PROVO, Utah – Let me make one thing clear. My duty as the beat writer of the football team at the Arizona Daily Wildcat is not to please an audience. My job is to simply report the news and to give analysis of the Arizona football team.

Upon analyzing the Brigham Young game last week, I was thoroughly convinced that the Wildcats would lose, and in Friday’s pre-game analysis, I predicted a 24-21 BYU win.

I received numerous complaints from random strangers on Facebook and several threatening calls.

Arizona head coach Mike Stoops also delivered a copy of the issue to every traveling member of the football team.

I apparently struck a chord, albeit a dissonant one, with the Arizona linebackers by saying BYU had a “”much better group”” in my analysis for Friday’s Wildcat.

I was also called an “”incompetent idiot”” by a ruthless fan, who added that he/she hoped “”Stoops tracked (me) down and punched (me) in the face. (I) am a disgrace to Wildcat fanhood. Shame on you, traitor!””

Once again, let me make myself clear. If, in any way, reporters root for the home team, they are not doing their jobs.

Fair and balanced. It’s called journalism, guys.

Not only did Arizona lose, it lost by much more than I had anticipated.

And Arizona does still have a great linebacking corps. But it just so happens that the biggest defensive mistake of the game was made by a linebacker, Ronnie Palmer, when he thought he had tackled Cougar running back Harvey Unga, only to see him get up and run another 40 yards.

Here’s to the only publication in Tucson that actually predicted an Arizona loss, one that’s not afraid to draw some ire from the team it covers.

– Mike Ritter