I Would Never Have Made It At BYU

Brigham Young University has fielded some pretty darn good football and basketball teams over the years. This season's basketball team features scoring machine Jimmer Freddette and has been ranked as high as #3 in the nation.

Being a Mormon college, BYU also has a deep and weird religious culture. Upon enrolling, all students -- Mormons, non-Mormons, athletes, non-athletes -- agree to abide by the school's "Honor Code". Those violating the code can be suspended, dismissed from school, or forced to listen to Mitt Romney's stump speeches.

Among other things, BYU's code prohibits beards, sleeveless shirts, sandals, earrings, short shorts, wearing bold colors, and watching Two-And-A-Half Men. It bans the use of drugs, alcohol, tobacco, coffee, tea, and profane language. It requires students to attend church regularly, and to be "chaste and virtuous". And it requires all goody-goody students to be narco-snitchers and report the transgressions of their less-than-goody-goody fellow students.

And so it was that starting center Brandon Davies was kicked off BYU's basketball team last week for an "Honor Code" violation. His sin? Going to bed with his girlfriend. (And apparently getting "caught" while doing it.)

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know -- rules are rules, and he knew the rules, etc., etc. But these are some pretty stupid rules for the year 2011, even for Mormons. At other big-time colleges, the jocks are carrying guns and dealing drugs and and stealing cars and taking illegal cash payments and somehow they remain eligible. But at BYU, this poor SOB is dismissed for . . . fucking! Unreal.