The Holy War...

Whoa two posts in one week! Its your lucky week my friends. Just kidding... but for reals this whole post just came to me last night and I thought it would be something worth writing about. Everyone knows that college football is the happiest time of the year. Everyone around these parts also know what the Holy War. The Holy War is one of the most sacred days out of the year where, the Dirty Utes and the School down South go head to head in 60 minutes of nail biting, hair pulling football. Aka, the BYU vs Utah football game. So time out... I'm 24 years old and I love football. Why? What girl just loves football and knows the positions, the play, the penalties, and the techniques? The daughter of a coach. Football has been one of the biggest factors in my life besides my family. But football and family go hand in hand if you're a Kaufusi. If you google the last name Kaufusi you get pages and pages of football related articles and webpages. From before I was born, football is what made it all happen. Steve was playing football at BYU where he met Michelle at the Freedom Bowl. From there Steve was drafted into the NFL where he played for the Eagles. Steve and Michelle decided to become lovers and married. I was born. Bronson was born. Steve was released and went on to play for the London Monarchs. Corbin was born, then Steve was offered a GA position at the University of Utah in 1994 where my story really beings. 

In 1994 when I was just 5 years old up to today I have been and still am affiliated with either BYU or Utah football. From the age of 5 until I was 13 I was a die hard Ute. We all were. Steve was the Defensive Line coach, my uncles Jeff, Henry, Doug, and Jason all played there. I grew up obsessed with Andre Miller and Rick Majerus. One day hoped to play for Elaine Elliot because when I went to all her camps as a kid she always told me I was going to play for her one day. Our weekends usually consisted of watching the Utah gymnastics team and playing tag at the football facility. We always looked forward to steak dinners at Coach Mac's house and bowl games every year. I was raised not to necessarily hate BYU, but we didn't cheer for them. We knew thats where Steve and Michelle went but now we were Utes so it didn't matter. Its actually funny you look at some of the BYU and Utah coaches and some have been on both sides. My dad was a BYU football player and graduated from there but started his coaching career at Utah but found his way back to BYU. The Whittinghams have a great history of BYU football but Kyle now is the head coach up at the U. My Uncle Jason played at the U but was Steve's GA. So you see its ok to go back and forth. The bulk of my childhood was centered around being a Utah football fan and cheering for the Utes every Saturday. That all changed though in 2002 where the phrase, as Michelle puts it, we are loyal to the paycheck really became the truth. 

In 2002 Michelle broke the news we were moving down south to Provo to become Cougars! Now as a 13 year old the concept of moving is bad enough. But now we are going to be forced to wear BYU stuff and cheer for the school we were taught not to cheer for? I fought it I won't lie. I remember taking my favorite Utah sweatshirt with me and wearing it on occasion just to raise hell because well, thats what I'm best at doing. I remember going to the BYU basketball camps thinking, why am I here this is so lame compared to Utah's. My parents understood and let me attend the Utah camps still though because thats all I knew. But the older I got I finally got rid of all my secret Utah gear and converted to be a full blue blooded Cougar fan. Now that I'm older and I played at BYU, graduated from there, and now my brother's all play there, my sister in law is on the soccer team, Steve coaches there its natural for me to be a cougar. I had some cousins who used to play at the U but they are now graduated. Its funny because my Dad and his brother Rich played at BYU. The younger uncles played at the U. The cousins all my age played at the U. But all the cousins younger than me including my brothers are so far playing at BYU. Its been fun to see how things can change like that. A family with BYU roots goes to Utah and back to BYU all in the span of about 25 years. 

So back to the Holy War. Now the Holy War for the first time in my life that I can recall isn't happening this year. Am I sad? Of course! I love the BYU vs Utah football game. The energy in the stadium is something I've never felt at any other sporting event. Its a game that played not just for pride and bragging rights but its also a personal game. So many people take the Holy War personally its insane. Now I'm not one to sit here and say how much I hate the U. Its a great school. Their medical facilities and doctors saved my life as well as Michelle's and the twin's at one point. Its where my Dad was given a chance to really coach. And its there that I got confidence in myself as a basketball player. I think so many people have this deep hate for one or the other and they don't see the good. Having been affiliated with both programs there's definitely up and downs. When we were at the U we had 50 yard line 6th row seats. At BYU we are 10 rows from the top in the nose bleeds. At BYU Steve doesn't work Sundays and at Utah he did. At Utah their colors were red, white, and black (my favorite) and BYU is navy blue and white. BYU is sponsored by Nike (I only wear nike) and Utah is sponsored by Under Armor. So there's ups and downs to both. Sometimes I catch myself hoping Utah loses games but I mean, the state of Utah I think is one of the most overlooked states when it comes to football. High school and college Utah is just overlooked. With the U being in the Pac 12 that's a hard conference which means a hard schedule. If Utah does good that makes the the whole state of Utah look good. Same with Utah State and BYU. Earlier I said a phrase that Michelle says, "We are loyal to the paycheck." And yes when we were younger we definitely were. But with age comes wisdom and I think blood is thicker than water whether you bleed blue or red. My cousins Dave and Pati played at the U and for the first time in years I found myself cheering for Utah (when they weren't playing BYU of course). I saw my aunts and uncles who never had anything or positive to say about BYU all the sudden dressed in BYU shirts and cheering for us when Bronson started playing there. I think all rivalries set aside family is more important especially when you're a family divided between the power football schools in the state of Utah.

Recently with BYU's success this season and the absence of the Holy War I honestly think I am hearing for negative comments about BYU and than in the years past. Yes without a Holy War we will never know who is better. But Steve always says "Any team can beat anybody on any given day." So how will we really know which team is better? We won't. Having been a BYU athlete, I think sometimes at BYU we sike ourselves out for the Utah game to be honest. My favorite games were always against Utah and I played some of my best basketball against Utah. But having seen how others players respond and talking to Bronson, BYU kids tend to sike themselves out for the Utah game. It is what it is. I think BYU and Utah football will always have that competitiveness between them for the top team in the state, or more so just between each other. It is what it is. 

One thing I will never understand are some of the fans. I will never get the fans who didn't attend either BYU or Utah and have no ties with the players, but are always the first ones to talk poorly on the schools. I've been on both sides of the fence. I can say yes I think some of Utah's fans are the rowdiest fans I've seen. Some push the disrespectful envelope once you get a few beers in them. I can also say BYU has some wish-washy fans. They'll be carrying the quarterback on their shoulders one second after a good game then dragging their name through the mud after a bad one. Yes these are extremes but I can guarantee there's some Utah fans who don't know their own QBs name and some BYU fans who don't know what Bronco Mendenhall even looks like. At the end of the day though, I think sometimes the whole BYU vs Utah, Holy War is blown out of proportion. Yes it is the one game a year that I am early to and sit through the whole thing. Yes I sometimes find myself getting a little feisty with Utah fans when they talk bad about the BYU football program. No football program is perfect. I think its awesome both teams are 2-0 so far in this season. How awesome has it been that BYU has beat Texas the past two years? How awesome was it when Utah beat Stanford last year? I guess what I'm getting at is, I understand the significance of the Holy War. But with it being absent this year I feel the hostility should go down rather than increase ten fold. All I know is, I hope Utah does well in the Pac 12. Thats one hard conference to be in so I wish them the best. I hope BYU keeps getting better, wins every game, and that Bronson can stay away from these dang injuries. Its the Kaufusi curse I tell you!

 Regardless of everything, yes I am a BYU cougar through and through. Like I said earlier, its where my parents met, fell in love, and graduated. Steve played football and coaches there. Michelle was a cougarette. I played basketball and graduated from there. Bronson plays football and played basketball. Hilary plays soccer. Corbin will play basketball. Devin has signed to play football. And Daryl will start next summer semester. We might have been Utes for a few years but I think deep down we were still Cougs. We're just a BYU family now. And family over everything right? Hope everyone has a fantastic week though. Its only Tuesday... I don't know why but I keep thinking its Wednesday. Check out BYU as they play Houston this Thursday. I doubt Bronson will be playing but you can always cheer for the big brown man on the sideline. He usually has a hat on. I hope you're all enjoying your football season as much I am. Go Cougars!