Insulting the Utes.

Well, BYU beat the University of Utah on Saturday. Huzzah, Huzzzah! But then some quarterback by the name of Max Hall decided to rip the Utes a new one by saying,

"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. "It felt really good to send those guys home."
"I think the whole university and their fans and the organization is classless," Hall said. "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."

(Edit, Max Hall apologized later for his comments.)

I mean, come on? Honestly? Mr. Hall, you've been a good quarterback and all, but if you're going to fuel the flames of the rivalry, at least do it intelligently instead of being upset about a poor throwing game and citing something that happened a year ago as why you hate U of U.

That being said, I now present you some intelligent and witty ways to insult the Utes without sounding like a total moron:

1) Mention some mistakes the Utes did. Things like how their young quarterback fell apart after the first quarter. Call him a newb.
2) Brag about your sacks and interceptions. How much more embarrassing and frustrating are those moments for fans and the team? Expound on that.
3) Laugh and don't be serious about it.
4) Don't insult the campus in general, there are several good things about it, and in some aspects, they have better programs than BYU.
5) Comment on their long hair. What's with that anyways?
6) Joke about their penalties. Like the call about disconcerting the snap cap. Or better yet, play off the idiotic call from the game the week before "Deceiving the defense" and make jokes about deceiving the Utes and not being called out on it.
7) Admit you made mistakes, but then boast that the Utes couldn't capitalize on them.

That's at least seven things you could have taunted the Utes about, something that isn't idiotic drivel. And Mr. Hall, didn't you say that you and the others practiced overtime plays a lot, so you were prepared? There's around thirty of you, and none of you got together to think of witty insults and comebacks? That is where you fail Hall. For not coming prepared to dish on the Utes intelligently. You're smart, that's why you are at BYU. Use that noggin and get some good quips in for after the game.

Unless you used all your best material on the field where the fans couldn't hear. But that's just lame.

So BYU football team, I charge you to come up with some intelligent and witty material for next years game, instead of ignorant anger driven babble. Is that too hard to ask?

Addendum: And if you really want to call University of Utah fans and football players classless, do it with style. Call them mudblooded half-goat sons of
Uruk-hai or something. Throw in literary references, have fun with it. Use fancy words that will make most people go "huh?" at. That will be classic. Better than some angry tirade at least.

Jeers and Cheers

I have an awesome friend who plays local league hockey at Peaks Ice. He's awesome and his team, the Chiefs, are pretty good.

However, I have the hardest time coming up with clever stuff based off the names of other teams. Take tonight's team, the Red Dawn, how are you supposed to mock that? They used to be the Fighting Squab, which is way easier to make fun of, considering squab are doves. But the Red Dawn? That's an awesome name, it's hard to think of clever word play jeers to shout during hockey games.

Of course it could be because all that I thought of when thinking about stuff I could use came from Lord of the Rings, where Legolas states that the dawn is red because blood was spilled that night (when they're pursuing the Uruk-Hai who took Merry and Pippin) and when Theodin was pumping his men up for the fight in Pelennor Fields. (Against the Southrons and their huge elephants.)

So how am I supposed to think of stuff like that? It's hard. And I've used up a lot of stuff cheering on the chiefs.

But I digress, I have a math final to prepare for. I have to get back to that.

- Sam.

To The BYU Football Defense

Dear BYU Football's Defense,

You Stink. Now don't act all surprised, but all of campus and everyone who watched tonight's game against TCU is thinking it. You simply stink.

Now don't let my words fool you, I'm a devoted fan, I may not attend the games in person but I try to watch or listen to every single game. And so, as a fan, I have got to say that you really dropped the ball tonight. Yes, there was the blowout loss against Florida, but we all supposed that maybe it was just a bad night for you, and that you'd come back swinging. But tonight merely confirms your mediocre talent and playing ability.

Now I don't mean to say that TCU isn't good, cause they are very good, they are a very talented team. But is that really an excuse to lose this bad against TCU? I don't think so. You could have given them a point for point battle, but you didn't. Instead TCU steamrolled over you.

And you know what's worse, my hope in you guys, as a team, is shot for this season. Yes, BYU will beat Wyoming and New Mexico, but that's a given. What I'm talking about is the game that matters, the BYU VS the Utes. Would I like to see BYU beat the Utes? Yes! But these two disappointing and humiliating defeats have shattered my hope that we can defend against them.

So there you BYU Defense, you shattered the hope of a fan that BYU can beat their rivals up north. How are we as students and fans of BYU supposed to view the rivalry game now? How are we supposed to enjoy in the traditional rivalry shenanigans when we know that you're just going to flop around and get your butts kicked?

Maybe you can pull off a miracle and restore confidence in the team and defense, but with how you're playing, I don't think it is likely.

So, one word of advice Defense, don't let us be completely decimated against the Utes. That's all I ask.

Photo Spotlight

I have an amazing friend Rachel who loves photography and is planning on going to Africa next year for a study abroad. She has been taking pictures of a few people and I volunteered to help out her portfolio. And to get some awesome photos.

She hasn't put the photos on her website yet, but here are some that she posted through facebook.











Quite awesome don't you think?

Great Wallyballs of Fire!

It's not everyday you get to bounce off the walls, or bounce stuff off the walls of course. But tonight was one of those nights where not only were balls bouncing, but laughs and other shenanigans hailed high as well.

The night started out normal, dinner with some friends in the ward, but then she-who-is-not-my-cousin burst out a game called 'Hilarium' where in a manner of speaking it is like curses, where you act what is on your card, but the goal is to find matches, to get down as many cards as you can, so if someone has a card that is the same as the one you are acting out, you both get to put the card down. And it so happens that one of the cards was mooning, so I pulled down an imaginary pair of pants and mooned the girl across the circle from me. Yes. Mooning. You heard me.

But as time gathered for FHE, we went to the stadium to be tried and tested. Well more like it was the rec center north of Provo High School, but you get the idea. We entered, we shed our coats and entered the small opening and let the plastic balls fly. Twas like unto the movie 'Dodgeball' But with less skill and coordination as no one had trained us by throwing wrenches at our sweet spots. But even so, we grunted, we dove and even was hit on the back of the head a few times by the bouncing ball.

It was like nothing ever seen before, except had you actually seen something like it before.

But to finish up, we went up the street a way and ordered the food for champions, Frosties from Wendy's.

Twas a night that would go down in FHE history, or more likely to be forgotten in the weeks to come.

Tears, Laughter and Dissapointment.

First off, I am a geek, just so you all know. By that I mean that I am a fan of Lord of the Rings. I know some people here don't appreciate such things, *cough*Bob*cough*, but I feel this should be said, if only to point out my geekiness. I point your attention to the Ents in Lord of the Rings. You know, the walking, talking tree's that went to war? Yeah, them. Well there is a scene where Treebeard tells Merry and Pippen that the Ents have lost the Ent Wives, and told them to look out for them since the Ent Wives would have like the Shire. (Where the Hobbits were from) Until now, I have never thought about what happened to them, and always thought that they would would have been re-united after the mess with the war. It turns out that I was wrong.

I was reading and doing a little research, and even asked the 100 Hour Board, and found out the fate of the the Entwives. From the letters of Tolkien himself, he said:

"I think that in fact the Entwives had disappeared for good, being destroyed with their gardens in the War of the Last Alliance (Second Age 3429-3441) when Sauron pursued a scorched earth policy and burned their land against the advance of the Allies down the Anduin (vol. II p. 79 refers to it). They survived only in the ’agriculture’ transmitted to Men (and Hobbits). Some, of course, may have fled east, or even have become enslaved: tyrants even in such tales must have an economic and agricultural background to their soldiers and metal-workers. If any survived so, they would indeed be far estranged from the Ents, and any rapprochement would be difficult – unless experience of industrialized and militarized agriculture had made them a little more anarchic. I hope so. I don’t know." (Letter #144, Letters of Tolkien)

and,

"As for the Entwives: I do not know...But I think in Vol. II pp. 80-81 it is plain that there would be for Ents no re-union in ’history’ — but Ents and their wives being rational creatures would find some ’earthly paradise’ until the end of this world: beyond which the wisdom neither of Elves nor Ents could see. Though maybe they shared the hope of Aragorn that they were ’not bound for ever to the circles of the world and beyond them is more than memory.’...." (Letter #338, Letters of Tolkien)

So when I read that, that the Entwives were dead, I just started tearing up, because of what happened because I was hoping that they would have found each other. so there is my geekiness for you.

Also, Saturday night I saw Twilight with my roommates and some other friends. I must tell you, it was definitely interesting. One of my roommates who hasn't read the books wants to read them now.
Now I don't like the books, but I think the movie was actually better than the book. I won't go into any extreme details, but suffice to say that not having Bella narrate the whole time or even hear how Edward looks like a sculpture and is the epitome of handsome is a credit to the movie. Second, since it is not from her point of view, the world is more complete, and balances everything out. There is obviously the cheesiness of Bella falling in love with Edward with only knowing that he is a vampire, but hey, at least the movie shows them conversing and getting to know each other which isn't present in the books.
There is also some of the one liners and other humor that gets laughs going. Trust me on this, it probably saves the movie.

So, I was definitely laughing more, and I did like the movie, in fact James was much more believable. I think had Meyers written twilight like the movie presented it, it would have been much better. As for the rest, well there is only so much that a movie can do to improve upon a crappy book. But I suggest seeing it. It's not the best movie around obviously, but for the books it's based off, it did a pretty good job.

And may I say that I am extremely disappointed in the BYU-UofU game Saturday as well. I didn't have that much hope that BYU would win, but I didn't think things would go so badly for the team. I would have preferred that the BYU football team give their all and do their best and lose, then throwing the ball in the waiting arms of a Ute and other stupid turnovers. I must tell you that I don't pity Max Hall though, not a bit. I also shaved my mustache because of the terrible loss, that and it feels weird after dancing.

Anyways, that's it for now. I may be coming down with a sore throat, but lets hope that passes before Thanksgiving. Now I have to get back to homework, 'lest I fail.

Cya all!

Olympic bouts

I found the site to watch all the Olympic coverage. I just watched China win gold in fencing - Saber, and now I am watching the Men's Epee. Also the US Womans Saber team won all three medals for their competition.

The difference between Epee and Saber is that with Saber you can land a hit with the side of the blade, but with Foil and Epee, you have to hit with the point of the blade. And points go usually to whomever has right of way, which is judged by who extends their arm and attacks first.

Weekend Recap

I was looking at previous blogs and I realized that I never mentioned which secret organization I joined. Well, I have gone to the Laugh Out Loud comedy group, so now I will be attempting to make people laugh in real life as well.
Practices are pretty much what is seen for the shows, and I believe there is a Laugh Out Load event on the 22nd, but I am unsure if I will be a part of it since I am relatively new.

Also, I disgraced Rock Band Friday Night. I went to a friend's birthday party and in the course of my time there, I was invited to join in on their fun. Now mind you I had never played Rock Band before and have only played Guitar Hero once or twice, so my skills are minimal. Needless to say, as I was doing Guitar on easy, I managed to make the team fail three times before I handed the guitar to someone else. Later, with some trepidation, I went for the vocals part, and managed to get a relatively high score. There are a lot of fun songs too. One that another sang was some punk rock song where in a deep voice you had to sing something about a dude named Timmy. That was funny. I did alright on the drums, wore my throat out on vocals and managed to not completely slaughter the bass and later the guitar part.
I am now addicted to Rock Band and seek more opportunities to play.

I also have watched some of the Olympics. I wish there was a way to select which sport you want to watch though, so you're not stuck watching what the station is covering. I am now looking for video clips of the womans fencing match where the US team won all three medals. If you find it, let me know.

In other news, I am feeling optimistic and hopeful concerning work, school and the future, which is quite odd, as I have usually had a somewhat negative outlook concerning it all. It could be me just being a bit less lazy and procrastinative, but that is yet to be determined.