Cheering for LDS athletes who don't choose BYU?

With all the publications that I have seen recently about Jabari, I have become a big fan of his, and will wish him well wherever he goes and hope he becomes the player many believe he can become. Though I have been thinking about how we as BYU fans and as LDS members view the LDS athletes who choose not to go to BYU. It seems that there are some that we hope to see succeed (i.e. Jabari), and others many hope to see fail. What LDS non-BYU players have you cheered for and followed, and what players have you hoped would fail?



How much of it is location based? I.E. fans don't seem upset if Jabari doesn't come, but would it make a difference if he lived in Utah?

First off, there are athletes and then there are the Jabari Parker's of the world.



I think Jabari gets a bit of slack among BYU fans given his particularly high talent level plus he's out of state. Fans seem to know their chances are slim, at best, therefore don't get their hopes up. If he or an athlete of the same caliber lived in Utah, then I think there would be some grumblings among fans...at least those that live in Utah as expectations would be a bit different - there would be an ideal of staying loyal to your state.



I'm in Cali, so if an elite LDS student-athlete in Utah decided to take his talents out of state I wouldn't fault him/her one bit. Depending on their goals, there are other schools out there with better track records in certain areas than BYU and coaches who's personalities may mesh better with the athlete. LDS athletes going to other schools other than BYU happens all the time out here. I wish them well and hope they represent well. I think it's a good thing, actually. Spreads us out a bit.



In general, though, I don't fault recruits for the decisions they make. They have their reasons. It's their life. If a player doesn't want to be at BYU, that's fine. I actually don't get the criticism.

I don't typically root for lds athletes that go to other schools, but I do appreciate lds athletes that do great things for the community.

I will generally cheer for any LDS athlete even if he chooses a school other than the Y. The exception is for those who go to the U. As far as I'm concerned, they have sold their soul for 23 pieces of silver.

I think that many of us rooted for the kid at... North Carolina? Last year. Can't ever root for yewts though. Kids, like the superstar LDS youth pg from Nevada, tend to disappear after leaving the state. Like this Bateman kid. I doubt I ever follow him enough to hear much about him in the future.

Stilman White

Was there also an LDS bball kid at Harvard?

Mars wrote:
Was there also an LDS bball kid at Harvard?

Jeremy Lin is LDS?!

Happy to hear of their success.



Would rather follow a guy at BYU who is non-LDS than an LDS player at another university.

I pull for the LDS kid wherever they are - except @ the UofU, when playing the Y. Other than that - I hope they are successful. Heck, I would pull for LDS athletes @ the UofU when playing USC. Hell - I'd pull for the UofU when they play USC. LOL!

SpiffCoug wrote:

Was there also an LDS bball kid at Harvard?

Jeremy Lin is LDS?!

I looked him up. Corbin Miller.

1967cougar wrote:
I will generally cheer for any LDS athlete even if he chooses a school other than the Y. The exception is for those who go to the U. As far as I'm concerned, they have sold their soul for 23 pieces of silver.

Athletes who choose the :utard: over BYU don't sell their souls for 23 pieces of silver--they give their souls for free.