In most ways, watching a basketball game at BYU in Provo, UT lives up to expectations. There's a pregame prayer, the crowd is whiter than Wonder Bread, and the only sense of hostility you feel is when you ask if they have any soda that's not caffeine free.
Still, I couldn't help but marvel at the ways the fans in attendance found to
surpass my expectations.
My favorite in-game entertainment piece was the air guitar cam set to tame tracks from the mid-80s, which immediately brought me back to the days of
this disaster in Manhattan, KS. Then, a young father in front of me, with his young daughter in tow, bought me and my friends a giant maple doughnut (quaintly called a Cougar Tail)... just... out of the blue. But, taking the prize was the pre-teen behind us who, I swear on my life, continued to randomly belted out church hymns throughout the game; they even seemed to line up with BYU runs, which was probably the desired effect.
Even a died-in-the-wool cynic like myself, however, would strain to keep a cold heart when everyone you pass throws you an over-earnest cry of 'welcome' or 'we're glad you're here.' Sure, spending an entire basketball game watching your tongue while sober and surrounded by children isn't my first want in life, but it was certainly an experience I will never forget. I'm glad I went.
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Today in the bag, I'm talking the loss in Provo and what it means going forward, the continuing dominance of the Women's Team, and what looks like the end for the greatest marching band in all of the world.
Click below for the bag...
