FanPost

It's why we're fans


Where ever you are- at home, work, campus library, whever--raise your hand if you remember John Stockton's game winning shot over Charles Barkley that sent us into the NBA finals?

I would have been 10 or 11 at the time. I don't remember what I said, or what I did, but I know I saw that shot. I know I was excited and pumped.

I remember playing Jr. Jazz for several years. As part of the program, you got to meet, in a group setting, a real Jazz player. Bryon Russell and Howard Eisley are two I remember "meeting"

Jaaque Vaughn. There's a name you haven't heard for a while. I thought he was the bees knee, the cat's meow (remember, I was a pre-teen in the 90s). He wasn't. But I have a mint condition rookie card of him.

I remember coveting Armen Gilliam for our team for the longest time---and we finally got him!

I won a drawing once to attend an Antoine Carr basketball camp. Nice guy, really laid back.

More Recently, I have a friend who used to live by the JAzz Bear. I helped the bear move. Nice, class act guy. You wouldn't believe the Jazz memorabilia he has. He keeps his identity as the bear under tight wraps; I doubt his current neighborhood all knows who he is.

Now, the point of this fan shot isn't to dribble off pointless memories of ut2006 to the 4 or 5 people that will read this. Rather, my hope is that maybe this will jog your own Jazz memories. Whether you remember back to Pistol Pete Maravich or you only starting following Jazz basketball since Sundiata Gaines, you've had moments to cheer on your team. Really, history of the game gives as much excitement as the game itself. Go watch old highlight reels and remind yourself of just how amazing that Stockton shot was- or just how crushing Jordan's final shot as a Bull was. Both extremes contribute to the fan experience. I recently told a Blazer fan that they had picked up Moses Malone in the 1976 dispersal draft--and traded him. The significance of that was lost on him. Moses Malone? You gotta know the history, it makes it so much more fun. Jazz fans are the best in the league, we have the loudest arena, toughest to play in. We're a part of that. And a great thing about being a JAzz fan? We don't have to worry about bandwagon trolls. Nothing worse than a bandwagon fan.

I've been pretty down in my recent comments. In fact, I've been downright cranky. I think D Will will go, this is true. The lineup conundrum is perplexing. Cold starts are frustrating. It's tough to lose to bad teams.

But we'll figure things out. We always do. Our worst year recent memory is 42-40. Barely missed the playoffs. Our worst year. I suspect we'll hit another hot streak and finish 4rth, maybe even 3rd seed. And at the end of the day, we may not win the championship this year. We may, but we may not. The important thing is that we're not fans just to see our team win. If that's all we were about, we'd join the other trolls and root for the Lakers, Celtics and Heat.

This isn't intended to be a cop out or pep rally talk in the midst of this slump we're in. It's not meant to be a primer because I think we're turning into a cellar team (we're not, by the way). Rather, the slumps like this are a part of the fan experience. It's true. I'm a Packers fan- we almost missed the playoffs. It's been exciting to see the rally that had them in the Super Bowl. How excited were Red Sox fans after winning the World Series after a nearly century drought? Why are Cleveland Browns fans so loyal after years of disappointments?

Fans experience the ups and downs of a franchise- we live our live's rooting for them through thick and thin. I don't think we're in thin now, no, we're not. But what if we were? What if we were the Nets? I hate the thought...but I'd still check in to this blog and wear my Jazz gear proudly. Really, we're lucky to have such a storied and history rich franchise. When all is said and done, the memories of rooting for a team throughout your lifetime will mean much more than those who pick their team based on the winds of dominance. Count yourself lucky you picked a solid franchise. We're in for the Jazz experience- and we stay through it whether the final score gives us a W or an L.

It's why we're fans.

All comments are the opinion of the commenter and not necessarily that of SLC Dunk or SB Nation.