Comments about ‘Utah notebook: Utes aren't hanging their hats (or heads) on moral victories’

I'm excited for the games this week. If the team, and particularly Washburn, continue to play like they did last week we'll see one win and likely two this week.
That's not a prediction as much as my hope that Wash keeps it up and the team keeps playing with the same intensity they have been, and for every possession of the game. Good things will happen if they do.
I love the direction of the program. I hope fans will get themselves to the stadium this week, these are going to fun games to be at from here on out.

Well the utah team may not be "hanging their hats (or heads) on moral victories" but their "fans", like motormouth, certainly are. LOL!

"Utes aren't hanging their hats (or heads) on moral victories"

So says the headline, even though that's exactly what coach k is doing by talking about how close the Utes came to winning a game in Arizona.

@Duckhunter be nice, we don't have to stoop...

It's nice to see Utah playing competitive, but a loss by 20 points, or 1 point amounts to the same....a L. Hopefully the Utes will learn to finish, and do well in conference play. I like the direction the program is heading.

Also not sure how calling some one "motormouth" is considered civil dailogue or a thoughtful comment? For me, I just consider the source.

Funny how three of the first four comments on a Utah article added to the site 2 hours ago are from Cougar fans, yet the BYU article posted 4 hours ago has zero comments.
Telling ... very telling.

motorbike

No need to comment on a given: BYU adds substantial value to the WCC.

On the other hand, Utah fans have been beating their chests about moral victories all season long, and since Utah fans are too biased to challenge the theory postulated in the headline, somebody needs to add balance to the discussion.

What's really telling is Utah fans being so easily offended by any opposition to the crimson-colored narative.

@Utenymous

No worries, your Cougars are actually playing decent ball this year. Why do you always try to pick an arguement and take shot at a fan base you pretend to represent? Pretty weird and very insecure.

Spokane Ute

Answer the questions honestly:

Haven't Utah fans been praising Utah for moral victories since the BYU game?

So why do consider questioning the validity of an obviously false headline "picking a fight" and "weird and insecure"?

@skywalker,

I really don't know what other Utah fans have said about moral victories, but I haven't said that. The headline of the article refers to coack K's stand. As I re-read the article, where in the world do you arrive at the coach, or any Utah fan, saying the loses were "moral victories"? Which Utah fan are you referring too? A win is a win; and a loss is a loss. It is great to see Utah playing these programs down to the wire though. Moral victory? I don't know. Optimism? Heck Yea! As far as my other comment, it's the same old rant, by the same Utah Haters. They seem to troll Utah threads, take shots at the program, and look for an arguement. That's the way I see it; I hope I answered your question.

Spokane Ute

"As I re-read the article, where in the world do you arrive at the coach, or any Utah fan, saying the loses were "moral victories"?"

Quoting directly from the article:

"At the end of the day we were in two close ballgames, obviously, against teams that were 25-2 (combined) up to that point in the season and we were a possession away in each game," Krystkowiak said at his weekly press conference on Monday."

He didn't use the words "moral victory", but that's exactly what Krystkowiak was claiming.

Utah fans have been even more direct claiming the Utes only lost by a point or two or three and praising the Utes for holding opponents to well below their scoring averages.

If that's not claiming a moral victory, which directly contradicts the headline, then how do you define a moral victory?

No beating my chest here. However, the direction the program is headed is up, which is good. Maybe the wins aren't there yet, but whether you call it a moral victory or not, to be more competitive with ranked schools and within the conference, is a good thing.

"He didn't use the words "moral victory", but that's exactly what Krystkowiak was claiming."
Your argument is "he didn't say it, but he meant it"?
Weak.

Why does it bother BYU fans so much that Utah fans are getting excited about the Utes again? Is it because BYU fans are frustrated at their own team's downward trend while the Utes are on the rise? Maybe some easy WCC wins will perk up the fanbase.

Phoenix

Nice job of putting words in coach K's mouth; par for the course. How in the world do you get the coach saying it was a "moral victory" from his comment? He certainly sounds optimistic though. Why in the world wouldn't he?

SoonerUte

I don't get it either? Why shouldn't Utah coaches and fans be excited and optimistic after playing two very good teams (one ranked), on the road, down to the wire? I have never, ever experienced a more negative fan base. They don't even comment on there own basketball program, simply take jabs and shots at there rival. Oh well, I like the direction the basketball program is headed; especially after last season. Rock On and Take Care SoonerUte!

@ Uteanymous

You said: "...somebody needs to add balance to the discussion."

And thankfully we have insecure BYU fans such as yourself to provide us with that balance. Thank you so very much.
___________

You said: "What's really telling is Utah fans being so easily offended by any opposition to the crimson-colored narative."

That's interesting, I don't remember feeling offended. I certainly did find humor and irony in you and the other coug fan comments. It's funny how obsessed you all are with a team that you all claim to be so leaps and bounds better than. It quite simply screams insecurity to anyone with an unbiased eye.

Anyway, thanks again for providing us with some balance. What would we do without you and Ducky?

@ Josey Wells

Bingo!

FYI, your screen name is the best western ever!

SoonerUte

"Why does it bother BYU fans so much that Utah fans are getting excited about the Utes again?"

BYU fans are just providing a little reality check to our friends on the hill that improving from pathetic to mediocre is nothing to get too excited about.

"Is it because BYU fans are frustrated at their own team's downward trend while the Utes are on the rise?"

Hardly. A slight decline this year is being more than offset by the Cougars signing one the best recruiting classes in BYU history in 2013.

phoenix, fans talking about holding teams well under their field goal percentage and points per game is not creating moral victories, it's applauding good defensive play. Likewise, how many times have we heard byu fans talk about the defensive stats their football team had in losses to Boise and Notre Dame? Are those moral victories, or is that being happy about the team's defense?

Definition of a moral victory:

"An actual defeat regarded as a virtual victory because of the narrowness of the margin or because of some circumstance that gives satisfaction or hope."

Krystkowiak said:

"At the end of the day we were in two close ballgames, obviously, against teams that were 25-2 (combined) up to that point in the season and we were a possession away in each game."

hmmmm...

"A slight decline this year is being more than offset by the Cougars signing one the best recruiting classes in BYU history in 2013."

Wow. So Cougar fans have already given up on this year and are looking forward to 2013. No wonder Cougar fans are looking to squash Ute fan excitement.