When A Picture's More Than The Subject...

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 I didn't attend the University of Utah mens basketball game last night where the home team almost pulled off an incredible come-from-behind victory against a top-10 conference opponent. But looking at this picture, I get a an idea of the atmosphere that radiated inside the Jon M. Huntsman Center as the teams battled back and forth, something that's been sorely needed.

It's a classic shot! Many of my friends who dislike my alma mater look at this and see a jerk. They see someone who accurately represents, in their minds, the classless fans clad in crimson and white, fans who are basically the worst people on the planet. Granted, a lot of those friends are fans of teams the Utes have beat and beat badly. If you can't beat 'em, hate 'em, I suppose (I know I fall prey to this sometimes...).

When I see this picture, I see the passion of college sports. I imaging it's one of the reasons it was chosen for today's Sports section of the Ogden Standard Examiner's website. He wasn't posing, not that I can tell. I see a guy with an opinion and wants to get his opinion known to one or many people.

I was shown this picture at work and the person who showed me the picture is the one in the picture pointing his finger and yelling at somebody. Yes, I work with this guy and you'll be hard pressed to find a more die-hard fan. The photographer in me respects George Frey, the Associated Press photographer who captured his emotion. The Ute in me makes me glad to see that emotion return to the program. Hopefully, there will be more of this to come up on the hill.

* Photo used without permission from: http://www.standard.net/slideshows/2014/01/02/university-oregon-u-utah-jan-2-2014-salt-lake-city?page=1,0