Gymnastics Fans Are CRAZY!

So, this past weekend, the U had to opportunity to host the NCAA Gymnastics Regionals at the Huntsman Center.

And apparently Darryl thinks he's very funny.

Darryl is a friend of Mike's who works in the ticket office, so Mike asked him if he could get me a good seat for the meet.

And he did, just 4 rows away from all the action:

A seat that I was extremely happy to have.

Until I learned I was sitting smack dab in the middle of fans from 2 opposing teams.

The fans from Washington were actually pretty mellow (probably because they knew they didn't really have a shot), but the Denver fans . . . oh, the Denver fans.

So, basically, I spent the entire meet listening to why Utah is scored so much higher than the other teams just because their from the University of Utah. One of the Denver fans noticed that I was sitting there and he said to me, "You know it's true." And I said, "That we're better than you? You bet your ass." And he said, "I live here." And I said, "Then why are you rooting for the losing team?" That shut him up.

Oh, and I also got into a fist-fight with one of the fans from Denver.

Seriously, I almost slapped her.

We were sitting right in front of the beam apparatus:Which was the Red Rocks last event. And, apparently these Denver fans are also math-retarded (not that I'm so great myself, but I could see we had already beaten them), and they thought it was a closer meet than it really was. So, this Ox of a Denver fan thinks that it would be a good idea for all the Denver fans to "make a lot of noise" while the Utes were on the beam. You know, to throw them off. Because apparently the only way Denver was going to win was by cheating. Really poor losers, if you ask me. Anyway, I finally spoke up and said, "Come on, you guys. We didn't do that when you were on the beam." But they still didn't stop, and I almost popped the Ox in the face for being such a baby about it. I'm so sorry that our team is just plain better than the Denver Pioneers. Oh, boo whoo. Grow up, lady! Just because you have unfulfilled dreams of becoming a World-Class gymnast, please don't make those of us who are just there for fun listen to your whining!

Not being the professional photographer that Mike is, these are the best that I could do:

(This is the team dancing before their final event.)

(This is the team doing the YMCA.)

So, in the end, the Red Rocks placed 2nd.

2nd?! What?!

Florida beat us. But we still go to Nationals.

And in the middle of the meet, the Denver Gymnastics Ox gets this text and suddenly she's screaming at the top of her lungs, "GEORGIA DIDN'T MAKE NATIONALS! GEORGIA DIDN'T MAKE NATIONALS!!!"

Which, apparently, to the Gymnastics-crazed means that Georgia, the team who usually wins Nationals (when Utah doesn't win, of course) didn't qualify to compete at the National Championship.

There was this girl from the Florida team who Mike was afraid of. Solid muscle. He called her an "Amazon Woman." She placed in the top three in every event, so naturally she won the all-around prize. Seriously. The girl was built!

Go Red Rocks!