of talent, but thats a pointless debate at this point) and taught them to fight and play the right way.  This isn't the Mighty Ducks, where a team of nobodies suddenly becomes unbeatable.  Like I said, there are a lot of hard times ahead.  But for the first time in a long time, the ship is pointed in the right direction.

    In my next post, I am going to explain what has to happen for this team to get going again, now that they are pointed in the right direction!

The First Annual Utah Sports Radio All-Star Team

     Would you say we have a plethora of sports radio stations in Utah?  A what?  A plethora.  ha ha. Oh yes, we have a plethora.

      With so many solid radio stations here, it is difficult to pick one to listen to.  I have gone through and picked the All-Stars of Utah sports Radio for your enjoyment.

6 AM-8 AM
"DJ and PK" With David James and Patrick Kinahan.

     These two have been a mainstay on the sports radio scene for more than a decade now.  Their show keeps you entertained and informed.  I am always amazed at how many people PK is able to troll each day.  I guess when people don't realize what is going on, it's pretty easy to get them riled up.

8 AM-10 AM
"Manly Morning Show" With Kyle Gunther and Hans Olsen

     This show will almost be as polarizing as Tim Tebow and LeBron James.  But I like it.  You have two guys who played at Utah and BYU.  They love to discuss the ins and outs of the game and you would have no better source on the radio for going inside the huddle.

10 AM-12 Noon
"The Red and Blue Show" with Jan Jorgenson and JD Jorgenson

     As with the prior show, you have former Utah and BYU players.  In this case, they also happen to be brothers.  I listened to these guys do a show together the other day and loved it.

12 Noon-2 PM
"The Rock and Roll show" with Brad Rock and Jeremiah Jensen

      These two love their jobs and you can tell.  I have listened to both fill in for different stations in town on occasion and they impressed me enough to earn an all-star spot.  I find it to be a travesty that no one has picked them up.

2 PM-4 PM
"Riley and Wrubell"

      Yep, you guessed it.  Bill Riley and Greg Wrubell host this show.  The play by play men of the local teams would be a fun dynamic when put together.  Of course, they might drive each other nuts.  But hey, it makes for great radio.

4 PM-6 PM
"The Big Show" with David Locke and Gordon Monson.

    I admit, I put this duo together mostly for comedy's sake.  I am not sure if there is any radio studio on earth big enough to contain the combined egos of Locke and Monson, but it would be fun to try.  I like Locke.  And I like Monson.  It would be fun to listen to them together, in the way that it would be fun to watch a caged, starving lion be let loose to face a caged, starving tiger.  Let the comic mishaps ensue!

6 PM-8 PM
"The S&S Show" with Spencer Checketts and Scott Garrard

    I don't know here, I just like the pairing.  It would make for fun listening as both bring insights and analysis to the table.  I like them at this hour too.

8 PM-10 PM
"Hardball" with Jake Scott and Ben Bagley

    These two would be great in the slot where they recap the day, play the best audio, talk about the way things played out in the evening and get everyone ready for the next day.

10 PM-midnight.
"Fight night" with Sean O'connell.

     OC knows MMA and UFC and the sport is getting a large following.  This would be a great spot for a talented host to talk about one of his passions.

     So there you have it............what b\would you folks like to see?