Nothing stays secret for long, especially when it comes to trash talk. Comments about the U by BYU’s senior quarterback Max Hall were no different.
Within minutes of the postgame interview, in which Hall called the entire U “classless,” hundreds of Facebook statuses8212;mine included8212;were updated proclaiming their hatred for Hall and BYU. This morning, a Google search for the interview returns thousands of sites with the live audio feed.
I have never personally competed in a rivalry matchup the magnitude of a Utah versus BYU football game, but I think it’s safe to say we all know that when it comes to the rivalry, emotions run high and opinions are strong.
I have no doubt that many Utah players feel the same the way Hall does8212;they hate BYU, its players, program and fans, but I’ve never once heard a player vocalize those feelings.
In the Utes’ postgame interviews, the mood was somber to say the least, but not one of the Utah players said anything negative about BYU. Instead, they gave them credit for coming out and playing a great football game. Regardless of what they were feeling about BYU and its fans, Utah players were able to keep themselves in check.
I’m not saying that all Utah players are saints and nothing bad ever comes out of their mouths, but what Hall said was tacky and uncalled for.
Hall was in the midst of his postgame celebration at midfield, but I was standing on the field near the Utah fan section, having just watched BYU score the winning touchdown. If Hall wants to talk about classless, he should’ve seen his “loyal” fans’ behavior after the win.
Several BYU fans who had rushed the field ran directly over Utah fans, making upside down U signs, flipping them off and swearing at them. One BYU fan even went as far as to call one of the female fans in the stand a whore.
I left the area just as security was breaking up a fight between a BYU and Utah fan. As I walked out of the tunnel, I heard a Utah fan say, “I’m glad it’s OK to not be Mormon after a football game,” or something to that effect.
The thought rang true for me, and I realized the reason Utah fans hate BYU so much is not because they beat us, though that definitely helps. It’s because they have a holier-than-thou attitude and then contradict themselves with unruly behavior, which would definitely be frowned upon by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
I know Utah fans get out of control sometimes. They say things they shouldn’t and do things that would match Hall’s description of classless, but they don’t hide behind a blanket of religion.
I heard Hall called many things after his interview, most of which I can’t put in print, but hypocrite was one of them. In professing his hatred for Utah and calling our entire program, university and fan base classless, Hall himself made an unclassy move.
Even loyal Cougar fans and BYU graduates agree that Hall’s comments were unsportsmanlike and unnecessary. Hundreds of comments on message boards on both the Deseret News’ and The Salt Lake Tribune’s websites prove it.
Fans and players alike are bound to let their emotions and the heat of the rivalry get the best of them and do things that they might later regret, but most don’t do it in a press conference. Hall will undoubtedly be hearing about it for a long time to come.
Mike Mangum/The Daily Utah ChronicleBYU quarterback Max Hall sparked a huge reaction after calling Utah fans ?classless? in his post-game press conference. Hall said the comments stemmed from how his family was treated at the game the year before.