I See... When BYU and U of U Cooperate

Elder Uchtdorf, in his classic address on Pride and the Priesthood in October General Conference, specifically referenced the lack of civility in the “Laboratory of Sports.” Yesterday afternoon at the BYU/UofU game, the Mormon Third Eye witnessed what can happen when two college football teams put aside their pride- a nail-biting classic with University of Utah winning in the last seconds. It was classic football entertainment at it's finest, with both teams coming away winners- U of U scored the most points, and BYU won points for its compassion in allowing its U of U little brother to win an important game every once in awhile.

BYU and U of U have a lot in common. BYU is the Lord's university, and U of U is populated by many church members and several General Authority alumni, which has mercifully saved it from ultimate destruction. BYU too often fails to live up to high standards of behavior and civility, and U of U too often struggles to shake off a poor reputation for both. In yesterday's BYU-UofU game, however, it was obvious that both teams were making valiant efforts to overcome pride in their own abilities and give the other side many opportunities to win. The only logical conclusion that the Mormon Third Eye can draw from the multitude of BYU's fumbles and UofU's interceptions is that both sides, out of the kindness of their hearts, really, really wanted the other side to win. From this perspective, BYU, with the assistance of the referees, adopted the more noble path in permitting UofU to block the field goal in the last second that could have won them the game. Hence, both teams won yesterday. They cooperated to produce a highly entertaining and exciting product.