Somewhere, back a LONG time ago, I remember a cartoon or caricature which depicted two LDS missionaries in their apartment. One says to the other: '....QUICK Elder...on your knees...the Y is losing'.
A classic case of tongue-in-cheek, self-deprecating LDS humor. One 'peculiar person' calling out a 'peculiar people'. What made it so funny is that no one would actually ADMIT to praying to their Father-in-Heaven to intervene on behalf of the Cougars......would they?
There are stories in Mormon folklore about people praying in Sacrament Meeting for a BYU victory. Even worse, I have heard tales of people calling the temples and asking to have BYU players or entire Cougar teams played on the prayer rolls.
Well, brace yourselves. I am coming out the the closet. Right here, right now. Going on-record forever, or at least until the internet dies, which ever comes first:
I actually offered a prayer to Heavenly Father for divine intervention on behalf of the team from Provo.
A very quick, very sincere, very PRIVATE one.
I was standing on the sidelines of Jack Murphy Stadium at some point during the 3rd quarter of the 1984 Holiday Bowl. BYU trailed Michigan 14 - 10. The Cougars' perfect season....AND the 1984 National Championship was on the line.
BYU's All-American QB, Robbie Bosco, was limping on a bad ankle AND a bad knee, courtesy of a cheap shot in the first quarter which saw him carried off the field and into the locker room by trainers and the BYU team doctor.
My unspoken prayer....offered up in the silent recesses of my heart went something like this:
'Heavenly Father, I know this is just a football game, but it would be REALLY great if BYU could win...just tonight...just this once'.
I would never presume that it was MY supplication which was heard. Especially because I'm pretty sure there were quite a few others sent heavenward that night on behalf of the Cougars and their fate in a game in San Diego. Long story short: BYU gets two 4th quarter touchdowns, Michigan can only manage a field-goal, BYU wins 24 - 17 and is voted the 1984 National Championship.
Which brings me to February 26, 2011.
Cougars BACK in San Diego. Different sport. Different stadium and opponent. Different stakes.
The 7th-ranked basketball Cougars collide head-on with the 4th-ranked San Diego State Aztecs in an insane-asylum known as Viejas Arena. With literally the entire nation watching live on CBS.....which, by-the-way, will be a very nice change for both BYU and SDSU after having their lights hidden under the proverbial bushel known as the mtn. network.
When they played the first time this season, some guy named Jimmer had a pretty good game. Scored 43 points. It was the Aztecs first - and thus far - only loss of the season. I was there. My ears are still ringing because it was louder than any rock concert I have ever been to, and I've been to a few.
So here comes the re-match.
To the victor will go rich spoils - the 2011 MWC Regular Season Championship, the top-seed in the UNLV Invitational, otherwise known as the MWC Basketball Tournament AND, a massively-coveted, almost-certain #2 seed for the NCAA Tournament.
(...personal note here - March Madness is my 2nd favorite sporting event in the world next to any BYU football game - an event I was lucky enough to get to cover several times during my TV sportscasting career..)
I don't know about anyone else, but yours truly 'might' just say another little prayer for Brigham's Boys.
