HB Arnett's 801 372 - 0819 hbarnett@fiber.net 1391 West 800 South - Orem, Utah 84058 Vol. 33, Issue 3 - August 20, 2012 Click <http://www.cougarstreet.com/products/index.php?type=450&PCID=450:0:0:0:0> Here To Order Or Renew Your Subscriptions TOO MUCH SPECIAL CAN BE SCARY Bronco is high on this team. He likes it and thinks it will be good. He says that his secondary is the most talented he has had since he arrived in BYU a decade ago. His assistant coach, Kelly Poppinga, went on the radio earlier this week and said basically that defensively, this group will be the most talented the Cougars have had in over a decade. That certainly upped my heart rate. It came quickly down, however, when I recalled that what we are hearing from coaches and players during this fall camp is exactly what we heard last fall camp. We know how that turned out. It went from (Jake) Heapish to sheepish in a hurry after Utah pummeled the preseason prognosis out of the Cougars in Provo. And now it really gets scary. I actually also think that this 2012 BYU football team can be extra special. I will probably continue to think that way until they line up against Utah again in Salt Lake City on Sept.15. What I am looking for to validate any and all optimism and talk of special is a running game. If BYU can run the ball against the Utes, then special may not be enough of an adjective to attach to this team. If the Cougars can put up a hundred plus yards against the Utes, then buckle up. It could be a nice ride to BYU's best chance yet for a BCS berth. Throwing around the word "special" on the radio and in post-practice press gatherings and in this newsletter is pleasant to the ears, but the Ute's front seven defensively will quickly separate the "Special" sheep from the goats when it comes to the reality of how good BYU will be this season. For the last five games, here are BYU's rushing stats against Utah 2011 - lost 54-10.rushed 22 times for 11 yards 2010 - lost 17-16.rushed 37 times for 65 yards 2009 - won 26-23.rushed 36 times for 131 yards 2008 - lost 48-24.rushed 30 times for 214 yards, but also threw 5 interceptions 2007 - won 17-10.rushed 33 times for 155 yards We will keep up all "special" patter and chatter about the BYU running game for another four weeks, but BYU's running game is similar to the current political campaigns now being waged. They are all about promises, polls, predictions and prognostications and stuffing the ballot box. Against Utah it will be all about stuffing the run. If the Cougars can keep the Utes from doing just that, then this truly will be a special team and season. See you at the line of scrimmage on Sept. 15. HOW MUCH IS BYU FOOTBALL WORTH? A year ago, Forbes Magazine wrote an article and listed the top 50 most valuable sports teams in the world. Manchester United, the soccer club from the English Premier League, came in at the top spot with a value of $1.86 billion. That's billion, not million. Jerry Jones and his Dallas Cowboys came in second, with a worth of $1.81 billion. As a matter of fact, all 32 franchises and teams in the NFL made the top-fifty list for value. The New York Yankees were third on the list and the Texas Rangers came in at No. 50. At least 10 soccer teams made the list. All of which got me thinking. How much is BYU football worth? Especially when compared to other top football programs in the land. There is no complete empirical data on which to realistically base my assessment, but if BYU made a top 50 list of financially lucrative lists for college football teams, they wouldn't be in the upper half of that list, in my opinion. Let's get this straight. BYU football fans are awesome. They support their team through thick and thin. They just don't support their team through their wallets the way the Big Boy programs do. The Cougars could very well be a top 25 team this year. They have a very nice exclusive TV contract with ESPN and Cougar fans have television access to their team that most fans at other schools would just dream about. But when it comes to bucks, especially those bucks generated by ticket sales and the price of those tickets and the demand for those tickets, BYU is definitely not in the Major Leagues. They are also not in rookie ball. Our assessment of BYU when it comes to selling tickets and actual demand for those tickets would put them in Double A ball. Actually, the selling of tickets for BYU football is not an issue. It is the price at which those tickets are sold that pales in comparison to other big name and big time programs and puts those programs in the Major Leagues compared to the Minor Leagues where BYU currently resides. It is no secret that BYU has raised football ticket prices over the last few years. That said, the price of those tickets is still not at the levels that the elite of college football sell theirs. An even more telling example of demand for the BYU football ticket vs. the demand for tickets for the Big Boys is found in the secondary market for tickets, such as Stub Hub etc. For example, single game tickets for BYU home football games are now available on Stub Hub. You can buy a single ticket from this internet agency for the Washington State game as of late this week for $18. A Weber State single can be currently had for $5. The Hawaii game can be accessed for $12. For the LDS conference weekend matchup against Utah State, tickets can be purchased for $18. The Oregon State game in Provo is going for $21.95 and the final home contest against Idaho is pegged at just $8 by Stub Hub. BYU fans appear to be more apt to spend more bucks to obtain the limited tickets available for road games, or the fans of those teams want to see BYU. If you are looking for a ticket for the Utah game in Salt Lake, they start at $99 on Stub Hub. That sounds like BYU is up there with the demand for tickets like the marquee programs. The Double A dose of reality however is that the USC game at Utah is currently going for $145. You can still get Stub Tickets for the BYU at Notre Dame game at around $100. Stanford at Notre Dame tickets start at $120. Georgia Tech vs. BYU tickets are available on Stub Hub at $21. San Jose State tickets on Stub Hub currently go for $50. New Mexico State is at $89 and Boise State starts at $99 on Stub Hub. The product on the field may be the same, but in reality, the demand for the BYU football product is not yet at the level of many other programs. The top ten schools demanding the most for average single game tickets on the secondary market are: 1. Nebraska: $262; 2. Ohio State: $227; 3. Oklahoma: $207; 4. Notre Dame: $206; 5. Alabama: $205; 6. Iowa: $202; 7. Texas A&M: $189; 8. Michigan: $185; 9. West Virginia: $172 and 10. LSU: $158. We mentioned that BYU at Utah starts in the secondary market at $99. That pales to what the current top 5 games are averaging on the current secondary open market. 1. Alabama at LSU: $632; 2. Michigan vs. Alabama at Texas Stadium: $595.42; 3. Texas vs. Oklahoma at Dallas: $541.39; 4. Michigan at Notre Dame: $525.39 and 5. Auburn at Alabama: $481.66. Weber State at BYU is looking more attractive all the time. BYU is currently making some nice renovations and innovations at LaVell Edwards Stadium to increase fan enjoyment of the games. That's nice, but click <http://texassports.com/sports/lfoundation/spec-rel/070612aab.html?hq_e=el&h q_m=333993&hq_l=12&hq_v=5c1966e05e> here to compare the amenities of LES to Darrel K Royal-Memorial Stadium at Texas. Be sure to click on the virtual tours of the available premium seating options. My conclusion? BYU has a nice fan base, but when it comes to the credit card commercial that asks, "What's in your wallet?". Apparently not as much as what is in the wallets of Nebraska fans. YOU CAN'T CONTACT JABARI, BUT YOU CAN STILL TAKE HIM TO THE BANK! On Thursday of this week, the BYU athletic compliance office sent out a tweet, hoping to reach most BYU fans. It said: "Boosters/Fans: Please do not use @'insert prospect twitter handle' to encourage enrollment at BYU. Leave the recruiting to the coaches!" That is code for leaving the recruiting of Jabari Parker to BYU coaches because it could cause some potential recruiting violations by "boosters" trying to influence a recruit to attend their favorite school. The timing of the tweet wasn't a coincidence, in my opinion. It went out one day before Parker was on the BYU campus for an unofficial visit. We have had subscribers tell us that they saw actually saw Parker on campus yesterday (Friday). You may remember that Parker was on campus last April while on a trip to Utah to visit family members (Parker's grandparents and other relatives live in Salt Lake) and attend LDS General Conference. He also played a little pick up hoop with some current BYU players. BYU coaches weren't here, however, because they were at the coaches' convention in New Orleans during the Final Four weekend. Again, we had people telling us that they recognized Parker while he was visiting professors at the business department and meeting with people in the administration building. He definitely didn't play any pick up basketball while in Provo. He still has the broken foot suffered in July at the FIBA Under-17 World Championship in Lithuania. In preparation for the trip, Parker and the USA squad spent time in Colorado Springs training in late June. That was where it was feared that he had broken his big toe during a practice session. Here is some of what Paul Skrbina wrote in his June 22, 2012 article in the Chicago Tribune: A scare was answered with prayer, according to Jabari Parker's father, Sonny Parker. Sonny Parker posted a message to Instagram saying Jabari Parker, the 2012 Mr. Basketball of Illinois and the Gatorade national high school basketball player of the year, got a hairline fracture in his left big toe during a <http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-06-22/sports/chi-jabari-parker-to-p lay-for-team-usa-after-injury-scare-20120622_1_jabari-parker-parker-s-simeon -kendrick-nunn> Team USA U-17 practice in Colorado Springs, Colo., after it was stepped on. An X-ray after practice revealed the fracture, but a second showed the injury was not as bad as first thought. "Forty-eight hours ago he had a hairline fracture on his big toe and now it's healed," Sonny Parker told the Tribune on Friday afternoon. "That's the power of prayer." Initially it looked like the injury might prevent Parker from representing Team USA. Sonny Parker wrote in Instagram that Jabari was "completely healed." The "power of prayer" referred to by Parker's dad, who is not LDS, but attends church with his family, is code for Parker receiving a "blessing". Out of respect for the privacy of Parker, and the two LDS men who gave the blessing, I won't go into any detail, but I will just say that it is a very, very interesting story that has BYU basketball connections. If you have a twitter account, you can't contact Jabari Parker, but you can still cash in on him for a limited time. You may remember that in June, I ran the Jabari Jackpot special. The deal was that if you renewed or extended your subscription to Cougar Sportsline and Parker didn't sign with BYU, I would give another free year extension of that subscription. With Parker's unofficial visit to BYU this weekend, this isn't a tweet, but it is still sweet.as in a sweet deal for you. For another two weeks, I am again offering the Jabari Jackpot deal. Click Here <http://www.cougarstreet.com/product/Subscriptions?ID=2748> for details and to take advantage of either my largesse or lack of business sense. If you don't like clicking, then let's try ticking.as in ticking off the current BYU basketball commits and omits (Damarcus Harrison). Commits Eric Mica, 6-9, Forward, Lone Peak HS.had a blow-up summer showing and has moved into the national top 100 prospects lists of all recruiting services. Did not playhigh school basketball last year because of a UHSAA ruling on his transfer from Waterford, a private 2A school Salt Lake, back to Lone Peak where his family has resided for years. Will sign in November Nick Emery, 6-1, Guard, Lone Peak HS.A scoring machine in high school and on the AAU summer and spring circuits, but will have to wait a few years before scoring for BYU. Has said that he will serve an LDS mission before enrolling in Provo. Will Sign in November. Braiden Shaw, 6-8, Forward, Eagle HS, ID.Averaged 11 points and 8 rebounds as a junior. Hasn't shown much on the AAU radar, but you can bet he has been seen enough by Rose at BYU camps. Rose doesn't offer if he doesn't think they can play. He thinks Shaw can play. He just won't play for a while. He will sign in November, but like Emery, serve an LDS mission before enrolling. Jakob Hartsock, 6-7, Forward, Bartlesville HS, OK.The younger brother of Noah Hartsock will sign in November, but will also leave on an LDS mission out of high school. T.J. Haws, 6-4, Wing, Lone Peak HS.Committed and will sign in November of 2013. A big-time player, who will just get better in college. Has opened eyes on the AAU circuit the last two summers. Younger brother of Tyler Haws. Dalton Nixon, 6-7, Orem HS.Has committed and will sign in November of 2013. Had offers from all Utah schools. Started to come on and play extremely well this past spring and summer. Will be a legacy recruit with both his father and mother having played basketball at BYU. Offers Luke Worthington, 6-9, Center/Forward, Homestead HS, WI.This LDS prospect has a BYU offer, but is not yet committed. Stanford, with the recent hire of Mark Madsen as an assistant is making a big push now for LDS prospects. As of early August, according to his father, he now has his choice of college trimmed to 5 schools: Butler, BYU, Davidson, Penn and Princeton. Looks like grades won't be a problem if he is considering Ivy League schools. Will sign somewhere in November. Payton Dastrup, 6-9, Center, Mountain View HS, AZ.A big man who will be a junior this season and can't sign until November 2013. Has a lot of offers from big name schools, but BYU was slow to offer because they saw him play this summer in Provo and he had trouble getting his shot off against Eric Mica and Ian Harward and couldn't stop them from scoring. That accounted for the hesitancy. Dastrup subsequently went on a tear on the AAU circuit and BYU kept watching and finally decided to offer. He reportedly has offers from Florida, Virginia, BYU, Arizona, ASU, Oregon State, USC and Utah. Will serve an LDS mission. Omits Damarcus Harrison, 6-4, Guard, BYU.Harrison, a seldom used guard last season, told Dave Rose that he was leaving on an LDS mission this summer. Rose opted to ask recent signee Cory Calvert of Colorado to delay his mission for at least a year and enroll in school in order to bolster the shaky guard line of last season and replace Harrison. With Calvert on scholarship, that didn't leave any for Harrison when he called a few weeks ago to say that he wouldn't be going on a mission for another year. There were no scholarships available. The delay in leaving for the mission was not Harrison's but a decision made by his ecclesiastical leaders. Harrison has since landed at Clemson, a few miles from his home town of Greenwood. S.C. The best explanation of what went down is in this article <http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaab-the-dagger/delayed-mormon-mission-leads -damarcus-harrison-leave-byu-181005976--ncaab.html> . FOOTBALL IS STILL KING SO LET CROWN BYU'S 2013 FOOTBALL COMMITS At the bottom of this list you find some of the early highlights turned in this week by some of these commits. Keegan Hicks, 6-3, 280 OL from South Jordan, Utah (Bingham High School) Brayden Kearsley, 6-6, 250 OL from Portland, Ore. (Aloha High School) Trajan Pili, 6-2, 200 LB from Las Vegas (Centennial High School) Dallin Leavitt, 5-11, 196 Safety from Portland, Ore. (Central Catholic High School) Moroni Laulu-Pututau, 6-4, 190, TE from Hyrum, Utah (Mountain Crest High School) Talon Shumway, 6-3, 190, WR from Highland, Utah (Lone Peak High School) JonRyheem Peoples, 6-6, 300 OL from Rigby, Idaho (Rigby High School) Maataua Brown, 6-5, 290, DT from Norwalk, Calif. (Cerritos Junior College) Kalolo Manumaleuna Utu, 6-2, 250, LB from Compton, Calif. (Compton Junior College) Nathan DeBeikes, 6-2, 196, LB from Thousand Oaks, Calif. (Thousand Oaks HS) Johnny Tapasoa, 5-10, 190, Safety from Kahuku, Hawaii (Kahuku High School) Addison Pulsipher, 6-5, 240, DE from Temecula, Calif. (Temecula Valley High School) Billy Green, 6-2, 196, QB from Shoreline, Wash. (Christian King's High School) Hayden Weichers, 6-0, 165 WR from South Jordan, Utah (Bingham High School) Kai Nacua, 6-2, 200 LB from Las Vegas, Nev. (Liberty High School) Patrick Palau, 5-11, 240 FB from Salt Lake City, Utah (East High School) Thomas Shoaf, 6-6, 265 OL from Columbus, Indiana (Columbus North HS) Garrett England, 6-3, 185 WR from Salt Lake City, Utah (Skyline High School) Michael Davis, 6-2, 180 WR from Los Angeles, Calif. (Glendale High School) Inoke Lotulelei, 5-8, 175 WR from Salt Lake City, Utah (Cottonwood High School) Darrin Laufasa, 6-1, 220 RB from Bothell, Wash. (Bothell High School) Merrill Taliauli, 6-2, 305 DL from Salt Lake City, Utah (East High School) Talon Shumway, Lone Peak.caught 2 td passes, 7 and 22 yards in 21-31 loss to Bountiful Moroni Laulu-Pututau, Mountain Crest.caught 1 td pass, 22 yards in 54-14 win over Mountain View Television Timetable BYU vs. Washington State Thursday, Aug 30 at Provo Kickoff: 8:15 pm Mountain Time TV: ESPN BYU vs. Weber State Saturday, Sep 8 at Provo Kickoff: 1:00 pm Mountain Time TV: BYUtv BYU vs. Utah Saturday, Sep 15 at Salt Lake Kickoff: 8:00 pm Mountain Time TV: ESPN2 BYU vs. Boise State Thursday, Sep 20 at Boise Kickoff: 7:00 pm Mountain Time TV: ESPN