So its football season once again…
and once again I am enticed by the Sirens of BYU football. I once was a season ticket holder albeit a student season ticket holder even though I haven’t been a BYU student in a decade or more but a season ticket holder nonetheless. I have attended probably close to 90% of all the home games in the 90’s. I was once a rabid fan of the BYU; in fact it was hard not to be a fan. BYU Football used to have very affordable prices on everything from tickets to food and produced quite competitive teams. A few years ago things began to change… During the Crowton era, prices rose, the heart of the student section was cut out to allow for $1000 a seat season tickets, food prices shot up and out side food was forbidden. Before entering the stadium you are now frisked like criminals. The searches were done under the guise of protecting the fans from terrorists but I think it was to protect anemic football teams from the fans and/or to protect the new found bilking of wealth from the faithful at the refreshment stand. It seemed that the BYU or “The Lords University” has gotten greedy. A visit to the concessions stand was comparable to visiting the moneychangers at the Temple during the time of Jesus. It just didn’t seem right. Being an active LDS member I understand a few things about how the church uses its funds and how important it is to do what is right with the Lord’s money. What the new BYU was doing was going against all that I had been taught. I guess that is why at the pearly gates of the BYU it says “Enter to Learn Go Forth to be Hypocrites”. Now add on to the misery just the right amount of poor coaching, poor play and poor execution mixed with a few high profile criminals on the team and just like magic I lost interest. Actually it wasn’t that I lost interest it was that I was repulsed by the whole thing. BYU has standards and a strict honor code that rules the lives of students but somehow if you are attached to BYU Football you are exempt. I love the double standard.

It’s a new year, new coach and new team even a new broadcast channel. Being a recovering BYU fan; it is hard some times not to lapse into past bad habits at the start of a new season. On Saturday I tuned in to the game and yet again I am disappointed with the same pathetic play. Bronco Mendenhall promised us a return to the tradition of BYU Football but I didn’t see it. I saw a team that gave up on third down and poor play calling at crucial times but mostly I saw the same repackaged piece of dookie that BYU football has become.

I think maybe some things should change…
Lets rededicate the new practice facility to the students… because using it for only football has made the team soft. It seems a waste of $50 million bucks.

Reduce the amount of non-LDS players to the ratio of students through out the university.

Enforce the honor code 100%. If a player violates it they are gone. I am sure most of the BYU faithful would be happy to lose every game if all players followed the code like the rest of the student body.

Let’s reduce penalties by players by making them pay for penalties in a game. I vote a dollar a yard to start.

No more punting in the 4th quarter when inside the opponent’s 30-yard line and losing by more than 10. NO Risk NO Reward.

Allow customers of the concessions stands to keep the lids to their soda and water bottles.

And One more thing...
I would just like to tell my ex-coworkers how awesome my three day weekend was... I almost came for a visit just to rub it in but I hear I might be considered a left turn. Can any Sundance employee confirm this? If someone wants to email me the truth as I am considering purchasing a Season Pass.