Bummed About BYU

[_Everybody Wang Chung]

Here is another sign of the times in the BYU football program:

http://www.big12sports.com/ViewArticle. ... =210560102

More and more, BYU is becoming the Harlem Globetrotters of college football. Wouldn't be surprised to see (1) BYU rejoin a non-power conference, like the MWC, the WAC, or the AAC (that's the old C-USA); or (2) dump football altogether in the coming years. I could see BYU continuing its Olympic sports in whatever conference (like the WCC), while dumping football. Seriously, all it would take is a growing perception among the brethren that BYU football is hurting the church and school more than it is helping them, and football will be gone before you can say "seer stone".

A third option would be to hang on with football, sinking deeper into the pit of irrelevance, until the NCAA does something boneheaded like take away the Sunday play exception for BYU. If that happens, then it's a win-win. Football gets canceled and we get to claim religious bigotry at the same time.

[_Everybody Wang Chung]

I was reading Cougarboard and feeling a bit down about the state of BYU football, and what I sense is its future. According to some reports, almost the entire coaching staff - save a few for whom there was no space - are going to Virginia with Bronco. Anae is gone. That's fine.

But Bronco is wearing his Virginia gear to the office and to practice now. I suppose that makes chronological sense, since he's now on UVA's payroll. (Does BYU also pay him right now?) But if it were me I think I'd avoid wearing the other school's apparel while pretending to coach BYU this one last time.

Oh, well... If true, it's a pretty funny story. Virginia apparel at BYU?

I found this cool Chinese trailer for the new Star Wars film on Cougarboard. It has a lot of new footage that hasn't been seen on other trailers.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?rel=0&v=ECYgD7zylrE&t=0

Star Wars?!? I really need to go pull a book down from the shelf and read.

[_Analytics]

The general thought is that the Church paid Bronco about $1M a year to coach at BYU. Peanuts for a coach at a would-be "power-five" school, but perhaps the highest paid employee of the church.

Rumor has it that for years, other colleges have been asking him if he was interested in leaving BYU for a huge pay increase. He always said no. My understanding is that he was always quite religious, and approached coaching BYU as a religious calling as much as a job.

That situation went on for years. Then in 2015, he decides to take the money and run. Why now? I can't help but wonder if it has something to do with being disillusioned about the Church after the new policies about gays and their children. Taking a messily $1M to coach for the Lord's university is a noble thing, but settling for that to coach at a school sponsored by an uninspired religion is something else.

Pure speculation on my part.

[_Dr. Shades]

Star Wars?!? I really need to go pull a book down from the shelf and read.

What's wrong with Star Wars?!?

[_Everybody Wang Chung]

Cougarboard is abuzz today with speculation that Navy's Coach Ken has already been hired to fill the BYU position, and that his planned "visit" to tour the BYU facilities on Monday is really a smoke screen for a press conference at which he'll be introduced as the new coach:

http://www.cougarboard.com/board/messag ... d=15084045

The SL Tribune has also picked up on this, though they say that the trip is just a "fact-finding mission" to gauge mutual interest:

http://www.sltrib.com/home/3293944-155/ ... iumatololo

Looks like BYU has also reached out to Whit, Sitake, and a few others. Whit seems like a logical choice, but he's got a good gig at Utah. I'd expect DOCTOR Chris Hill to go well before Whit.

[_Everybody Wang Chung]

Star Wars?!? I really need to go pull a book down from the shelf and read.

What's wrong with Star Wars?!?

[_Blixa]

Cougars suck. sorry/not sorry.

[_Everybody Wang Chung]

Cougars suck. sorry/not sorry.

[_Blixa]

[_Everybody Wang Chung]

Yes, the 1950s were the glory days for BYU and the Church. It's been a long, slow decline into obscurity ever since.