Five Recent Antagonists of BYU Sports
It's been over 100 days since the NBA postponed its regular season and the NCAA subsequently cancelled the NCAA tourament. Needless to say, we miss sports. One of the many things we miss about sports are the storylines that make games even more interesting. Of course, every good story needs an antagonist and BYU has had their fare share of antagonists over the years. BYU sports, for a variety of reasons, can be a polarizing topic. Today, let's revisit recent BYU history and talk about five people that have emerged as antagonists of BYU sports.
Larry Krystkowiak
You knew Coach K would appear on this list when you clicked on this article. Larry Krystkowiak cemented his legacy in rivalry lore when he personally bought out the contract for BYU's scheduled game against Utah over concerns of player safety. Krystkowiak decided to cancel the game after Nick Emery was ejected for punching Utah's Brandon Taylor. Krystkowiak pledged to personally pay the $80,000 buyout in various installments. (Foxsports)
Krystkowiak defended his decision in an interview with the Deseret News:
“I am concerned about the potential for serious injury in the current atmosphere of this rivalry,” he said. “I am not implying that any individual is guilty as I understand fully that situations fueled with this much emotion can create opportunity for people to do things they regret. Compounding the problem for me is what I consider to be a lack of remorse after the behavior, both in things said and left unsaid, and I have no reason to believe this pattern of behavior will change on its own.” - Deseret News
Krystkowiak's decision placed him at the forefront of a bitter rivalry with over a century of history.
Dallin Leavitt
Dallin Leavitt signed with BYU as part of the 2013 recruiting class. After the 2014 season, however, he opted to transfer to rival Utah State citing the "weird vibe" at BYU:
“It’s kind of tough to be a single young adult and be in a place where there are so many married people,” Leavitt said. “I think that created a weird vibe for me, at least.” - Deseret News
Dallin Leavitt returned to Lavell Edwards Stadium in 2016 when Utah State played BYU. In the first quarter, Leavitt intercepted a Taysom Hill pass and ran to the sidelines to celebrate. Instead of celebrating with his teammates, however, Leavitt stood on the bench in an effort to taunt BYU fans. BYU would go on to win 28-10.
One BYU fan compared the moment to a famous scene from the Titanic:
In 2017, Utah State beat BYU 40-24 in Logan. Leavitt went on Twitter to celebrate the victory:
Kyle Whittingham
Kyle Whittingham has prioritized beating rival BYU since he took over has Utah's football coach. His approach has worked - BYU has lost to Utah nine times in a row. Whittingham isn't shy about the rivalry game and the importance of Utah's winning streak. After Utah beat BYU in 2019, Whittingham celebrated the winning streak on Twitter:
Despite being a Linebacker for BYU during his playing days, Whittingham rarely calls BYU by name. He typically uses terms like "those guys" or "the team down south" in public. The combination of BYU's losing streak and Whittingham's attitude towards BYU make him public enemy number one for BYU fans.
Mathew Dellevadova
Mathew Dellevadova was an excellent player during his time at St. Mary's. Dellevadova, to my knowledge, never publicly said anything negative towards BYU. However, his scrappy style of play and late-game heroics made him an antagonist of BYU basketball. Dellevadova beat BYU on one of the wildest buzzer beaters in the history of the Marriott Center.
Tyler Huntley
Tyler Huntley is the third Utah Ute to make our list. The rivalry between BYU and Utah is very heated; naturally, the most notable antagonists will be those in the midst of the rivalry. The history of the rivalry is full of antagonizing press conferences. Huntley makes this list because of his comments following BYU's game against Utah in 2019.
Following the game, Tyler Huntley said the following about BYU: "They so poo-poo...you can tweet that."
BYU isn't exempt from antagonizing press conferences. Both Max Hall and Austin Collie made very strong statements about Utah in 2007 and 2009.
Who would you add to the list and why?
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