Jimmer Fredette did it again Wednesday night, adding an ESPY award to his massive awards collection. Here's my writeup on that, which was published online but did not make the printed newspaper.
Not only did Fredette win the award, he showed the usual grace and charm in his acceptance speech, remembering to thank his family, supporters in his hometown of Glens Falls, N.Y., and his former BYU teammates and coaches. He even thanked his girlfriend, Whitney Wonnacott, a BYU cheerleader, for "making me look good on the red carpet."
Another BYU player, Brandon Davies, got a mention in the opening dialogue by Seth Meyers, although the host called him Brandon Davis while making a joke about the ordeal Davies went through last March.
Jimmer will play this weekend in the American Century Golf Championship celebrity tournament at Lake Tahoe. Today, he will play in the Celebrity-Amateur portion of the tournament, with a 2:25 p.m. MT tee time. Former BYU quarterback Jim McMahon is also in the tournament, and will tee off today at 2:05 p.m. MT.
On his way to the ESPY's Wednesday, Fredette was hounded by a camera crew from the web site TMZ. You can watch a TMZ guy suggest what Jimmer should do with his down time if the NBA lockout persists here.

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Following up on BYU's Media Day on Tuesday, I wrote this piece for the newspaper this morning about what the Cougars think of suggestions that they won't have anything to play for at the end of the season if they lose a few early games.
Naturally, I wasn't able to include a lot of the comments on the topic in the story.
Here are more:

Running back Bryan Kariya on likely being bound for the Armed Forces Bowl:
" Even if we don't have a BCS game to play for, we still have a record and a season to play for, and we are always wanting to show we are a good program and that we really strive for excellence in everything we do. That's a trademark of our program, that we strive for excellence in every part of our life.
So regardless of our record, I think each week we are trying to get better as individuals and as a team, and we are always trying to find something to work toward, even if it is not a BCS game."

Kariya on how he would describe the attitude of the team this offseason:

"One of the things that I think is kind of cool about this season and kind of going into this independence era, is I have seen a swagger and a kind of confidence that we definitely didn't have last summer. I feel like we gained that halfway through the season. But we had to go through a lot of work and have a lot of experiences to get there.
I think as long as we build off the momentum that we had last year, and go into the season knowing that we are prepared to face anybody, that is going to be a great boost to what we can accomplish."

Receiver McKay Jacobson on motivation and independence:

"I think it just adds that much more excitement. I think from a players' perspective, playing different schools that you normally haven't played, is very exciting. Playing in different venues is a great opportunity. It is what college football is all about, getting to play different schools.
Not being in a conference changes the goal from winning our conference to winning every game. I think it will be a lot of fun for the fans. It is just exciting.
As far as the pressure, I would say it is more of an expectation from ourselves to do well."

Jacobson on whether he's surprised that folks are asking what the Cougars will do if they drop a couple of early games:

"We are not worried about that stuff. As a team we have to be worried about that week's game, and who we are playing. We can't look ahead and say, OK, we play Texas in week two or Utah in week three. We got to be focused on that week, that game. After that game is over, we reflect back on the good, bad, whatever it is. From there, that game is over and we just got to focus on the next.
Even last year, after we had some tough games that we lost. We just tried to focus on the next game.
It is a journey here each year. It is a long race, not a sprint."

Jacobson on whether there is a different feeling or attitude this season:

"I think the players realize what is at stake here, as far as the teams we are playing. We can't just coast into the season. We got to be ready to hit the ground running when we report to fall camp, and continue to keep the momentum going that we've built last season and throughout the summer. It is exciting. You can't ask for a better schedule.
For me personally, it is just awesome."

Quarterback Jake Heaps on motivation:

"As an independent, every game matters. When you are in a conference, you can still lose a game or two and still contend for a conference championship. With this, every game matters. Every game is going to feel like we are playing our last game."

Heaps on what happens if they lose a couple of games:

"We don't think like that. We don't plan on losing a game. It might happen, but we will take that in stride if it comes along....Our goal is to play for a national championship, and we dare someone to say that we can't.
In now way, shape or form are we saying we are going to win a national championship this year. We understand how difficult that is, and what it is going to take. We are going to need to have a near-perfect season."

Coach Bronco Mendenhall on how he will keep players motivated if they lose a few early games:

"We have already won conference championships, we have already had 10- and 11-win seasons. Quite frankly, the team now, besides those immediate markers -- which I would qualify the state championship -- they only want BCS access. I think even if we lose two or three games, with the type of schedule we have, and if I am able to balance the best teams throughout that schedule, and the next big opportunity is still coming, to prove they are capable of playing on the big stage, with the most fans, against the best people, that then shows we are making progress toward the ultimate goal. So I think scheduling is going to have a lot to do with it as well, in terms of the immediate markers, without a conference championship."

Mendenhall on having to play in the Armed Forces Bowl even if they are 11-1, or 6-6 for that matter:

"It will be interesting to see. If we are 11-1, that is still significant progress. Hopefully we would dominate, or clearly win in a convincing manner against anyone we played against, and let's say we finished in the top 10. That's the top 10, and when we haven't won the conference championship, the other teams we have lost to in the Mountain West have finished in the top five. So we are not that far away. We just raised the bar in who we are going to play. So let's say we went 11-2 against a stiffer quality of opponent, and let's say the rankings [matter] instead of a conference championship, and we finish eighth. That's still eighth in the country, better than 112 other teams in the country would have been. That's still a good sign, and that's still moving us forward.
Then let's say preseason rankings and all that stuff for the next year, you are still in the top 10. Then that's making progress. So again, from a holistic viewpoint, that's how I would put that."

Mendenhall on how intrigued he is by the way BYU will be treated by the BCS:

"I am very intrigued, while acknowledging the clear standard is to be undefeated. Because we've gone 11-2 three times, and haven't gotten in. We've been 10-3, which isn't good enough. So the perception of how we are treated is, unless we, with our current program, are undefeated."

Mendenhall on the fact that there's no guarantee of a BCS bowl berth for BYU, even if it goes undefeated:

"You are right. There are no guarantees. Just past history would show that Boise, Utah, TCU, Hawaii -- they got in. Certainly, if we do it -- we have already beaten some of those teams, and are equal, if not by record, to those teams. I would find it hard to believe that we wouldn't get in, knowing the precedent has already been set.
So yeah, there is no guarantee, but I think it would be likely."