Hard to tell how much Utah cares about Blaze
Mike Sorensen
Speaking of playoffs, it's been a long time since we've heard that word around here. So it was nice, I guess, when the Utah Blaze clinched a playoff berth the other night. Still, I have to wonder how much the average fan really cares about that. To me, games for the Blaze, Bees and Real are more about entertainment than winning. The fans who go, enjoy the atmosphere and action — and while it's nice when they win — the fans don't get depressed if the home team loses like fans of the Jazz or local college teams tend to do. With the Blaze opening the playoffs on the road, I wonder how many fans will be huddled around their radios following the action . . .
Wouldn't it be cool if Barry Bonds got stuck at 713 and didn't hit another homer for the rest of the season? Also wouldn't it be neat if St. Louis' Albert Pujols, who already has 19 home runs, keeps up his torrid pace and beats Bonds' record of 73 home runs? Then the home-run record would be steroid-free again, like it was before 1998.
I'm not a big fan of firing coaches, which I think is done way too often, so I'm glad Real Salt Lake isn't panicking in regards to coach John Ellinger. He seems like a competent coach who is well liked by the players. Now that Real won its first-ever road game Saturday, perhaps the team can put the losing doldrums behind. Still, if Real wins only five games again this season, a change may be in order before next year . . .
Do you think BYU is counting the days until the 2005-06 school year finally comes to a close? The Cougars haven't had the best sports year and it's been made worse by all the upset losses to their archrival. It happened again last week where an underdog Utah team upset the Cougars on its way to the MWC softball title. BYU fans don't have to be reminded how their detested neighbors to the north upset them in football, men's basketball (twice), women's basketball (twice) and volleyball (twice). There is one last chance for the Cougars this weekend when they take on the U. baseball team in a three-game series at Franklin Covey Field. But watch out, Cougars.
With an 11-8 record in the MWC compared to Utah's 9-10 mark, you'll be favored again . . .
So Ron Boone was the only voter foolish enough to not vote for Chris Paul as Rookie of the Year. So what? Boone has the right to vote for whomever he pleases even if it makes him look like an unabashed homer. It's done all the time. Last year I was one of several local media types who voted for Alex Smith for Heisman, even though I probabIy knew deep down that Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush were better players. Sometimes you have to vote for hometown guys because of the lack of attention they get, although Boone was stretching it a bit to vote for Deron Williams . . .
And finally, kudos to Brett Wetterich, another former Nationwide Utah Classic winner who has gone on to win on the PGA Tour. Wetterich, the 2004 champion at Willow Creek CC, who won the Byron Nelson Classic Sunday, follows in the footsteps of former Utah Classic winners Arron Oberholser (2002) and Zach Johnson (2003) who have both won on the PGA Tour and done so well that both are in contention for Ryder Cup spots this year.
E-mail: sor@desnews.com
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