Deseret News | No coffee, smokes or ESPN at BYU

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Dick Harmon: No coffee, smokes or ESPN at BYU

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re: Remember | 10:48 a.m. May 7, 2009

Why are people who clearly don't watch ESPN, or care about the programming, commenting on an article that deals with ESPN being dropped from the dorms?

If you don't want to eat Top Ramen for every meal while in college....GET A JOB. Don't have mommy and daddy pay for school, or live off student loans.

I guarantee had you gone to school full time and worked full time, you would have appreciated having ESPN during those late night study sessions. It beats infomercials.

Re: Karen | 10:59 a.m. May 7, 2009

"It was the right choice. I'm sorry, I choose to trust our leaders." And there it is!! Thank you Karen for summing up what is the underlying problem with many BYU fans - You believe that BYU is run by "leaders." Allow me to correct you - BYU is run by people who have jobs, not callings. This decision was made by bean counters, employees, not church leaders. Everyone has a right to second guess and even criticize the decisions of regular people with regular jobs. I will offer this great quote from Bruce R. McConkie, yes I know he was a U fan and didn't particularly like BYU, but it's still great - "BYU is no more the Lord's school than ZCMI is the Lord's store." Get it, the DI is the Lord's thrift store, KSL is the Lord's TV station, Deseret News is the Lord's newspaper. All of these examples are just as absurd as BYU being the chosen school. If any of you Y fans are again confused between a calling and a job, remember, we don't sustain employees.

badlandscougar | 11:06 a.m. May 7, 2009

i love the y.remember brigham young founded the u and they have great teams too and that, i feel espn chooses to ignore the mtn west conference out of spite.oh well life goes and isn't great to have choices...?

Comments continue below

Get over yourselves | 11:30 a.m. May 7, 2009

For those of you who are shooting off at the mouth with no knowledge of BYU whatsoever, it is not against the rules for students to watch ESPN. In off campus housing, where the vast majority of students live we still get ESPN. Oh and guess what it is also not against the rules to drink caffeine. Ute fans just don't want to face the truth that BYU is a highly respected academic university that has also had some shining moments in sports history. Maybe Utah fans should take a breather from watching film from their win against Alabama last year and join the rest of us in the world as we move on in our sports entertainment. Last season is just as history as our 1984 championship.

Anonymous | 11:38 a.m. May 7, 2009

re: badlandscougar | 11:06 a.m. May 7, 2009

No! The MWC in all their infinite wisdom decided that having a fledgling network exclusive to their conference would be much better than the $ and exposure provided by what is for all intents the industry leader.

Frank Castle | 11:41 a.m. May 7, 2009

re: ESPN overrated | 8:37 a.m. May 7, 2009

That's a very myopic viewpoint. I personally love ESPN and CBS; you get to follow the BEST conference in College football (the SEC).

The Mtn is almost as ridiculous as NBC as their "focus" on Notre Dame football.

Bender Rodriguez | 11:53 a.m. May 7, 2009

re: Beth | 9:24 a.m. May 7, 2009

Time for a reality check.

>>BYU also doesn't think that it holds a monopoly on successful religious people or any of the other garbage that people are writing. >The funny thing is at BYU we don't obsess over our hatred of the U because we have better things to do. The same thing can't be said for Ute fans. >Maybe that's why you weren't smart enough to get into the Y!<<

Most U students & grads are smart enough to realize they don't wanna deal w/ the jumping thru hoops or stigma associated with a so called higher learning in Utah County.

Another reason to love BYU | 11:59 a.m. May 7, 2009

I love BYU. Cutting ESPN is a small decision, but it's this type of focus on cutting out wasteful spending that demonstrates why BYU's tuition is such a great value. I graduated from BYU and did my MBA at the University of Texas. As an institution, BYU is much more careful about their expenditures than the University of Texas is.

Bubba | 12:43 p.m. May 7, 2009

Mr Harmon,
Why did you bury the paragraph about ESPN actually being available in the press boxes? I think that it was some important information to the subject of the article and should have gone higher up on your article. If I would have stopped reading the article I would have come away with a very different idea of the situation. I think that's why they call it inverted pyramid...
Don't get the idea that I'm bitter about it or anything, I just thought that was weird.

BYU Curfews | 12:52 p.m. May 7, 2009

ESPN by far is the leader in Sports Channels. They were the first in cable and now dish tv. Others set their standards to them.

But what's funny about this BYU thing with ESPN is just plain nonsense. Before too long, they will probably require the campus to be in bed by 9:00pm.

Anonymous | 12:53 p.m. May 7, 2009

re: Another reason to love BYU | 11:59 a.m. May 7, 2009

The difference being The Longhorn Football team makes money hand over fist for UT.

Jonathan | 2:01 p.m. May 7, 2009

ESPN? OMG! How can anyone live without ESPN? How will we keep track of those oh-so-important highlights of sports figures breaking wind, or the latest team hair styles and uniforms? Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!! Gotta have sports! Needs a sports fix now!! Aaaaiiiiieee!

LOL. Our Bread and Circuses society. What a riot.

Hey Ute fans | 2:24 p.m. May 7, 2009

Here we have a worthless article relating to BYU about something that isn't important in the least, and there are still over 60 comments so far and 80 percent or more of them are from Ute fans. And they still try to convince everyone that they don't have little brother syndrome. Go ahead Ute fans, give me your negative replies. You know it's true.

I remember dorm life up at the U | 2:50 p.m. May 7, 2009

Re:re: Remember | 10:48 a.m. May 7, 2009

"If you don't want to eat Top Ramen for every meal while in college....GET A JOB. Don't have mommy and daddy pay for school, or live off student loans.
I guarantee had you gone to school full time and worked full time, you would have appreciated having ESPN during those late night study sessions."

Nice comment from the same clueless Ute fans that don't understand college. I went to school fulltime, finished in three years, and paid for college with money that "I" saved, and earned working throwing boxes at UPS. I graduated without any student loans, and without assistance from my parents. I did not have time for any ESPN, nor informercials... I was in college and studying.

But thanks for using your imagination on that one.

Bender RodrigUez | 2:55 p.m. May 7, 2009

re: Hey Ute fans | 2:24 p.m. May 7, 2009

Actually, its Y fans who have something akin to an Oedipus complex.

At the very least, Its denial that the Zoobs have about their inferiority complex. I wonder what S. Freud would say?

ACTUALLY | 3:02 p.m. May 7, 2009

Actually, 80% of the posts are BYU fans reacting to the few comments made by Utah fans. Did you ever stop to think that Ute fans make comments solely for the purpose of watching you zoobs go into a complete melt down defending yourselves? I went back and counted: 13 of the 63 comments so far are from Ute fans or at least appear to be (21%).

Maybe it is just highly entertaining for us Utah Grads with boring (high paying) CPA accounting jobs to drop a comment in and watch the carnage from the zoobs.

re: Hey Ute fans | 3:07 p.m. May 7, 2009

I don't think someone who is supposedly the "big brother" in your argument would print T-Shirts proclaiming that they plan to do exactly what their "little brother" has already done. The mice don't chase the cat. But the Donko does chase the Utes.

Also, that's a pretty generous and giving "little brother" to have funded the renovation project at LES stadium with BCS game money. It's usually "big brother" having to look out for "little brother."

Get out of the 90's. In today's landscape the Cougars are chasing what their BIG BROTHERS up north have already done.

I love it | 3:13 p.m. May 7, 2009

I love articles that prove how stupid byu is.....

duh...and to claim that it is too expensive is an insult to everyone "the church" has a limitless budget.

Nick | 3:43 p.m. May 7, 2009

I think ACTUALLY is on to something.

Mark in the Middle | 3:55 p.m. May 7, 2009

I was wondering where all the crack-pots and nutjobs were. I guess I know. I can't read two responses without tripping over one.

What really seems interesting about this article is that it almost seems like "The Captain" Dick Harmon is ripping on BYU. That is about as odd as John Madden taking a shot at Brett Farve.

Why I hate comment boards | 3:56 p.m. May 7, 2009

Half the people posting here obviously have not read the article. Where's the duct tape?

And, to the editors, it doesn't help things when you slap on a misleading headline. This one gives the impression that BYU has restricted access to ESPN for religious reasons because of the implied connection with smoking and drinking. Reading the article makes it clear that is obviously not the case, but some people are just lazy.

A little more responsibility from the Editors would be nice.

Who cares | 4:14 p.m. May 7, 2009

Being as BYU was rated the best education in the United States for the price (I only paid $900 a semester without a scholarship, and the program I'm in is ranked #1 in the nation compared to UofUtard ranked at $75), who cares? If you really have to watch sports watch something else.

As a former BYU student I'd have to say, I'm sure there was a glimpse of the swimsuit issue and a goober got offended. BYU does have ridiculous rules, but they're easy to follow. I'd rather be at a school that focuses on everything they offer than a school that only focuses on football and basketball, and their education is sub-par except for their medical school (Yep, that's you UofUtards). Take it away, who cares, zoobs are too busy trying to get married to watch ESPN.

The Fall of ESPN | 4:29 p.m. May 7, 2009

The current lineup on ESPN consists of studio anchors who can't convince me they really like sports, loud sportswriters, really loud analysts (when did volume become the most desirable attribute of an analyst? I blame Dick Vitale and his inane babbling) and enough gossip to make any tabloid show jealous. It used to be about the sports. Now it's just another show. I have ESPN and I find myself avoiding everything but the actual games.

awsomeron | 4:49 p.m. May 7, 2009

They do not need any station except BYUTV. Also perhaps some G Rated Movies. You cannot control what the station shows will be up to standard, unless you control the Station.

Do you want the Students to see Female Beach Volley Ball. Or Miss California in her White Bathing Suit.

All they need on Campus is Wholesome and Uplifting TV. The money saved could go to Scholarships.

Brad James | 5:07 p.m. May 7, 2009

To me, it's obvious why Brigham Young eschews ESPN. Unless Joe Barton, Orrin Hatch and our other good friends win on Capitol Hill (which they will, the BCS is comprised of modern-day Gadianton robbers and evil never prospers), ESPN will probably have no interest in breaking up the BCS. Spineless cowards! Anyway, it's somewhat of a middle finger Brigham Young is giving to the BCS that they won't let their kingpin network be shown by their students. It's certainly fair because Brigham Young should be in a BCS conference until the moniker becomes irrelevant. The enrollment is significant and the athletic department is excellent overall. Therefore, I applaud this choice. The really good things about ESPN now are Monday Night Football and NBA coverage. That's all. ESPN News, on the other hand, is excellent because it's for real sports fans with brains.

Roy Rogers McFreely | 5:40 p.m. May 7, 2009

re: ACTUALLY | 3:02 p.m. May 7, 2009

>>Maybe it is just highly entertaining for us Utah Grads with boring (high paying) CPA accounting jobs to drop a comment in and watch the carnage from the zoobs.<<

Exactly. Who doesn't like to rubber neck @ a traffic accident?

Bender Rodriguez | 5:53 p.m. May 7, 2009

re: Who cares | 4:14 p.m. May 7, 2009

Real Schools don't offer degrees in Engineering Technology. What exactly is Eng Tech anyway?

How's that school of Mines & Earth Sciences working out for ya? Oh wait... The U has a college of Engineering that offers genuine Engineerring degrees.

BYU is notorious for their Law & Business schools. In other words, careers for bland, boring, yahoos who fell out of a cookie cutter. Go figure!

Re: Bender Rodriguez | 6:11 p.m. May 7, 2009

Actually BYU is famous for offering degrees in Family and Human Development, and Family and Marriage studies. In a world where the hard sciences, medicine and technology are the future, it's nice to see BYU churning out useless degrees in the softest of the soft sciences. FYI - We will never be in the PAC-10 because we are not a research univeristy. Remember, it's the presidents of universities who invite schools to join their conferences, not athletic directors. I'm a BYU and Utah grad who lives in PAC-10 country, and PAC-10 schools are very serious about being research schools.

Hey Ute Fans again | 6:20 p.m. May 7, 2009

Looks to me like a number of Ute fans were the ones going into a complete meltdown defending themselves based on my comments.

BTW little brothers, didn't your beloved gymnastics team print out t-shirts that proclaimed themselves as the 2009 National Champs. How did that turn out? So these t-shirt comments you keep making sound pretty hollow and hypocritical.

ttommiejo | 7:16 p.m. May 7, 2009

I will say this about BYU'S decision on "NO COFFEE, SMOKES, or ESPN." If i'm not mistaken BYU'S honor code has in it no smoking, use clean language, & no caffeine. That said, I see it this way. I disagree with but at the same time I do respect it. I see it this it's like "house rules." What I mean by that is when you go to someone's house they have a set of rules. If you don't the rules of the house there's the door. In other words you leave. For those have a problem with this, there's the door. Simple as that.

honor code | 8:23 p.m. May 7, 2009

BYU's honor code says nothing about caffeine. That's an individual choice.

What Am I Missing Here? | 9:09 p.m. May 7, 2009

When the Deseret News headlines are nearly always about sports, what is wrong with ESPN? Are they (LDS Inc.) afraid of the competeition?

OH MY HECK! | 11:57 a.m. May 8, 2009

I'm sure that BYU's freshman applications have completely dried up with this dreadful news! Poor BYU, they will never be able to fill another freshman class. Since I can't watch Sportscenter in Helaman Halls while eating my cereal, I'm outta here, UVU here I come! It's so worth it.

This was a doozy, Dick! | 2:25 p.m. May 8, 2009

Little humor on a slow news day, and WHOA! Check out the responses.

Hint: this isn't a rules thing, it's a "package" thing. Sorry, ESPN is out of the basic package. If that puts you deep into the tremors, go to your laptop.

But since so many want to use this to bang on the rules - If BYU was really a celestial place, it wouldn't need the honor code!

But then again, if you were celestial, you wouldn't object to living the honor code.

As for me and my house, I was too busy studying / working / dating to watch much more on ESPN than Jim McMahon's latest highlights. Speaking of honor code...

awsomeron | 3:33 p.m. May 8, 2009

In reality the budget is not limitless, that is why they call it a budget. My wife or I either go shopping with a budget or we have enough to cover what we want to buy within reason. Budget is usually the choice. They do not have to have Cable at all. Many LDS Homes do not have TV. No law requires a home to have TV or a Computer. It is not child abuse not to have one.

The Students can think good thoughts about their coming or past Mission and day dream about their Temple Wedding.

Good pure thoughts in a good and decent environment. A safe place to send your Son or Daughter, to get an Education and return home with reinforced Morals and High Standards. Ready for continued purity in Marriage and Life. Ready to be in the World but not of the World.

I do not understand why those who cannot walk the walk and live the life, have to make fun of those that can and do. It is the Students not so much the Adults who make the Y's what they are today. The line to get in is very long.

anon 808 | 4:49 p.m. May 8, 2009

Roy if that is your real name, right on. If its not then Great Choice. I wonder if anyone has done Roy or Dales Temple Work.

The last time I saw them they where on TBN Preaching Jesus and him singing her love songs while she was in her wheelchair. The last time I saw her was in the same Wheelchair on TBN, very old, very dedicated and Preaching Jesus. What a couple, what great lives, what a great example of a happy marriage. Happy Trails.

And that cinches it! | 5:28 p.m. May 8, 2009

BYU was diligintly tryin to be the "Worst University in the World". After being voted Worst Party School by Princeton Review (a "win" proudly displayed on the webpage) the administrators were flabbergasted when Bob Jones University somehow beat them out. Thankfully they've come up with a fail safe solution of not carrying ESPN. Because every single male dorm room in every university across this great country is basically stuck on ESPN 24/7. Congratulations YBU!!!

This is Great | 7:47 p.m. May 8, 2009

byu is in its own little insignificant world.

Anonymous | 12:37 a.m. May 9, 2009

Doesn't matter, the coeds will still be able to get scrambled porn on campus. Better shut that off.

LOL.

brett favre | 7:38 a.m. May 9, 2009

so because espn talked about brett favre that is a good reason to not have espn on a college campus?

LOOOOL! nice article!

LOL BYU | 7:40 a.m. May 9, 2009

stories like this is why its embarrassing to have byu in our state.

so basically you are saying byu cant afford ESPN?

maybe they should cancel football. That should save another $50 a month too!

no espn? | 7:41 a.m. May 9, 2009

not having espn is kind of a joke of a story.

not being able to afford it is even more rediculous.

espn though is kind of a joke sometimes, other than when they show games that is.

espn is like Fox politics, skewing viewers' view.

the funny part | 7:43 a.m. May 9, 2009

byu and the mtn west cant get games on espn becuase of the awesome mtn channel.

so this is how they can get pay backs!

im sure its gonna work out for ya

the WAC | 7:47 a.m. May 9, 2009

maybe BYU is mad for leaving the WAC, a conf that gets games on ESPN every week. While mtn west gets 0 all season!

@no espn? | 8:19 p.m. May 9, 2009

"espn is like Fox politics, skewing viewers' view."

No kidding. ESPN is the sole reason Tom Brady is the best quarterback ever, Derek Jeter the best shortstop ever, Tim Tebow the greatest college player ever, LBJ, Kobe and Tyler Hansbrough are the best basketball players ever and David Beckham is the best footballer ever.

Steve | 10:19 p.m. May 9, 2009

ESPN is great.

Smokes and coffee - not great.

T-MLB | 9:35 a.m. May 10, 2009

I would get rid of ESPN as well, having just hired Matt Millen, GM of the 0-16 Detroit Lions, as an "analyst". Sets a bad precedent for education and achievement!

Bubble | 12:06 p.m. May 10, 2009

This way BYU fans can stay in their own little bubbles and drink their Kool-aid.

wow WOW | 10:55 p.m. May 10, 2009

re:anonymous no kidding could we have more double spacing and GIANT print so that the story can run on and on...98 comments on this article is longer then the article....people we have way to much time on our hands.....

Dumb, dumb, dumb reporter | 12:27 a.m. May 11, 2009

For the record, I live in Wymount Terrace at BYU. The official story coming out of the office there (one I believe) is that they are canceling ESPN because it costs more to subscribe to that station than the rest of their cable package combined. They have even replaced that channel with the CBS sports channel for all of those who can't go several minutes without hearing what kind of steroids Manny took today.

Seriously, who hires these people to write stories like this one? Did you do any research at all before you sat down and started pecking away at the keyboard? Would it have set you back that much time wise to call up the BYU office and find out WHY they cancelled ESPN? Instead, you wrote a quick McStory that serves as an opportunity to take pot shots at BYU and, by extension, the LDS church (see comments above). Thank you for your laziness.

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