In the weeks since Texas Christian University beat Brigham Young University, I have heard countless people and read multiple columns talking about how the Cougars let Utah down as rivals and how it was supposed to be the Utes who ruined their perfect season. I just shake my head at all of it.
Since when does being rivals mean cheering for the Cougars just so they have a perfect record when we face them? Since when does being rivals mean you should be disappointed when BYU loses to TCU?
The loss to TCU should’ve been a cause for celebration for anyone claiming to be a true University of Utah fan.
To quote my little sister, who has proven herself to be a better Utah fan than half of the U’s campus, “BYU losing was the best birthday present I got8212;it made my whole day.”
That’s the attitude every Utah fan should’ve had after BYU screwed up its perfect season, not this “Oh, it should’ve been us” bullcrap.
I learned the concept of rivalry at the ripe age of 6, when my dad taught me that the Duchesne Eagles8212;a high school team in rural Utah and rivals of the Altamont Longhorns8212;were the enemy.
Not once in the 15 years since that time have I cheered for the Eagles because I wanted us to be the ones to ruin their perfect season.
That’s a ridiculous idea. It doesn’t matter whom they are playing or what the stakes of the game are8212;if you are a true fan, you want your rivals to lose.
It doesn’t matter if it is a preseason game or the championship or if it’s football or golf8212;being rivals means you want to see your enemy lose no matter what the situation.
Do Boston Red Sox fans hope that the New York Yankees have an amazing season up until they meet? Do the Lakers cheer for the Celtics whenever they’re not jeering each other?
No! Because they are rivals, they want to see each other as far down the totem pole as possible and will cheer against them every chance they get.
Not only should you not be cheering for the Cougars because you want to ruin their perfect season and BCS hopes, but you should also be cheering for every team they face in hopes that they go 0-12 and have the most embarrassing season in school history.
The Horned Frogs should be our heroes for taking down the Cougars and effectively eliminating their chances at a Bowl Championship Series win. We should be happy that we can give BYU its second loss of the season.
No, TCU did not steal our thunder and no, BYU did not let us down as rivals. In fact, we should still be celebrating the loss because that’s what rivals do.
So let’s pull our “I cheer for Utah and anyone who is playing BYU” T-shirts back out of the closet and act like true Utah fans and BYU rivals.