Bleacher Report - Salt Lake City

Keeping It Classy: Max Hall's Rant a Mirage of Own Convictions

Christopher Kamrani — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 02:45:20 -0500

First thing's first.

He's sorry.

Well, thank goodness for that, right? After all, we've seen what kind of hellfire and brimstone can come spewing out of the mouth of the winningest starting quarterback in the history of BYU football.

As Hall so eloquently yapped Saturday after he took home his second of three head-to-heads against the devils in red, No. 15 has hate.

And lots of it.

"I don't like Utah," oozed Hall. "In fact, I hate them. I hate everything about them. I hate their program, I hate their fans, I hate everything."

Count em', sports fans.

That's one, two, three, four, five hates.

Hall was happily hateful for those five minutes or so he addressed what seemed to be the most vile and grotesque happening in the history of mankind.

He went on to say that Utah didn't deserve to win.

"It was our time, and it was our time to win. We deserved it," he continued on.

Never mind the fact that of all 134 million years this rivalry has continued on chugging with boiling distastefulness, a player has never really entered what will from now on be known as the "Mad Max" zone.

Sure, Morgan Scalley said he hated the Cougars. Yeah, Lenny Gomes mentioned that in the future those same Ute players he battled with would be "pumping his gas" someday.

But now, as Hall goes, so does the rivalry.

It's reached its boiling point, folks.

This is as good as it gets.

And thankfully it dates back to last year. The same game in which Hall would be ridiculed throughout the state of Utah for the next 12 months.

Hall was seeing red, in every sense of the meaning. His six turnovers allowed the then undefeated Utes to finish their 2008 campaign undefeated en route to blowing out BYU at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

Enter Saturday, again.

Hall's epic disgust with essentially everything Utah came on the heels of 2008. According to "Mad Max," Hall's family had beer thrown at them.

Also mentioned by Hall: "Stuff, and a whole bunch of nasty things."

So, Max couldn't really divulge. Sorry folks. Stuff and nasty things probably coincide with some of that dire hatred he has growing inside of him.

What sets this rivalry rant in a different atmosphere as the rest?

For one, it was by a team captain—a winning team captain, mind you—and it was done with what will become the term of the year in Utah Magazine ...

Classless, or classlessness.

"I think the whole university, and their fans, and the organization is classless."

Ding-dong, the witch is dead.

Or, more appropriately, risen from the grave.

Hall just sent a text message to basically a bazillion people telling them to kiss his bottom.

Hall put himself on a pedestal. Above the University of Utah, and more obviously, his team, which had just pulled off a great overtime win against its, dare I say, hated rival.

It was suddenly all about Max. Max this, and Max that.

Me. Me. Me. I. I. I.

Hall tattooed himself into this rivalry's lore in a matter of a few hate-filled minutes of passion.

Was it worth it, Max?

Sunday evening, Hall released an apology to the University of Utah, its fans, and football program.

You really have to wonder: Did he mean it?

Was he euphoric Saturday and ceremoniously dipped his foot in his mouth due to the previous year filled with anguish, suffering, self-doubt, and revenge?

Hall's apparent revenge was driven not by a game in which he essentially lost for his team, but rather a few incredibly moronic fans that supposedly doused his family in some Bud Light and chucked out a few "bad words."

And whether or not it's true, or you like it or hate it, this is where the separation comes in.

The line, drawn in red and blue sand, pontificating which side you're on. In laymen's terms, where does your allegiance lie?

Hall blatantly called the entire school on the hill "classless." Did he mean it? You bet your ass he did.

Is he sorry? Of course not. A senior quarterback playing in his last game against his "hated" rival does not just whimsically shoot out such pointed and jagged examples of abhorrence.

Hall knew what he was saying all along. He planned it, he went there, he crossed that line into Me-Ville, and he didn't come back.

Most will ask, "Why are Hall's comments offensive, or even a subject of public matter?"

In comes back that pedestal, and an explanation to why so many people so-wrongfully judge a university such as BYU.

Suddenly, every Utah fan is a drunken, cuss-filled, sorry excuse for a human being. Or even, as some have mentioned, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

I wonder if Hall knows that church prophet Thomas S. Monson is a Ute or even that BYU football coaching legend LaVell Edwards received his master's degree from that place he hates so much?

Hall justified, for everyone fence-sitting on the matter, that we have some true hatred in the rivalry. Fans are once again at one another's throats, arguing the legitimacy of this and that.

And to make things totally Days of Our Lives, after BYU's 26-23 overtime win, Jamie Whittingham, the wife of Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham received an elbow to the face by a BYU fan and some trash-talking ensued.

No, Whittingham will not be commenting on it.

So there's beer supposedly thrown in the direction of a family and some "stuff" and "nasty things," yet a woman gets an elbow to the face?

I mean, if you're going to preach righteousness as your No. 1 cause, Maxy, you best know what you're up against.

Hall buried himself. Now, Utah fans will claim that although they may get a wee-bit out of hands at times, they certainly do not attack a woman.

The debate will rage, the words will fly, fists will be technologically exchanged through social networks, and the merry-go-round will spin full-speed for the next 361 days.

Hall leaves his legacy as the guy that couldn't show in big games, beat a B-list Oklahoma team, and finally got that stamp of vengeance Saturday night.

He defeated those nightmares of flying red cups of tainted brews.

It's just unfortunate that an athlete representing a university whose program preaches things like honor, spirit, and other over-used righteous terms by Bishop Mendenhall, came careening down.

Sometimes things are best left unsaid. Hall won his game, was hoisted upon hundreds of fans, and given the chance at a collegiate football exit kids dream of, and some receive.

Max Hall found it more important to put himself first and discharge the abomination that is the team located 45 minutes north.

Coretta Scott King said, "Hate is too great a burden to bear—it injured the hater more than it injures the hated."

For Hall, he'll forever be remembered as a hater—not as the quarterback that beat Utah two out of three times.

Photo by: Richard Payson

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BYU Football Podcast: Dramatic Win & Hall's Mouth Intensifies Holy War

Mark Welling — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:10:19 -0500

To listen to the BYU Football Podcast, click here ( or download the podcast by right-clicking and selecting "Save link as...").

Here is an outline of what hosts Jake Stowell and Mark Welling talked about in this week's podcast.

A review of a nasty, dirty, grind-it-out, Holy War.
Conservative play calling by BYU.
The impressive play of BYU's defense.
Wynn looks to be a very good future quarterback for Utah.
A debate over whether or not BYU won in spite of Max Hall's performance.
Why did BYU start the game in the Wildcat formation?
Was it worth it to rush the field?
Hall makes sure everyone knows he hates the University of Utah, but who is surprised by these comments?
Was Hall right going after Utah and BYU fans?
A quick look ahead to what BYU will look like next season.
Where will BYU go bowling?
Grading the 2009 BYU regular season.

Thanks for listening to another edition of the BYU podcast. We continue to welcome e-mails and comments and encourage questions or suggestions for upcoming podcasts.

The BYU Football Podcast is Episode 33 of "The Big Podcast." Recorded Nov. 29, 2009.

For more sports podcasts, news, articles and insights, visit The Big Podcast.

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Game 19: Blazers 92, Jazz 108

Busta Bucket — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 13:16:34 -0500

Well, usually this would be a recap filled with four-letter expletives and multiple call-outs, but it's hard to get too mad about this loss because it was par for the course. Weak Blazer defense, stagnant offense, too many jump-shots, yada yada yada...this game was over five minutes in and I wasn't all that surprised. I'm growing indifferent to this team in the early going which I find somewhat troubling.

Utah's two stars, Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer absolutely murdered the Blazers tonight. The two combined for 50 points, 22 assists, and 18 rebounds. D. Williams is a Top-Three PG in the league, and Boozer seems like he's put contract issues aside. It's clear that Mr. Aldridge has a long way to go to making an all-star team over Boozer.

Most of all this seemed to be a game of two teams heading in opposite directions. Utah has everyone healthy, and they are really clicking on all aspects. Blazers on the other hand, well, I don't think anyone knows where they are going, but it's not up.

You can't argue with a 12-7 start, but if you have an ounce of basketball savvy you would know that the Blazers have not looked good for the most part this year. They've had a cupcake schedule and have been outclassed by most of the decent teams they've played.

The team has had a lot of games so far (most in the league at 19 games) so perhaps it is just fatigue. Whatever it is, this does not look like a team ready to challenge for the Western Conference title, let alone get out of the first round.

Box Score

Jason Quick's post-game reactions


3-18 on 3-pointers Andre Miller playing six minutes Letting Utah shoot 60% D. Williams and Boozer looking like Stockton and Malone	Mike and Mike questioning McMillian's substitution pattern of Oden Bayless and Cunningham getting good run Toby Gerhart and Stanford being a good distraction from the Blazer game

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Game 19: Blazers @ Jazz, 6:00pm

Busta Bucket — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 11:05:49 -0500

The Blazers get a chance to right the ship in Utah after the Black Friday debacle last night against the Grizzlies.

Utah Jazz coverage at True Blue Jazz .

Blazers

Analysis

Jazz

If there is one guy not on the Blazers that I have a man-crush on, it's Deron Williams. Even though he is on the hated Jazz, I enjoy his game more than anyone else in the league. Tonight however, I won't enjoy him shredding our defense. Steve Blake and Andre Miller can only hope to combine for an offensive output like Deron's. Miller will be key in the second unit; hopefully he takes this matchup to heart and has a big night in the state of his alma mater.

Brandon Roy will be under a lot of defensive pressure in Utah tonight. Matthews and Brewer will be locking down Roy, which should open up opportunities for other guys. Roy did put up 33 points last time around in SLC though. Rudy needs to show up tonight to help the second unit. I'm not particularly worried about Matthews or Brewer bringing any offense, they are here to complement Deron. Roy and Rudy FTW!

Andrei Kirilenko has thrived in his role has a backup. He seems to have a need to get lost in the mix and just do what he does best, play defense, and do everything but score. I think this is the type of matchup that sways based on who has home court. Martell's inconsistencies will likely be in effect tonight. After a hot night last night, will he have the same confidence going tonight? The X-factor will be Cunningham. He's really starting to make a name for himself and earn playing time. Dante continues to impress, but I like the Jazz here.

Carlos Boozer is back to his old self with the Jazz. When he's committed, he's an absolute monster. He's averaging 21 points and nearly 12 rebounds at home this year. Plus his backup, Millsap, is no slouch. He's at 10 and 6 on the season and these guys are really cleaning the glass. LaMarcus will have a tough time finding the paint so that jumper will need to be extra smooth tonight. I just don't see how we stop Boozer and Millsap at Utah.

In order for Portland to win this game, we must win this matchup in a big way. The Jazz have a solid power forward tandem but our center tandem needs to be better. Okur, as always, will be floating around the perimeter, hopefully not getting it going from long range. But Greg's game continues to improve and should be good again, especially with Andre feeding him the rock. I like our centers here, but this game will be tough. Utah has won 4 of their last 5, and seem to be picking it up.

Overall Winner:

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Ute Envy: Why The 2009 Holy War Is a Must-Win For BYU

Brian Nelson — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 19:42:22 -0500

This year, the annual Holy War between Utah and BYU will take on a whole new meaning.

It will be much more than a single football team where the winner and the loser is clearly defined by the scoreboard.

The outcome of this game will be much more telling.

Not because of the unusual parity between these two teams, (both are 8-2, both boast similar rankings) but because it would be a huge barometer for where these two programs lie.

What would it say if Utah beat BYU for the second straight season. The Utes would boast a better record and a probable top 15 ranking in a “rebuilding” year while the Cougars settle for yet another 9-3 or 8-4, good but not great season.

What hurts the most, it that it implies Utah is playing at a higher level in a year where they've had to replace eight offensive starters and three NFL defenders while starting a true freshman behind center.

Especially in a year that was supposed to be "BYU's year".

BYU returned nearly their entire defense from 2008 and most key members from a stellar 2008 offense, including a prolific RB in Harvey Unga, an accomplished senior QB in Max Hall and a likely All-American TE in Dennis Pitta.

While 2009 has been a terrific season, a loss to Utah would be seen by the Cougar faithful as one of fallen expectations and "just" another 9-3 or 8-4 finish.

After dominating the WAC year-after-year, for nearly two decades during the Lavell Edwards era, they never seemed to get the national recognition they warranted. Sure, Ty won the Heisman and the AP voted them National Champions in 1984—both phenomenal feats for a “mid-major”, but they never seemed to get the respect or the recognition they deserved.

The fans grew used to being the center of the little guy debate.

All of that changed dramatically when Urban Meyer came to town and led Utah to the incredible task of busting the BCS. The Johnny-come-lately Utes did to the BCS what most thought impossible. They beat the system designed to keep them out.

Back then, there were only four bowls, and non-BCS teams had to crack the top six in the BCS standings.

That was easier to cope with for BYU. They were in the midst of moving on from the Gary Crowton era. Utah’s fortune would only mean good things and open possibilities for the new Cougar Coach while the Utes would seemingly fall back into mediocrity after Urban left.

Then came Boise State and the exhilarating Fiesta Bowl. Hawaii, a team that clearly didn’t belong, but that made it nonetheless. And then Utah, again. Now, TCU and possibly Boise State, again.

What do these schools have in common? None were even on the college football map throughout the Reagan-Bush-Clinton administrations while BYU setting the conference on fire. Yet they’ve all been to the show while BYU hasn’t scratched the surface.

The school that wrote the storybook on the plight of the little guy in college football. The school that practically invented the West Coast offense and that germinated Norm Chow.

Last January, while the Cougars celebrated when the Utes toyed with the arrogant SEC powerhouse, there was a hint of jealousy.

Ute envy was born.

Utah, who had only been ranked twice since the 1960’s before Urban Meyer arrived, had suddenly become the face of the conference and the trailblazer against the big bad BCS.

A role that always seemed destined for the Cougars to play.

The Cougars had to do some soul searching. They had tradition, 1984, a Heisman and a plethora of WAC and MWC championship trophies that Utah could never touch.

But they also had a wardrobe of Quest for Perfection T-shirts emblematic of their lofty expectations. The shirts will probably end up some third world country one day or reprinted in crimson but the expectations were morphed into a resolve to win in 2009.

Expectations hit a meteoric peak when the Cougars took down then #3 Oklahoma in a hardly fought game. They seemed well on their way, crushing Tulane 54-3 at the Superdome. Then it all came down, faster than a Seminole Receiver in an open field.

Ute envy returned.

The Cougar’s mechanized their defenses just as you might expect.

They scoffed at the Utes. “Anyone can win a BCS Bowl every leap year, but we’re consistent year in, year out. We’re happy here. Enjoy your Sugar Bowl Trophy, we’ll see you in four years. Enjoy mediocrity”

It was denial turned into reason.

Except that, here we are now deep into 2009 and Utah stand at eye level with BYU, on the exact same page.

For Utah to be on par with the Y in a rebuilding year, is abhorrent. It’s an insult. But at it’s very core, it’s frightening and devastatingly humiliating.

Now you see why this is a must-win for BYU. The only way to cope with Ute envy for now and for the next nine months is to win on Saturday in Provo.

Or else the Cougars will be forced to Coping Mechanism Plan B—Jake Heaps.

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No. 19 Utah Utes-No. 15 BYU Cougars: The Holy War Preview

Tyler Stimson — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 05:58:36 -0500

For fans of both BYU and Utah, this is the most important game of the year. While it won't decide the conference championship (that goes to TCU, after the Horned Frogs crush New Mexico this weekend), it will decide the best team in the state of Utah.

The game is only a few days away, and the anticipation is spine-tingling.

I cannot remember a year when these teams were more evenly matched.

Both teams are ranked in the Top 20, they come in with identical 9-2 records, and they both got blown out by conference rival TCU.

All signs point to this being yet another extremely close, extremely compelling matchup.

As far as bowl matchups go, there won't be too much at stake in this one. BYU and Utah will definitely play in the Las Vegas and Poinsettia Bowls (it's still unclear which school will go to which bowl), against very good Pac-10 teams.

Their probable opponents include: USC, Oregon State, Stanford, Arizona, and Cal. These are all teams that have been in the Top 25 for much of the season, so it looks like BYU and Utah will both have their work cut out for them.

One rumor says that regardless of what happens on the field this Saturday, the Las Vegas Bowl (which has the first selection in the MWC) will select Utah, to avoid having BYU for the fifth straight year.

But, keep in mind that having BYU in the Las Vegas Bowl for the past four seasons has been very good economically for the bowl; it has chosen BYU four straight years for a reason.

In last year's Holy War game, Max Hall did his best Rex Grossman/Jay Cutler/Bears QB impersonation and cost BYU the game with a series of key fourth quarter turnovers, and Utah ended up winning in a rout. But that was an aberration.

In each of the three years prior to that, the game came down to the final seconds.

This has been a heated and intense rivalry. As far as this decade goes, this has quite possibly been the most compelling and hotly contested rivalry in the country.

Max Hall's legacy is on the line in this one. If he wins this game, I think he goes down as one of the greatest QBs in BYU's illustrious history—his name will be mentioned in the same sentence as Steve Young, Jim McMahon, and Ty Detmer. Last week, he surpassed Ty Detmer as the winningest BYU QB of all time.

If he does win on Saturday, he will be remembered for his heroic play against Utah, going 2-1 against the hated Utes.

If he wins in dramatic fashion, it will have an especially big impact on his legacy. BYU fans will think of Max Hall, and instantly think of his winning record against Utah, and his dramatic and clutch performance against Oklahoma in the fourth quarter earlier this year.

But, if he loses this game, he will be remembered primarily for his losses to Utah and TCU in his senior and junior seasons; the fact that he beat both of them and won a conference championship his sophomore season will be an old memory.

He will primarily be remembered as a good quarterback who just could not come through consistently in the big games.

But, what will happen Saturday?

Will BYU, who is a seven-point favorite, take back the Beehive Boot, and bragging rights in the state of Utah, taking three out of the last four?

Or will Utah hold on to the BeehiveBboot and answer one BYU two-year winning streak with one of its own?

BYU has struggled mightily this year with two of the three most athletic teams on its schedule. The Cougars got crushed at home by Florida State and TCU, but won against a very athletic Oklahoma team.

Aside from the TCU game, Utah has played up and down to its opponents this year. The Utes kept it extremely close at Oregon, giving the Ducks their most competitive game at Eugene this year. But they have let teams like Wyoming, San Jose State, and Colorado State hang around and almost pull off the upset.

Honestly, after the last few years, I will not be shocked by any result this Saturday.

I could see a Utah blowout. BYU has already been blown out twice at home so far this year.

I could see a BYU blowout. BYU played as well as it has played all season last week, giving Air Force its worst loss of the season after jumping out to a 24-0 lead in the first half.

And, I could definitely see a close game that will go either way—that is definitely the likeliest scenario.

So, as a BYU fan, shouldn't I just hedge my bets, and pick Utah to win? That way I win either way. Either my team wins, or I picked the game right.

It is tempting, but I'm gonna have to go with my head, my heart, and the Las Vegas Sporting Consultants.

Keep in mind that last week I pegged the score exactly; through sheer dumb luck I guessed BYU would win 38-21.

I think it will be a close, hard-fought, and dramatic win for BYU by one touchdown, 31-24.

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