the rules are the rules

In case you missed it, BYU beat Washington after a controversial call (or controversial rule) forcing Washington to kick their tying PAT from 35 yards back rather than the typical 20 yard kick. BYU blocked that kick and won the game, which brings up discussions of whether that call should've been made, whether this rule should exist, and whether BYU would've still blocked that kick if the penalty was not called.

At best, this was a proper interpretation of a rule that almost nobody agrees with, which makes it unfortunate that this call played a critical role in how the game ended. When BYU's head coach Bronco Mendenhall was asked about it at the end of the game, instead of responding with some comment about how it's tough to end a game that way or that you always prefer players to determine the outcome of the game rather than officials, he responded with "the rules are the rules."

Why does this response sound so familiar? Maybe it has something to do with going to BYU and being told that I needed to cut my hair because the length was "almost breaking the honor code." Or not being allowed to play in a BYU intramural basketball game because I hadn't shaved that day (my team eventually got kicked out of league play for making a "mockery of the game of basketball"). Or hearing way too many students say things like "illegal is illegal" when referring to immigration (remember, Cougars don't cut corners). And that the spirit goes to bed at midnight (except on Friday nights when it goes to bed at 1:30).