THESE DUDES SPORTS BLOG

By Jacob Sorenson Steve Young in Historical win vs. Missouri I often wonder what it would be like to make history. Every day we live our lives looking to be examples to others, and to change the world. We have icons right around us who get to make it every day. The truth is we all make our own history. We choose what defines us and our destiny. This year BYU football has been in a similar place. They made history in the first game of the year in the miracle at memorial with Mitch Mathews' hail mary touchdown catch to win the game. They made history one week later in Lavell Edwards Stadium where the term, Lavell Lob was keyed as the future of Tanner Mangums BYU football career. Then came week three and a heartbreaking loss to none other than UCLA. The kings of taking BYU to the wire at home, and beating them by one point. We take a flashback, history again, September 8, 2007. UCLA takes a 20-17 lead into the fourth quarter. The Cougars had just scored 14 points in t...

By Jacob Sorenson I as many of you stayed up late to watch BYU lose the other night to Long Beach State. As the 11:45pm hour rolled around I was beyond giddy to see the cougars high powered offense do what it often does, and I got nothing but the opposite. The first 5 minutes looked promising. Jumping out to a 10-2 lead the cougars werent about to fail us. Oh, were we wrong. The cougars began their turnover filled night early in the first half. The count had reached more than 22 by the final buzzer and as a fan, I was outraged. "Why in the world would a game like this intrigue me to watch?" I wondered. The other overwhelming factor that led to the Cougars demise were free throws. No team in our modern basketball world can expect to miss 13 free throws and still win the game, let alone a come from behind victory. The cougars had more front iron, back iron, and air balled free throws than any other team I recall previously watching, that includes the BYU vs. UVU gam...

By Jacob Sorenson Utah has arguably some of the greatest up and coming sports teams in the nation. After years of being overlooked in all major athletics, Utah colleges and universities have excelled. Among those Utah Valley has seemed to find their niche. Centered right off the freeway in Orem, the largest school in the state should seemingly have wide recognition and also with open enrollment you can imagine that the athletes must abound at such a school.  After being overlooked while under the name UVSC, Utah Valley has now reached the ranks of the WAC conference. Even producing stars like Ronnie Price who still plays for the Suns in the NBA, Utah Valley just could not receive national attention like they have been able to do since their emergence to Division One. Now, we fast forward. Six years following their entry to the WAC conference and becoming Utah Valley University the wolverines are set to play the BYU Cougars. In a matchup of the Utah Valley schools t...

BY SHAWN HARRIS Woodson blitzes and a the ball comes loose....after review of the play the Quarterbacks arm was moving forward therefore it is an incomplete pass. The play that haunts Raiders fans everywhere myself included. It was a play that arguably was the turning point in this mans career. He would later go on to win the Super Bowl that year, and 3 more after that. No they wouldn't come easy for this future Hall of Famer, and possibly the greatest QB of all time. Sure he needed to endure the 19 or 20 game seasons, the hits, the ups and downs just as every player does in a Super Bowl run. But Tom Brady would have to go through criticism and tons of ridicule for "crossing the line, cheating, not playing fair." Like in the beginning of this article , the Tuck Rule, Tom Brady hasn't got any credit for being great. Simply put, people call him a cheater. You have Spy gate, deflate gate, head set gate, and any other gate you want to create. What do I th...

By Jacob Sorenson Every year we return to the same battle grounds in college football. The leaders in sports academia tell us that we have returned to another year on the gridiron and that a champion will be crowned, but of 120 or more FBS teams that compete each year for the title, what really makes one better than the other? There is no way to literally compete one for one to see who comes out on top with the best record. Many sports professionals even think that the college football season is too long as is, and the negative effects on the human body should call for fewer games and a more common ground in scheduling. As the season reaches the final stretch, and 6 unbeaten teams remain, in my mind I am caused to beg the question. How can we really determine who the best is? I look toward college basketball. A money driven tournament in the month of March is what drives the airwaves and ignites passion for the sometimes the most improbable of teams.  Rounds of 6...

By Jacob Sorenson The Dudes from these dudes sports blog We as These Dudes Sports Blog spent our weekend in the mecca of college sports. That isn’t to say it’s really the Mecca, I’m just basically telling you it’s the most iconic sports venue I have ever attended. Next to the house the Jerry built for the Dallas cowboys, and the Rose bowl, it is the largest stadium I have ever entered in my near quarter of a century of life. The scene was so immaculate and something that I have not quite experienced elsewhere. Near Compton, the city of Los Angeles, and about 45 minutes from coastal areas, the Coliseum was so historic and utterly stunning. I arrived with my party of 8 to the LA metro tracks and took the opposite train to hit Hollywood before the game, I noticed that I had entered enemy territory because the metro driver was even saying I hope the drive home isn’t too long. What more can you do than just chuckle? We visited the walk of fame and no kidding, every couple feet w...

            The 2003-2004 NBA season was the first one where I wanted to take the NBA seriously. It seems like forever ago- Ben Wallace had one of the greatest afros of all time, Metta World Peace was Ron Artest and one of the best all-around players in the league, and Kobe Bryant wore number 8 and was facing jail time. It was also the rookie year of LeBron James. Despite being a Laker fan for as long as I can remember, there was something special about watching LeBron James as an 11 year old. I was shocked that he was only a few years older than me and was dominating these athletes that I looked up to and had a blank slate there for him to write his legacy. I was his biggest fan ever since.             What a career he has had. There has never been a shortage of drama or of prestige. The records speak for themselves: 4 MVPs; 2-time Finals champion; currently on a stre...

Cincinnati Bengals By Jacob Sorenson Andy Dalton has received his fair share of criticism over his short tenure in the NFL. The young TCU star struck the NFL with his fire red hair and a highly impressive start as he made the Pro Bowl in his first year in the league. His first year seemed to set a high bar and Cincinnati has advanced to a franchise record 4 playoff appearances in a row. The critical issue behind the 4 playoff appearances in a row, not a single playoff win. The Bengals have scored no more than 13 points in any of their wildcard playoff games against the Texans twice, Chargers, and Colts. The combined 43 points they have scored over a 4 game period is the lowest among all NFL teams in previous four playoff appearances.                 This dismaying statistic has led many to question the growth potential of the Bengals quarterback. Some have even claimed that he has maxed out his pot...