Remarkably, men’s professional tennis has gone through a similar transformation. If you’ve never had the chance to YouTube tennis highlights from the early- and mid-1980s, I highly recommend you try it soon. It will startle you how different the game is. Points last two or three strokes — serve, return, volley off the side of the court. Rackets of this era are indistinguishable from badminton rackets, and provide almost no pace to groundstrokes. It’s all about technique — a chess game, or an episode of cat-and-mouse.

Then came graphite rackets, with oversized heads and polyester strings, and players were free to pummel the ball into oblivion. The result was a game played almost exclusively from the baseline — guys trading bombs for fifteen, twenty, thirty strokes, playing a game of “Who will blink first?” (Sadly, it was often the people watching these painful matches, who would then forget to open their eyes back up again.) This sort of flat, static game — all the movement on the tennis court was horizontal — allowed room for anyone and everyone at the top. Starting in 1999, there was a four-year stretch where ten different players inhabited the world No. 1 ranking.

The enhanced technology had turned tennis circa 2002 into the U.S. Navy (according to Top Gun) of the Vietnam War. Dependent on these advanced rackets, players were hypnotizing each other with baseline blasts. How in the world could anyone sustain interest in this kind of game?

Apart from being the best player ever, Roger Federer is also the savior of modern tennis. When he officially arrived in 2003 by winning Wimbledon in command fashion, he did so with a variety to his game that was completely befuddling. He hit with overwhelming amounts of power, but he did so from all over the court, exposing head splitting angles inside the baseline.

The verticality was back in tennis, as Federer was always the aggressor — hitting approaches deep to the corner then ghosting to the net with otherworldly quickness, anxious to put the point away. Suddenly, you could not hope to win a major, let alone own the world No. 1 ranking, without some sort of variety to your game. The men’s tennis equivalent of the Top Gun program was in session.

Fast forward to today. It has taken eight years, but the ATP World Tour has now caught up with the magnificent Federer. Once Roger asserted his dominance, there grew this urgency to retool — place your serve, move your opponents, mix your spins and pace, and always come in when possible. It has happened in shifts, with Rafael Nadal leading the charge, but now the field is deep enough with enough weapons to make tennis interesting again. Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Juan Martin Del Potro, Andy Murray, et al., each posses the all court game necessary to win big tournaments in this era.

It has come at a high cost — Nadal, for instance, has ruined his knees with the effort it has taken to evolve his game into something varied enough to compete with Federer outside of clay. Where the cost is not physical, it often manifests itself emotionally — ask either of the Andys (Murray or Roddick) after a Grand Slam final loss to Federer. Both have slipped into undeniable post match swoons that sometimes last entire seasons.

But what is emerging out of the wreckage is a scintillating brand of tennis with endless potential to entertain. Yesterday, in Indian Wells, 18 year-old Ryan Harrison played 20 year-old Milos Raonic — he of the baby face, yet with a superhuman serve. I watched every captivating second. Both emulation of and desire to compete with Roger Federer were evident on each point. Serves out wide, masterful approaches, and physics-defying passing shots betrayed a generation that has adapted to the new landscape Federer has created for the game.

It is remarkable that a third round match in a non-Slam event could command such an audience — in addition to myself watching on my computer, the stadium was packed and thousands more were in line hoping to get seated. They waited in vain. No one was giving up his or her seat for this barn-burner.

Who knows? Maybe we were watching Iceman trading blows with Maverick out there on a tennis court in the middle of the California desert.

However, despite my personal disdain for BYU’s Honor Code, I still understand — and, in fact, appreciate — what happened to leading rebounder and part-of-the-reason-why-BYU-lost-to-New-Mexico-at-home, Brandon Davies.

In the next few days you will hear the classic arguments for and against the Honor Code. You’ve already heard some on this very site. If you live (or have lived) around Provo, you are intimately familiar with these arguments:

“The honor code was written up to battle counter-culture in the 60’s and 70’s and is outdated.”

“Every student knows what the rules are before they come here.”

“Following the Honor Code is a small price to pay for the enormously cheap tuition you pay.”

For those of us going to or graduated from BYU, we have all parroted some form of these statements, as I did in the first sentence of this article. I am a recent BYU graduate, and I had my fair share of run-ins with Big Brother the Honor Code Office.

During my sophomore year, my roommate and I had girls staying in our apartment past midnight (a violation) and another roommate told a church leader. To minimize the damage to my academic pursuits, I “turned myself in” to the Honor Code Office to avoid being turned in by other means. I was eventually put on what they called “suspension withheld,” meaning if I sneezed wrong I could have been suspended from college — for watching Anchorman at 12:37 a.m. in my own apartment, sober, with friends.

One of my very first thoughts after this whole ordeal that didn’t have to do with my anger towards the Honor Code was, “They better hold everyone to the same standard I was held against.” I had heard rumors of athletes and other iconic BYU students being given a slap on the wrist for more than post-curfew movie watching. My favorite (unsubstantiated) rumor is one of former BYU quarterback Jim McMahon being on campus, drunk, holding a beer in his hand and stammering around like a zombie. LaVell Edwards was notified of this and (allegedly) found McMahon, threw his beer away, took him home and never went to the university about it.

Like I said, this story is unsubstantiated and nothing more than rumor. But whether it’s true or not, come on — the image of Jim McMahon stumbling around the Smith Fieldhouse is pretty funny and believable. And when it comes to actual, non-gossip reality, I have personally seen prominent BYU athletes (who will remain nameless) breaking the Honor Code, but didn’t do anything about it because, honestly, it’s none of my damn business, even if they are reneging on their word. I’m not perfect either.

This is why I respect what BYU did. They placed their principles over making money and notoriety when it comes to collegiate athletics. It is certainly fair to complain about the Honor Code itself and how dated it is, but you can’t grumble about how Davies was punished. To BYU, Brandon Davies wasn’t held in a higher regard because he puts a leather ball through an orange hoop. He signed the exact same document every other current and former student has signed. He was held to the same standards as his 30,000-plus fellow students, and he wasn’t allowed to escape punishment because of the 11.1 points he scored and the 6.2 rebounds he grabbed for the Cougars every game.

BYU, and every BYU basketball fan (including myself), have already felt the pain of Davies’s absence after last night’s loss to New Mexico. But for BYU to have doled out anything less than a season suspension would have been hypocritical and completely contradictory to the school’s vaunted principles, and we should all (silently) applaud the university for sticking to its guns in the face of extreme scrutiny.

You can stream the podcast by simply clicking on the link below, or you can download it to your computer by right-clicking the link and selecting “Save Link As” from the menu.

Listen to: Rhombus Podcast 039 — The PB&J Report (2011.03.02)

The Daily Herald (my daytime employer, though I had nothing to do with the story) broke the news Tuesday night that starting center Brandon Davies will not complete the season because he violated the school’s Honor Code. The news is a big blow. And though I can’t make a decent prediction about the consequences of the news, nothing good can come if it.

But while Davies obviously let down his team and community, an equal share of culpability goes to BYU for its opaque enforcement of a bizarre and arcane set of rules. In other words, Davies screwed up because he broke the rules, but BYU did the same when — by implementing and enforcing those rules — it set the stage for Davies’ failure.

Davies’ experience illustrates a few problems with BYU’s Honor Code. Most importantly, the policy includes an array of rules that other institutions see as unrelated to academics or sports. If Davies got caught plagiarizing, doping, or doing some other stupid thing, his suspension from BYU’s basketball team would make sense. He alone would be accountable.

But the reality is that BYU’s Honor Code includes all sorts of regulations that have nothing to do with academics or sports. Davies might be a criminal — or he may have forgotten to shave one too many times. He could have stayed past midnight in a girl’s apartment (or stepped into a female’s bedroom). He could even have ordered a coffee at some point, or simply have worn clothing that was too tight.

The point is that while BYU’s Honor Code addresses typical collegiate issues, it also goes much further, making it that much harder to comply with. If Davies broke some of the school’s more unique rules would he really be a bad person? Would he be academically unfit? Would he be off the team at any other school? Even if Davies transgressed LDS Church doctrine — also more or less part of the Honor Code — aren’t those rules optional, with punishment meted out in heaven, for non-BYU Mormons?

Another problem this incident illustrates is that the Honor Code lumps all offenses under one umbrella. Davies could be a serial cheater, or a sloppy dresser. Who knows? As of Tuesday night BYU hadn’t said what Davies did, and I’d be surprised if the school ever divulges that information. But because this sort of feels like a KGB fantasy, where all offenses are treated as mortal sins against the regime, we’re left to guess if Davies did something serious or silly.

BYU’s decision to have a broad, extra-academic set of rules may have just wounded it on the basketball court. But the fallout isn’t limited to a shamed athlete and a disappointed fan base. After all, schools make a lot more money when their teams win. How much money will BYU lose if its team suddenly plummets? How much prestige will the school sacrifice to ensure the homogeneity of its student body? And losing face and finances doesn’t just hit the school on the basketball court, it has broad negative repercussions across all fields.

Earlier this year, in the wake of a Gawker article criticizing BYU, I wrote about the school’s image issues. This is a perfect illustration of that problem and makes the point that if BYU wants to compete — in athletics, academics, and research — it has to learn to be a school, not a monastery. It needs to modernize its Honor Code to focus on the things that matter in the university world.

In the end, could all of this have been avoided if BYU had an up-to-date code for student conduct? Possibly. Though I don’t know Davies personally, most students at the school are good people who would behave appropriately even without such stringent rules. As it is, the school sets itself up for failure when it makes it so easy to criminalize (and, therefore, victimize) its stars. It costs the school prestige, money, and influence. It scares future students away, and crushes some of those it already has — in this case, at a critical moment.

If BYU wants to succeed on the basketball court and elsewhere, it should let go of its antiquated Honor Code and focus on being an institution of higher learning.

You can stream the podcast by simply clicking on the link below, or you can download it to your computer by right-clicking the link and selecting “Save Link As” from the menu.

Rhombus Podcast 038 — The PB&J Report (2011.02.24)

You can stream the podcast by simply clicking on the link below, or you can download it to your computer by right-clicking the link and selecting “Save Link As” from the menu.

Listen to: Rhombus Podcast 037 — The PB&J Report (2011.02.18)

Midfielder Andy Williams has been with the club since its founding and remains a fan favorite. He graciously agreed to participate in a recent email interview with Rhombus. You can read the full interview below:

Rhombus: Did you choose your jersey number and, if so, why #77?

Andy Williams: When I first started with RSL, my number was 7, but after my second year my contract didn’t get picked up so I considered myself a new player with a new number the following year. So two 7′s were better than one.

R: Real Salt Lake has a very important season coming up. For those who don’t know, explain what it would mean for Real Salt Lake to win the CONCACAF tournament this year and who RSL could end up playing.

AW: To put it in simple terms, it’ll be like a World Cup for our club and players. We are taking these games extremely seriously as we want to be the first MLS club to reach this prestigious tournament. The possibilities of playing teams like a Barcelona, Inter Milan and other world-class teams would be an honor for us.

R: Your teammate, Javier Morales, recently stated that he thinks Real Salt Lake could win the treble this year (CONCACAF, MLS Cup, and MLS Supporter’s Shield). What are your thoughts?

AW: Bold words coming from a bold player, but I would have to agree with him. Our team is not just our starting 11, we have a very, very deep and talented team. Yes, it is a lofty goal, but it is very possible for us and we all know this.

R: How have MLS and the Real Salt Lake fan base changed since you started playing, and what do you think soccer in the United States will look like 10 years from now?

AW: Since day one, they have been very supportive to our franchise, especially being so bad the first couple of years, but they still came out each game and cheered us on. I think we were in the top four teams in attendance even when we were horrible, but now they know the game a lot better, standing up throughout the entire game, cheering us on. Maybe that’s why we have this unbelievable unbeaten home streak going on right now.

R: Among all the leagues in the world, how would you rank MLS as far as quality of play?

AW: Personally, for me, I love the beautiful game. The way Barcelona is playing right now is breathtaking. You just have to sit there in awe, they are in a different league of their own. So the Spanish league would have to be two, then England at three, followed by the Dutch league. Fourth would be Mexican League, followed by Italian, and then a close sixth would [be] MLS. Of course, I am biased

R: What was it like going from playing alongside Jason Kreis to having him as your head coach?

AW: It wasn’t too weird at first, seeing that he was our captain and leader in the locker room and on the field before making the switch, so I was used to listening to him. The change for me came when he’s running the practice sessions, being on the sidelines blowing the whistle, but I’ve always respected him as player so now it [has] just changed to coach, that’s all.

R: From all your tweets and fan interaction, it seems as though you have really embraced Utah, more so than many other professional athletes. What do you like/dislike about Utah?

AW: I’ve loved Utah from the moment I got there. It is an awesome place to raise a family and mine absolutely love it here. We love our neighborhood and all the wonderful people we’ve met whilst living here. The landscape is beautiful, the mountains are spectacular. I could go on and on. We love it here. As for dislikes, one word: SNOW. I hate it. After one day, that’s enough for me.

R: Now that you have been here a while, what are your favorite restaurants in Salt Lake City?

AW: For restaurants, there are only three for us. At No. 3 would The Wild Rose at the District, No. 2 is Takashi downtown, and our No. 1 is Tiburon in Sandy. Absolutely love that place and the owner is [an] RSL fan too, but great food and lovely atmosphere.

R: How long would it take to grow your hair like current RSL captain Kyle Beckerman?

AW: That will never happen because I get easily irritated if I have anything on my head for too long. My head gets too hot.

You can follow Andy Williams on Twitter at @bommadog.

You can stream the podcast by simply clicking on the link below, or you can download it to your computer by right-clicking the link and selecting “Save Link As” from the menu.

Listen to: Rhombus Podcast 036 — The PB&J Report (2011.02.04)

Don’t get me wrong, no one bleeds blood as Cougar blue as mine. But just because I love the team doesn’t mean I blindly believe they will win every game — that would just make me ignorant (or a Ute fan). Experience is knowledge, and I’ve experienced too many overtime losses, tournament no-shows and blown calls to believe in the Cougars as hard as I pull for them.

So when I picked San Diego State to beat our men’s basketball team at home last night, much of it was the eternal pessimism speaking. But more than that, I really didn’t think we had the team to beat them. San Diego State has size, athleticism, and is defensively minded. While I thought we had a great player in Jimmer Fredette, I also felt our team was too flawed to really compete with talent of that caliber. BYU is small, has trouble rebounding, and has absolutely no depth — or so I thought. In other words, I thought we had a great player, not a great team.

The story after last night’s win was — and will continue to be — Jimmer Fredette. He had 43 points in an amazing offensive performance. We’ve seen Jimmer do this before, and while it was awe-inspiring, don’t be fooled — the win was a team effort. As I sat watching the game, I was incredibly impressed by what I saw — not by Fredette (who was certainly impressive), but by the other Cougars on the floor.

Now, the rest of the team was horrible offensively, especially Jackson Emery who, after hitting almost every three-pointer in warm-ups, couldn’t even come close in the game. Brandon Davies was the lone stand-out other then Fredette, showing off his impressive arsenal of low-post moves (including a shot utilizing his left hand, which I previously believed to be a prosthetic) and notching 14 big points.

It was not the team’s offense that impressed me, but their tough defense and determination. The Aztecs actually hit shots when they were open. The problem was they weren’t open very often. While SDSU’s Kawhi Leonard had 22 points in the game, he worked hard for every single bucket as freshman Kyle Collinsworth (with a significant disadvantage at height, weight and athleticism) played excellent defense on him. The rest of the team was equally impressive, forcing 12 turnovers and blocking 9 shots.

Rebounding-wise, the team fought hard for every single board. Any time there was a lose ball, guys like Emery, Charles Abouo and Noah Hartsock were diving on the ground fighting for it. Bench players like James Anderson and Abouo were huge as they locked down their defensive assignments, getting a combined 5 blocks and 7 big rebounds between the two of them.

If before the game you had told me it would be a physical, defensive game, I would have put my life savings on the Aztecs to win — and I would have lost.

What we saw last night was not the product of superior talent, but superior coaching, toughness and heart. Coach Dave Rose has to take the credit for mentally preparing his team to grind it out with the No. 4 team in the country.

In many ways, what we saw last night was the team reflecting the heart of its coach. As a player on Houston’s Phi Slamma Jamma team, Rose was able to earn playing time not through superior ability, but through his hard work and hustle. As he took the head coaching position at BYU, the team was coming off a 9-21 season, and interest in Cougar basketball was at an all-time low.

He is now 147-41 as BYU’s head coach and has made BYU into a perennial Top 25 (now Top 10) team. Then there was the pancreatic cancer he fought off just a year and a half ago, a dreadful disease that has a 5 percent survival rate. If anything, what we saw last night from the Cougars was a team embodying the best qualities of a beloved coach and team motivator. The team was able to channel that into an impressive on-the-court performance.

As I’ve said before, coming into last night’s game I believed we had a great player and a great coach. But as I left the game, I realized we may indeed have a great team. The team (other than Jimmer) had a horrible night offensively — and still won the game by 13. Jackson Emery won’t go 0-5 from three again. The team won’t likely shoot that bad again. (And if they do, there’s always Jimmer to bail them out.) If the team can continue to play at this level defensively, they’re going to win a lot of games and scare a lot of teams.

This BYU team has the best player in college basketball. It has a great coach. It has confidence. And, more than anything, it has heart. After last night, this team truly believes it can win every game — and after years of pessimism, I believe too. Go Cougars.

You can stream the podcast by simply clicking on the link below, or you can download it to your computer by right-clicking the link and selecting “Save Link As” from the menu.

Listen to: Rhombus Podcast 035 — The PB&J Report (2011.01.25)