Comments about ‘Doug Robinson: Best and worst awards for 2010’

gotta love the one about the Utes.
Be careful for what you wish for.

Hmmm, let me think about all the money Utah is guaranteed by being part of the Pac-12

Then let´s compare with the shortsighted move by another Utah school that decided they were so important to college football that they could go independent. With a couple years of some guaranteed money, they have no long-term prospects.

Personally, I believe it is a move by the "powers that be" at BYU to slowly eliminate their participation in college football. In 10 years, they will look back and regret having made this move -Guaranteed!

Utah on the other hand, will be raking in cash and playing in a decent bowl game, despite having the occasional 6-6 season.

Was there no place in the "Best and Worst" for BYU's knee-jerk jump to independence, simply to avoid the unacceptable perception that they had been left behind by Utah?

Futrue KARMA award goes to...Y fans.

I remember 2010 as having countless Y fans talk on these boards about how Utah's schedule was copiously filled with cupcakes.

Here's BYU's schedule for 2011, with 7 home games:
--at Ole Miss (last place SEC West, 4-8 record)
--at Texas (last place Big-12 South, 5-7 record)
--Utah (decent, likely finish 10-3)
--UCF (decent, soon-to-be 10-4)
--Utah State
--San Jose State (uh huh, same one)
--at Oregon State (5-7, 3 way tie for 5th place PAC-10)
--Idaho State (last place Big Sky, compared to first place Montana State)
--at LA Tech (5-7)
--Idaho (6-7)
--New Mexico State (2-10)
--at Hawaii (decent 10-3)

That gives the Cougs 3 games next year against teams that have winning records this year.

I'm not saying the schedule doesn't have it's good games---just that the "cupcake" overdose Y fans dealt out this year will come back to them next year.

Ute fans out in force on this one because after tonights beating they won't have much to say. BTW Howard-BYU was looking at independence long before the PAC-10 looked at Utah. Good try though.

Hey Utah fans... enjoy your losing seasons and a couple of 6-6 years every once in a while!!!!

BTW, one of the season's "best" was the firing of Hill and Bronco taking over the D.C. The next best will be getting a new O.C. and WR coach for next year! Thank you Bronco!!!!!

@wwookie
"Hmmm, let me think about all the money Utah is guaranteed by being part of the Pac-12"

The only guarantee that Utah has gotten from the Pac 12 is that they WON'T be getting a dime for several years.

What's ironic is that BYU's carefully planned and well orchestrated move to independence with their new BFF ESPN will also inadvertantly stick it to Utah when the Pac 12 re-negotiates their next TV deal.

Teams like USC (Florida, Ohio St, Bama, etc) will look at BYU's deal and think if BYU can get their games televised for $1-$2 million per game then they can get $3-$4 million per and they DON'T have to share it with loser "have-not" programs in their conference (like the Yewts).

A lot more of the "Haves" will copy BYU and get their own deals and let the "Have-Nots" like the Yewts huddle together with other "have-nots" to try and stay relevant in now meaningless conferences pooling their nickels and dimes together. The Pac 11 becomes the new WAC and for Utah its back to the saltmines.

@Howard S.

See above

@MiP

You should be flattered ("imitation is the sincerest form of flattery"). Evidently BYU AD Holmoe looked at the secret of Utah's success (schedule copious amounts of cupcakes and mix in a few decent teams that are experiencing down seasons) for finishing unbeaten and getting BCS bowl invites.

If it works for the Yewts every once in a while it will work for BYU.

More for Howard S.
Either you're clueless or ignorant. Part and parcel of BYU's plans to go independent are the 100,000 square foot state-of-the-art, HD production and distribution facility and the best HD production truck in the West.

BYU administrators have been working on this since the inception of The Mtn and actually began construction on the facility in June of 2009. That's a full year before the Pac 10 (after countless rejections) had to scan way down to the bottom of their list and settle on their 7th option for expansion (Utah).

When you get all the facts, it actually appears that Utah made the knee-jerk jump to Pac 12, simply to avoid the unacceptable perception that they had been left behind by big brother.

DodgerDoug | 1:08 p.m. Dec. 22, 2010
Salem, UT
*****************

So if Bronco gets credit for firing assistants, shouldn't he also be held responsible for the mistake of hiring every assistant that he is now firing?

Re: Griz | 2:12 p.m. Dec. 22, 2010
Salt Lake City, UT
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How can anyone deny that BYU has not yearned for an invitation to a major/BCS conference for decades?

And even now, do you really believe that BYU wouldn't dump independence in a heartbeat if a Big12 invitation were offered?

Last summer Holmoe himself talked about BYU being the the middle of the expansion discussion, but not "in the internal area of things".

It was only after being rebuffed in their conference expansion desires that BYU announced that it was really independence that they coveted.

I absolutely love the fact that Cougars actually believe the spin that the BYU foray into independence is not a desperate reaction to Utah's invitation to the PAC 12.

If that is not simultaneously the "Best" and "Worst" of 2010, then it is hard to imagine what would be.

Dear Howard S. and wwookie,

Your dedicated concern over our football program is thoughtful. You both obviously spend a great deal of each day pondering it and expounding to the world at each opportunity how you would improve it.

Thank you both for all of your time and dedication to our football program. I can't help but think, however, that perhaps your time would be better spent on your Ute basketball program. You may have better informed comments then. Meanwhile, thanks again for spending so much time and effort on us.

Sincerely,
Cougars

@ Howard
The BCS exists, at least partially, because of what BYU did in 1984. After hearing the rants from some of the other BCS big-wigs, it's clear that they don't want to share the money. The fact that TCU and BSU almost took away money from their beloved conferences and schools just makes their blood boil.

Since it's all about the $$ and not finding a true national champion, there is a chance that BYU could be in the mix 2-3 years down the road. There is also a great chance that Mark Cuban is able to construct a playoff system. I bet he may lure away a few of the BCS teams to play in his playoff.

Either way, BYU doesn't need to share a cent of it's earnings with anyone.

Let's see what happens 3 years from now and see how many others copy the BYU formula.

@Howard S

BYU is no different than Utah in wanting to dance on the big stage but they have some principles that they will not compromise that most major conference expansion talks have seen as a stumbling block (like no Sunday play).

BYU has been sought out in the past for inclusion into a BCS conference (Big 12 expansion in mid 90's). At the time then BYU President BAteman (a yewt grad) emphatically stated that BYU was unbreakably linked to Utah and would only join if Utah was invited also.

Needless to say, like an anchor around the neck, including lil' brother was a deal killer for BYU.

The Mtn deal wouldn't let BYU broadcast their own games, why would BYU begin the planning of this facility years ago and spend millions of dollars if they didn't have a plan for getting out of the MWC TV deal?

I think what bothers you most is the knowledge that Utah's ONLY option was to sit around and hope for a date to the dance. BYU had the financial cache and ratings clout to pick the one that suited them best (and ESPN wanted BYU not Utah).

Re: Griz | 7:42 p.m. Dec. 22, 2010
Salt Lake City, UT

"BYU has been sought out in the past for inclusion into a BCS conference (Big 12 expansion in mid 90's)."
**********************

Certainly BYU was part of the discussion with the BIG12 in the 90s, but there was NEVER an invitation. Period.

I invite anyone to produce reference to any evidence that there was any offer for BYU to join the Big12, or any other major conference.

As for ESPN, BYU was simply available to fill the Thursday/Friday scheduling slots that were vacated when Boise joined the MWC.

Given the opportunity BYU would have chosen the PAC12 over ESPN in a heartbeat. But BYU didn't have that opportunity.

BTW, do you think ESPN noticed all those Cougar fans disguised as empty seats at the New Mexico bowl?

@ Howard S. I think Fresnogirl is right. You have way more "information" about BYU than I have about Utah. I didn't even know their record until one of my friends told me. My friend, Utah was the 5th choice of the new Pac 12 and BYU isn't being considered by certain conferences because of their religious affiliation/views. If BYU was invited and if BYU were 5th or 6th on the PAC 12's list, you would be all over that!

BYU's Independent status is in Football and I think would have happened anyway, as long as Utah would have agreed to play them year in and year out. While the rivalry is good for both schools, they kept each other from bigger and better things as we can clearly see now. You are right. Utah made the first move and BYU responded. Is this some sort of victory?

Howard S., why so bitter all the time? Why the incessant "informing" and comparing to BYU? You are just as bias about your Utes and BYU fans are about the Cougs. Hec, all fans are biased.

Doug Robinson, nice article and funny!!

i liked the article and my thoughts are along the ones that were written by you especially auburn and cam newton. happy holidays!

Howard S.
Bronco didnt hire those assistants. Most of them were there when he got there..

...(and I don't just assume that you are LDS, I know Chris B. isn't), but to any LDS Ute fans out there, if you are cheering for any Pac-12 hatred against BYU then you are cheering for religious bigotry. (Like I said, there is possibly a harmless angle to their discrimination, but I don't so here).

To one of your other points, there are only two Friday games for BYU in 2011: UCF and Utah State, and Utah State is almost always on a Friday. Your "theory" doesn't need to be a theory anymore because we have data, and your theory is now in the garbage can.

In the end, BYU landed squarely on its feet. The move to independence was certainly a reaction to Utah's move, but one that could not have happened without prior planning, and is thus not "desperate" (see garbage can). As an employee of a Big12 school, I don't think I would recommend BYU to join now, its pretty shaky.

Final thought: Why don't you stick to being a Utah fan, you aren't very accurate as a BYU-hater.

@Howard,

I think you are out of comments, so I don't expect a response out of this.

You are correct, Utah got a Pac-12 invite and BYU did not. However, the deal breaker for BYU was its religious affiliation. Period. There is no other explanation that fits. A med school/academic prowess is not a prerequisite, just ask WSU, OreSt, (and even OkSt in the Pac-16 megaconference plan). If it was all about football then Boise State would have been way better. Etc. etc. You can ask any Pac-12 AD about their assessment of BYU vs. Utah's athletic program and I bet all the money in my bank account that I know what the answer would be.

So in the end, you are cheering for discrimination. Rah Rah Rah. Perhaps its the most harmless kind of discrimination: We're non-religious and you are religious, so you don't fit. As it turns out, the exact reverse situation exists in the WCC. But I have seen a lot of nasty anti-Mormon comments on Pac-12 message boards. I don't know what your religious ideas are...

Nice try Ute trolls. Your arguments are as creative as your mid-major football team spouting off pre-game 'girlse' comments in Vegas.

Exposed, overated, and lost your bowl game. That's a 10-3 cupcake season your athletic program scheduled for you years in advance. So stop the stupid comments about a hastily put together BYU schedule for next year and start worrying about who's going to want to be on your team when it consistently is stomped by the real BIG dawgs of the PAC-12.

Just remember... Utes were only invited to play in the PAC-12 when their Plan A for creating a 16 team super conference didn't pan out. You're a Plan B with a 'B' rated program after laying eggs at
RES against TCU (nationally broadcasted game), at ND (another natl broadcast) and at Vegas (yes another natl broadcast game. Geewiz, talk about squandering some recruiting points.

Bet the PAC-12 has buyer's remorse.

Once again BYU manages to be more relevant at 7-6 than a Ute 10-3. That's what a legacy program is all about.

Good luck Utesies. Your glory days ended with goose-eggs.