BYU football fans: Do not dread the rivalry game

It’s not always easy being a sports fan. BYU football fans are no exception. But after being flattened against LSU, as the Utes stroll into town, many who would root for the Cougars are already covering their eyes. Don’t.

BYU football fans, there comes a time when you have to wear your heart on your sleeve.

Now, I know: after last week, it’s a lot easier to check out. After LSU made BYU’s offence forget how a running play works, it’s understandable that a bedraggled fanbase would be wary of catching another shot to the face.

And no shot stings quite like one from the rival to the north.

But don’t make the same mistake the BYU team made against LSU, and take your caution too far. Don’t get so anxious and guarded that a victory would turn into a relief instead of a triumph.

This game is worth looking forward to.

I’ve already heard some fans staking their fandom on the outcome. A loss, and you’re out.

Others won’t go further than checking the score, or glancing at social media. Some still cling on with desperate hunger for victory, but undoubtedly, many look toward the clash with the Utes no eagerness. Just ineffable dread.

That’s understandable. That’s easier. But don’t do it.

Do not waver. Do not look away. This game—not LSU, not Wisconsin, not a bowl game—this game is the crown jewel. A win here can set BYU football off on two wildly different courses for the season. But it’s also the game that can give you a satisfaction that no other game can.

And if you are playing sports fan for some other reason than emotional satisfaction, it’s time to take stock of your priorities.

Isn’t this what college sports are all about?

This turbulent swirl of emotion, the ghosts of history, the stakes incredibly high?

They teach athletes to be even keel on game day. Games of execution require clarity of thought, and as useful as emotions can be for motivation, they need a lot of channelling to win under the lights.

But in fandom, the high highs and the low lows are part of what makes cheering for a team great. They are the stuff of which memories are made. And what memories in sports do we cherish more than a great victory when you’re down, right when you need it most?

BYU football fans (and Utah fans—we all know you’re reading this, too) this is your invite to reinvest yourself. Wear your colors all this week. Get hyped, tailgate, relish the moment. Make rash but harmless bets with your rival friends and co-workers.

If you can’t be at the game, watch it. If you can’t watch it, listen to Greg Wrubell. Last time I checked, radio is still free. If you can’t listen to it either, God bless you, because you must be working a night shift, or on police duty, or at a funeral, or in an active combat zone.

If you can be at the game, show up for it. And by show up, I mean not just sitting your butts in the seats. I mean, really show up. Shake the stadium, the cameras, the ground, the air.

Checking out and just pulling up the score is the coward’s way out. You’ve already had a taste of the low. Believe this: it will make the high so much sweeter.

So I say ride that roller coaster, baby. Ride it to the end, and you just might get a chance to catch the scenery at the top.