ABC 4: Blogs

Wesley Ruff - Tiger loses his stripes

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 18:04:13 -0700

Watching Tiger Woods in the final round of the AT&T National Pro-Am at Pebble Beach on Sunday was...odd.

He started the day 4 shots off the lead. That was a bit much even for him, but will the collapses we've seen on the Tour this year, and with his record, anything seemed possible. But instead of a comeback, it was a train wreck.

I don't care what you think of him or of what he did. But it's hard to argue that he isn't the best golfer of this generation, and one of the greatest of all time. So to watch him miss short putt after short putt after short putt was bizarre. You would expect that from Charlie Wi. From Ken Duke, sure. But not from Tiger. The fact that he had been in the winner's circle in the past few months had to give him hope that he could pull it off. Instead, he struggled to a 3-over par 75 in the final round, and ended up tied for 15th.

There will be other tournaments. I'm sure he'll win again and add to his 71 career Tour victories. He might even win another major or 2 before he's done. But he's not there now. And neither is his putting stroke.

Brent Hunsaker - The efforts of Chuck and Judy Cox were not in vain

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:55:55 -0700

I need to write something. I just don't know what. If you don't mind, I'll just work this out as we go.

So much has been learned and said over the past few days. So much of it is painful.

First of all, Chuck and Judy Cox will be fine. They will get through this.

I know them just well enough to know that they have the faith to truly believe it when they say, "Charlie and Braden are with their mother. They're safe now."

With Chuck and Judy sitting on the edge of the beds the boys had slept in, we talked a lot on Monday morning about faith and the future.

Their future had revolved around the little boys.

The large white room they'd added onto their house with the newly installed carpet was meant for the boys. In the side yard surrounded on two sides by big beautiful pines, they were even digging a pond for them. A place to play. A place for boys to be boys.

They were going to take them to Disneyland and SeaWorld this summer. They said they were just the right age to really enjoy it. The perfect trip.

Now such plans have been set aside, replaced by funeral plans.

Chuck and Judy talked about how much the Charlie and Braden had changed in just the past few months. When they first arrived at their home, they were in a shell. Disconnected. Afraid. A little rebellious.

Gradually, they warmed to their grandparents who then reintroduced the young boys to their mother, Susan Powell. At first they wouldn't talk about her or even say the word, "mom." But that too, changed.

Braden, the youngest, was told he had his mother's looks and smile. Charlie, the oldest, learned he had some of his mother's personality and playfulness. Charlie loved the pond.

At the end of my talk with Chuck and Judy Cox, we hugged. I thought I was comforting them, but they thought I was the one who needed comforting.

There were tears in my eyes.

Just a few minutes before it had all come together for me. I realized there was a purpose for all their efforts.

All that patient love, all the talking about their mother, Susan, had not been in vain.

Chuck and Judy didn't know it, but they had been preparing the sons to be reunited with the mother.

They were getting them reacquainted.

That is what I believe.

Glenn Willey-What a ride!

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:04:54 -0700

We came, we saw, we conquered! The ABC4 bobsled team, made up of your favorite morning anchor team, hit the bobsled run at the Olympic Park in Park City last Friday. I can honestly say I've never experienced anything like it.

Since I was a little boy I've been fascinated with the bobsled. It's a sled going 80mph+ down a tube of ice I mean what's not to like! What's cool about the Park City run is they allow you to start right at the top of the run just like the Olympians.

I have to admit, I was very excited and really looking forward to the run. Yet now that I'm a little older you realize things can go wrong and screaming down a tube of ice in what amounts to a fiberglass tube with blades on it, isn't a situation in which you'd want something to go wrong.

Thankfully we had an Olympic silver medalist piloting our sled. Into the first turn I thought, "this isn't so bad." On to the second turn and again I'm thinking, "is this all there is?!" Then we're off to the 3rd of 15 turns and we were cruising. The instructors were right, don't let your head drop because you may not be able to get it back up! The force around the turns is incredible, they said 5gs of force. Keeping in mind, there are no seatbelts in the sled.

That was the tough part. You have to wedge yourself into the sled, shrug your shoulders to keep you head from bouncing or "bobbing" around and clench your body as tightly as you can. They key is to not really move while pulling 5gs at 80 mph! It's the most incredible, undescrible 53 seconds I've ever experienced in my life. I must say, I was ready for it to be over when we hit the end. Having said that, I'd gladly do it again if given the opportunity.

You can do it too, it's a little pricey but if you have the money I think a bobsled run is totally worth the price. I've posted some pictures on my Facebook page and don't forget to follow me on Twitter.

Thanks for reading

Glenn Willey-Great day at the office

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:25:59 -0700

I have a pretty cool job. I get paid to guess what the weather will do. It's a true challenge that's a little different every day.

But every now and then, like today, my job becomes SUPER cool! I'm going bobsledding this afternoon. Yep, an actual bobsled run on the same track used in the 2002 Winter Olympics. Our morning show team is going to be doing all sorts of fun stuff in our new "Anchors Away" segment and today it's the bobsled run.

This is something I've wanted to do since I was a little kid but short of making an olympic team, how do you get on a bobsled track? Here's the answer, Utah's Olympic Park! Bobsled rides are offered to the public at certain times during the year. Now it's not cheap but I would argue this is a rare instance in which you get MORE than what you pay for. Seriously, how many people can say they've been on a bobsled?

We'll be cruising down the track with a professional driver hitting speeds close to 90mph. That's the key, professional driver! You see, we're just the riders and that's probably more than enough for me. I'm going to soak in every second of the ride that will likely be done in less than a minute. Stay tuned, I'll be sure to post pictures on Facebook and Twitter.

Thanks for reading, have a GREAT weekend. I know mine will be off to a fast start!

Dana Greene - A risky move by Whittingham

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:20:01 -0700

This was not the safe move. Sure, Kyle Whittingham could have hired some 50-year lifetime assistant coach with BCS conference experience to run his offense, but where's the fun in that?

Whittingham's choice of Brian Johnson as his new offensive coordinator couldn't have been more shocking. Going from 65-year-old Norm Chow who had more experience than almost any assistant coach in the country, to 24-year-old Johnson, who is just three years removed from his senior year in college, was stunning to say the least.

But while many Ute fans are ripping Whitt for giving the keys to the offense to a guy who can't even legally rent a car yet, I say we must take a step back and trust the Utes head coach.

Whittingham has been around Johnson for eight years, and he knows Johnson's capabilities inside and out. If Whittingham says Johnson is ready to become the youngest offensive coordinator in the country, then we must take him at his word. Afterall, it was Johnson who called most of the plays himself in Utah's biggest win in history, the 2009 Sugar Bowl win over Alabama.

It was after that game that Johnson was destined to become a coach. It's just that nobody thought he'd reach this level this soon. But Johnson is a winner who knows what it takes to win. No quarterback in Utah history has won more games than Johnson.

Whittingham has always said he would take talent over experience. Just look at all the true freshmen he has started over the years, from Brian Blechen to Jordan Wynn. But even athletic director Chris Hill asked Whittingham, "Is he really ready?"

Whittingham isn't the riskiest guy by nature. He could, in fact, be called conservative. This is not a conservative choice. But with all the success he has had over the years, I think he deserves the benefit of the doubt.

Let's see what Johnson can do with the Utes offense. Who knows, with a healthy senior quarterback like Jordan Wynn, and a potent rushing attack with John White and new recruit Kelvin York, an extremely talented receiving corps led by Devonte Christopher and Dres Anderson, Johnson may work wonders with the offense.

There's no question Whittingham likes to be heavily involved in all facets of his team. He relinquished a lot of that control to Chow, and I don't think Whitt liked it one bit. With Johnson, he can mold him into the coordinator he wants.

Whittingham is either going to look like a genius, or a fool. Only time will tell. But until then, Ute fans must trust in Whitt.

Brent Hunsaker - Remember Columbia!

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 20:43:46 -0700

9-Years Ago

We lost another space shuttle and another brave crew.

Remember? The shuttle Columbia broke up during re-entry on Saturday, February 1, 2003, killing all seven astronauts aboard.

I remember the pictures from St. George of a bright streak across the early morning sky. The Shuttle was traveling at over Mach 18 (18 times the speed of sound).

The first indication of the impending catastrophe came at 6:53 a.m. (MST) Ground controllers lost data from four temperature indicators for hydraulic systems on the left side of Columbia.

Three minutes later, other sensors detect a rise in temperature and pressure in the shuttle's left-side landing gear.

Two minutes later, data is lost from those sensors. It is apparently the first indication to the crew that there's a problem. But time has already run out. An instant later all communications with the orbiter are lost.

It's now 7:00 a.m. our time and Columbia is breaking up some 207,135 feet over Texas. The wreckage rains down over both Texas and Louisiana. People report hearing a loud noise and seeing bright balls of fire in the morning sky.

15 minutes later, President Bush gets a call from the NASA administrator.

Fast Forward to Today

9-years later, the remaining shuttles are museum pieces. The program is finished.

Our astronauts now have to hitch rides into orbit on a Soyuz spacecraft. We're paying the Russians to do what we no longer can.

Even as one presidential candidate tries to inspire with talk of a permanent base on the moon, the sad reality is that NASA's wings have been clipped. The future of America's manned space program is, at best, uncertain.

One more reason to mourn on the anniversary of the Columbia disaster.

Glenn Willey-"Why do they want snow?"

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 11:57:03 -0700

So last night I'm sitting with my wife and she says, "I've never lived anywhere where people complain about it NOT snowing. In the grocery, at school, at church, everyone's upset because it's not snowing."

Now in the interest of full disclosure, my wife grew up in South Florida. Until she got mixed up with me, she'd never even seen snow! We were married in April and moved to Michigan, I had a job with a television station in Flint, Michigan. That first winter Flint experienced their snowiest December on record, 35" of snow for the month with 14" coming one evening! It was baptism by fire...or snow in this case!

My wife actually becomes physically ill when it snows unless she's safe at home. If there's any driving to be done, well...let's just say it's not pleasant. During the last snow we were sitting in a restaurant about 4 miles from our house when it started to snow. I could see it on my wife's face, suddenly it became "how will we get home!" I said "we're just down the road and it's not even sticking to the roads, we'll be fine, enjoy your dinner." By the way, did I mention we drive a Tahoe?! Yes, we have a vehicle designed and built to drive on slippery roads, snowy roads, heck...I'd argue Tahoe's can move without roads!

I've tried to explain to my wife the importance of snow here in Utah. It's important to our water supply and it's important to our economy. Not to mention, I think our mountains are even more beautiful with a little snow on them. She gets it but still doesn't like it. She's one of those people who are ok with snow in the mountains but not in the Valley. Of course we all know it doesn't always work that way.

I guess this proves you can take the girl out of Florida but you can't take Florida out of the girl. Rest assured, I'm trying and will continue to preach the good of "snow." It may take awhile but I think I'll be able to eventually wear her down. Heck, she married me right?!

Thanks for reading and be sure to join us on Good Morning Utah from 4:30-7 on ABC4. You can also follow me on Twitter and on Facebook.

Brent Hunsaker - Cannibalism in presidential politics.

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:19:25 -0700

The Republicans are eating their own.

Tasty.

Here's the text of a last minute "robocall" made by the Gingrich campaign to Florida voters:

"As governor of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney vetoed a bill paying for kosher food for our seniors in nursing homes — Holocaust survivors, who for the first time were forced to eat non-kosher, because Romney thought $5 was too much to pay for our grandparents to eat kosher. Where is Mitt Romney’s compassion for our seniors? Tuesday you can end Mitt Romney’s hypocrisy on religious freedom with a vote for Newt Gingrich. Paid for by Newt 2012."

Chomp. Chomp.

After the damage had been done, Joe DeSantis, an aide to Gingrich, told a Wall Street Journal correspondent the recorded message did not go through the "normal vetting process." DeSantis also said, “It should have been caught.”

Translation: "Yea, it was shameless, but too late now."

Is this the main course, or an appetizer?

Here's what Romney spokeswoman Andrea Saul told The Daily Caller:

“It’s sad to see Speaker Gingrich lashing out in a desperate attempt to try and save his floundering campaign. Speaker Gingrich will say anything to distract voters from the fact that he suffered an unprecedented ethics reprimand, was forced to pay a $300,000 penalty, and resigned in disgrace at the hands of his own party. His record is one of failed and unreliable leadership and simply one Americans can’t risk.”

Pass the BBQ sauce?

Serve all of this up now, and there won't be anything left when President Obama gets to the dinner table.

Brent Hunsaker - Fly to London for $121?!

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 20:26:00 -0700

Please! Someone explain this to me. Within days of a new, federal "truth in pricing" policy for airlines, bankrupt American Airlines is essentially running a "bait 'n switch."

Here's what they're doing:

On a Salt Lake City to London roundtrip in mid-March, AA.com prices the outbound flights at $121 (Price verified Monday evening, 1/30/12.)

Yup, $121 outbound to London. WOW! Could this mean that my roundtrip will cost just $242? To London?? Tell the Queen I'll be there in time for tea!

But hold on Tex... when I select my cheap outbound flight and then look for a return flight, guess what? There's nothing cheaper than $690. I look at all the return flights to the end of the month and find... NO CHEAP $121 FARE ON THE RETURN!

Oh, and if you try to book the $121 fare one-way? Forget it. The same seat that was such a great deal before, now not-so-great. Try $1153. One-way.

So what's AA's game? I know they're in bankruptcy and need every penny they can squeeze (they're already charging me extra for my bags, my meals, the oxygen mask, etc.), but who is going to fall for this?

Sure, $121 to London got me excited, but when I saw the price on the return, I just got angry. I'll have to miss tea with the Queen.

What's the point of their pricing? Make their customers mad? Drive them off? It's working.

Emerson Lotzia - A new-look RSL isn't a bad thing

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 21:28:22 -0700

For years Real Salt Lake has been the prime example of consistency in Major League Soccer. From the team's on-field performance to its roster. Each season, you saw the same players, wearing the same numbers with the same RSL shield on their jerseys.

This season could be a little different.

Real lost a number of key contributors in the offseason. Robbie Russel was traded to DC United while Jean Alexandre was sent off to San Jose. Collen Warner was selected by Montreal in the expansion draft while Arturo Alvarez was taken in the re-entry draft. Then you have the retiement of Andy Williams, RSL's first pick in the 2004 MLS Expansion Draft, who now works in the team's front office. All together, that's 4 goals, 12 assists and nearly 7000 minutes of first team playing time lost.

Filling those holes will be difficult. However, change is a good thing. Remember that.

RSL had a successful SuperDraft, taking attacking midfielder Enzo Martinez with their first pick. He was the top choice on Williams' draft board so you can only imagine how stoked RSL was to see him when they picked at No. 17. RSL rounded out the SuperDraft by taking defender Diogo de Almeida out of Southern Methodist University and midfielder Sebastian Velasquez, a midfielder from Los Angeles who played at Spartanburg Methodist College.

Then you take into play RSL's picks in the supplemental draft and you're looking at a bunch of new faces on the pitch this season.

But let's not hit the panic button just yet.

There are still a ton of guys who've been around and know how RSL works. Jason Kreis is one of the best coaches in Major League Soccer. To think he can't handle a little bit of change to his roster would be insane. If the young guys and draft picks don't work out, expect RSL to make a few more roster moves.

This week at practice, I spoke with players and all of them told me this kind of change is a good thing. Captain Kyle Beckerman called it a "breath of fresh air." And KB knows what he's talking about.

RSL opens up the season on the road at the Galaxy on March 10, a game you can see on ABC4. Real's home opener is a week later against New York, another contest you'll be able to catch on Channel 4.

Follow me on Twitter @emersonlotzia and on Facebook www.facebook.com/emersonlotzia

Thanks for reading!

Brent Hunsaker - Will America elect a Mormon Prez? "Heck, no!"

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 20:59:38 -0700

Mitt Romney might as well throw in the towel. He never had a chance. It's the Mormon thing.

On ABC's This Week last Sunday there was a panel discussion that revolved around the question, "What's wrong with Romney?" George Will said it was his "Romney ness." That could be taken several ways, but I believe it is political code for "He's rich, white and a Mormon." And because of his "Romney ness", they agreed, he is "not connecting with people."

In the Washington Post, there's this: "Mitt Romney, as everyone knows, is a lifelong Mormon and this has clearly cost him votes." wrote Sally Quinn. "In Saturday’s South Carolina primary, exit polls show that religion played a major role in elevating Gingrich to the win and breaking the Republican race wide open."

Mormonism is a major negative in the voting booth.

Mike Huckabee said on Fox News, "I do think he (Romney) ought to address it (Mormonism)." He already tried that, Mike. 4 years ago. He delivered a major speech on his faith at Texas A&M. Didn't work then, won't work now.

Even stories on Romney's tax returns in the Huffington Post and other news outlets contain references to his "Mormon tithing" as if contributing money to any church is somehow sinister or a tax dodge. (Want to spike your blood pressure? Read some of the reader comments on those stories.)

There remains in American society way too much confusion about who Mormons are and what they believe. (The whole Warren Jeffs thing just made matters exponentially worse.)

In 20 years, the "I'm a Mormon" ad campaign from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the proper name of the "Mormon Church") might have an impact, but by then it will be way too late for Mitt.

For now, research consistently shows a pervasive prejudice in America against Mormons. And that prejudice extends across the political spectrum. It's just as prevalent among "tolerant liberals" as it is among "conservative evangelicals."

Back in the early 60's, the question was, "Is the country ready to elect a Catholic President?" The answer then was, "Yes."

Now the question before us: "Is the country ready to elect a Mormon President?" And the answer seems to be, "Heck, no!"

Wesley Ruff - Forsman, Blake make history

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:50:33 -0700

The Champions Tour kicked off this past weekend with an event on the Big Island in Hawaii. And there was some local history made.

Dan Forsman won the event, picking up his 3rd win on the senior circut. Jay Don Blake took 2nd, 2 shots behind. For Utah golf fans, like me, it was awesome. Utah residents finishing 1-2 in a Tour event.

So after I got to work today, I did some research. I went through my PGA Tour media guide, and also contacted Laury Livsey in the PGA Tour media department. He's a Utah native who works for the Tour now in Florida, and is a great guy, along with being very knowledgable and having time on his hands like I do. We couldn't think of another time 2 Utah goflers finished 1-2 in a Tour-sanctioned event. The closest we could think of came in 1991 in San Diego, where, ironically, Jay Don took first and Forsman came in 3rd.

I went back even further in record book, and found out that in 2 of Johnny Miller's wins in 1974, golfers with Utah ties tied for 2nd. Billy Casper in the Kaiser and Buddy Allin in the Tournament of Champions. But they weren't Utah residents at the time. So unless some one can prove me wrong, I'm saying this is the first time 2 Utah residents finished first and second in a Tour event.

Way to go, guys!

Curtis' January 22nd Weather Forecast

Sun, 22 Jan 2012 19:11:02 -0700

Wow, was that a crazy snowstorm for the mountains. FEET of snow fell, with Solitude and Deer Valley getting close to 30" from this storm. Hundreds of people, including myself, were stranded up the Little Cottonwood on Saturday night because of an avalanche across the road. Avalanche conditions remain high to extreme after this round of heavy snow. The rain changed to snow along the Wasatch Front as well, with little to nothing near Draper, but up to 8" around Bountiful. Generally, 3-6" fell around the Salt Lake Valley. Tonight, with temperatures dropping into the 20s, some icy spots could develop. Another storm will move toward Utah on Monday. It will be a cloudy day, with some rain and snow developing along the Wasatch Front through the afternoon. This storm isn't nearly as strong as the previous storm. Snow could accumulate 1-3" overnight Monday into Tuesday morning. The mountains could see up to 8". This storm will affect the entire state again, with southern Utah seeing rain and higher elevation snow developing Monday as well. The storm will clear out by Tuesday morning. Besides a weak cold front moving through the state late Thursday into Friday morning, the weather will be quiet and mild through the weekend.

Dana Greene - A true tragedy

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 14:38:10 -0700

Life just doesn't make sense sometimes.

Sarah Burke had it all. She was the most talented freestyle skier in the world, a 4-time X-Games champion, the odds on favorite to win Olympic gold. She was recently married, intelligent, beautiful and must have been one of the happiest people on the planet.

And then, in an instant, it was all gone.

Burke died today from a brain injury after a accident while training at Park City Mountain Resort January 10th. She was 29 years old.

Burke fought for years to have her sport, women's freestyle skiing, included in the Olympics. She conducted clinics to help up and coming skiers learn the awe-inspiring tricks of the sport. The IOC finally relented, and superpipe skiing is set to make its debut at the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.

Burke was on the verge of becoming a household name in the same vein as Lindsey Vonn and Picabo Street. But that's all gone now, and it's just not fair.

Burke took all the necessary precautions. She wore all the protective gear, but it wasn't enough. Those who witnessed the crash said it didn't look that bad at first. It was a freak accident that ended horrifically. She was generous to the very end, donating her organs and tissues to others in need.

Already a legend in her own community, Burke will now be remembered as a pioneer in women's sports. Superpipe skiing was a sport dominated by men. But Sarah fought so hard for so long so that other athletes would have the opportunity to compete at the highest level in front of the largest audience.

It's just such a shame she won't be able to experience it herself. Every female skier owes a large debt of gratitude to Sarah Burke.

In an interview some years ago, Sarah said about her beloved sport, "It's what our lives are. Being on the hill there's a reason for that. It's amazing. It's where we play, where we live and hopefully where we die."

Brent Hunsaker - Warren Buffet to our rescue!

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 20:28:07 -0700

Billionaire Nebraskan Warren Buffett has just written a check to the U.S. Treasury for $49,000.

Back taxes? Fine? Campaign donation?

None of the above.

It was to pay down the national debt.

Too bad that at the rate we're racking up debt in this county, it was probably spent before some bureaucrat ripped open the envelope.

Warren Buffett's estimated net worth is $50-billion. The sick fact is we could empty out his entire bank account and it wouldn't fill up the monstrous fiscal hole our elected officials have dig for us.

And what if we didn't just pick on Buffett? What if we emptied out every rich guy's account -- left them all penniless? Nope, the hole is still there.

Not even Romney's accounts in the Cayman Islands would do it.

The national debt is $15,2 trillion.

A $49,000 check is a nice publicity stunt. (He said he would match any payment made by Republicans. Congressman Scott Rigell, (R) Virginia, donates 15% of his salary every year to the pay down the debt.)

Even so, his $49,000 is like one grain of sand tossed in the ocean. It won't make a beach.

Glenn Willey-Snow On The Way...Finally!

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 11:18:12 -0700

We're talking snow in the forecast the next few days. You've probably seen the pictures coming out of Seattle. A snowstorm there is dumping more snow in a day than Seattle usually gets in a year! You need to be careful when watching a storm upstream because you can't always expect the same results downstream.

Our snow will likely begin during the afternoon in the Valley and continue through part of the evening. It will likely be a slow evening commute with the heaviest snow falling from Salt Lake City north and through our mountains. Here's the catch, while we expect all snow in the mountains off and on through the weekend the Valley will get rain much of the day Thursday and again on Friday.

The timing of the switch will have a huge impact on snowfall amounts but for now we're expecting between 2-4" of snow in the Valley by Thursday morning. The mountains will likely see several inches of snow each day through the weekend making for great skiing conditions Saturday and Sunday.

This is great news considering we're running about 30% of where we should be with regard to snowfall at this point in the season. We'll see how the storms play out into and through the weekend. What's most encouraging is the shift from a dominant area of high pressure to a westerly flow across the state allowing for storms to move in from the west.

Stay tuned through the rest of the week and we'll keep you updated. You can always get more weather information from my facebook page, and on twitter.

Thanks for reading.

Marcos Ortiz: Forgive me father ....

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 17:16:35 -0700

I just couldn't be pried loose from Saturday's game between San Francisco and New Orleans. My wife and daughter wanted the family to go to church (Catholics have an option to attend mass Saturday evenings). But I just couldn't do it. Not this game and boy was I rewarded with a game for the ages. It was like a pin ball zipping across the machine. And how could you not cheer for Alex Smith and the 49'ers. Unless of course you're from New Orleans. I'm a Denver die-hard. But man that was some good football. So forgive me Lord for choosing the pigskin over the prayer book. But I did go Sunday morning (without the family).

Emerson Lotzia - Jazz exceeding expectations...for now

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 21:54:31 -0700

Quick thought.....

Following Sunday's 106-96 win over Denver, the Jazz are off to a solid 8-4 start.

Did anyone expect this? I don't think so.

Utah's won 7 of its last 8 games and the only loss in that stretch was in overtime to the Lakers when Kobe scored 40 points.

Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap are playing at all-star levels while everyone else has their moments. And serious props to Tyrone Corbin. He's taken a young Jazz crew that many picked as the worst in the West and has 'em sitting in 2nd place in the Northwest Division.

Keep in mind, though, it is early in the season. There are still 54 games left on the schedule and while six of the next seven games are at home, once Utah hits February the real test begins.

Want to see what I'm talking about? Check out the schedule HERE.

Follow me on Twitter @emersonlotzia and on Facebook www.facebook.com/emersonlotzia

Thanks for reading!

Don Hudson - Suspected cop killers front door - The home of Matthew Stewart

Sat, 14 Jan 2012 03:38:00 -0700

While out on a story about the tragic and deadly shooting that happened last week in Ogden - I went up to the front door of suspected shooter Matthew David Stewart's home. What I saw was chilling.

The glass screen door had four or five bullet holes and the glass was shattered. The thick wood door had a pattern of bullet holes. The center right side of the door had three bullet holes. The upper left side had two holes. Another bullet hole was right above the door and the biggest hole came from a bullet that hit the edge of the wood and door window. About a one square inch piece of wood was gone and the window had hole in it.

I was amazed and at the same time a little bit of fear ran through my body. The house is empty and boarded up and yet it felt like someone could still be inside or maybe it was due to the fact that I knew someone died here and others, no doubt, thought they were going to die as they were shot - sometimes more than once - by a 9mm semi-automatic weapon.

I don't with to re-hash the shooting, but I want to salute those men who involved in that awful gun battle. And I pray that the family of Agent Jared Francom will find peace someday.

Brent Hunsaker - Politics in Wonderland

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 21:09:07 -0700

I must have fallen down a rabbit hole. The world is upside down.

Republican candidates who claim to be the "true conservatives" are taking a page from the "liberal" playbook. They're slamming another Republican for essentially being "a capitalist." What? Have they joined Occupy Wall Street?

A pro-Gingrich PAC put together a "hit documentary" about Mitt Romney's time as a venture capitalist. It is full of horrible stories about people who say their lives and livelihood were destroyed by the evil Romney. Yes, it is that over-the-top.

Just one problem. Several actually. Romney had nothing to do with some of their most egregious examples. Oops. They got their facts wrong. (Newt take note: I am refraining from calling the producers of the so-called documentary "liars.")

Before saving the 2002 Salt Lake Winter Olympic Games, Mitt Romney was in the business of saving companies. He was a turnaround specialist for Bain Capital, a private investment firm closely related to the "prestigious" management consultant Bain & Company of Boston.

This is over simplified, but Bain Capital essentially took over weak or failing companies and in many cases was able to salvage them to the benefit of customers and investors. (BTW: If you have a 401k or mutual fund-based retirement account, you probably are one of those investors. So you also benefited from Romney's work.)

Sure, it is a painful and even messy process. As an employee, I've been through it myself a few times. "Downsizing." "Restructuring." Not fun. I know.

Yes, jobs are often lost. I was laid off back in 1988 by a company that was being "reinvented." Absolutely hated it. Worst moment of my career.

Would it have been better if the company had been left to collapse and everyone lost their jobs? I think not.

What's more, many of those resurrected companies go on to create jobs. Lots of them. Funny, there was no mention of that in the pro-Gingrich documentary. Nope. Not one word about successful turnarounds such as Sports Authority, Staples and Dominos Pizza.

As for Rick Perry's play on words, referring to Romney as a "vulture" capitalist... errrrrr... Okay, I got nothing.

Well, maybe this: It's stupidity simply stuns me. I'm no expert, but my guess is that the vultures will soon enough be picking the carcass of his dead campaign.

... Or perhaps I'm just suffering from vertigo. The rabbit hole can be very disorienting.

Glenn Willey-Snow...Yes! Well, Maybe....

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 11:03:56 -0700

I almost hate to even talk about it. I feel a little like the hunter trying to lure in some elusive big game, I don't want to make any sudden movements! I'll turn on the "whisper" font and say...it looks like we could see snow late Sunday and Monday.

There, I did it. It seems we've seen storm after storm on approach this winter only to see them wash out or split upon arrival. For weeks a large blocking high has been sitting off the Pacific coast and our storms haven't been able to push through to Utah.

A couple of the forecast models we look at are trending towards a pretty strong cold front digging in for late Sunday and Monday. When we see these trends on one model it's hard to get excited. When we see them developing on a couple of models we become a little more confident. If the trend continues through successive model runs we feel even better about our forecast. The next day or two will give us a better idea of where things might stand by late Sunday and early Monday.

Just to put our winter in perspective to this point, we've seen 9.5" of snow at the Salt Lake Airport. Last year at this time, we'd already received 37.6"! A normal snowfall to this point is 27" so we're at about 30% of where we should be for snowfall so far.

If I had to forecast a snowfall amount today (Thursday) for Monday I would say 1-2" tops in the valley. We'll see how the next few days play out, because as always Mother Nature will have the final say on just how much snow we actually see.

Thanks for reading and stay tuned!

Don Hudson - He brought us together - the funeral of Jared Francom

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:21:33 -0700

When Jared Francom's casket made it to the cemetery today there was a 21 gun salute and flyover. Then, a final call over emergency radios was made. The call announced the loss of Agent Jared Francom . And as friends, family and fellow officers wiped away tears the call was heard - "Agent Jared Francom is gone, but not forgotten.”

Sadly, many of us didn’t know Jared Francom until we lost him. Then we learned about his life. He lived it to "the fullest" according to his brothers. He loved protecting the people. And he did things like call home every night to check on his children before bed. We also learned he laid down his life for his brothers. As I think about that - I think maybe Jared Francom's legacy can be this - Live your life a little bit more like he lived his.
PS: Jared Francom leaves behind a wife and two children. May God bless them and may family, friends and strangers be there for them.

Wesley Ruff - Alex Smith deserves a moment in the spotlight

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:52:13 -0700

Alex Smith will be making his NFL post-season debut this weekend. The last time he played in a post-season game was the 2005 Fiesta Bowl when he was the quarterback of the Utes.

After being the #1 pick in the NFL Draft, Smith has struggled to say the least. Too many new coaches, too many different offensive co-ordinators, too many expectations, too little protection from a weak offensive line, and his own sub-par play led to lots of loses and lots of boo's from angry 49er fans.

But the thing I admire most about him is how he kept quiet and just did what he was asked to do. He never made a stink in the media and complained about the coaches or the line or anything else. He just tried to get better and work within the system, whatever it happened to be at the time.

This year, he had his best season ever. People started to take him seriously, and there was talk about a possible Pro Bowl pick (too bad he's in the same conference with Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers). His Niners are in the playoffs for the first time since he was drafted, and he is the unquestioned leader of the team. And no one deserves it more than Alex. Let's hope his post-season ride lasts for a few weeks.

Finally Some Snow!

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 11:56:53 -0700

Finally some snow! It's been weeks since we've seen any significant snowfall but on Saturday the white stuff finally flew. We even managed to get some lake effect set up to where we saw some decent snowfall in the valley. The 4" reported at the airport nearly DOUBLED the season total!

The trip up Little Cottonwood Canyon Saturday morning was a slow one but not because of the snow. Skiers packed up the gear and headed to the mountains to take advantage of the 6-9 inches of new snow that fell on the Cottonwood ski resorts.

We raced our two boys up to Alta for their first ski lessons. What a great day, the boys LOVED it and mom and dad loved watching them having fun. Now one thing I learned pretty quickly, skiing isn't cheap. Learning to ski isn't cheap either. I figured I was investing in my family's ability to have fun and enjoy our Utah winter. Not to mention, it's great exercise. At least that's what I was telling myself as the credit card was swiped!

The boys are pumped, they're ready for more snow and ready for more skiing. I have to say mom and dad were also bitten by the bug...and that's going to cost me! I finally feel like winter is here thanks to this recent snowfall. Let's hope it's just the beginning of a snowy stretch after our slow start to winter.

Brent Hunsaker - An open letter to Warren Jeffs

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 15:07:26 -0700

Dear Warren Jeffs:

I know you have a lot of time on your hands these days. You spend all but one hour a day in your Texas prison cell. I hear that you've been doing a lot of writing and allegedly a lot of talking with your god.

Your "conversations" have been printed up by your followers and mass mailed to all sorts of folks ... except me.

What? You lost my address?

Fortunately, others (thank you, Chris and Paul) have been kind enough to share with me your writings.

You call them revelations. But I got to tell you, I don't buy it.

Your stuff just doesn't make a lick of sense. The only thing I can make out of all those run-on sentences is that you want out of prison and if you don't get what you want, all "h-e-double-toothpicks" is going to break loose.

With no due respect, Warren, you're no Moses.

Lord knows I have my own faults, but permit me a few observations on your scripture:

"... Your Holy Power of Eternal Holy Power of Union Power Celestial Over All Creation..."

Warren, all that "power" stuff can be off-putting. Edit. Less is more.

Perhaps you should explain "Union Power Celestial Over All Creation." Is that a Teamsters thing?

And what's with all the capitalizations?! Dude, go easy on the shift key.

"... to All Peoples of the Earth; Who Now Dwell on Earth, Even to All Nations, My Word of Pure Holy Revealing Who to Come to as My Holy Servant of My Priesthood Authority on Earth, to Receive My Holy Gospel of Pure Holy Truth Way to Be of Full Way to Earn Holy Life on Earth..."

Again with the capitalizations!

Beyond that, what does this mean? You were a school principal?!

I could go on, but here's the bottom line: Your non-grammatical ramblings would be funny if it were not for the fact that you, a convicted child molester, still hold power (yes, I used that word and I used it correctly) over thousands of FLDS faithful.

Warren, remember a few years ago in the Purgatory Jail when you confessed to your brother that you were not a prophet, but "the worst sinner?"

I thought you'd finally got it right. Boy, was I wrong.

I know you don't want to hear this, but it's way past time you faced facts: You have hijacked the belief system of a peaceful community and torn it apart with your tyrannical cult of fear.

And yes, I deliberately used the word cult. Look it up. It fits.

My advice, less writing and more repenting.

"Keep Sweet." (That's another of your slogans you've obviously forgotten.)

Sincerely,

Brent Hunsaker

Snow Drought

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 11:17:00 -0700

January 5, 2012
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 NEWS) -

We're not supposed to be doing that!!! We're should be out on the slopes! It's December in Utah, the snow should be flying. The difference in snow at Alta from this year and last year is staggering...more than 14 feet less!

Name: Ben Richardson
It's been the worst year ever, and I've lived here my whole life.

Name: Conor Brown
It's been a pretty poor showing so far.

It's a lot like eastern skiing, to us.

Clearly, the skiers are affected, but the ski shops...not so much...

Name: Mike Thorpe, Sports Den
It's been pretty busy actually. There aren't as many big transactions, but just as many people going in and out.

Name: Curtis Ray, ABC 4 Meteorologist
So here's how the weather affects business. I'm told shoppers are going from buying a powder ski, to more carved skis to meet the conditions.
Business is down about 10%, but that's not all that bad. The local snow removal business on the other had, can't buy a snowflake.

Name: Mark Jenkins, Masters Touch Plowing
By this time usually, it's snowed a few times. But this year, nothing. Haha.

That's means thousands of dollars to Mark and his business, but a few good storms and he's back in the game. There's plenty of winter left, and until then, maybe we just have to golf.

Name: Steve Elliot, Bonneville Golf Pro
Wing Point, Glendale... have been open. It's a golfer's heaven.
The snow is coming...right???? Curtis Ray, ABC 4 News.

Brain of Brian: Old thoughts on a New Year

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 11:58:56 -0700

Whether you need a laugh to forget the old year, or a kick in the pants to make good on the new, here’s a couple thoughts, you may enjoy.

These are my four favorite quotes about the idea of “New Year’s.”

“Sometimes too much to drink is barely enough.” - Mark Twain, Author.

“May all your troubles last as long as your New Year's resolutions!” - Joey Adams, Author.

“Cheers to a New Year and another chance for us to get it right.” - Oprah Winfrey, Celebrity.

“Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each New Year find you a better man.” - Benjamin Franklin, Founding Father.

Dana Greene - BYU and Utah both finish on high notes

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 17:42:57 -0700

The inaugural seasons for Utah in the Pac-12 and BYU as an independent are in the books, and both teams can claim successful seasons. Not great seasons, but successful.

BYU finished with 10 wins for the fifth time in Bronco Mendenhall's seven seasons in Provo. But who did they beat? The Cougars knocked off a bad Ole Miss team, an improved, but still average Utah State team, a bad Oregon State team and an average Tulsa team in the Armed Forces Bowl. Outside of that, BYU beat up a bunch of nobodys and lost to the three teams that really did anything this year (Texas, Utah and TCU).

But still, with all the turmoil at quarterback, Mendenhall did a very good job coaching up his team. The Cougars had very little to play for ever since the Texas loss, and yet the Cougars still played with passion, intensity and at times excellent execution. Riley Nelson proved himself to be a very solid quarterback, and with Cody Hoffman, Ross Apo and Josh Quezada returning, Nelson will have plenty of weapons to work with next season.

As for Utah, their Pac-12 debut started with a thud, but ended with a bang. When Jordan Wynn went down with a season-ending shoulder injury against Washington, the Utes season was derailed. But somehow, Kyle Whittingham and Norm Chow coached Jon Hays up enough to eek out eight wins, culminating in a thrilling overtime victory over Georgia Tech in the Sun Bowl.

But this season for the Utes will be most remembered by what could have been. Had the Utes beaten Colorado in their regular season finale, they would have played in the Pac-12 championship game. Granted, they probably would have gotten crushed by Oregon, but reaching the title game in their first Pac-12 season would have been quite an accomplishment.

Whittingham has a big coaching decision to make in replacing Chow as offensive coordinator. But he'll have a deep and talented pool from which to choose from, and with a healthy Wynn, the Utes should be better next season.

So all in all, it wasn't a spectacular year for either BYU or Utah. But with all things considered, both programs have a lot to be proud of and a lot to build on for the future.

Emerson Lotzia - What a weekend!

Sun, 01 Jan 2012 00:20:41 -0700

Seriously, what a weekend!

It started for me Wednesday night when I arrived in Dallas.

Two days later, BYU was beating Tulsa with a last-second touchdown to win the Armed Forces Bowl. Less than 24 hours later, you had Utah pulling out the comeback win in overtime to beat Georgia Tech in the Sun Bowl.

I had an absolute blast this weekend. When our local teams win, it makes life better for all of us.

This bowl season has been good to me. First I got to cover the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. Then I hit up Dallas and El Paso.

There are plenty of pictures from my adventures on my Facebook fan page. Check 'em out. www.facebook.com/emersonlotzia

Here's to a great 2012!

Emerson Lotzia - Will Utes ring in New Year with a win?

Sat, 31 Dec 2011 08:49:26 -0700

My Texas travels continue.

I got to cover BYU's last-second win over Tulsa yesterday in Dallas and today I'm hoping Utah and Georgia Tech can deliver the same thrills in the Sun Bowl in El Paso.

Utah's been great in bowl games. The Utes have won 9 of their last 10. Under Whittingham, they're 6-1 in the postseason. Meanwhile, GT has a string of 15 consecutive bowl appearances on the line. However, the Yellow Jackets have lost their last six. That includes a 2005 loss to Utah in the Emerald Bowl.

So what's the key for the Utes today?

No surprise that the first is John White IV. He's 103 yards away from breaking Utah's single-season rushing mark but he's gonna need to run for a lot more than that if Utah's gonna win today.

The second, is Utah's defense. While they give up less than 100 yards a game, Georgia Tech is averaging over 316 yards a contest this season. That's gonna be hard to stop.

So, something has gotta give. Will it be the defense of Utah? Or will GT's rushing attack meet its match against the Utes?

We'll have highlights and reaction from the Utes tonight at 5 and 10. We'll also have a ton more on the Sun Bowl in Sunday's Red Zone show at 10:30 on ABC4.

Happy New Year.