Broken

I am a deeply passionate BYU fan, and tonight my heart is broken. :(

Last year, at this time, I was relishing in the sweet taste of a BYU victory over Utah. I still remember the moment when the touchdown was scored. Andrew George, a tight end for the Cougars, pulled in the pass and, as he broke for the end zone, the stadium erupted with an explosiveness I'd never heard before. We rushed the field in a frenzy of elated euphoria. That was an incredible night.

This year couldn't be more different. With one second left on the clock, the Cougars lined up for the game winning field goal. Hopes, dreams, and breath hung for a moment. The ball was snapped, and, in an instant, the field goal... and my dreams of victory... were blocked. It's a strange and terrible sensation to be so primed to cheer, only to be suddenly deflated. What seemed so palpable and so real was, in a flash, swept away.

*sigh*

But such are the rewards and penalties of being a passionate fan. In some years, you will rush away from the game riding a euphoric high, laughing with no voice, hugging complete strangers, and gushing about what an incredible game it was. In other years you will walk away from the stadium in painful disbelief. I am aware of this and I accept it.

Football is a beautiful game and I would have it no other way. With that said, over the next few days, I'll be gluing together the shattered pieces of my broken, blue heart.

-Barry