Never Forget Our Fallen Warrior, Taysom Hill

Poor Taysom . . .
From heraldextra.com

Yesterday was a roller coaster of emotions. And as bad as it was for me, I'm sure it was a million times worse for Taysom Hill.

Last night, I decided to join the crowd of fans at the airport to welcome the team home. Taysom & his wife were the first ones off the plane. There were probably a few hundred people in front of me in the "tunnel" through which the players were walking (although it was more like a mosh pit, if you ask me . . .stand back and let the guys breathe, people!) But I didn't even notice Taysom was coming until he was practically right in front of me. Why didn't I see him coming? Because no one was even cheering. Most people were just mumbling his name and a few people touched his arm or patted him on the back, but most people just let him walk through without a word and disappear into the parking lot.

This morning, I saw this video (credit to @DavidFiso's Periscope), which made me feel a little better, since some of the people up by the fence were cheering and clapping for him, but from where I was standing, his appearance was super anticlimactic. 

Watching Sports Center & the local news from last night and this morning, I'm surprised that Taysom's injury is still a major afterthought to the Hail Mary. Yes, the Hail Mary was beyond amazing, but the loss in that game was so much greater than the win. I understand that dwelling on injuries or other bad things is not typically a good idea, but simply saying "Oh, and by the way, Taysom's out for the season." seems like a huge disrespect to #4.

Maybe I'm being overly dramatic about all this. Maybe the tributes and rightful respect will come later. I really hope so. And don't get me wrong-- I have seen some. I've even seen a few tweets today from people who are trying to think of a way fans can honor Taysom throughout the rest of the season, and I think that's a great idea. But from the way I saw the scene at the airport play out, I'm very disappointed.

I thought he might have been in a wheelchair or something, but he was walking. His hands were full of stuff and he had headphones on and was obviously trying to smile and fight back the tears . . . But he mostly just kept his head down and avoided eye contact with everyone as he walked through the crowd. He was hardly acknowledged. It wasn't until the other players came out that the cheers really erupted. Just a few hours after his 3rd season-ending injury, it's like Taysom's already been forgotten.

I'm #TeamTaysom Forever!

I know the title of this post is especially cheesy . . . but I'm dead serious when I say that I hope we never forget who Taysom Hill really is. 

He should have received the loudest cheer of all last night . . . but he definitely didn't, and that makes me sad. We wouldn't have won that game without him. I saw one tweet this morning that said the Hail Mary has largely "numbed" the BYU fan base about Taysom's injury. I'm not numb at all about it-- I feel the pain completely, fully, and I'm sure he does, too.

I've had my fair share of rough times in life, but I can't even imagine what it would be like to work so hard for 11 months to come back from a badly broken leg. He worked his butt off and was FINALLY healthy and ready to go . . . and then it was all taken away from him again in less than half of a football game. 

Yes, we should support Tanner Mangum and get excited about the future. But let's not forget about the guy who worked his tail off to come back from 2 season-ending injuries, only to receive a 3rd, which is probably career-ending, just a few hours later. Taysom Hill is a true warrior, hero, and BYU Cougar legend.

Ok, I guess I'll get off my soapbox now . . . But not without saying THANK YOU to Taysom Hill and giving him the loudest cyber cheer I possibly can and standing ovation from my living room. He's one of the best football players and human beings that Cougar fans have had the privilege of watching play sports.

Instead of ignoring and forgetting him and "moving on", let's get behind him! Even if he never plays another down of football again, he has done enough to seal himself in the Cougar history books as one of the greatest QBs to ever play here. Never forget that THIS happened one year ago today. My heart still hurts for #4.

Mayhem at the Provo Airport: Welcome Home, Cougars!

I'm working on another post about my experience at the Provo airport last night to welcome the football team back to Provo, but for now, enjoy my blurry pictures!

The man of the hour, Mr. Tanner Mangum

This was right before he held my hand . . . that's another story! Ha.

This picture is especially poor quality, but I loved the elation from Nick Kurtz.
He was really soaking it all in!

Algie Brown

 

Can someone help me out with who this is? I swear his name is right on the tip of my tongue...

We don't see a smile like that very often . . .

Way to go, Bronco!

BYU vs. Nebraska: Extreme Joy & Extreme Despair

High highs . . . Low lows.

I don't think I've ever gone from so happy to so sad in such a short period of time.

I watched today's season opening football game at the BYU broadcast building on the awesome 27-foot screen they set up. It's always a great atmosphere there-- you're surrounded by some of the biggest BYU fans in Provo, and it's probably the 2nd best thing to actually being at the game (plus, they give us free pizza and cookies at halftime!)

We were down by 1 point with 1 second left. We had been hoping for a field goal, but time ran out and we weren't in range. A Hail Mary was the only option. The only thing that was running through my head was, "These situations never seem to work out for BYU. I'll assume we're going to lose the game. That way, I'll be expecting it and maybe my disappointment will be minimal when that's what actually happens . . ."

But then this happened.

I don't think I've ever seen quite the scene that ensued when Mitch Mathews brought down that Hail Mary TD pass from Tanner Mangum. I think I just sat there with my mouth hanging open for at least 5 seconds before I even realized what had happened. Everyone was running & screaming. It's probably good that one of the BYU TV employees had the presence of mind to go up front and prevent people from running into the giant TV screen & other equipment so it wouldn't get damaged in the mayhem. Spencer Linton & Brian Logan ran into the room screaming and hugging each other. David Nixon & Michael Alisa were high-fiving the crowd. The woman next to me (a complete stranger) grabbed me in a bear hug. Pure joy!

The refs reviewed the play (during a brief moment of silence), confirmed the TD, and then the room erupted again. We had actually won. I just kept saying "WOW" to myself over and over again... Did that really just happen?

Things calmed down a little bit, and the post game show started filming.

And then joy turned to despair.

RIP Taysom's Football Career :(
From sltrib.com

Taysom Hill is out for the year with a broken foot. What the?! Twitter traffic & the game commentators had just been reporting a sprain. It didn't even look like he'd done anything to it . . . And he came back and played on it . . . they wouldn't let him play on a broken foot, right? Tyler Haws magically healed his badly sprained ankle in like a week . . . those BYU trainers could do the same thing for Taysom, right? There's no way he has a broken foot.

I'm still in shock. Are they really sure he has a broken foot? Really, really sure???

He's done. Yes, he probably could get a medical redshirt, but I don't think he will. It would just be too much to handle coming back from 3 season-ending injuries. He's got a good non-football career ahead of him, and I think he'll take it.

People on Twitter & fans at the broadcast building were saying we need to stop complaining about not having Taysom anymore and embrace Tanner Mangum as the new leader of the team. We need to "move on" and forget about it . . . Really? You just want to forget about Taysom? I never want to forget about Taysom.  Maybe that's not what they meant, but it hurts that people think we can't even mourn his loss.

Yes, we should embrace Tanner as the new BYU quarterback, and I hope he'll do great things. But at the same time, my heart hurts for Taysom. So much.

At the Cougar Kickoff a few weeks ago, I heard a fan say to Mangum, "Is it ok that I hope you don't play very much this year?" Tanner laughed & replied, "Yeah, that's totally fine! I hope I don't, either! I'd be ok with just taking a few snaps in the 4th quarter when we're up by like 30!"

I'm sure on some level, he's excited to get this opportunity. He'll likely be the starter for 4 straight years, and if what he pulled off today is any indication of his potential, those will be a great 4 years!

But Taysom . . .

Some fans on Twitter who were at the game said he was "crying like crazy". I feel so bad for the guy. He had so much potential, and he hardly got to use any of it. I never imagined this would happen, as pretty much the whole offensive strategy was built on protecting him. It's yet another "freak injury" that will likely end his football career way too soon.

Because of the Taysom news, I'm having a hard time even being happy about the win today. I almost feel bad about tweeting or sharing anything about the amazing win or even feeling happy because of the news that came afterward.

I know it would be so much worse if the Hail Mary had failed and we had lost, but I'm really bummed. I'm going to the game in Michigan in a 3 weeks, and I've been so excited for THREE YEARS. I still am excited, but one of the main things I was excited about was seeing both Taysom and Jamaal play in the Big House in their senior seasons. And now neither one of them will be there. I'm sure it will still be fun and a good game, but I'm just plain depressed now. I really hope Taysom's going to be ok . . . and not just physically. He doesn't deserve this. It's times like this that I really don't understand that whole "trials will work out for your good" thing.

I mean, we beat Nebraska, a quality opponent, on national TV, in amazing fashion! But I just can't be happy about it . . . because the loss in this game was so much more than the gain. 

If I could trade the win for Taysom's health, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

I'm hopeful that the Cougars can still pull out a good season, but they've got to make a lot of adjustments, and they've got to make them fast. Now we're down 3 of our best players (including Travis Tuiloma, who is out for 4-6 weeks with a knee injury) and we're going to have to make some major changes on both offense and defense . . . and Boise State comes to town in only 7 days. Not to  mention the emotional strain that I'm sure is hitting the team hard from losing Taysom AGAIN. I'm a little overwhelmed just thinking about it. Sigh . . .

Because I don't want to end on a sour note, even though that's how I feel, let's watch the Hail Mary play again, followed by Bronco celebrating & Terenn Houk hugging the ref. :) Let's hope this is a sign of great things to come!

I am an #ELITE Member of BYU Sports Nation

Couldn't fit all this in 140 characters, so here's my "application" to be the most #Elite member of BYU Sports Nation!

First, this is a sampling of the BYU clothing I own. I counted 65 shirts, 5 pants / shorts, and 5 hats. And I'm pretty sure this isn't all of it . . .

Second, this is what my apartment looks like.

My bed, complete with BYU t-shirt blanket that I made

Bedroom Wall #1

Bedroom wall #2, complete with "Jimmer shrine"
(Tyler Haws shrine is under construction)

Bedroom wall #3. Most of the posters in my bedroom are autographed and laminated.

Hanging on my living room wall

I always know when it's time for BYU Sports Nation to start...

A smattering of my BYU memorabilia, including several autographed balls
& another blanket that I made

Office wall #1

Office wall #2

Office wall #3

Office wall #4

If that wasn't enough, this is what my former apartment looked like during Jimmer's senior year, before my landlord made me take it all down. Each of the large posters is over 4 feet tall.

Last but not least, the lifesize Jimmer.

 

I am THE #Elite member of BYU Sports Nation! Vote for me! :)

My name is Tasha, and I approve this message.

Mathematical Proof that Tyler Haws is the GOAT!

Even without the 3-point line,
Tyler Haws would still be BYU's
all-time leading scorer

I just did some math & feel the need to share this with the world . . . or at least Cougar Nation.

I've heard a ton of people say that no BYU Cougar will ever be as great a scorer as Danny Ainge. I beg to differ.

Caveat: Except for a few short highlights, I've never seen Danny play. I know he was amazing. This is nothing against Danny at all. But the main stat I've heard quoted in defense of his scoring prowess is the fact that he became BYU's all-time leading scorer and held onto it for 30 years . . . and he did it without a 3-point line.

Soooo . . . Let's take away the 3-point line from the 2 people who have passed him on BYU's all-time scoring list.

Jimmer scored 2,599 points, including 293 threes.
Tyler has scored (so far) 2,624 points, including 154 threes.
 
If you turn every 3 pointer that Jimmer and Tyler hit into 2-pointers, thereby putting all three of them on an even playing field, here are their point totals:

Jimmer Fredette: 2,303
Danny Ainge: 2,467
Tyler Haws: 2,470 and counting

That's right-- if the 3-point line didn't exist, Jimmer wouldn't have passed Danny . . . but Tyler still would. He's 3 points ahead of him, with more basketball to play. Mind blown. There you have it. Tyler is the GOAT! End of story.

BYU Hoops Takes Down the Zags!

When the KC primal screams come out,
You know it's gotta be good.
From www.usatoday.com

WE BEAT GONZAGA! I'll never get tired of saying it!

That game was so intense. I believed before it started that we could win . . . but I wasn't very sure that we would win. I was terrified through the whole first half that if we even fell behind by one point, we'd panic and blow the whole thing. It's so much easier to keep a lead than it is to play catch-up. The Zags managed to tie it at the half, but couldn't pull ahead. It wasn't until a few minutes into the second half that I started to build some confidence. We could do this; we could actually do this!!

And we actually did it! The Cougars held on til the very end. I think what's even more amazing is that Gonzaga never led, and Tyler only scored 10 points! How we managed to pull all that off is astonishing. I love it, though! And the fact that Jarom Jordan had to shave his head on BYU Sports Nation on Monday made it even better . . . That's what happens to non-believers! One of the funniest things I've seen in a loooong time for sure. So glad they brought Skyler Halford in to do it. He had a HUGE game on Saturday!

I've changed my mind in the last few weeks about the big dance-- I think, barring a first-round WCC tourney loss (which isn't gonna happen), we punched a ticket to the NCAA with that win. We're peaking at the right time, and that's never bad. How in the world could the committee leave a team out of the tourney that beat the #3 team in the country (on the ROAD on last day of February, no less) and a team that has one of the nation's top scorers AND the current NCAA all-time record holder for single-season triple doubles?! That team HAS to be in! I don't care about the "bad losses" anymore. Pepperdine scmepperdine! That Gonzaga win should make up for all of that.

The fact that Kevin Pangos was named WCC player of the year (and the Zags swept the rest of the awards, too) is a total sham . . . Pangos isn't even the best player on his TEAM, let alone in the conference. My heart belongs to Tyler, but I think Kyle should have won it. Hands down. Hope they use that as motivation to go to Vegas this weekend and beat (most likely) the Gaels and Zags again.

Me & Ty at the Coach Rose radio show on Tuesday.
Can't wait to see him play in Vegas!!

The first round is pretty much a given. Knock on wood, I can't imagine losing to Santa Clara

or LMU. The second and third games will be challenges, though. We should beat St. Mary's, but the odds are pretty low that we could beat Gonzaga again. I believe, though! Capping off this season with a tournament championship would be beyond AMAZING.

Unfortunately, I won't make it to Vegas to see it . . . but I'll be watching every minute. Let's go get that 'ship, Cougs!

P.S. Shout out to my man Tyler Haws for becoming BYU's all-time leading scorer in the Portland game last week! Such an amazing moment for an amazing player!

Farewell, BYU Basketball 2015 Seniors

I'm gonna cry . . .

I might be even sadder when this season's over than I was when Jimmer graduated. And that's saying A LOT. Tomorrow night, it will be time to say goodbye to 4 amazing basketball players as they (except in the event of an NIT appearance) play their last game in the Marriott Center . . .

Tyler Haws. Tyler is amazing. There are no words to express how sad I am that he's graduating. He will leave as BYU's all-time leading scorer and someone who was grossly underrated for his ability to quietly score 20+ points almost every single game. I really, really hope he gets a shot in the NBA because I think he definitely has the potential. He's not as flashy as Jimmer was, but he's equally good a scorer and much better at defense. Good luck, Ty! I hope for nothing but the best for you.

Skyler Halford. Although Skyler showed brief moments of Matt Carlino-like frantic insanity, he has been much more consistent than Matty and has always been good at giving a defensive spark and energy when it was needed most. He always seems to have a good attitude and never get frustrated or angry, even during tough times.

Anson Winder. I really hope Anson is able to recover from his injury enough to play at least a little bit on Senior Night. I remember when he was red shirting Jimmer's senior year and I always felt bad for him that he wasn't able to participate on the court during such a magical season. Despite being plagued by injuries, Anson has given the Cougars a great boost in both scoring and defense the last couple of years, and I think he definitely wins my "most improved" award for this senior class.

Josh Sharp. I'm so glad Josh has finally gotten back on the court these last few games to show what he's really made of, and I hope he continues to finish out his senior season in style. The thing about Josh is that his body doesn't really match his skills very well (he's tiny compared to other guys who do what he does), but he makes it work. You'd never think just looking at him that he could throw down the monstrous dunks he gets from time to time. He's also very quiet and unassuming-- he almost looks bored most of the time, even when he's playing, but he's got a great sense of humor and can definitely ball with the best of 'em.

Nate Austin is a senior, too, but the odds are good that he will receive a medical red shirt, so hopefully he'll be back!

Let's go get them Toreros tomorrow night, preferably capped by at least 35 points from Tyler so he can pass Jimmer on the all-time scoring list at home . . . and maybe even a 6th triple double for Kyle.

Thank you, seniors! It will be tough to replace these guys, but the future of Cougar Hoops is bright!

Is BYU Going Dancing in 2015?

The shot that passed Danny Ainge.
Only 70 more points to pass Jimmer!

I haven't posted in a few months (sigh...), but now that the end of the BYU basketball season is approaching, I've got to repent & get some blogging going again!

The big question on everyone's mind right now is whether the Cougars will get into the big dance this year. And no, I'm not talking about Jake Toolson's Riverdance (although that is one of the most amazing things I've ever seen).

They are definitely on the bubble, but whether they are in or out is still TBD. Unfortunately, my personal opinion is that they probably won't make it. I think they will lose to Gonzaga and maybe one other team along the way (most likely is tonight vs. St. Mary's), which will seal the deal with the NIT. They may not even make it to the conference tournament championship, especially if they end up being a 4-seed and have to play Gonzaga in the semi-finals.

However, I'm one of those weird people who's ok with the NIT. I hate it when they get a low seed in the NCAA and lose in the first round (and that's almost inevitably what will happen if they do make it in). I'd rather have them get a few more home games and have the shot to still be playing hoops in April, making it to the NIT final four like they did a couple years ago. Hoops in late March / early April = shorter off-season and a shorter mourning period for me. So those are my selfish reasons...

However, I would be sad if they don't make it to the NCAA because I know that's what the players want, and I want them to get what they want, especially Tyler. He deserves so much more than what he's getting for his senior year! So I do hope they make it for that reason. I'm already on the verge of tears just thinking about him graduating...

For now, though, they just need to take it one game at a time. Let's beat them Gaels!!

P.S. Shout out to KC for breaking the NCAA triple double record! So awesome!!! That has made this lackluster season a whole lot brighter.

P.P.S. Tyler only needs 70 more points to pass Jimmer! I really, really hope it happens in a home game so I can be there to see it. Fingers crossed!

Should Toolson Have Taken That Last-Second Shot?

Jake Toolson hit 5 treys last night,
the last one of which is causin'
some controversy...

You know you're unhealthily obsessed with BYU basketball when you're still stewing about what happened at the very end of a 53-point win almost 24-hours ago.

We were up by 50 points. Literally 50 points. The shot clock was off. The crowd wanted to hit 100 points, but we were 2 points shy of that mark. Jake Toolson had the ball and passed up an open shot. The crowd groaned, and then continued to lobby for one more shot. Jordan Ellis had the ball, then Ryan Andrus, who gave it back to Toolson. Everyone in the crowd was yelling "SHOOT IT!" I thought, "Give it up, guys. They never shoot in the last seconds of an easy win." But then Toolson did the unthinkable-- he pulled up and knocked down a 3, his 5th of the night, and the crowd went wild.

My first thought: "Woah, I can't believe he did it! That was awesome!"
My second thought: "Dang, Coach Rose is gonna kill him..."

Things got awkward pretty fast. Some of these post-game interview comments make me cringe. Since last night, I've been vacillating back and forth in my head about whether that was a good idea for Jake to shoot that shot. I think I've finally concluded my opinion: There was absolutely nothing wrong with taking that shot.

Hear me out. I read this article by Dave Noriega this morning that really gives an interesting perspective, and for the most part, I agree.

If the players had gone crazy and started celebrating excessively after the shot, yes, that's totally unsportsmanlike conduct. If they had done any taunting or trash-talking, that would be a no-no. But just sinking a basketball shot in a basketball game? Nothing wrong with that.

Coaches should start encouraging their players to play every second of every game, no matter what the score is. It wouldn't be taboo to take last-second shots in easy wins if everyone started doing it. I don't see anything wrong with playing hard and playing til the end, no matter what. What kind of coach tells their players to stop trying? I'm sure in Coach Rose's head, that's not what he's doing, but his comment about Jake needing to "learn" implies that he definitely didn't want him to take that shot, which implies that Coach Rose thinks Jake should have given up trying and not done what he's supposed to do-- play basketball.

Obviously, he did it for the fans. But is that a bad thing? They wouldn't be playing without the fans. The fans don't want to just sit there as they pass the ball around in a circle. They want to see shots, they want to see points.

Was Josh Sharp's monster alley-oop dunk (my favorite moment of the night) necessary with 5 mins left when they were already up by 47 points? Nope. BYU could have just stopped and handed the ball to someone on SVU, and we still would have won that game. But no one is criticizing Josh for doing what he does best.

Is it rubbing salt in the wound? Yeah, kind of.
Is it rough to be on the opposing side, sitting with a bad loss that gets made even worse with a last-second shot? Yes.
Is it tacky? Yes . . . But it really shouldn't be.

I'm certainly not angry with or upset about Coach Rose. I love that guy. But it's an interesting thing to think about. The majority of coaches (in any sport) are of the opinion that you shouldn't take last-second attempts at scoring when you're already way ahead. But what if all those coaches suddenly stopped believing that? Would it really be a bad thing? I don't think it's gonna happen, but I think that'd be great if things changed. Then it wouldn't sting so much for the losing team (because it would be expected that they're still supposed to play defense), and it would help the players learn tenacity and, for lack of a better term, enduring to the end. Maybe Jake's shot will get some people thinking about that . . . in just about any sport, every second counts! Let's start playing like it!

Cougar Fans, It's Time... BYU Basketball 2014-2015 Begins!

Tyler Haws puts up a shot against SPU

T-minus 2 hours til tipoff!

Before the season officially begins, I'll throw out a few quick thoughts on the pre-season. First, I really like some of the new guys. Dalton Nixon especially impresses me. He's very versatile at both ends of the court. At one point in the Colorado School of Mines exhibition game (I'm still disappointed that the ROC didn't show up dressed as mimes, by the way), Dalton blocked a shot, went down court and hit a 3 pointer, and then headed back to the other end and blocked yet another shot. And at one point in the Seattle Pacific game, he stole the ball, went down and hit a 3-pointer, then came back to the other end of the court and tapped the ball out for an offensive rebound. I predict Nixon will get lots of minutes this year as a freshman. He seems to be adapting very well. I also like the looks of Jake Toolson and Isaac Nielson and think they could really contribute off the bench for the Cougs this year.

Second, our defense is definitely better, although there are still some kinks to work out. Sometimes it just seems sloppy and frantic (and there's no Matty Carlino around to blame anymore). Yes, SPU is a division 2 team, but they're a good division 2 team, and the numbers don't lie-- we held them to 22% shooting (only 14 points total) in the in second half and only 6 points in the last 14 minutes of the game. I'd say that's definitely an improvement over last year. We've gotta clean things up on both ends of the floor-- there's still lots to work on, but hopefully the sloppy basketball that has ensued so far is just jitters that they'll get rid of starting tonight.

Third, Tyler's even better than before. This is truly gonna be a #Hawsome year . . . I predict that he breaks Jimmer's scoring record and a whole bunch of others before the season is through. He won't get the accolades that Jimmer got because Tyler is a much quieter scorer and doesn't quite have the swag that Jimmer did, but he's still freaking amazing, and I'm going to enjoy every single second of this season until he graduates, at which point I will begin to cry uncontrollably. I really really hope he makes it to the NBA! First things first, though. Let's go beat LBSU! Go Cougs!