"The picture" emerges, but was it really from a Ute?

Spencer Hadley, (middle, in the light blue shirt), was suspended
 for five games because of this picture, which has been slightly
 modified to make it more family-friendly.

I'm not convinced that "Darren Lucy" is truly a "die hard Utah Utes" fan, as he claims in the first line of his email to the University of Utah.

The Salt Lake Tribune and Deseret News declined to publish the picture that got BYU LB Spencer Hadley suspended for five games, the good folks over at Deadspin.com went ahead and published it. The Trib and DNews decided not to post the picture because they could not authenticate it.

But the bigger question of authenticity for me is whether the email was truly sent by a "die hard Utah Utes fan." Before I explain why I think the asnwer to this question is "No," here is the full text of the email sent by Mr. Lucy to the Utah compliance officer:

I am a die hard Utah Utes fan and have pictures of BYU Linebacker Spencer Hadley partying frequently in Las Vegas at an MGM Nightclub and the Spearmint Rhino Strip Club. We have pictures as recent as last night of Hadley in Vegas with BYU booster Jacob Stocking. I'm sure the NCAA will be launching an investigation in regards to trips on Stockings private jet, Cash loans paid to Hadley, the use of Stockings vehicles, staying in high priced Vegas Suites, indulging in Champagne parties with Las Vegas Cocktail Waitress's. Also reports of the use of the Drug (Molly) and Alcohol use among Hadley. We . Hadley reportedly seen trying to catch a flight back this morning out of Vegas but missed his flight therefore will be missing team meetings/practice today as he is still in Las Vegas. Sad to see young athletes fail to stay on track but BYU has had this coming to them.

Darren

I can supply pictures if your interested. I plan on contacting the Salt Lake Newspaper next

So why do I say this email was not sent by a Ute?

First, the emailer--who calls himself "Darren Lucy"--wrote the first email without any mention of the BYU honor code. Clearly Mr. Lucy was hell-bent on implicating BYU in NCAA violations, and he apparently had little to no clue about BYU's anti-alcohol rules. A true Utah fan would realize that even before any NCAA violations are investigated, a BYU player being caught drinking would be quickly disciplined.

Second, the last line of the email was strange, as Mr. Lucy claimed that he would be contacting "the Salt Lake Newspaper next." Anyone familiar with the area would either say he would be contacting "the Salt Lake Tribune" or "the Salt Lake area newspapers."

Finally, if Mr. Lucy really wants to be taken seriously, why would he lead the email by declaring his "die hard" fanhood? It seems a major credibility drain to proudly state that you have a dog in the fight. And while I'm on the credibility topic, why wasn't the picture attached to the first email?

My suspicion is that Mr. Lucy is someone who was has a bone to pick with BYU or Hadley. He was probably at the party with Hadley, but didn't know that Hadley was a BYU player. When he found out, he decided to take this opportunity to stick it to Hadley or BYU. After all, as Mr. Lucy says, "BYU has it coming to them." And what better time to give it to them than during rivalry week? Claiming to be a Utah fan simply increases the drama.

At the end of the day, it doesn't really matter who sent the picture to the U and the press. It is probably authentic, as BYU has already acted upon it, so Hadley was the one who made the stupid mistake. He and the team will suffer for it. But as this story unfolds, I suspect it will be revealed that Mr. Lucy is not a "die hard Utah Utes fan," but an ex-girlfriend, shunned friend, or personal enemy to Hadley.

Face it, Cougar Fans...the Utes are More Passionate.

Update: Special thanks to Mike in the comments below for pointing me toward Brian Logan's piece at Loyal Cougars this week on this same topic. At least one true insider can vindicate my opinions in this blog post regarding the Holy War attitude of Utah and BYU fans, coaches, players, and administrations.

In this, the last year of the Holy War before a sickening two-year hiatus, I have to put in writing what I have thought for a long time: Utes hate Cougars far more than Cougars hate Utes. I mentioned it in passing during this week's podcast, but now I have to explain myself.

During last year's Holy War, Utah fans rushed the field
 not once, not twice, but three times, almost handing BYU the victory.

The fire with which Utah players perform in the Holy War is the best evidence of my point. Even in their worst seasons, the bag guys in red play like an NFL team when the men in blue are on the other side of the ball. They bounce up from every tackle for a loss as though they had just stopped a game-winning touchdown and they celebrate touchdowns like they just won the Superbowl.

The Utah fans' behavior is also indicative of the Utes' height of hate for the Cougars. I mean, who rushes the field three times in one game against an unranked team that's not even in your conference?

As we all know, the religious element is what makes the BYU-Utah rivalry so passionate. The unofficial name to the rivalry--the Holy War--demonstrates this point. These days, when the religious is pitted against the secular, the religious is inevitably characterized as judgmental, hypocritical, and condescending. This is the perception that Utah fans, players, and coaches have of their BYU counterparts, and it is what drives them to genuine hatred.

But even more than the religious element, Utah hates BYU because, well, BYU is better. A few BCS wins by the redcoats does not suddenly erase BYU's national championship, Heisman Trophy, and countless WAC and MWC championships. The football tradition at BYU is deep and rich. Utah is newcomer to the party, and it is natural for it to have little brother syndrome.

So, with that bit of smack talk, let us all strive to be more civil and safe this rivalry week. But let's also strive to be more passionate than the Utes this year. Not by pouring beverages on the opposing quarterback's family, but by making that place so loud that Travis Wilson will have to cut his hair just to hear the play calls. We'd be doing him a favor.

Go Cougs.

Rivalry Week Podcast!

The Bros talk holy War! Leave comments below, tweet it, Facebook it...you know the drill.

Taysom's Hill to Climb

After the victory against Texas, well the beat down that is, BYU has got to be flying high. Unfortunately, they didn't fly as high as your "typical" BYU offense should.

The well documented performance of Taysom Hill is nothing short of spectacular. Despite Texas's obvious flaws on defense, Hill exploited their weakness to the maximum. That alone, showed a lot of development between weeks one and two. However, the biggest development between weeks 2 and 3, including a bye, has to be through the air.

The running game is fine, with plenty of options including stand out Jamaal Williams and budding stud Paul Lasike. Hill's abilities are well known, just ask Hawaii and Texas. However, the complete inability to throw the ball is quite alarming for the revamped BYU offense. 

Hill has shown he has great throwing power. However, his accuracy reminds almost that of Riley Nelson last couple years. Sadly enough, I might venture to say that Nelson was even more accurate than Hill through the air. That has to change if BYU is to become as dominant a force on offense as they are on defense.

The best way to get a young quarterback going is through short passes. Against Texas, we saw Hill do some short dump offs to running backs early. This is a great strategy, especially when you have Williams catching it out of the backfield. However, BYU has a great stable of receivers that need to be utilized. If Cody Hoffman, Mitch Matthews, JD Falslev and Ross Apo can be used early on, this will only open up the stellar running game for BYU. However, Hill has to deliver the ball. 

Tunnel screen passes are things that showed success for BYU in years past. Throw in a half-back screen, some quick crossing patterns and your onto something. I'm not putting the play-calling into question, more so the execution. Hill has got to deliver the goods. Complete these passes, and the receivers might even be able to break some tackles for some more YAC. 

I can't stress enough the importance of Hill's development in the passing game. He has the arm strength, now its about accuracy. I'm not sure he gets it fixed with an extra week in-between games, but I'll bet we see an improvement. Hoffman is a difference maker, and BYU knows that. Look for this to be exploited against the team from up north.

Taysom has a hill to climb before he's the next John Beck or Max Hall. However, he's never going to be those two guys. He isn't even going to be the next Steve Young. I'm just looking for him to be the best Taysom Hill, and he could be seriously scary if his arm matches his legs abilities to get points on the scoreboard. 

9/9/2013 Podcast - Big Texas Win

9/9/13 Podcast - The Big Win Over Texas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fj85OYPNZ3U

BYU Win Over Texas Reminds of 2009 Oklahoma Game

BYU QB Taysom Hill breaks a Texas tackle. Hill would rush
 for a school record 259 yards against the Longhorns in Provo Saturday night.

BYU Cougar fans fondly remember beating Oklahoma at the brand new Cowboy's Stadium. And the honest Cougar fans remember the shock they felt as the clock ran out that fateful day. Those with great memories even remember the camera zooming in on Max Hall as, with surprise on his face, he lipped the words, "We're gonna win!"

Tonight, for different reasons, Cougar fans are feeling a similar shock as BYU handled the Longhorns in Provo. In 2009, BYU fans were not aware just how great Bronco Mendenhall's defense could be, and learning that fact added to the shock of that night. Tonight, Cougar fans were stunned as they watched an offense which has been inconsistent at best and often incompetent for the past several seasons put up 40 points against the Texas defense and set records as they did it.

The shock of tonight's win is magnified by last week's stinging loss against Virginia, when at times BYU's offense could not even get a first down, let alone 40 points. After the loss, fans sensed another long season of disappointment, but tonight's win against Texas may breathe new life into a fanbase without a conference championship to strive for. Suddenly games against Wisconsin, Notre Dame, and, of course, Utah seem winnable. That hope should do wonders for BYU fans weary of offensive ineptitude. 

Now BYU fans hope that they won't get the same shock they got in 2009, when Florida State clobbered the Cougars just two weeks after the Cougars beat the Sooners.