LAS VEGAS – Oregon State LB Keaton Kristick committed a faux pas Monday at the joint Las Vegas Bowl press conference with Brigham Young.
He walked in with a cup of coffee and drank it as he mingled with reporters and opposing players.
Mormons are not supposed to drink anything with caffeine. When that was brought to his attention, he was shocked. So it wasn’t a way of taunting the Cougars.
“Really, I didn’t know that,” Kristick said. “I feel really bad now.”
A guy I worked with in my last job, who covered San Diego State, had to smuggle Pepsi into the football games at BYU since it wasn’t served or sold in the stadium. There was no way he could make it through the day with a Pepsi.
Beyond that situation, there wasn’t anything major that came out of the event. But there was potential for a problem.
A reporter tried to lure coach Mike Riley into dissing BYU the way Oregon coach Mike Bellotti did in 2006. Someone asked Bellotti back then if BYU would be a top Pac-10 team.
Bellotti said the Cougars wouldn’t be a top team. After BYU dominated the Ducks Bellotti was asked again if the Cougars would be a top Pac-10 team, and he remained firm that they wouldn’t.
The question to Riley came under the guise of expanding the Pac-10, and if BYU and Utah were good teams to include.
“I think they would fit very well,” Riley said. “I don’t know what would happen with expansion. Football-wise, they look to me like good fits.”
International incident averted. Good job, Mike.
Video report
Check Riley in the above clip at the press conference. QB Sean Canfield talks about the team in the quick bottom clip.
Trophy presentation
The game will not only be broadcast on ESPN but ESPN360.com, including the trophy presentation. When the TV feed goes off the air you can check out the postgame festivities on the Net.
Quick hits
Officials from the Big 12 Conference will call the game. … The Beavers will be on the west side of the stadium as the visiting team, but will use the home team’s locker room.
6 comments
aaron_ says:
Dec 22, 2009
What was the Cougars reaction to the Coffee Incident? Where they ok with Keatons slip?
WetRodentia says:
Dec 22, 2009
The Coffee Incident? Were they OK with his slip up? Last I checked this was a free country. Since when is it not allowed to have a cup of coffee at a freaking press conference? A faux paus? What a bunch of PC BS to the nth degree.
Just imagine the horror if he would have had a two liter bottle of Mountain Dew, or…gasp.. an energy drink. BYU players may have rioted over his callous disrespect.
ckirkpatrick says:
Dec 22, 2009
This was more of joke than anything. Kristick didn't know that rule for Mormons, he thought it was funny. BYU guys are use to that stuff and not rioting.
WetRodentia says:
Dec 22, 2009
Thanks Cliff, that's a relief. I was hoping it was tongue-in-cheek but so often in today's society it's all about "honoring diversity" by trying so hard to not offend the tiny minority. The "unity tree" is an example of why I had that knee-jerk reaction.
beeverluv says:
Dec 22, 2009
Unity tree?
What the heck does a symbol of marriage have to do with PC?
Not knowing it was a joke is one thing, but having a knee-jerk reaction to a supposed knee-jerk reaction is weird.
beeverluv says:
Dec 22, 2009
If you're going to now go off on some rant about how evergreens, holly, mistletoe, wreaths, lights and gift exchanges never came to be a symbol of the winter solstice until Christmas was appointed incorrectly as the date of Jesus' birth… then just go away.
If you want to make Christmas what it was when the Founding Fathers created America, then you would have to ban it. The whole faux outrage over some unimaginative 'war on Christmas' is just boring and pathetic.
Live your life and be happy.
Part of that will be hopefully cheering the Beavs on to a win tonight.
Go Beavs!