This past weekend, the University of Wyoming retired the now-iconic #17 jersey of Josh Allen, the NFL’s current MVP. The energy of the whole town was noticeable as soon as you drove into Laramie. There’s always a little extra juice on game day, but this was even more palpable. I got to my parking lot almost two hours early and it was full. I thought about moving a cone but instead I gambled and parked in a spot requiring an extra permit. Ticket be darned.

Just like he has for his eight seasons for the Buffalo Bills, Josh delivered. He showed up Friday night and spoke with the team, he did appearances Saturday morning leading up to the game, he came out and greeted former teammates and students before kickoff, his parents and his movie-star wife, Hailee Steinfeld were there. Then he electrified the crowd with his comments during the halftime ceremony which included a hug and a signed jersey for a little girl who beat brain cancer and a parting verbal shot at the colorado state rams. It was a moment that I’m glad I was in attendance for.

As a guy with an odd first name that’s always mispronounced, I started a sports column years ago as the Dahl E. Llama of sports. Here’s ChatGPT’s version of me writing a column.

I remember seeing Josh play for the first time in the press box at UW and exclaiming out loud in a way not appropriate for the location, what I was seeing. But nobody could have predicted his impact on the university and the NFL in the coming years. Quite honestly, it’s impossible to calculate what his status over the last decade has meant to the school. I mean, if you showed up in Mozambique wearing a gold UW #17 jersey they would probably know who it was. And the crowd was as excited as they could be. All seats gone, people nearly ten-deep on both end zones just soaking it in. It was an amazing scene and something that those of us in attendance will remember for a long time.

If only we could just leave it there. Or maybe dovetail the results of a good result for the team as part of the day along with it. And if you want to stop reading here, I don’t blame you. Because the rest of these thoughts are ugly. Just like the game.

In 23 games as head coach of the Wyoming Cowboys, Jay Sawvel has gone (7-16). I mean, there’s been worse (think Vic Koenning) but not many. But after being bowl eligible for seven of nine seasons, putting players into the NFL such as Allen and Logan Wilson and Dewey Wingard who are all still starting for their teams, the current staff has not only squandered that momentum built by Craig Bohl, they poured out a lot of fan goodwill and happiness on Saturday. A 13-7 loss to a Nevada team that had just barely snapped a 16-game conference losing streak the week before is bad enough, but to just manage seven points and watch the final precious seconds of the game click away after a first and goal was jaw-dropping. Watching the time tick off and end the game was like watching all that previous goodwill soak into the greedy dry ground of a harsh high plains soil. After jumping out to a 28-0 lead at halftime over csu in the Border War last month, the Pokes’ offense has scored 17 total points in 14 quarters. The loss means another year of no bowl game and a trip to Hawaii to face a good Rainbow Warriors team on a short week over Thanksgiving break. How do you think things are going to go this Saturday night?

For years, I’ve heard coaches say, if you support the team, they will give you a winner. Coach Bohl was no stranger to calling out smaller crowds in his ten seasons in Laramie. But this place has supported the team. They are averaging over 90% capacity despite 800-mile round trips and ice storms at night. And that crowd on Saturday? They wanted something to cheer for. And this staff and the players gave them nothing. Just kids you say? Well, in the era of NIL where players wanted to get paid and now they are, being a professional and being paid for your work comes with criticism. And this team, players included, deserve a big heaping pile of it for Thanksgiving this week. This holiday season, I’m grateful for Josh Allen. Maybe he knows a guy who can help with the current team, because they look lost and clueless out there and the fans deserve better.