Utah’s next test? ASU, fresh off its upset of Pac-12 favorite Washington

Zack Moss walked in his front door around 2:30 a.m. Sunday morning.

Probably a little sore after ramming into USC Trojans over and over again, and definitely somber after the heartbreak of Utah’s 28-27 loss at the Coliseum. But even after a career-high 141 yards on 20 carries, the sophomore running back made sure to pull up highlights of the defense he’d see in a week’s time.

What he glimpsed while watching the Arizona State Sun Devils put reigning Pac-12 Conference champion Washington in a chokehold, handing the previously unbeaten No. 5 Huskies their first loss of 2017, was described as “just a defensive brawl,” Moss said. ASU won, 13-7.

No, the schedule doesn’t relent. Not for Utes (4-2, 1-2). Not for anyone in the Pac-12.

ASU travels north to face Utah this weekend, fresh off its latest appearance in the #Pac12AfterDark spotlight. While much of the East Coast was winding down from a weekend filled with upsets and undefeated teams now sporting a “1” in the loss column, the Sun Devils only added to the madness.

“It was a weird weekend,” Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said. “A wild weekend.”

Kyle Whittingham on the wild weekend in college football featuring several upsets and undefeated teams across the country going down. http://pic.twitter.com/yWQr1GO7Qv

— Chris Kamrani (@chriskamrani) October 16, 2017

Not only did Washington fall for the first time this season, but Washington State was pummeled by Cal in Berkeley, Calif., on Friday. Defending national champion Clemson also lost at Syracuse the same evening.

To pull off such a huge upset, ASU reversed its own ugly trend beautifully against Jake Browning and the Huskies.

The Sun Devils were giving up over 36 points per game before knocking off Washington. In fact, the lowest point total ASU had allowed in its first five games was 30 points in a home loss to San Diego State. But ASU smothered Browning and Co., sacking the Heisman Trophy candidate eight times, while giving up just 230 yards of total offense. Washington was the highest-ranked team ASU had beaten since defeating then No.1-ranked Nebraska in September 1996.

At his own press conference on Monday, Washington coach Chris Petersen said, “I knew going in that was a scary team.”

If they didn’t before, the Utes know now.

Arizona State at Utah<br>Saturday, 1:30 p.m.<br>TV • FS1

“They were juiced up and excited and it was such a game of emotion,” Whittingham said of ASU‘s performance. “That’s one great example right there of how your mental state of mind and your preparedness is so key in football. It’s huge. They were ready.”

Quarterback Troy Williams, who began his collegiate career at Washington, said the parity in the league hasn’t surprised him, by any means.

“It doesn’t surprise me,” he said. “It’s hard to go undefeated. I feel like in any conference, that’s hard to do. When somebody does get beat, it’s not too much of a shock to me. Anybody can be beaten on any given day. You never know.”

Watching ASU fans flood the field at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Ariz., Saturday night serves as another reminder. Whittingham said while the defensive performance of the Sun Devils has the attention of the coaching staff, junior quarterback Manny Wilkins continues to come into his own. And the ASU offense, featuring talents such as wide receiver N’Keal Harry and running backs Kalen Ballage and Demario Richard will cause headaches, too.

“We’ve got our work cut out for this week,” Whittingham said, “just like we do every week.”

In studying ASU’s win over the Huskies, Moss said he saw a team that “stood up at home.” Which is precisely what the Utes must do after back-to-back losses. The Sun Devils, meanwhile, might’ve found their identity in the signature win over Washington.

“I think those things are going to clash in between,” Moss said.

from The Salt Lake Tribune http://ift.tt/2ytleiC

#MeToo: Utah women take to social media to share their stories of sexual harassment and assault

Amanda Rock took to Twitter late Monday morning and typed the same two words that many women and men across the country posted online as they shared their stories of sexual harassment or assault: “Me too.”

The Salt Lake City woman added: “I’m still so mad at myself for not saying anything.”

There was some hesitation, she said, in adding her voice to the impromptu social media movement that was sparked Sunday by actress Alyssa Milano, who posted on Twitter with an idea that if all women who have been sexually harassed or assaulted wrote “Me too” as a social media status, it would give people a sense of the magnitude of the problem.

If you’ve been sexually harassed or assaulted write ‘me too’ as a reply to this tweet. http://pic.twitter.com/k2oeCiUf9n

— Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) October 15, 2017

But Rock said Monday that she wanted to share her own story to support other women who have posted.

After posting #metoo on Twitter, Rock told The Tribune that she was sexually harassed by a man on a TRAX train who rubbed himself against her while making small talk. Shocked, she didn’t know what to do — she never asked him to stop, she never called the cops.

“I just let him,” she said. “ … It’s only recently that it occurred to me that it’s him, not me, that should have acted differently. There’s no way that I’m going to be mad at myself anymore. Hearing and reading other women’s stories, I realized that I would never think that they didn’t react properly, so I shouldn’t be mad at myself anymore.”

Rock was one of thousands who posted their #metoo experience in response to Milano’s call to action. Within hours of the actress’s Sunday tweet, “Me too” began appearing in droves, and quickly started trending on Twitter and Facebook. By Monday morning, the hashtag #metoo was the top trending phrase on Twitter in Salt Lake City.

On social media, some Utahns wrote simply, “Me too.” Others wrote #metoo, but added: “I don’t ever want to talk about it.”

Still others shared their specific stories of sexual harassment or assault. One woman was 18. Another was assaulted as a child. Another woman recounted how just two days ago, two men pulled up next to her car in downtown Salt Lake City and yelled vulgarities at her.

There was that time in junior high. High school. At her job. In a basement. On the street.

And the response from many? You are not alone. It happened to me, too.

The actress’s tweet-turned-social-media-movement has done what it intended: it showed how commonplace sexual assault and harassment are.

One Utah woman, who asked to remain anonymous, told The Tribune on Monday that she was groped under her shirt by a high-power board member years ago. She shared her #metoo story to show the public how prevalent sexual assault and harassment is.

“Those who perpetrate sexual assault are our friends, our neighbors, our family members,” she said. “There is a harasser or assaulter behind every #metoo you read.”

Toni Smith, of Salt Lake City, wrote on Twitter that she has been harassed and molested by men, and was also raped by women. She told The Tribune she wasn’t surprised with the outpouring of posts from other women — in fact, she thought there would be more.

The reason she posted her own story?

“This is me too,” she said. “This is not just some random person you’ve never heard of. It becomes very personal, and when things become personal, people care about them.”

Turner Bitton, executive director of the Utah Coalition Against Sexual Assault (UCASA), said Monday that the movement has been empowering to survivors of sexual abuse.

“A lot of times,” Bitton said, “just disclosing that you have experienced violence, that can be a healing moment in and of itself.”

UCASA has heard from service providers across the state who have said they’ve seen an increase in a request for services Monday — likely because of the massive social media campaign.

There’s been an increase in need at the Center for Women and Children in Crisis as well, according to Christine Cagano, who is the sexual assault services coordinator. That increase began about a week ago, she said, as news of decades of sexual abuse allegations emerged against film producer Harvey Weinstein.

“It’s a trigger for everyone,” she said. “Even if you confronted it years ago, just the story in and of itself, just rape and sexual assault in itself, is a trigger. No matter how well you’re doing.”

Cagano said that while the social media movement is powerful, people should still be sensitive to those who don’t want to share their experiences publicly.

“Kudos to those who do, and kudos to those who don’t,” she said. “We don’t want to shame the survivors who don’t want to talk about it publicly.”

Bitton said people often think of sexual assault survivors as broken, sad or hurt. But in working with those survivors, he’s found they are strong and resilient.

“To see them leading the charge out there with this campaign, empowering survivors, and saying this happened to me too — it’s very inspirational,” he said.

Anyone in need of resources can call Utah’s 24-hour Sexual Violence Crisis Line at 1-888-421-1100 or visit UCASA’s website for more information about services in your area.

• In light of recent news regarding the abuse of women, including domestic violence and sexual assault, the Center for Women and Children in Crisis is hosting a candlelight vigil on Oct. 23 at 7 p.m. at Utah Valley University. The vigil is intended to raise awareness about domestic violence, and will be held at the Reflection Center in the student Wellness Building. Susan Madsen, a domestic violence awareness speaker, along with others, will share their thoughts. All are invited.

from The Salt Lake Tribune http://ift.tt/2ysqiDn

Mayim Bialik fires back at Weinstein op-ed critics: 'It's so sad how vicious people are being'

The list of celebrities weighing in on allegations of sexual harassment and assault by Harvey Weinstein is growing longer by the day. But one op-ed, written by "The Big Bang Theory" and "Blossom" actress Mayim Bialik, is being criticized as victim-blaming and placing responsibility on women for not getting sexually assaulted.

Bialik addressed the backlash early Sunday morning via a message posted on Twitter, writing "a bunch of people have taken my words out of the context of the Hollywood machine and twisted them to imply that God forbid I would blame a woman for her assault based on her clothing or behavior."

"Anyone who knows me and my feminism knows that's absurd and not at all what this piece was about. It's so sad how vicious people are being when I basically live to make things better for women."

Bialik added that she'd discuss the story on Monday during a Facebook Live with the New York Times.

In an essay for the Times published Friday, Bialik wrote about her entering "the Hollywood machine in 1986 as a prominent-nosed, awkward, geeky, Jewish 11-year-old" while also knowing "I didn't look or act like other girls in my industry, and that I was immersing myself in a business that rewarded physical beauty and sex appeal above all else."

But as she went on to describe the pressures young girls like her faced to alter their appearance, and getting teased both by family and in the press, she added that she "always made conservative choices as a young actress." Her parents warned her men "only want one thing." Her mother forbade makeup and manicures and "encouraged me to be myself in audition rooms, and I followed my mother's strong example to not put up with anyone calling me 'baby' or demanding hugs on set. I was always aware that I was out of step with the expected norm for girls and women in Hollywood."

"In a perfect world, women should be free to act however they want. But our world isn't perfect," Bialik wrote. "Nothing — absolutely nothing — excuses men for assaulting or abusing women. But we can't be naïve about the culture we live in."

She wrote that she still makes choices she considers "self-protecting and wise" and "my sexual self is best reserved for private situations with those I am most intimate with. I dress modestly. I don't act flirtatiously with men as a policy."

Bialik concluded the essay by writing "if you're not a perfect 10, know that there are people out there who will find you stunning, irresistible and worthy of attention, respect and love. The best part is you don't have to go to a hotel room or a casting couch to find them."

The essay immediately drew ire online, including among prominent writers and actresses who took issue with Bialik's framing.

"Reminder. I got raped at work at a Payless shoe store," Gabrielle Union wrote on Twitter. "I had on a long tunic & leggings so miss me w/ 'dress modestly' s---."

Patrica Arquette (whose sister, Rosanna, has publicly accused Weinstein of sexual harassment), wrote directly to Bialik on Twitter, "it is also not outrageous for anyone to (be) expected to be treated in a professional manner (sic) by anyone in a professional relationship."

She continued in a series of tweets: "Is choosing to portray complicated characters an invitation for predators? Does that mean (you're) fair game? Should we all just chose to tackle material that doesn't explore that side of different women? Because Hollywood (and the world) has predators, is it a woman's responsibility?"

The Weinstein fallout started last week when the Times published an explosive story about Weinstein's numerous settlements with women, and including Ashley Judd going on the record to accuse Weinstein of sexual harassment.

Since then, the New Yorker published its own bombshell story, with even more serious on-the-record accusations by women, including some who said Weinstein raped them.

Weinstein's representative, Sallie Hofmeister, said regarding on-the-record allegations, Weinstein "believes that all of those relationships were consensual" and that "any allegations of nonconsensual sex are unequivocally denied by Mr. Weinstein."

from The Salt Lake Tribune http://ift.tt/2xJaaKn

Six tips for having a successful rifle deer hunt in Utah

Utah’s rifle deer hunt opens Saturday with an expected 60,000 orange-clad hunters hitting mountainous areas throughout Utah.

The thousands afield affects non-hunters and fall outdoor enthusiasts who would do well to either visit national parks where no hunting is allowed or wear something bright if recreating near deer hunting areas.

Hunters could find a more challenging hunt for buck deer.

Scattered reports during the general archery and muzzleloader hunts earlier in the year indicate that buck numbers may be down a bit, according to the Division of Wildlife Resources.

That is especially true in parts of northern and northeastern Utah, especially the Cache hunting in northern Utah and the South Slope unit in northeastern Utah.

“Hunters probably won’t see many 1½-year-old bucks on those units,” said Justin Shannon, wildlife section chief for the DWR. “Some older bucks should still be available, though.”

Encouraging news for deer hunters is that the number of bucks per does is at or above the objective for every Utah unit and last year’s hunt was the best in decades.

Shannon expects a good hunt, but not as good as a year ago.

In 2016, 87,000 hunters took a total of 32,000 bucks during the general archery, muzzleloader and rifle hunt, the most deer killed since 1996 when 104,000 took 33,000 during the three hunts.

The DWR says the best way for deer hunters to get a feel for the unit where they have permits to hunt is to visit http://ift.tt/2xJLzKm.

That site offers notes from the biologists who manage the unit where hunters have a permit. It offers information about the unit, safety considerations, number of bucks, maps showing the unit’s boundaries, which land is public and which is private, and various types of deer habitat found on the unit.

The DWR offers these suggestions for a successful hunt:

• Prepare your firearm by cleaning it, checking you have the correct ammunition and by visiting a shooting range to practice. For a list of ranges, go to http://ift.tt/2xK5KYv.

• It’s a good idea to scout the area you will hunt at least once before the season begins, especially if you are not familiar with it. This can increase success.

• Put together a small survival kit to carry, including a first-aid kit, three ways to make a fire, quick-energy snack foods, a flashlight, an extra knife, a cord or rope, a compass or GPS, and a small pad of paper and pencil.

• Make sure your vehicle is in good mechanical condition and carry a shovel, an ax, tire chains, jumper cables and a tow chain.

• Before leaving, make sure people you leave behind know where you are going and when you expect to return.

• Know your physical limitations.

from The Salt Lake Tribune http://ift.tt/2ys8qZm

Vivint Arena shifts ticketing vendors, opting for national firm Ticketmaster

When Utah Jazz fans and Salt Lake City concertgoers buy their tickets to the Vivint Smart Home Arena, they will be going through a different vendor.

This month, the national ticketing company Ticketmaster becomes the vendor for all events at The Viv, taking over from the Utah-based Smith’s Tix. The switchover happened Oct. 2, but regular customers received emails Monday morning filling them in on how to switch over their accounts.

The move covers all Utah Jazz games, as well as such concerts as Monday’s appearance by Janet Jackson, and upcoming performances by the Harlem Globetrotters (Nov. 4), Christian rock band Skillet (Nov. 5), Disney on Ice (Nov. 16-19), the Trans-Siberian Orchestra (Nov. 21), pop star Katy Perry (Nov. 24), and pop legend Billy Joel (Nov. 29).

The change also covers Smith’s Ballpark, where the Salt Lake Bees minor-league baseball team plays.

The move will let fans transfer and sell verified tickets on Ticketmaster’s website and mobile app, and connect to the Jazz’s new mobile app. Chris Barney, vice president of ticketing for Larry H. Miller Sports & Entertainment, said the Jazz’s new app will “make it very seamless and easy to buy tickets,” providing interactive seating charts and other features.

Convenience fees for single tickets — like those sold on Ticketmaster’s resale market by season-ticket holders — are roughly comparable to the fees under Smith’s Tix, Barney said. Those work out to approximately 20 percent of the ticket’s face value.

Jazz staff and Ticketmaster have worked through a few bumps in the first weeks, Barney said. “No matter what you do, in the short term, new is difficult for some people,” he said.

People holding paper tickets issued by Smith’s Tix can still use them, the Vivint Arena’s email told customers. The arena will no longer use Flash Seats, Smith’s Tix’ secondary ticket service, and tickets now on that service have bee transferred to customers’ new Vivint Arena accounts.

Deirdre Hill, general manager of Smith’s Tix, said losing The Viv won’t harm their business much. Hill said that over the last 20 years, Smith’s Tix has had the arena (whether it was called the Delta Center, EnergySolutions Arena or now Vivint Smart Home Arena) as a client for only seven of them.

Smith’s Tix continues to handle ticketing for the Maverik Center, USANA Amphitheater, The Depot and several other Utah venues, Hill noted. “We’re not going anywhere,” she said.

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