It's a good time to be a Cougars fan. Provo hosted Fox's pregame show, "Big Noon Kickoff," on Saturday prior to BYU football's 41-19 win against the University of Arizona — in front of the biggest crowd in the stadium since 2009 when ESPN's GameDay visited.
To celebrate this exciting season, we are taking a look back at the historic 1984 national championship season with a special collector's issue magazine.
My dad is a long-time BYU fan — attending the football games and packing ham sandwiches to haul up to the top of the southwest corner of LaVell Edwards Stadium was a generational rite of passage in the Gambles family.
He's been following BYU sports since circa 1970, when he was 10 years old and would sit in the car in the driveway, regardless of the weather, to listen to the games on the radio in Soda Springs, Idaho.
Here are some of his highlights from reading the commemorative 1984 special issue:
"It was fun looking back and remembering how many games ended up being really close, exciting games that could have gone either way. Somehow they pulled them out."
"I enjoyed reading more about LaVell Edwards' family, especially learning more about how Patti was anxious and nervous while LaVell was just chill."
"The article about the years in the making reflecting on how the different quarterbacks helped set them up for that legendary run — it was fun remembering quarterbacks like Gary Sheide, Gifford Nielsen, Marc Wilson, Jim McMahon and Steve Young. So many people were involved in setting the team up for success that season even before the season ever began.
"Commemorating a special season like this helps you remember different stories that happened that year and how exciting it was to be a football fan. It's interesting looking back to see how many things had to line up perfectly to set BYU up in the position to become national champions."
🏈 Tell me: I would love to hear your thoughts on the magazine or even to just talk about the big game Saturday.
The art and politics of statues
"Matt Glenn is a sculptor-for-hire, a 19th-century trade that is enjoying a 21st-century revival," Bill Gifford writes.
Every figure in his crowded, rather messy studio in Provo, Utah, tells a story.
Here are some of the statues in the studio, as described by Gifford:
A life-size clay figure of Johnny Cash, guitar over his shoulder, serenading statues of Jackie Robinson.
There's also an Elon Musk and Mr. Toad from “The Wind in the Willows.”
A Vietnam War soldier stands guard over them all.
During the pandemic, he had some orders paused. Then a few months later, protesters began targeting statues around the world demanding that certain monuments be torn down, including statues of Confederate leaders from the Civil War, as well as historical figures ranging from Christopher Columbus to Abraham Lincoln.
Glenn wondered if the age of statues was finally coming to an end.
The opposite happened.
New orders began pouring in; suddenly, it seemed like everyone wanted a statue.
“I think those old sculptures have sat in place for decades without people noticing them ...,” Glenn says. “But then it made people think, why not memorialize some other people who’ve done great things? They don’t even have to be famous.”
Read more about how the art form of statue is on the rise.
More in Politics
Democrats lean on abortion issue in Arizona and other swing states. Will this strategy work? (Deseret News)
Life without the dollar: Sen. Lee and Rep. Curtis defend digital currency as key to freedom (Deseret News)
The rise of the rock-star conservative (Deseret News)
One of our fastest runners and cleverest of writers Meg Walter recently ran the St. George half marathon after her dad died this year and shares how her first race after the death of her first running buddy impacted her. Here's some excerpts that stood out to me, but I highly recommend reading her whole story, especially if you are looking for a good cry.
🏃 On why she was ever running in the first place:
"My dad was my first long-distance running partner. We trained for two marathons together — the Top of Utah Marathon in 2003 and the New York Marathon in 2005. We were much better prepared for the first one than the second one, and after a truly miserable time running New York, my dad retired from the sport.
"But he enthusiastically encouraged me when I picked up training again and he was there waiting for me at the finish line of last year’s marathon in St. George. He had been triple-enthused for this year’s marathon, which all three of his children were expected to complete."
💔 She was on a run when she found out he died:
"I had been out running in August when my sister called to tell me he had passed. I remember the exact thought I was having right before she called — that I was about to run my fastest mile in training yet. After she called, that thought felt so self-important and stupid."
❤️🩹 On realizing how much she still needs her parents:
"That’s when I started sobbing. Because I still need my mom in my hardest moments. And I still need my dad, too."
🖤 On grief:
"There is no failing or succeeding in grief. Instead, grief is kind of its own kind of marathon, with moments of beauty and moments of anguish, and moments when you have to stop and cry. I’m proud of myself for making it this far. And grateful it’s a race I don’t have to run alone."
Come help shape the future of Utah Lake! Utah Lake is at a turning point: we've recovered endangered species, improved water quality, and fought back invasive species. As we look ahead, the symposium will ask what does Utah Lake 2.0 look like? Registration is free, breakfast and lunch included.
Health
Whooping cough cases up more than 340% over this time last year (Fox News)
Sleep apnea may even be more dangerous than we thought (ABC7)
More than 15 million US adults have ADHD, new study estimates (KSL)
Faith
Learn about God’s power and authority, Sister Yee invites missionaries (Church News)
5 ways young adults want to be supported through the throes of dating (LDS Living)
‘The Last of the Sea Women’: How one director is documenting a South Korean tradition (The Christian Science Monitor)
The Nation and The World
FEMA’s Role in Natural Disaster Response, Explained (The Dispatch)
Influencers risking death in hurricanes for clicks and cash (BBC)
Beyond books: How a public library in Ohio's Rust Belt is spurring economic growth (NPR)
Sports
After second Big 12 loss, is it time for Utah to turn the page at quarterback? (Deseret News)
BYU uses its unique ticket to punch Arizona, get bowl-eligible (Deseret News)
PGA Tour newbie Matt McCarty leads Black Desert Championship (Deseret News)
We put together a calendar list of events and activities going on around the state of Utah the next month. Check it out and let us know if we are missing anything!
Here are some highlights for events in Utah today:
Korn | Delta Center
Black Island Farms Corn Maze, Pumpkin Patch & Nightmare Acres | Black Island Farms, Syracuse
Valley | Union Event Center
“Disney’s Frozen” | Tuacahn Amphitheatre and Center for the Arts, Ivins, Washington County
Utah Royals vs. Seattle Reign FC at home | 3 p.m.
USU women’s soccer at Colorado State | 1 p.m.
Weber State women’s soccer vs. Idaho State at home | 2 p.m.
UVU men’s soccer at Grand Canyon | 8 p.m.
Utah Tech men’s soccer at Seattle U | 2 p.m.
We are trying some new things with Utah Today and would love your feedback! You're welcome to email me at sgambles@deseretnews.com with thoughts, ideas and suggestions.
I might not answer right away, but I promise we are reading your feedback and considering your valuable opinions.
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