and she staunchly defended Bronco. I'm not a Bronco hater or anything, but I tend to be pretty pragmatic, and it's undeniable that there are plenty of valid criticisms and critiques that are aptly warranted. But then I felt like I ruined her birthday, so we started talking about the Jazz. Things were going better, and then sure enough, I reminded her she's probably going to die soon, and it was like I criticized Bronco all over again. So sensitive, these Bronco lovers are...

No really, her late husband (my grandpa and best friend ever) is THE reason I will always be a die hard Cougar (through thick and thin). In early 1996, he kept telling me that he was certain we'd seen the last of BYU (and Jazz) greatness, and it would all be a downward slide from there. He received his PhD from BYU and was employed in the Math/Science department for the last 20 years of his career, and this was a Cougar Club member that bled blue through and through. He was just sharing his honest assessment. Sadly, not long after he gave me my Patriarchal Blessing, he passed before witnessing the magical 1996 season (and two Jazz championship runs).