For lurking BIG-12 fans, you MUST understand this

[BD]

I read this a few days ago. I think it is spot on.

Link
Here is most of the text from the post, in case the link doesn’t work on your device:

I also get the villain tag for Utah, based on a certain contingency of the the Utah fanbase. And this topic is the perfect forum to describe why that was the case at all.

1. Just so you know, Arizona Fans coined the phrase “Truck Stop Conference”. And AZ fans really wanted to join the B12, so it was more in fun than not. Utah just used it way more, and in a more derogatory manner. And for really 1 specific reason. Taking us to #2

2. When Utah left the MWC for the PAC12, BYU fans were p**sed beyond belief. They thought it should have been them and not Utah. It took the rivalry from banter to hate from their side. And for over a decade all we heard from them was how Utah was a bottom dweller in the PAC12 (and we sort of were at first) and how the PAC12 was incompetent for taking Utah and not BYU. How terrible and overrated the PAC12 was in general, etc, etc, etc.

3. Then when they were finally invited to a P5 conference, 2 yrs. before the PAC12 collapsed, all we heard was how they were in a superior conference (even though they weren’t even in it yet), how, the PAC12 sucked, etc. Typical stuff, but a tsunami of volume, vitriol, because they were finally at the table with the big boys.

4. When the PAC12 wasn’t getting a deal, the BYU fan banter was down-right toxic, blaming Utah for the collapse. That if the PAC12 had invited BYU it wouldn’t have collapsed because they would have been strong enough to hold it together and that ESPN would have recognized their amazing value and offered way more to keep it together, but Utah had nowhere near that cache’, etc – BTW,Utah never claimed that they could keep it together, we just didn’t want it to collapse. They were hoping for the collapse, hoping Utah would be relegated to the MWC, or independence, etc. This is what we heard for over a decade and it was constant. And much louder at the end, when they had what they considered ‘higher ground’ than Utah had.

5. So, what do rivals do? You fight back. So, they ripped on our conference for over a decade, we then ripped right back on their new conference and how, after TX and OU left, they were finally desperate enough to take BYU and 3 other G5 team, etc. And moreover, The battle of the “better conference” consumed most of the arguments, as soon as they were invited to the B12

6. So, it wasn’t really the B12, Utah was hating on. It was giving it back to BYU fans. And when Utah was, to BYU fan’s absolute dismay, invited to the B12, which BYU fans DID NOT WANT, their campaign was to get literally every B12 team to hate Utah. And they had a lot of ammo from all of the conference banter back and forth, to use.

7.Final point. Utah really liked the PAC12. Geographically, competition, conference mates, etc. We also felt loyal to it, as they invited Utah to the table from the start. They took a risk on Utah. We appreciated that. We didn’t want a 108 yr. old, storied conference to just disappear. Alas, it did. And there wasn’t anything they could have done about it.

So, for Utah, it was like being forced to a new neighborhood, because developers were tearing down your old one. We were invited to a new neighborhood, that was really nice too. But unfamiliar and with an old neighbor that was running around trying to get all the neighbors to hate us. It’s an awkward transition for the family.

And that is the BYU we know. Very different than the friendly face they put on for the B12 neighbors, a yrs. before Utah moved there.

And that is the BYU that TCU knew, that Wyoming, Colorado State, New Mexico, Fresno St., San Jose State, Utah State, etc. all knew. BYU was also winning a lot more then too. When they are winning they are unbelievable in the way they act. Currently they are humble, although not to Utah fans and we get that. But wait until they start winning. Their narcissistic tendencies show up hard core.

In the meantime, we will wear the villain tag. But know, we are happy to have such a great place to land. It could have been much worse. And we are excited about being in this conference. At least the VAST majority are.

[ProudUte]

The hatred from CB BYU fans has blown out of proportion. Since they have lost 9 out of the last 10 football games, they like to post crazy things about their rivals. A few from this last week include:

– Whittingham is not in the same league as Edwards. Lavell will always be the best coach from the state of Utah. (This may be true, but it is subjective, and who cares?)

– The student section at BYU is much better than at Utah. (Who cares?)

– The new Med school at BYU will surpass Utah in just five years. (Really?)

– BYU’s national championship is better than anything Utah has ever done. They also have a Heisman winner and two Outland trophy winners. Consequently, BYU is better at football.

– They claim that Utah fans celebrate two Rose Bowl victories. (This of course is not true. But I would rather go to the Rose Bowl and lose than play in the Independence Bowl.)

– They bag on Rising virtually every day. They attack his hair, looks, brains, morals, etc. When you post things like this about a rival player – you have lost all respect.

– The funniest post said that Utah charged too much for football tickets. They posted the price of tickets for all of their away games. Utah’s ticket price was about three times higher than anyone else. They argued that Utah was gauging fans instead of admitting it is all about supply and demand.

BYU was the most hated team in the WAC by a long shot. This was in part because they killed everybody, and there was a lot of jealousy. So, the Utes have played better football than BYU this century. We are picked to win the Big12. Winners are easy to hate. So, Utah will be hated as long as we are good. Oh well.

I have said before, I have a good relationship with every BYU fan that I personally know. The guys of the CB are a different group of humans who promote hatred and find joy in the failure of others.

Go Utes!!!

[BD]

“I have said before, I have a good relationship with every BYU fan that I personally know. The guys of the CB are a different group of humans who promote hatred and find joy in the failure of others.”

I would say the same. Every BYU fan I now know I try to have a good relationship with, and fortunately, that is still the case.

But there have been some exceptions that were CB BYU fans.

For example, a few years ago, I started a new job. One day we were all in the office at work (not a work from home day) only a few days after I started. We had a morning “stand up” meeting, where I met some of the team members for the first time. I was wearing a U of U shirt, and a guy I had never met didn’t even introduce himself and he said to me: “Utes fan, huh?” I said, “Yea.” Then he said something completely snarky that I have purposely forgotten. And he didn’t say more.

The good news is, that team had numerous BYU fans that were good to work with. But there was that one guy who was always different. While I had to work with him closer later on, and he ended up being OK to work with (not great, not really terrible), I always wondered why he was a different BYU fan than the others and why he was so snarky with me right at the beginning before he even knew my name.

Well, I discovered why. While I was working with him somewhat on a project, I went over to his working area to talk to him about the project on the day we were in the office, and I saw him right in the middle of editing a post on CB. Then it hit me why he was different from the other BYU fans, and was snarky at first: He was a regular CB poster.

[Yergensen]

Insecurity is loud and a contingent of Utah fans have been loud. I know where it comes from, we’ve had to fight for respect in CFB for all of my fandom.

What I hope for going forward is, to take from a coaching adage, we act like we’ve been there before. Barry Sanders was soft spoken, handed the ball to an official after scoring while kicking a$$ all the way to the HOF.

IMO we should take a page from that book. I’m not saying we shouldn’t Ochocinco celebrate a TD or absolutely intimidate in RES or talk sh!t for some fun once in awhile, but good lord do we have to get triggered and go scorched earth at every slight or perceived slight from an online keyboard warrior or talking head? We’ve come too far for that.

[Charlie]

I also have a good relationship with every Y fan I know.

I began my career, ’79, working downtown SLC for an engineering firm. At that time, even in SLC, there were at least a dozen Y fans for every Ute fan at work. I have no idea why other than dominance in FB over the 70s. Y fans did not hate us, they simply did not care. That same firm matched donations to colleges so I used this to purchase a lifetime FB ticket in Provo – possible because my family is 1/2 Y fans (to sit with) and who would question why you would donate to a college. Note, other than 1 game every other year I allowed family to use the other tickets. For the next decade, I was one of about three red shirts in the stadium other than the small pie shaped section in the corner for visiting fans. By the time I let family have that ticket about 7 years ago, the red shirts in the stadium for the Utah game grew to 20 or 25%. No beer thrown on be but plenty of apple cores, half gone sandwiches, and lunch sacks but I really never cared much. Rolls reversed and now most Ute fans don’t care about the Y and actually almost fill sorry for them. For Y fans old enough to live through the change, I get it, it is hard to take. For Ute fans old enough to remember, it simply is not that big a deal.

Oddly, I had a similar experience with 2 BB tickets on the 3rd row at the Y. However, the decades were more even, then the Majerus years, and even again. The only two red shirts in the entire section and let’s just say the Y fans had Max Hall level feelings for Rick. Y fans are teased at the Hunty but it has always been much more milder going the other way.

[Central Coast Ute]

I’m not so sure BYU is going to start winning. Lavelle is gone, the honor code enforcement is more strict, and most kids don’t want to go there. They get washed up QB’s that were overhyped through the portal like Slovis every so often, but their glory days are done for good.

[utefansince79]

Some people can be at their worst when they are online hiding and typing things they would usually not say to your face.

I’ve avoided CB for a very long time now and unfortunately have had to leave a few FB Big12 boards as there is far too much negativity (largely from “fans” from BYU and Utah.) Would have liked to meet and befriend fans from other schools in our new conference but not worth putting up with the hostility.

[Waybackutefan]

It’s been my experience in life when I’m out and about and stumble onto a clown car, in this case known as clownboard. It’s typically filed with clowns and I avoid engaging them.

[Author]

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