Title: "Utah Fans and Their Three-Second Memory: The Holding Call Heard 'Round the World"
You've got to appreciate the sheer audacity of some fans out there. First off, a shout-out to the University of Utah fanbase for providing us with the latest episode of "The Great Delusion."
So, there was this game, right? A nail-biter against BYU, where the Utes thought they had it in the bag until, oh no, a holding call! The world stopped turning, the birds ceased their chirping, and Utah fans, well, they took to social media faster than you can say "defensive holding."
Let's break it down for those who seem to have forgotten what football actually looks like:
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The Play: It was fourth down, BYU needed a miracle, and Utah appeared to have it in the bag. But wait! The referee throws a flag.
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The Reaction: Cue the collective gasp from the Utah faithful. "How could they? That was clearly not holding!" Oh, the horror of a call actually being made by officials!
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The Replay: Here's where it gets interesting. You watch the replay in slow motion, and lo and behold, there's contact, there's restriction, and yes, there's holding. But no, Utah fans were already drafting their petitions to the Big 12.
I mean, come on, folks! It's not like the refs were handing out penalty flags like Halloween candy. This was a call that could have been made in the first quarter, the third, or any other time, but it just so happened to be at a crucial moment.
The real entertainment was watching the mental gymnastics online:
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"It was just a love tap!"
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"The ref must have had a bet on BYU!"
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"Why now, in the last minute?!"
Sorry to burst your bubble, but pulling an opponent down or impeding their route isn't part of the "Ute way" of playing football. It's called holding for a reason.
And let's give a special mention to the University of Utah's Athletic Director, who apparently felt the game was "stolen." Maybe we should all start wearing tinfoil hats to the next game to protect against such egregious officiating conspiracies.
Utah fans, here's a thought: maybe, just maybe, instead of pointing fingers at the refs or claiming some grand conspiracy, we could all agree that football includes both triumphs and, yes, calls that don't go our way. It's part of the game's charm, right? Or maybe it's just time to upgrade from those rose-tinted glasses to a reality headset.
Until next time, keep crying into your crimson and white handkerchiefs, and maybe next time, actually watch the replay before hitting Twitter with your hot takes. Remember, not every loss is a conspiracy; sometimes, it's just football.