Pre-Game Firesides to Continue, but Differently

BYU announced today, in its continued trickle of releases on the subject, that BYU will continue to hold pre-game firesides in the Fall, but that they will be put on by prominent BYU alumni instead of current football players.



Keep tuned--I know there is more coming in addition to this announcement.

Excellent. Will they include "Beer Pong" in the Cultural Hall afterward? My favorite!

;)

They will also announce that firesides will continue to be the night before the games, but it will be held by a local bishop in the area and no one from the team will be there!

hawkwing wrote:
They will also announce that firesides will continue to be the night before the games, but it will be held by a local bishop in the area and no one from the team will be there!

That'll get people excited! Then when people don't show up to see the long snapper from the '98 team talk about his current non-football job, they'll cancel them altogether due to "lack of interest"

This could be cool. I'd rather here from Chad Lewis, Manase Tonga, Max Hall, etc. than (INSERT CURRENT WIDE RECEIVER or STARTING RIGHT GUARD HERE).



If they play it right it could be awesome, and create a lot of hype for the games.

I'd like to see at least a couple of coaches too. Could they get Laval to come? His health might not allow it.

ABYUFAN wrote:

They will also announce that firesides will continue to be the night before the games, but it will be held by a local bishop in the area and no one from the team will be there!

That'll get people excited! Then when people don't show up to see the long snapper from the '98 team talk about his current non-football job, they'll cancel them altogether due to "lack of interest"

Is the long snapper from the '98 team any less exciting than the long snapper from this year's team?



I think most people upset about the fireside changes are people who haven't been to one in a couple of years. It's not the stars of the team giving talks or singing....it's usually some 2nd or 3rd string guys who you didn't know were on the team until you showed up at the chapel and some of the coaches. While a good experience, there is generally a feeling of let down when you realize that nearly all of the players you hoped to see stayed at the hotel to watch film.



I think all the changes (player firesides in Spring along with fanfests, alumni firesides in Fall, and other yet to be announced changes) when taken as a whole will be marked improvement over what BYU did in 2015 under Bronco. Firesides were dying on the vine anyway, and I'd rather the team spend the night before in the hotel together preparing for the game anyways. I think this might be just what the teams needs to avoid the slow starts in games that plagued the team under Bronco and his fireside regimen.



There was a time and a place for player firesides before games, but that was over a decade ago when Bronco was trying to re-center the program around its values. Job done, and time to move on.

I know you said "usually" non-starters, but I'll tell you that Devon Blackmon's prayer at the fireside before Nebraska sent reverberations around Cougar Nation: "Bless us to beat Nebraska!"



And as for dying on the vine... that fireside was broadcast to multiple stake centers/chapels in the region. Seven, IIRC (and there were over 1000 people at the host stake center. So not sure "dying on the vine" is an apropos description.



If the team can figure out the slow start issue, though, I'm sure they can sell it to Dave Rose.

Obviously there is some confusion about the firesides, I've never heard from one person that they were disappointed after attending one, in fact quite the opposite. And yes, I 100% believe that the 3rd string waterboy on the team is more interesting and important to hear from than anyone not on the team because they are there talking about that special, unique entity that is the team that year. But in a year or 2 when firesides are over we can all tell ourselves it's OK because they were dying.

I've been to two road firesides and I thought they were great. I thought the attendance was pretty good. I like the effect on the non member players to help them better understand who BYU is. Houk spoke at one and he is not a member. He did a great job and I bet he never forgets it.

If this coaching staff doesn't have the ability to lead BYU to wins, it won't matter who they send to the firesides. No one will want to go.

snoscythe wrote:

hawkwing wrote:
They will also announce that firesides will continue to be the night before the games, but it will be held by a local bishop in the area and no one from the team will be there!

That'll get people excited! Then when people don't show up to see the long snapper from the '98 team talk about his current non-football job, they'll cancel them altogether due to "lack of interest"

Is the long snapper from the '98 team any less exciting than the long snapper from this year's team?



I think most people upset about the fireside changes are people who haven't been to one in a couple of years. It's not the stars of the team giving talks or singing....it's usually some 2nd or 3rd string guys who you didn't know were on the team until you showed up at the chapel and some of the coaches. While a good experience, there is generally a feeling of let down when you realize that nearly all of the players you hoped to see stayed at the hotel to watch film.



I think all the changes (player firesides in Spring along with fanfests, alumni firesides in Fall, and other yet to be announced changes) when taken as a whole will be marked improvement over what BYU did in 2015 under Bronco. Firesides were dying on the vine anyway, and I'd rather the team spend the night before in the hotel together preparing for the game anyways. I think this might be just what the teams needs to avoid the slow starts in games that plagued the team under Bronco and his fireside regimen.



There was a time and a place for player firesides before games, but that was over a decade ago when Bronco was trying to re-center the program around its values. Job done, and time to move on.

I don't believe that you've actually been to a fireside. At the Mizzou fireside both Mangum and Hill were there, not just 3rd stringers. I want to see the players that are about to play the game I'm going to attend. I want to CONNECT with them! They announced that the Mizzou fireside was broadcast to something like half a dozen filled out stake centers! That doesn't sound like dying on a vine to me! Nick Kurtz (non-LDS) stated that he wouldn't get the fireside experience at any other school and he was glad for it. So not all of the players hate it either.

I went to the one at UCLA and several years later at UVA. Both were terrific, especially the more recent UVA fireside. Kyle Van Noy wasnt' there (turns out he was interviewing with Jeff Benedict) at the time, but Taysom and Cody were. My boys were thrilled. Bronco was gracious afterwards (1-on-1 is much better for introverts), and I came away thinking that even if we lost the game the next day, the drive and game ticket price were worth it just to bring my family to that fireside.

...I had to remind myself of that the next evening after that cold, soaked, unlucky loss.