My heart broke Monday when I read the apology that BYU quarterback Max Hall issued after some comments he made following Saturday’s 26-23 win over the Utah Utes.
Let’s start with the apology:
‘I want to take the opportunity to clarify and apologize for a few of my remarks after the game yesterday,’ Hall said in a statement Sunday, according to the Deseret News of Salt Lake City. ‘Last year at [Rice-Eccles Stadium], my family was spit on, had beer dumped on them and were physically assaulted on several occasions. They had to endure extremely vile comments personally attacking my wife, my mother, other family members and our religion. They had to be escorted to their car by local police.
‘As a result of what happened to my family last year, this rivalry became personal, and in the heat of the moment yesterday, I made comments toward the entire university that were really directed specifically at those fans in RES. It was not intended to be directed at the entire organization and all of their fans, and I apologize that it came out that way.’
Okay, so some fans were jerks last year, and he got carried away. Considering his need to say all this to defend himself, what he said must have been pretty awful, right?
‘I don't like Utah. In fact, I hate them. I hate everything about them. I hate their program, their fans. I hate everything,’ Hall said Saturday. ‘It felt really good to send those guys home.’
And:
‘I think the whole university and their fans and the organization is classless,’ Hall continued. ‘They threw beer on my family and stuff last year and did a whole bunch of nasty things. I don't respect them and they deserved to lose.’
I guess I feel like I’m still waiting for Hall to cross the line. So he hates Utah. And he doesn’t respect them. So what?
Personally I hate the University of Utah, too, and thought Hall’s comments were awesome, so I was disappointed when he didn’t stand by them. I know some Utah fans that I don’t hate but everything else he said, I’m down with.
Fans of the U have never done anything to my family, but I hate the school just the same. In my year at BYU I attended the rivalry football game and the basketball game in Provo. Both times I left incensed, and not only because Utah won. At football some BYU fan ran out onto the field and got taken down by a Utah cheerleader, who kept punching the guy well after taking him to the ground. I was kinda more upset that no one helped the kid, but come on. He’s down. The basketball game was a disaster; BYU didn’t hit a field goal (and perhaps they didn’t score, I’m not sure) over the last seven-plus minutes. Rick Majerus, then Utah’s coach, spent literally the entire game on the court. I don’t mean in the coaching box, I mean on the court, as in several steps in, as though to prevent three-pointers from the left side, where he planted himself on the wing. I don’t know why, but the refs completely ignored it. Of course, I was more annoyed that no one set up for a three deep in the corner and then, when getting back on D, lowered a shoulder and laid Majerus the freak out, but still. I mean, after a few minutes of watching him that was literally all I cared about. Get your butt off the court, man. Wouldn’t laying the opposing coach out, and making it look like an accident, of course, be so satisfying?
Surely this apology was forced out of Hall by the same losers who like to respond, whenever someone says they hate something, that hate is a strong word. Oh, my bad! It’s a strong word, you say? I meant to go through life saying only weak things, showing more care not to upset idiots. (I had a home-teaching companion at the Y who refused to root against Utah basketball because he had too much respect for Majerus. That’s BYU for you. Can you imagine what would have happened to a CU student back in the day who said, “I hope we win, but I can’t pull for the Huskers to lose because I have too much respect for Coach Osborne”?)
It's just a feeling, why isn't he allowed to express it?
I am so sick of the complete sissification of society and don’t see any problem whatsoever with Max Hall hating Utah. He didn’t say anything insulting, he didn’t incite mob violence, and while it’s not the greatest sportsmanship of all time he’s not even setting an horrific example for the young’ns. Anyone who has a problem with what Hall said really needs to grow up.
2 comments:
Only at BYU would what Hall said be deemed worthy of an apology. I have never heard of a player apologizing for saying he hates his arch-rival. In fact, I am pretty sure that the big boy programs all actively cultivate rivalry hatred in their players.
And, yes, hate IS a strong word, which is why you use it to describe the team you most want to beat.
Sissification?! That's an awesome new word you created and I couldn't agree more (not with the hating the Utes part). I'm tired of people being so worried about being politically correct that they can't even accurately portray their true thoughts and emotions.
I do remember Majerus always standing way out on the court too, and yes, that would have been really sweet to see an opposing (or even better, one of his own players) player knock him down.
Speaking of college basketball, CU looks like they actually have a decent team this year. They played really well at that last tournament, and really should have won the game against Gonzaga. Have you seen they play yet, and if so, do you think they have a chance at making the tournament (not the NIT either) this year?
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