With BYU now Independent, who are the founding fathers?

Tom Holmoe definitely gets to be one. Bronco as well. President Samuelson is probably another.  

What about LaVell? Is he too far removed from BYU football to count as the Benjamin Franklin of the group? Is he more like a William Bradford from the Mayflower or John Smith from Jamestown?

What about recent and current players? They didn't get much say in this (so it is not like they would be any of the guys who signed the declaration of independence), but they bear the brunt of making this work.

Who gets your vote?

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The APR rates are in and it's not pretty this time around for BYU.  BYU's score was 929, the lowest in the Mountain West, and just 5 points higher than the threshold where the team can lose scholarships due to poor academic progress.   That score puts them a whopping 17 points below Utah State and 27 points behind Utah, their in-state competition.  

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If you are going to be in Austin when BYU plays Texas, you can support Coach Detmer Friday night.

His team (St. Andrew's) will play Friday, September 9, 2011, at 7:00 PM.

Opponent: Eastside Memorial

Location: 5901 Southwest Pkwy, Austin, TX 78735

It is a home game. Detmer has a hot QB prospect who was recently offered a scholarship by THE U (not Utah, Miami).

Now we need to work with BYU to keep the fireside from conflicting.

I went to BYU just like most of the readers of this blog did. Chances are if you are reading this you love BYU as much as I do and you take it to heart when someone besmirches the name of the institution you care about so much. I know that Dead Spin isn't an actual news outlet, but they do a good job at making me laugh at some of the foibles associated with the world of sports. The hatchet job they allowed on their website about race, BYU sports, and the Honor Code was so unbalanced, poorly researched, and ignorant I had to write something about it. http://deadspin.com/#!5791461?comment=38346747:38346747

I didn't play intercollegiate sports at BYU, my athletics were limited to the intramural variety. My freshman year I lived in the same building as a few of the athletes, and as I moved away from BYU I have made friends with a few guys who played for BYU at one time or another. I am not so naive to think that people don't break the Honor Code. I was by no means perfect in that regard. The author's suggestion that race had anything to do with the dismissal of players from BYU is completely and totally wrong. The players who were dismissed or left the program  did it because they broke the rules. Rules that were posted throughout the school. I wasn't the only one who saw the big posters in the Wilk, signed the honor code, and received an ecclesiastical endorsement. 

I was as bummed as anyone when Brandon Davies was suspended from the BYU Basketball team. He made a mistake and there were consequences. However they were personal and it was unfortunate that he had to have his private life made public, something he didn't sign up for. But he knew what the Honor Code was, and that comes first, even before extended March Madness runs.

I can say for certain that not every non married Mormon was having sex, that BYU is not Nazi like, I never encountered a secret army of honor code informants and that the reason anyone is dismissed from school is because of what they did, and not who they are.

While doing the dishes I started to make a mental list of all the wonderful things Thursday could mean. Here is what I came up with.

1-All those K. Walker fans who said if KW was in the MWC he would be putting up 30 pts a night too. Well now you have got your chance. Jimmer put up 43, 25, and 30 against SDSU. 

2-SDSU and BYU essentially play at the same time on Thursday. Which game will the nation watch? I think I know and thus proving why BYU's loss to the MWC is so detrimental. And also why I think we should be just fine as independents. Huge fan base.

3-While I think Jimmer Fredette is possibly bigger than Danny Ainge to BYU fans; winning this game will silence any doubters and eliminate even the need for comparison.

4-Win in New Orleans against Florida ought to cement NPOY for Jimmer

5-Win in New Orleans would be the biggest win in BYU history  and the makings of a cinderella run to Houston.

Feel free to add what else Thursday will mean. I am getting so pumped. I may have a  hard time sleeping tonight. 

As the Art of Manliness states, “the most dangerous part of wrestling an alligator is getting on its back.”

The key to success for BYU is to not fall behind early while Florida is concentrating all their energy on Jimmer. If BYU's supporting players heat up, the pressure on Jimmer will relax and the Cougars should have an easy time gator wrestling.

With BYU set to take on Florida in the Sweet 16, it seemed like a good time to discuss the skills and techniques needed to wrestle an alligator.

As several online guides attest, “Gator wrestling is a dangerous and exciting activity. People learn to wrestle a gator for survival, personal satisfaction, or showmanship.”

In BYU’s case, it’s all three; survival in the NCAA Tournament, personal satisfaction of matching BYU’s best NCAA run in school history, and a little showmanship by Jimmer Fredette and company...

http://planetbyu.com
http://teamjimmer.com

Editor's Note: We love it when others come on here and contribute through comments, FanShots & FanPosts. Keep it up. We are more than happy to feature quality content on the front page. My favorite shirt is the "HAS SIDO JIMMERADO" -lars

There are a lot of Jimmer shirts out there. I've seen some good ones and some bad ones. Some of my favorite are the teach me how to Jimmer Shirts from the guys who wrote that epic song. They have on their website a sweatshirt with Jimmer's face that looks pretty hardcore. I've also been looking for a while for something decent I would wear not just at the games and finally found some pretty stylish looking shirts. Check it out.

http://sloanshirts.spreadshirt.com/

I'm wondering where the love is? It's already Day 3 of spring ball (with only 15 practices taking place) and I haven't read anything on VOF about it?  From what I'm reading everywhere else it sounds like there is a lot of excitement around camp right now and the new coaches and fresh systems have the team looking sharp (for spring ball).  Receivers are getting a lot of love, Heaps is getting praised already, and again, and again (with receivers) and here he's mentioned as the clear starter.  Articles are already asking questions about next years starters, like this one for DB's, this one for the D Line and this one for the Linebackers. Lots of articles are popping up with spring ball love.

At the end of this story, Heaps says "Spring ball is crucial." So when can we expect to see some football love? Is there something in the works or are we going to have to wait until Fall Ball for VOF to get with it?

It is times like these that many of us gringe when we think of the honor code at BYU. To think if only this could have happened after the season was over...

I hope Davies doesn't suffer too much. I am sure he feels he let his teammates down. That his name has been smeared in mud. 

But all in all Davies, like many of us, just made a mistake. BYU is more about souls than basketball championships and acted swiftly so that Davies could make recompense for his actions and repent. I think it is times like these that I am glad I cheer for the blue and white. I cheer for a university that keeps an eternal perspective. Which will be comforting come March.  Sure we won't have Davies, and if we lose in March I will find comfort in knowing that it was because the blue and white cares more about the eternal welfare of its players than the glitter it can line its trophy cases with.

GO BLUE and WHITE

A special thank you to Al & Kay Fredette for having one more kid, JImmer is the youngest in the family. Go ahead and with him a happy birthday on Facebook. If your not his friend, add him because he will accept. He's Jimmer.

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