5/11/07
I wish I had a Fish

I am not sure how many of you had the amazing opportunity to attend Game 2 against the Jazz and the Warriors. If you were one of the select few (19,911), you will probably agree that you will never forget what you saw that night. For some, you won't soon forget seeing Dee Brown crumble under the weight of Memo and being helped off the floor by the team trainers…for others, you might not forget the game when Andrei Kirilenko ran the point for half of his 41 minutes.   But if you are like me, you will never forget this game for one reason: DEREK FISHER

I have been to hundreds of NBA games in my life, most of which have been in the EnergySolutions Arena.   To say that the noise in the arena during playoff games is deafening would be a serious understatement.  EnergySolutions Arena is easily one of the loudest places in the league, and I have never heard it as loud as it was when Derek Fisher took the floor in the third quarter of Game 2.  

The love that Utah Jazz fans showed "Fish" was something I have never seen in an NBA game.  As I cheered along with the crowd, I saw every seat empty, I saw a team unite and I saw grown men wiping tears away.  Nobody knew what Derek had been through…that he had spent days in a hospital in NYC with his infant daughter who was diagnosed with a rare eye cancer just a week ago...nobody knew that he was met at the airport and given a police escort to the arena…nobody knew that he ran into the locker room, changed into his uniform, and went straight out onto the court. All they knew was that he was there, and that is all that mattered. 

You probably know the rest of the story…Fish made a huge defensive stop late in the game on Baron Davis, hit two free throws in overtime, and made a three-pointer that locked the game away…did he deserve the standing ovation he received?   Yes!  But what is amazing to me, is that it came before he did anything on the court but walk out onto it.

4/17/07
The good stuff . . .

Brad Rock of the Deseret News has a nice little column called "Rock on . . ." I decided to write a regular post called "The good stuff."

During the Jazz/Suns game the other night, Suns guard Leandro Barbosa flew into the crowd. You could read his lips from 100 feet away as he looked at two different people he was standing over. "Are you okay? Are you okay?" he quipped as he made sure no one was hurt before even thinking about returning to the game. That's classy. That's good stuff.

Toward the end of that same Jazz/Suns game, there were less than six minutes to play, and the Jazz were down. I just came from a baseball game where I struck out twice, took a baseball in the nose and booted a double play. Frustrating? Heck yes. I felt like I understood. So, I thought it was show of good measure (considering the circumstances) when Jazzman Rafael Araujo made it a point to help up a Suns player after bumping into him and knocking him to the ground . . . after the play was dead of course. Not everybody does that in sports.

During the halftime of the Jazz/Nuggets game the other night, the franchise lifted Adrian Dantley's No. 4 to the rafters and retired his jersey. The arena went crazy for the former Jazzman and two-time league scoring champion. I happened to be standing near the tunnel when the Nuggets came back onto the floor to see the rest of the festivities and immediately noticed their anticipation in seeing and cheering for No. 4 - a guy who played when many of them were just boys, toddlers or even just a twinkle in their father's eye. Even NBA stars had NBA heroes growing up.

We all try to be funny at times. I tried it with Hot Rod Hundley one day when I stuck out my hand and said I'm Russ. I then looked at him and pretended like I didn't know who he was as I waited to hear him introduce himself . . . Yeah, so I was the only one who chuckled.

I was standing in the tunnel that leads to the Jazz locker room a number of games back when one of the EnergySolutions Arena ushers stopped Larry H. Miller to talk. The conversation went something like this:

Usher: "Hi Larry. You know my daughter just bought a new Honda CRV from you."
Miller: "I hope they took good care of her"
Usher: "They sure did."
Miller: "Tell her thank you for me."

He didn't know I was standing there in the dark grabbing stats from the printer under the bleachers. He doesn't know I'm writing this. But I got the feeling he'd personally say "thank you" to everybody who bought a car if he physically could.

So there's some good stuff. Stuff you may not see, hear or notice. See ya next time.

4/4/07
The Return of a Classic

The Golden State Warriors and Coach Don Nelson were in town the other night and I couldn’t help but think of my favorite “Nellie” story.

In the early nineties I had a friend who played for BYU’s women’s basketball team. BYU had just played a team in Texas and was at the airport waiting for their plane back to Salt Lake City. My friend and a couple of her teammates were at one of the airport stores buying some drinks and snacks when one of the players thought she saw former Jazz forward Karl Malone across the terminal.

She motioned to my friend and their other teammates and asked if the guy she saw was indeed Karl Malone. My friend had taken her contacts out after their game and was squinting trying to see who her teammate was talking about when a stranger overheard them and said that yes, he to thought it was Karl Malone. My friend and her teammates looked at the stranger wondering who he was when he began waving his arms frantically and screaming, “Hey Karl, Karl Malone,” across the airport terminal.

The stranger did this until the man they thought was Karl Malone looked over, gave the man a strange look, shook his head and walked away. Later that night after returning to Utah my friend turned on the TV to watch some of the Jazz game and saw the man who yelled for Karl Malone patrolling the sidelines for the Jazz’s opponent that night, the Golden State Warriors. This strange man was none other than Don Nelson who was still in his first stint as head coach of the Warriors.

Coincidentally, the man they thought was Karl Malone was one of Coach Nelson’s players with the Warriors.

3/26/07
Class Act

Coach Jerry Sloan is a great guy. Every time I get the opportunity to interview him I gain a new appreciation for just how lucky the Jazz are to have him as their coach. A couple of weeks ago as we were waiting for the rest of the media one of the security guys walked up and introduced him to the newest member of their team.

Coach Sloan looked up, smiled, stuck his hand out and said, "Hi, I'm Jerry Sloan, nice to meet you." I thought, "No duh, you're Jerry Sloan, Everybody knows that."

The new security guy shook Jerry's hand and said, "hi." Jerry looked at him and said, "Sorry, What did you say your name was?" The guy hadn't said what his name was but Jerry cared enough to ask.

Last night while we were waiting for the rest of the media, a local soldier who was recognized for his service during the game was waiting outside the locker room with his wife and two small children. Coach Sloan politely asked if the family was waiting for the players and the soldier replied that they were. Sloan told them that they would be out soon but but to be patient because it could take a while as some of the players like to take their time.

A few minutes later Jazz Center Jarron Collins walked out of the locker room. He saw the family and went right up and introduced himself and shook each of their hands. He noticed that both kids had a ball in their hands and asked if they wanted him to sign the ball. He signed the balls and then talked to them for a few minutes before excusing himself to go be with his family.

3/16/07
Meeting Paul Millsap


We’ve already established the fact that I’m a pea pickin’, fried chicken eatin’, sister of a runner-up state champion raccoon hunter from the great state of Louisiana. Or did we? Anyway, I am.

So staying true to my roots with the Jazz, I couldn’t have been happier than a buzzard on fresh road kill when Utah picked Paul Millsap, power forward out of Louisiana Tech, in the 2006 draft. The “Mailman” out, the “Paperboy” in.

I saw Paul play once or twice in college. Love that uncle! WOO! Paul was a rim-rocking rebounding fool back then, just like he is now. And of course I was a huge fan then, just like I am now.

My first sighting of the new Jazzman was at last summer’s Rocky Mountain Revue. I was more than ecstatic; especially since the word on the street was that I was going to meet my new favorite Jazz player. But I had to endure nine days of hearing those words and meeting no one.

I wouldn’t give up though. It just gave me more time to think about what I would say to him, tell him that I grew up just a piece through the woods from Grambling, tell him that we share the same high school career high in points scored (44), tell him that my Momma would love for him to come read some books to kids at her library in Arcadia. Maybe even ask him if he wants to be friends.

Heck, not a day, or at least not very many days passed by that I didn’t think about what I would say. And yes I was there when he logged his first NBA minutes (two and two in nine). Then there was the start. A road game against the Suns and I was up, off the couch, chanting R-O-Y in the comfort of my own home, making up for all those other games in the EnergySolutions Arena with my hands tied behind my back.

Still, no handshake, pat on the back, or ‘rocks’ between me and the rookie fan favorite. But it wasn’t long until it became the inevitable. You see, I’ve been working on “Back in the Day” stories for all the Jazz players and, to do those stories, I have to interview the players.

On February 1, 2007, Paul Millsap and Hannah “the General” Lee chewed the fat on the floor of the ZBBC for a grand total of…five seconds. I was grinning like a possum in a persimmon tree. It went a little something like this:

Jazz PR guy: “Paul, this is Hannah, she’s from Louisiana.”

Paul Millsap: “Where?”

Hannah “the General” Lee: “Bienville.”

Paul Millsap: “Oh…yeah.”

Turns out that despite being a ball-hawking, slam-dunking delivery boy on the court, he’s a little quiet when he’s off the clock. I decided to save the whole friends thing until we really get to know each other, maybe next season.

3/6/07
Team Chemistry


After the blowout win against the Charlotte Bobcats I was assigned to get quotes from Jazz Head Coach Jerry Sloan.

While I was waiting I went into the Jazz locker room and saw first hand the team chemistry Jazz owner Larry Miller has talked about in recent interviews. Paul Millsap and C.J. Miles had just sat down at their lockers and were taking off shoes and getting ready to shower when Ronnie Brewer walked up and said he was leaving.

Millsap and Miles weren't having any of this good-bye stuff and began to tease him about leaving and not waiting for them. It turns out that if one of them doesn't dress for the game he will wait for the other two, who did play, to clean up so they can leave together.

Brewer tried to defend himself but didn't stand a chance against Millsap and Miles. After a couple of minutes of verbal abuse from his teammates Brewer turned around and sat on a nearby table to wait.

I asked Brewer if they were carpooling or something and he explained that quite often this season Miles hasn't dressed for a game and he'll wait for he and Millsap so they can leave at the same time. So after some persuasion he figured he had better return the favor and wait for them.

After I had finished my work and was leaving to clock out for the night I walked past the family waiting room and saw Brewer standing outside still waiting for Miles and Millsap. I yelled over and said, "Those guys still got you waiting?" Brewer just smiled and shook his head.

3/1/07
"Jerry I gotta go!, Jerry I gotta go!!"


Call me weird, but ever since I was a little kid I've always wondered if professional athletes needed to go to the bathroom during game time, and I've wondered what do they do if their bladder just can't hold it in anymore. I mean, do they sub out of the game and go take care of business or do they play through the pain. I bet Michael Jordan played through the pain.

Thankfully, I got an answer during the latest Jazz home game against the Lakers on February 26, 2007. For this game I was the privileged one that got to "man the tunnel" and run stats out to the team benches and TV guys. I was just so ecstatic about sitting in the tunnel with my good friend Warren, who just happens to be the Jazz locker room security guard. We get to sit there and watch the game on a 10" TV screen and watch the Jazz stunt team warm up in the tunnel – Warren's favorite part of the night I might add. Nothing too exciting, but on this night the answer came to the curious question I've had for years bouncing around in my head.

In the fourth quarter, of a closely contested game, I see Dee Brown running through the tunnel towards the locker room. What he said to Warren and myself as he passed us was classic. "Too much water!" I don't think I will forget those words the rest of my life. The mystery was unfolded right before my eyes. When players need to go, they run to the locker room. Who would have thought?

3/1/07
Seven Ways To Have The BEST Time Possible At A Jazz Game


In my experience, the fans that have the best time at a Jazz game (myself included) are the ones that get the most involved. If you don't believe me, try the following seven suggestions and see if you don't find yourself thirsting for more of that pure adrenaline rush.

1. Get a ticket to the Jazz game, but try to get one as close as possible because it's a whole different ball game when you can hear Andrei Kirilenko call for the ball.

2. Eat a hot dog. This is the sports fan's filet mignon and heaven knows they taste best at a sporting event anyway.

3. Show up to the game early because you just might get an autograph from your favorite Jazz player after warm ups.

4. Keep your eye on Jazz Bear when he's in your vicinity. If you don't you may end up with a lap full of popcorn, a missing shoe or a hat made out of Silly String.

5. Don't lose focus if one of the Jazz dancers happens to toss you a free t-shirt because the second she grabs your attention, Jazz Bear will be dumping popcorn on your head and in your lap, "borrowing" your shoe and covering you with Silly String.

6. If you fell for No. 5, go back two spaces to No. 4 and read it again.

7. It seems like a no-brainer at times, but take the time to cheer. Cheering gets the blood flowing, raises the noise level and lets the team know they have 20,000 fans who want them to win as well. After all, 20,000 fans plus 15 Jazz players is pretty good odds against a visiting team of 15.

I've only named eight ways to make your Jazz game experience even better, but if you have any ideas i'd like to hear them. email to: Under the Bleachers.

2/28/07
When The Going Gets Tough, It’s Tough For All!

When the Boston Celtics came to play the Utah Jazz Saturday night no one expected it to be a close game. Apparently, not even the Celtics.

It was downright depressing to sit and watch the game, but listening to the players in the locker room after the game, you'd have thought you were attending a funeral.

"Yeah, it's tough," said a down-right depressed looking Paul Pierce when asked about how he is dealing with the losses emotionally and mentally. "Since I'm a competitor it hurts every time the same. You never expect to lose. I never expect to lose when I play basketball. It's just frustrating times right now."

Sure the comment sounds optimistic, but his head was down the whole time he responded. He only looked up once.

But it's not just Pierce who looks like the losing record is affecting him. Even the beat writers for the Boston dailies looked tired and bored by the same ol', same ol'. One writer even commented that she's not even sure if anyone is reading her stories right now.

To Pierce's credit, he is at least talking like a leader even if he doesn't look like one.

"I've just got to stay positive with the young guys and continue to help them grow and become better players and get through the season," he added.

2/21/07
A Game Night Staff Exclusive


Now, I am going out on a limb here to say that I was the only Utah Jazz Game Night Staffer at this year’s All-Star Weekend (ASW) in Las Vegas. I am not bragging when I say this since I officially went as a fan and not on behalf of the Jazz, but am only telling you, so you know this is an EXCLUSIVE REPORT.

If you have not had the opportunity to attend ASW, it is quite a spectacle. One of the coolest parts of the weekend is the opportunity that fans have to get up-close with all of the players from around the league. They can be found playing one-on-one games at Jam Session, signing autographs at a sponsor booth, or reading to kids at a local school. The players are everywhere. Attend an All-Star Weekend, and you just might meet some of your favorites.

Here are some of my thoughts on ASW:

Cool: Watching the West All-Star team at their public practice at Jam Session. At the end of the practice, the coach of the West had the entire team shooting half-court shots until two were made. There were $100 bills up for grabs to the players who made the shots.

Not So Cool: Too Many People…to a city that is always crowded, adding all of these All-Star events and parties only adds to the chaos. It took us 30 minutes by bus to get to the stadium that was only about one mile away.

Cool: In attendance at ASW were the Jr. NBA All-Stars. These were 10 kids from around the country who were chosen to represent the Jr. NBA. They were kids between the ages of 9-12, and they held open practices for the public to see. Now, the coolest part about this was that in addition to the 10 All-Stars from the US, the NBA flew in the 10 Jr. NBA All-Stars from China. 10 kids chosen from over 14,000 players China. One of these players was about 6’3” and was only 12. Watch out Yao Ming.

Not So Cool: I was lucky enough to have tickets for All-Star Saturday Night given to me, so I didn’t need to pay for them. But the price on my upper-bowl-second-row-from-the-top-tickets was $350 apiece. I am not sure what ticket prices were for anything in the lower bowl, but without my connections, I would not have been able to attend.

Cool: Jam Session. This is like a huge trade show for the basketball fanatic. There are places to try out the newest videogames, places to go one-on-one with an NBA player, or even shop at the exclusive NBA Store. Tickets can be purchased for this event, and it is a great place for families to hang out.

All-in-All we had a good weekend in Las Vegas. I would encourage anyone who can make it to an ASW to attend. Next year ASW is in New Orleans, so if you are heading down for Mardi Gras, check ASW out.

2/16/07
Millsap vs. Williams - Feb. 16 in Vegas


I caught up with Paul Millsap to ask him how he felt about playing against his teammate, Deron Williams, in tonight's Rookie Challenge. The gentle giant was just that; not talking much smack. Here's the transcript:

What are your plans for the game?
Millsap: "I really don't got nothing, I just want to go out there and have fun. Playing against one of my teammates, it's going to be interesting."

You want to stuff Deron, don't you?
Millsap: "Yeah, I do (laughs).

Are you going to dunk over him?
Millsap: "I'm not going to predict it... If I do, it's going to be simple; I ain't trying to hurt him. "

He's going to talk some trash, isn't he?
Millsap: "I already know he is, so I'm going to talk some too. It's going to be even."

Are you going to try and make him look bad?
Millsap: "Nah, I ain't going to try and make him look bad because he's still my teammate. I'm going to be gentle.... We're best buddies, I don't want to start a rivalry or nothing and make him mad and he go for 50 (points) because he's capable of doing it."

Prediction of the game, who's going to win?
Millsap: "I'd have to say us. I have to have confidence in us, in the rookies. They (sophomores) have a good team, but I believe we have a better team, hopefully we can come out with the win."

So there you have it. Tune into TNT tonight for the game, should be fun to watch.

• Deron Williams and Paul Millsap to Square Off in Rookie Challenge
• T-Mobile Rookie Challenge
• Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam

2/14/07
My Conversion Story

I ventured west almost three years ago, undoubtedly in lieu of what was to occur in the Utah Jazz’s 33rd season of play. You see, far, far away from here in a land where pine trees grow, I grew up a basketball junkie. Since I was a wee one, my uncle would drive the 30 miles to take me to basketball games in north Louisiana’s round ball capitol, Ruston. There I became a devoted LaTech fan.

Too young to actually see the Mailman in a Bulldog uniform, I did however put my tiny little hand in his massive shooting hand and give it a tug once at a high school camp that he was putting on in Bossier City. My momma couldn’t wipe the smile off my face.

So from early on, I was sold on the Utah Jazz. Not just because the team originated in my home state or because the greatest power forward that set foot on a basketball court played in some of the same high school gyms that I did, but also because it was the only team my mamaw (grandmother) cared to follow and she was my only source of NBA coverage.

In April of 2000, I attended my first ever NBA game and sat in my first ever nosebleed seat. The Utah Jazz vs. the San Antonio Spurs in the belt buckle state. I even made it to the floor at pre-game and got a wave from number 32. Again, my momma couldn’t wipe the smile off my face.

Well, here I am, blogging my account of the inside happenings of the Utah Jazz. I reckon, in a sense, the Mailman and I traded places, as he’s back home working in the woods, and I’m trying to make a part-time living with the Jazz. At least I’ve got my second favorite Bulldog/Jazzman to talk about, and my momma is too far away to try to wipe all the smiles off my face.

2/13/07
Impressions


For the most part, 90-percent of fans' perspectives are based primarily on what happens on the court. A player fouls another player hard, a fan's response is that that player is cheap, and immediately, without even knowing him/her personally, that single incident becomes the basis for how the fan perceives said athlete.

Now before you disregard what I'm saying and think that I'm getting on a soapbox, I'll be the first to admit that I am and have been guilty of this. I see someone do something to a player on "my team" and immediately get mad and dislike that athlete. The thing I've realized is this: these athletes are in a eat-or-be-eaten position, not to mention extreme competitors. Despite the big contracts, players still have to live up to what they are worth or they're gone.

So going to back to the first paragraph, I'll expose myself a bit and reveal that before I started working with the Jazz, I wasn't a fan of Jerry Sloan. I thought he was an angry old curmudgeon that didn't care about anything other than basketball.

Fast forward a few years to working my first game. As I saw him walking towards the locker room, I tried not to make contact, but failed and was met with a friendly "hello." I thought to myself, "Could it be that we was being nice to me?" after all, my perception of him was a different than I first experienced.

Moments later I, too, was walking towards the locker room, and noticed coach standing there talking to a 60-something security guard with a very concerned look on his face. Curious to know what they were talking about, I inched my way forward and heard coach asking how a certain security guard, who had been diagnosed with cancer, was doing. When the response came back that he wasn't well and didn't have long to live, coach became deeply saddened.

For that moment on my perception changed of coach. Despite how he may come off on the court, he is one of the nicest and most caring individuals you will ever meet. And while most won't get the chance to experience that first-hand, take it from me. Hey, I even went as far one time to e-mail Mark Cuban to ask him what Jerry Stackhouse was like off the court. He responded by saying that he is great to Mavericks fans and better role model to his son, who is a team ball boy.

2/12/07
The Recorder


A few years ago I heard a story that was going around NBA press rooms about a tape recorder that when used did strange things to the person being interviewed. For years I thought nothing of this story, or how it had affected me over my tenure with the Utah Jazz and the NBA, until a few weeks ago, when it happened to one of my interviewees. I looked more into the story and found something very interesting…

The story of this recorder goes something like this:

Years ago, a lowly game night staffer for the Milwaukee Bucks had just finished his post-game duties. He had closed the press room after all of the media had left, and buttoned up his jacket to head out into the snowy January night. He would get into his car and head home to his empty apartment. His commute home usually took only about 30 minutes, but this night something was different. After driving his car for almost an hour in the blizzard, he realized that he was completely lost.

While trying to find his way through the blizzard, this game night staffer became careless with his driving and drove off the road. His car careened down a snow-filled gully, where it hit a boulder, stopped and abruptly burst into flame. Unfortunately, he did not make it, he was killed in the crash. As the firemen searched the wreckage the next morning, they found something strange…everything had been burned beyond recognition except one thing. The firemen recovered a severed hand that had been untouched by the fire. In the frozen grip of the hand was found a tape recorder with "property of the Milwaukee Bucks" written in marker across the back.

Eager to find out if evidence of the accident was on the tape recorder, the Firemen played the tape and found a single interview contained on it. It was the final interview by Kevin Loughery as Coach of the '85 Chicago Bulls. He was fired the day after their loss in Milwaukee…the very same day as the accident.

Legend has it, that this tape recorder has gone from press room to press room for the last 20 years, wiping out everything in it's path. From Kevin Loughery to Flip Saunders to Byron Scott to Larry Brown. Get interviewed by this recorder and you might as well write your own pink slip.

So there I was…only minutes after hearing that Duane Casey had been fired from his coaching job with the Minnesota Timberwolves…thinking about that story. Had the fabled recorder somehow made it into the Utah Jazz Press room? Was this legend really real? How long had it been here? And who would be next?

Keep yourself informed…check this blog regularly…and pray this story is only a myth.