Sometimes the unbelievable becomes possible. Sometimes the stars align and a chaotic constellation takes place.
Back in 2004, this happened twice. The first was beautiful beyond words for Utah. The second was ugly beyond measure for America.
Four years ago, powerhouses such as Texas, Michigan, USC and Oklahoma held out their pinkies while sipping the riches of their automatic Bowl Championship Series bids. The Utes became the first team to crash the tea party. There was much rejoicing.
Around the same time, the country had to decide between a fumbling idiot, liar and warmonger8212;or somebody else (I think his name was Kerry). The majority of the people made a big mistake. Although slightly more than 50 percent voted for George W. Bush, his approval rating now sits around 22 percent.
Yes, more than half of the people who voted for G. Dubya now willingly admit they were duped.
What do these two incidents have in common? Change is good. Change means progress, evolution and growth of the human experience. Stagnation is bad. Life should not be inert. Comfort leads to dormancy, and we’re learning the hard way how long it will take to catch up to a fast-moving world.
There are two important events that will take place this year8212;events that could affect the rest of our lives as sports fans and citizens.
The first is all-out anarchy in college football. The BCS has been a disaster since its inception. It’s a system that gives money to those who are already rich8212;the trickle-down economics of the sports world.
It lacks the joy of March Madness. There are no underdogs allowed. Sure, a non-BCS team might get lucky the way Utah or Boise State did and crack the door, but neither team will ever get to be the party host.
College football needs to spread the wealth. It needs a revolution. That’s why I encourage all Utah fans to root for Texas, Alabama and Penn State to remain undefeated through their remaining schedules. We need outrage where we can get it.
Rooting for a complete massacre of all the teams above Utah is also fine8212;whichever causes the most commotion and helps bring about a play-off system.
The second, and main event will be Tuesday’s outcome. Like the BCS, we can’t continue to allow those with power to exclude the little guy. And believe me, we’re all the little guy.
It’s time, four years later, for the stars to align again. If you are the kind of person who wants a play-off system, a sports fan who loves a Cinderella story and a Utah fan who someday hopes to see a red and white national championship banner, there is truly only one choice.
Vote for change.
Nick Pappas