Utah athletic director Mark Harlan’s statement issued Sunday in the wake of the turmoil caused by his comments ripping the Big 12 referees after BYU beat the Utes at Rice-Eccles Stadium was exactly that — a statement.
It was not an apology.
Pity.
When a school’s AD says a game was “stolen” in the manner Harlan said it, it disrespects the conference and the winning opponent, in this case the Big 12 and BYU.
But Harlan sidestepped his remarks more than he backed away from them, even making an excuse for them, with what was issued by him on Sunday evening:
“Last night following our game against BYU, I made clear my feelings related to the game officiating. However, I recognize that there are more appropriate times and avenues to express those concerns, and I accept the consequences of my decision …”
Harlan was fined $40,000 by the league and was issued a public reprimand and a warning.
“… My comments came after having just left our team locker room where our student-athletes were hurting and upset. …”
Is this an excuse or an explanation? Or a declaration propping up the AD as the student-athletes’ great protector?
“… The University of Utah is proud to be a member of the Big 12 Conference and we look forward to working with our peers to continue to enhance the league. BYU, Coach Sitake and their coaches and student-athletes are having a terrific season and we wish them the very best.”
Exactly where that statement ranks on the Stableford Scoring System of Disrespect Turned to Respect is up to individuals, the conference and BYU to decide. But from this corner it seems forced, insincere, unapologetic and lawyer reviewed and approved.
It does not sound like a man who feels as though he was unjustified in what he said, just a bit red-cheeked about where and the way he said it. Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark brought the thunder down on Harlan and warned him that his behavior moving forward would be monitored by the league. There was no word on any consequences falling on Kyle Whittingham for his characterization of certain refs’ calls as being “ridiculous.”
It appears that after the departure of Texas and Oklahoma, the Big 12 has had its fill of members who act like princesses and prima donnas, and that Utah has more than edged in that direction, even after it was rescued by the conference after the Pac-12 blew apart. It’s no secret that the Utes wanted to be embraced by the Big Ten — to their credit, who wouldn’t have wanted that? — but were denied that invitation while schools like USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington were brought aboard. Some of Utah’s less-than-cloaked attitudes regarding their “superiority” leaned up against Big 12 schools have been off-putting. Whittingham has talked openly about the possibility of more league reconfiguration in the not-too-distant future, which was a strange subject to raise upon an entrance into a new league partnership.
Either way, it looks as though Harlan’s statement will end, at least for the time being, this particular chapter of Utah defiance. Utah’s 1-5 league record is tending to its arrogance.
Maybe the administrator has learned his lesson. Maybe his way of thinking runs deeper than just that. Who knows?
But it’s worth noting that, competitively speaking, BYU put Utah in its place on Saturday night, followed by the Big 12 doing likewise administratively on Sunday. And that’s a good thing because Utah is a great university, a great football program that has no need for its coach or, more specifically in this case, its AD embarrassing the school with childish behavior.
Apology or not, the whole of this sorry episode was beneath the University of Utah.
