January 2019 - Cougarsportsline - mailman.xmission.com

CS Lite, Vol. 38, Issue 27 - January 28, 2019
by HB Arnett 28 Jan '19

28 Jan '19

HB Arnett's "Lite" <mailto:hbarnett@fiber.net> hbarnett(a)fiber.net 801 372 0819 Vol. 38, Issue 27, - January 28, 2019 BYU Football, Basketball and Carpet Cleaning I spent the weekend carpet cleaning. My personal theory on carpets and cleaning is: "If it doesn't stink, it doesn't need cleaning." Here is my wife's theory: Carpet Cleaning. Done for appearance, and the removal of stains, dirt, and allergens is done through several methods (Usually Husbands). Clean carpets are recognized by manufacturers (And Wives) as being more visually pleasing, potentially longer-lasting (As in Marriages), and probably healthier than poorly maintained carpets. Which got me to thinking about Carpets and Cougars. Here are some of those thoughts. Called on the Carpet. ... To call someone on the carpet is a common idiom meaning to reprimand a subordinate, or demand that they explain their actions. For example, why did Tom Holmoe extend Dave Rose's contract? Why didn't Dave Rose play Gavin Baxter earlier in the season? Why didn't Kalani Sitake start playing Zach Wilson earlier in the season? Why is BYU raising prices on football for next season? Carpetbagger. If you call someone a carpetbagger, you disapprove of them because they are trying to become a politician in an area which is not their home, simply because they think they are more likely to succeed there. Isn't that what is now called the Transfer Portal. It allows players to find places where they are more likely to succeed. Sometimes it hurts BYU, but more often than not it helps BYU. Carpet Bombing. Known as saturation bombing, is a large aerial bombing in a progressive manner to inflict damage in every part of a selected area of land. I call it BYU Sports Nation and Greg Wrubell in reverse. They say you can't put lipstick on a pig, but these guys certainly are trying hard when it comes to BYU football and basketball. Flying Carpet. A flying carpet is a legendary carpet, and common trope (a figurative or metaphorical use of a word or expression.) in fantasy fiction. They are typically used as a form of transportation and can quickly or instantaneously carry users to their destination. It is fantasy fiction to think that as good as Zach Wilson is and even if BYU had a fantasy and flying receiver to whom he could throw, BYU is going to be in the hunt for post season playoffs. It also means that it is fiction to believe that having Eric Mika and Elijah Bryant on this year's basketball roster would make any difference. BYU still won't make the NCAA tournament. Carpet (the "t" is silent) Diem. an exclamation used to urge someone to make the most of the present time and give little thought to the future. This is why Doritos and Dr Pepper were invented. They are the perfect post-game antidote for the ever-increasing losses in football and basketball. Gonzaga vs. BYU More Basketball Carpetbagging Even if I moved to Ghana, the chances of me running for President of that country and winning are slim to none.with emphasis on none. The same applies to BYU basketball beating Gonzaga this Thursday in Provo. It's ain't Ghana happen. More Carpet Bombing The only chance (and it is slim) BYU has is to put up at least 20 bombs from beyond the arc and make at 12 of them. Flying Carpets Aladdin and his flying carpet aren't available for BYU in this contest, but here's hoping Gavin Baxter can bring his high-flying magic to the game. BYU will need him to prove he is the player we all think he is. The Zags are loaded with NBA talent on their front line. This game won't be decided in the backcourt with guards but in the front court with the bigs. That means Childs and Baxter will have to deliver extra-special performances. Carpet (the "t" is silent) Diem The BYU crown can't be "silent" in this one. The more noise, the better BYU's slim to none chances. Called on the Carpet I look for the Zags to call BYU on the carpet in this one and deliver a reprimand and reminder to BYU that they are still Gonzaga's subordinate. You can watch this Carpet Cleaning and beating in person at the Marriott Center or here on television. Television Timetable BYU vs. Gonzaga (M Basketball) Thursday, January 31 at Provo Tipoff: 9:00 pm MST TV: ESPN2 BYU vs. LMU (M Basketball) Saturday, February 2 at Provo Tipoff: 7:00 pm MST TV: BYUtv Cougar Clicks <https://www.deseretnews.com/article/900052566/dick-harmon-tj-haws -finding-needed-rhythm-for-byu-heading-down-the-stretch-in-wcc-pla y.html> Dick Harmon: TJ Haws finding needed rhythm for BYU heading down the stretch in WCC play <https://www.sltrib.com/sports/byu-cougars/2019/01/27/kalani-sitak es-byu/> Kalani Sitake's BYU football program made significant progress in 2018, but school officials aren't ... <https://www.vanquishthefoe.com/2019/1/24/18187794/byu-football-re cruiting-de-cade-albright-signs-with-cougars> BYU Football Recruiting: DE Cade Albright Signs with Cougars <https://www.deseretnews.com/article/900052376/perfect-fit-brenna- chase-helping-byu-womens-basketball-team-exceed-expectations.html> Perfect fit: Brenna Chase helping BYU women's basketball team exceed expectations

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CS Lite, Vol. 38, Issue 26 - January 21, 2019
by HB Arnett 21 Jan '19

21 Jan '19

HB Arnett's "Lite" <mailto:hbarnett@fiber.net> hbarnett(a)fiber.net 801 372 0819 Vol. 38, Issue 26, - January 21, 2019 I'm Coming out of the Closet! Trust me, I am feeling trepidation and anxiety in making this personal announcement, but after 38 years of hiding it, now is my time for truth. I attended my first women's basketball game last Thursday. I am not ashamed. I have been on the fringe of female basketball for a couple of decades. With the advent of BYUtv, I have seen snippets of games, but never experienced an actual game in person.until last Thursday. Please, don't judge me. Let me explain. My wife is very supportive of my disclosure. As a couple, we have probably the best Church calling we have ever held. We are part of a North Orem 7-Stake SNAP program serving as advisors and counselors. SNAP is an acronym for Special Needs Adult Program. It's the closest I've been to heaven. A couple of months ago, the BYU women's basketball team visited us and put on a clinic for these extra-special individuals. These women effused personality, poise and were engaging and enthusiastic and very charitable with their time and talents. As part of their presence and presentation, they gave us as a group free tickets to one of their games. Turns out it was last Thursday's barn burner against WCC powerhouse Gonzaga. BYU won 70-68. What I saw was intensity, talent, will to win and some darn good basketball when viewed in the lenses of perspective and delineation of gender limitations when it comes to dunking, jumping and quick twitch muscles. There was no limitation, however, in shooting, rebounding and ball handling. It was good enough and intense enough, that I actually stood up and yelled at the referees. That's when my wife turned to me and said, "You are really into this game, aren't you?" Yes, I was. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. There! I said it. I have actually come out of the closet and will say something I have never said before. I enjoyed myself and could actually see myself taking in another game in person again. (If the tickets are free!) Did I mention that one of the ancillary benefits of this game is that there were no lines at the concession stand? I was intrigued enough to check out on TV Saturday's game against Portland. It didn't get intriguing until BYU overcame a massive deficit and finally defeated the Pilots with a 16-0 run late in the fourth quarter. The final: BYU 79 Portland 71. Recap of the Gonzaga and Portland games <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZx2Q8Md_1U> Going Back in the Coaching Closet Last week I wrote that coaches are overrated, and the success of BYU basketball and football are determined by the talent level of the players on those rosters. I was immediately subpoenaed to the stand for cross examination by two subscriber attorneys, both of whom are trained to be analytical, rational and thoughtful. I have always respected their opinions. Here is what I said in last week's newsletter: Cougar football is not about coaching. It is also about Church players. The more and better members of the Church you can get and recruit, the better your team will be out of necessity because you aren't going to ever sign big time non-Church recruits. Here is what they said in response. HB: I agree with most of what you write except that against good teams in close games, Coaching makes a huge difference. There were several football games over the last three years that BYU lost because of poor field decisions, play calling and defensive alignments. Moreover, coaching makes a big difference in teaching the fundamentals, conditioning and game preparation. Neither Sitake nor Rose shine as above average (even mediocre) in all of these areas. HB: Jim McMahon was not LDS. Steve Sarkisian was not LDS. Ty Detmer was not LDS. LaVell's great teams were loaded with players and coaches who were not LDS. BYU football would still be a steaming pile of dung if not for the NON-MORMON players and coaches who put the team on the map. A great coach is mostly a manager. He figures out how to get good players. He figures out how to get good coaches. He figures out how to win and how to sustain a successful program. Nick Saban is not a football genius. He's a great manager, and Alabama is the most accommodating venue possible for someone like that. When Saban had to win based just on his "coaching," in the NFL, he was a flop. (That was also true of Lou Holtz, another great manager but not a brilliant football mind.) When you argue (as you do) that it's all about players, and that they have to be LDS, and that there aren't enough of them around, you're apologizing for mediocrity. You've become part of the problem. If I were in charge, I'd fire Tom Holmoe and I'd fire Dave Rose. I'd extend Kalani Sitake. He's got the right attitude; he hates losing; and he's willing to do the things necessary to win. He deserves total support from the administration and from the school's trustees, and he deserves at least five years to show what he can do. Saddling him with an untested Ty Detmer was not the right thing to do. I'd make it clear to Sitake that he will get full support, but that he's expected to make the team better, at least a little bit every year. Too often in the Provo/LDS environment, people say that so-and-so is a "good person" and that consequently they're entitled to a job. Dave Rose is without question a good person. But he can't win championships. He's had the greatest access to Mormon talent in the history of the school, and he's squandered it. He has to go. I'm angry just thinking about what Rose has done with all those great players. Nothing--that's what he's done. BYU fans have to stop apologizing for failure. The rest of the world ignores us. There's this illusion that we're still doing OK. No. We're invisible. We don't matter anymore. Do we have the stuff to do something about it, or do we not? What do you think? BYU beat Pepperdine on the road last week 87-76. Was it great coaching or a great night by TJ Haws' 34 points? Two days later, still on the road, San Francisco handled BYU with ease 63-82. Was it poor coaching or poor play? Yoeli Childs did have 25 points, however. If you are still undecided, more evidence to back up your point of view will be on display this week at the Marriott Center. Saint Mary's and Gonzaga will both be coming to town with the Gaels set for a Thursday appearance and the Zags in on Saturday. Television Timetable BYU vs. Saint Mary's (M Basketball) Thursday, January 24 at Provo Tipoff: 9:00 pm MST TV: ESPN2 BYU vs. Gonzaga (M Basketball) Saturday, January 26 at Provo Tipoff: 9:00 pm MST TV: ESPN2 A Picture is Worth 1000 Words, But What About 1000 Yards Rushing? BYU is recruiting Emmanuel Esukpa, a graduate transfer from Rice. He was recruited to Rice by current BYU running back coach, AJ Steward. Esukpa is 5-11, 230 pounds. Here is his bio from Rice's 2018 Press Book. 2018 Second on the team with a career-high 461 yards and 51.2 per game... Topped 100 yards for the second time in the first three games, finishing with 104 on 17 carries at Hawai'i... First Owl to top 100 twice in the first three games since Charles Ross in 2013... Scored on a 51-yard run vs. Hawai'i, his second straight game with a carry of over 50 yards.... Set up the Owls first score vs. Houston with a career-best, 52-yard run... Smashed his career bests with 32 carries and 173 yards vs. Prairie View... Rushing total was the most for an Owl in an opener since Trevor Cobb opened a season that would end as the winner of the Doak Walker Award by rushing for 197 yards at Northwestern to open the 1991 season... Total was the most for an Owl since Sam McGuffie ran for 178 at Tulsa in 2010... Start vs. Prairie View was the second of his career. 2017 Rushed for 261 yards on 57 carries and scored one touchdown while playing in 10 games (1 start). Made his starting debut in the opener vs. Stanford in Sydney, Australia. Top effort for the season was a 56 yard output (six carries) and a touchdown vs. Army. Yardage total established a single-game best. Ripped off a 29-yard run at UTEP for his longest run from scrimmage in his career... Rushed for 165 yards and a touchdown and added a 5 yard TD reception in the Blue-Gray Spring Game to cap off a standout 2018 spring camp. 2016 Scored a pair of rushing touchdowns this year while battling injuries... Rushed for a career-high 24 yards at USM, including a career-long carry of 15... Saw his first action in the backfield against Baylor, rushing for 16 yards on six carries and scoring his first career touchdown... Scored in his second consecutive game with a one-yard run at North Texas. 2015 Redshirted.... 2016 C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll. Mansfield High School First team All-District 8-6A as a senior at Mansfield for coach Jeff Hulme ... Ran for 743 yards on 125 attempts (5.9 per carry) and scored 10 touchdowns... Added a 61-yard TD on his lone pass reception...Two-year starter... Also participated in track... Member of state qualifying 4x200 relay as a sophomore. Personal Full name: Emmanuel Ukelabuchi Esukpa... Born: Nov. 28 at Dallas... Parents: Stanley and Millicent Esukpa (one brother, one sister)...Rice Major: Sport Management... Ancillary Amusement.at least for me BYU's Ballard Center Apologized for Allegedly Insensitive 'Taco Tuesday' Instagram Post Click Here <https://www.academia.org/byus-ballard-center-apologized-for-alleg edly-insensitive-taco-tuesday-instagram-post/> to read story. And while I'm at it, let me retroactively apologize for BYU students and their tradition of throwing taco shells on the LaVell Edwards Stadium football field after touchdowns. That happened a few decades ago and was a traditional way of celebration until administrators put a stop to it. Not because it was racist and insensitive but because it took too much time and effort to pick up the taco shells so the game could continue. In those days it was an issue because BYU was scoring 5-9 touchdowns per game. And what about the University of Arizona? I remember sitting in the McHale Center a decade or so ago for my daughter's graduation. The tradition then and still is, that graduates throw tortillas at the podium and all over the arena to celebrate their academic achievements. Since I have come out of the closet and confessed about women's basketball, I should also confess to the following costumes that I would like to wear that are insensitive, racist and non-politically correct. I hereby pre-apologize in advance to China, The Navajo Nation, Brazil, France, Switzerland, Poland, Chile and Germany. Chinese Egg Roll Navajo Fry Bread Brazil Nut French Toast Swiss Army Knife Polish Dog Chili Cheese Dog (Where I served a mission, we pronounced it Chile Cheese Dog) Germany

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CS Lite, Vol. 38, Issue 25 - January 14, 2019
by HB Arnett 14 Jan '19

14 Jan '19

HB Arnett's "Lite" <mailto:hbarnett@fiber.net> hbarnett(a)fiber.net 801 372 0819 Vol. 38, Issue 25, - January 14, 2019 Is There a Place for Intellectual Curiosity for a BYU Sports Fan? An article in the Deseret News last week was detailing an upcoming meeting between former Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward of Watergate fame and current Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Apostle, Elder D. Todd Christofferson. <https://www.deseretnews.com/article/900049962/bob-woodward-to-tal k-about-watergate-with-mormon-chuch-apostle-elder-d-todd-christoff erson.html> Click here to read the article. Woodward and his colleague Carl Bernstein won a Pulitzer prize for their reporting on the early '70s scandal. At the same time, Elder Christofferson was then a law clerk for Judge John Sirica. The two of them, Sirica and Elder Christofferson, were the only two who had access to the secret tapes and listened to them. You probably know the rest of the story. Here is the quote in the article that got my attention. "He's obviously a very thorough and intellectually curious individual who wants to get to the bottom of things and learn all he can about things," Elder Christofferson said. "That's an admirable trait." BYU basketball is no "Watergate" but, in my opinion, it has stirred a little "intellectual curiosity" from Cougar fans the last couple of years. Maybe we should define intellectual curiosity first. According to the dictionary, Intellectual curiosity is a term used to describe one's desire to invest time and energy into learning more about a person, place, thing or concept. Some BYU sports synonyms for Intellectual Curiosity are Chat rooms, Message Boards, Sports Talk Radio, Twitter, Instagram and Church foyer conversations between two old men who remember who Ott Romney and Hal Kopp were and still care. I freely admit that I am not an intellectual about any subject, especially BYU sports, but I am curious about how to become one. I found this on the internet in referencing how to foster intellectual curiosity. It says there are 8 steps to increase your intellectual wellness. Here they are: 1 Read for fun. 2 Debate an issue with a friend but choose the viewpoint opposite the one you hold. 3 Improve your skills for studying and learning. 4 Learn a foreign language. 5 Play a game. 6 Play a musical instrument. 7 Write down your thoughts or journal frequently. 8 Do crossword or sudoku puzzles frequently. Did I mention that I found these 8 steps on an Illinois State University webpage? <https://news.illinoisstate.edu/2014/03/seven-simple-steps-increas e-intellectual-wellness/> Click here to see for yourself. Speaking of puzzles and intellectual curiosity, am I the only one who is still intellectually puzzled as to how BYU lost to Illinois State and Weber State in basketball earlier this year? The step that caught my eye was No. 2: Debate an issue with a friend but choose the viewpoint opposite the one you hold. For example. Politically, if you are a Democrat can you make a case for Republicans. And if you are a Republican, can you make a case for Democrats. Okay, that might be too hard because an intelligent and intellectual politician is the ultimate oxymoron. More pertinent might be: Is Dave Rose a good basketball coach? Is Dave Rose not a good basketball coach? Is Kalani Sitake a good football coach? Is Kalani Sitake not a good football coach? Ninety percent of BYU fans have an opinion on those two topics. You probably have one. I have one. If we are being intellectually honest, can we make a case for the opposite viewpoint from ours? Tom Holmoe has already made his viewpoint known. He extended Dave Rose's current contract for another two years. He has not yet extended Kalani Sitake's current contract. Pick a side and debate that one. Here's my intellectual input. It's one I have espoused for decades. It's the players, not the coaches. In my opinion, BYU athletics will only be as good as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints demographics will allow. The bigger and broader The Church grows, the bigger and broader the only legitimate and consistent recruiting base of BYU athletics is. Yes, BYU recruits and signs non-church members, but they are few and far between. A BYU alum and non-Church member playing in the professional ranks is rare. In the NFL there 10 former BYU football players currently on rosters. They include Ziggy Ansah, Michael Davis, John Denney, Taysom Hill, Bronson Kaufusi, Tejan Koroma, Daniel Sorensen, Kyle Van Noy, Fred Warner and Jamaal Williams. Davis and Williams are non-Church members. That makes it 80 percent for the Church and BYU football. In basketball, there is no BYU player currently in the NBA. The closest is Kyle Collinsworth and he is currently in the "G" league playing for Toronto. If you go back and look at BYU's best teams and even those that made NCAA post-season appearances, they were all Church loaded with players. Here's a thought. Maybe the Church players Dave Rose now has aren't as good as the Church players he used to have. In football, it's also all about players. If you don't believe that, you didn't watch the Alabama-Clemson national title game. Cougar football is not about coaching. It is also about Church players. The more and better members of the Church you can get and recruit, the better your team will be out of necessity because you aren't going to ever sign big time non-Church recruits. Yeah, but what about women and BYU sports. How do you explain the success women's sports like volleyball, softball, soccer has achieved? Country Clubs. Those three sports are sparse on minorities because they require money to get good. You must be able to travel, play club sports and afford the cost. BYU reaps the rewards because of that criteria in women's sports. In football, it is subsidized by school districts and tax payers. Basketball is also a club sport, but it is subsidized by shoe companies. If you are good enough, you can play. Not so, with the "country club" sports". It takes money to play. Here's my view on BYU football and basketball. If there are enough good Church member players available, even Nancy Pelosi or Donald Trump could coach them, and BYU would be good. It not coaching, it's players who are members of the Church that sponsors the university. BYU just needs to find a way "to build a wall" around those Church member players and everything else will work out. Greatest Public Relation Tool Ever for Coaches When the NCAA came up with legislation to allow players to transfer to another school without approval from their previous coach, it was a public relation boon for both player and coach. It's called the Transfer Portal, either as a transfer or a graduate transfer. Before that it was called pulling scholarships. Not renewing scholarships is part of the NCAA sports scene. In most cases it is done because of scholarship numbers and lack of talent of the player from whom the scholarship is being pulled. Now instead of pulling a scholarship in the hopes you can use it on another more talented player, both the coach and player can save face by saying that the player has put his name on the transfer portal and will play elsewhere. If you have followed the tweets of those moving to other schools, both coaches and players get a chance to have a graceful exit and express glowing words about the experience both had while at the previous school. Maybe a few of those expressions are legitimate, but most are a face-saving way to say that the coach is pulling the scholarship. For the player, he has also announced that he is available. In most cases, if he is on the portal, it means he will be transferring to a school with less talent where he can finally play. Here is a list of BYU's current Transfer Portal players. Tevita Mounga DL Jacob Jimenz, OL Christian Folau, LB Riley Burt, RB Akile Davis, WR Isaiah Armstrong, DB Wayne Kirby, DL BYU COACH ON TRANSFER PORTAL? It looks like Ryan Pugh's tenure as offensive line coach at BYU is a one-and-done deal. There are multiple reports that Pugh is leaving BYU to take over as offensive coordinator at Troy. Here are several stories on the subject. Click to view. <https://www.sltrib.com/sports/byu-cougars/2019/01/14/byu-offensiv e-line-coach/> https://www.sltrib.com/sports/byu-cougars/2019/01/14/byu-offensive -line-coach/ <https://www.heraldextra.com/sports/college/byu/football/byu-footb all-might-have-first-coaching-shake-up-pugh-rumored/article_a5c55e 31-4520-54c1-b5db-5353558a914b.html> https://www.heraldextra.com/sports/college/byu/football/byu-footba ll-might-have-first-coaching-shake-up-pugh-rumored/article_a5c55e3 1-4520-54c1-b5db-5353558a914b.html <https://www.deseretnews.com/article/900050551/report-byu-offensiv e-line-coach-ryan-pugh-moving-on-to-troy-as-offensive-coordinator. html> https://www.deseretnews.com/article/900050551/report-byu-offensive -line-coach-ryan-pugh-moving-on-to-troy-as-offensive-coordinator.h tml <https://byucougars.com/home/football> BYU and Utah Extend Football Series Television Timetable BYU vs. Pepperdine (M Basketball) Thursday, January 17 at Malibu Tipoff: 9:00 pm MST TV: ESPNU BYU vs. San Francisco (M Basketball) Saturday, January 19 at San Francisco Tipoff: 9:00 pm MST TV: TheW.tv BYU vs. Gonzaga (W Basketball) Thursday, January 17 at Provo Tipoff: 7:00 pm MST TV: BYUtv BYU vs. Portland (W Basketball) Saturday, January 19 at Provo Tipoff: 7:00 pm MST TV: BYUtv

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CS Lite, Vol. 38, Issue 24 - January 7, 2019
by HB Arnett 07 Jan '19

07 Jan '19

HB Arnett's "Lite" <mailto:hbarnett@fiber.net> hbarnett(a)fiber.net 801 372 0819 Vol. 38, Issue 24, - January 7, 2019 Which is Better? Eyes Closed or Eyes Open? Are musical artists better when they perform with their eyes closed or eyes open? Which got me to wondering. I am definitely more arse than artist, but could I improve the newsletter if I wrote it with my eyes closed? You be the judge. Here goes: Nyu zbayppfball kist abitger fsmr. Thyis tije t was to saubt nart[sm tge 'gaeos st86id byud a gritti ti 'bty. What I meant to say but couldn't because my eyes were closed is this: BYU lost another game. This time it was to Saint Mary's. SMC should build a grotto for BYU. The Cougars have become a patron saint and patsy for the Gaels. By now, all eyes should be wide open to the fact that this is not a good BYU basketball team. They aren't good enough to contend for an NCAA berth. They aren't good enough to beat anybody who happens to be good. They are frustrating, maybe even poorly coached, but here it is. Eyes open or closed, they are still entertaining. If not, explain to me why I keep watching them play. Even better, why do you keep watching them. They are just good enough to be annoying and anticipatory. Even when they are getting blown out, you can close your eyes and still dream of them making a dramatic comeback for the win. This team has offensive talent. This team has no defensive talent. That should be our clue as to when to keep our eyes open and then keep them shut. If you need this explained on a grander scale, remember Jimmer Fredette. Here are two eyes open/eyes closed videos that expand on the point. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWjwlSGIch0> <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUkgaNzfmYU> Open or Closed? When Tom Holmoe announced a two-year contract extension for Dave Rose before this basketball season started, did he do it with eyes open or eyes closed? Regardless, open or closed, it now appears he did it wearing "Rose" Colored glasses. Based on the performances of this season, even "Rose" colored glasses are now shattered. So why do we care and why do we keep watching BYU basketball this year and BYU football two years ago? For the same reason we visit our children in jail. They are still our team and our children. No matter the situation, both are still our children and our team. Yes, in case you are wondering, visiting a child in jail is an "eye opening" experience. Heck, if all we wanted was winners, we would all be Alabama and Clemson football fans and Duke and Kansas basketball fans. Things aren't always rosey and aren't always wonderful. Hey, there might be some sort of doctrine in that declaration. Sometimes things are bright and other times they are dark. That is why they invented these for life and sports fans. You can wear them up or down, depending on your team and how they are doing in times of brightness or in times of darkness. BYU basketball might be facing a total eclipse of darkness after coming off a month long road trip. It should be glasses down this coming week as the Cougars will see a little more sunshine and less talent than they did this past week/month. Television Timetable BYU vs. Portland (M Basketball) Thursday, January 10 at Provo Tipoff: 7:00 pm MST TV: BYUtv BYU vs. Santa Clara (M Basketball) Saturday, January 12 at Provo Tipoff: 7:00 pm MST TV: BYUtv Glasses Up.Glasses Down! You Decide Here are some recently released stories about BYU sports. Click and read them and then decide if they are glasses up for you because of darkness or glasses down because of brightness. Zach Wilson and Jaren Hall <https://www.deseretnews.com/article/900049274/dick-harmon-zach-wi lson-needs-a-hungry-push-from-jaren-hall-joe-critchlow-in-offseaso n.html> ...Glasses down because of brightness. Big Time QB transfers to Ohio State <https://www.si.com/college-football/2019/01/04/justin-fields-geor gia-transfer-ohio-state-quarterback-news> ..Glasses up because of darkness. Realignment and BYU?... <https://awfulannouncing.com/ncaa/conference-realignment-longhorn- network-acc-network.html> Glasses Down. I still see BYU as a player because of their own network. BYU Circles its Stadium and Wagons <https://www.ksl.com/article/46461501/byu-releases-renderings-of-u pdated-look-to-lavell-edwards-stadium-for-2019-season> .Glasses Down. Now you can spit off the concourse anywhere in LaVell Edwards Stadium. It's a bright day for Spitters and BYU Football.

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