There is almost ALWAYS a glaring difference between BYU and its opposition on the big stage. We almost always seem to be emotionless; we give the perception that we don't care. Anytime a fan questions if players care, we are often met with a swift rebuke that the players care more than the fans, but alas, perception is reality.

To me, BYU's shell-shocked look 5-10 minutes into games and being emotionally not present is a glaring issue that is more cultural than it is individual. (Yes you can be too emotionally charged up, which is why you have to become self-aware of your own emotions). Our last two games this season BYU looked like a deer in the headlights, which should not have been the case given how well the season went. BYU's season prepared them for what tournament life would be.

Some observations over the last 20-25 years within the LDS culture:

Within our culture, it is shameful to more emotion. We are too concerned with it 'looking bad' if someone cares too much. Many are taught to keep their emotions in check or to hide their emotions (more so with boys and men). However, by bottling up and trying to hide their emotions, they lose the vulnerability that is required to achieve excellence.

Being vulnerable is a way to face the fear of failure. Too often, in our biggest moments, our teams look 'afraid to fail.' We look as though we are afraid that if we put it all out there and fail, then we are nothing. This is a basic avoidance tactic. When you avoid being vulnerable, you cannot grow or improve. You have to be willing to fail in a true authentic way. Why does the phrase "play to not lose" almost always result in losing? Because you are afraid of losing. How many times have we seen with our kids, friends, or ourselves moments when we're running a race and decide to put in little to no effort, because it's better to get beat as long as you don't try so you can always state ' well if I actually were to try....'

Anyway... I'm sure it's not this simple, but after watching 16 games yesterday, I have a lot on my mind regarding BYU