Doug Robinson Feeds Zoobite Sorrow and Anger at Ute PAC-10 Invite

In a recent sports article, Deseret News sports writer Doug Robinson cries foul on the PAC-10 for claiming that the Utah invite over BYU was due in part to the University of Utah's research mission. He even insinuates (as maybe true) anti-Mormite (antisemitism for LDS Church members)sentiments might be to blame:

The Cougars came with what most would consider baggage: They won't play on Sunday, which would create headaches for the Pac-10 TV contract, and their honor code and conservative living don't fit in with the liberal Pac-10 crowd.

Doug Robinson doesn't buy a word of the PAC-10's claim to support research driven institutions -- he fails to look at the academic facts.

Here are a few statistics to compare BYU and Utah:

Utah Nobel Prize Winners -- 2(Google)
Mario Cappechi -- Medicine
Venkatraman Ramakrishnan -- Chemistry
Actually won for work at the U of U!

BYU Nobel Prize Winners -- 1
Paul D. Boyer -- Chemistry (Work Done at UCLA -- PAC-10 School)

Academic Ranking of World Universities
Utah (World) 80th
BYU (World) 303rd to 401st

Utah (US) 47th
BYU (US) 135th -162nd

Times Higher Education World University Rankings
Utah 259th
BYU 501st to 600th

Utah has a renowed research hospital and medical school -- BYU doesn't.

The facts support that Utah is more of a research institution than BYU. So let's cut the "crapola" Doug -- the PAC-10 can choose whoever they want to for their conference by whatever criteria they deem relavant. Stop feeding the "We're persecuted Mormon's" fire that already rages in "tin foil hat" wearing Utah County!

The other members of the PAC-10 are highly ranked academic & research institutions as well:

Arizona
Arizona State
Berkeley
Stanford
UCLA (BYU's lone Nobel Recipient did his award winning work at UCLA)
(tired of making links -- you get the idea)