The Jazz are doing a remarkable job with PR this year. I was an invited guest of Mr.Greg Miller to sit court-side at a game (dream come true). Everywhere on twitter you see Jazz employees giving away tickets to games, interacting with fans, doing a wonderful job at making fans feel a part of the team. Even the slogan this year, We Are Utah Jazz talks about everyone being a member of the team. My question is if the Jazz in general are working so hard at involving everyone, including fans why do some members of the local media feel the need to mock, insult and even sometimes bully fans? Although I have never been on the receiving end of the insults, I don't like the behavior and feel the need to stick up for my fellow Jazz fans.
I have great respect for our local media, they work many hours at their job, they are doing all they can to bring the team to us fans. They wouldn't have a job if there weren't people (us fans) who were interested in hearing about the team. There are media members that are wonderful with the fans (DJJazzyJody, KSLShep to name a few) they respect you and your opinion. Jody and Shep were the two who welcomed me the most in my little stint of covering the pre-draft workouts last summer.
Then there are the media members who call fans idiots. They say fans don't know what they are taking about. They send nasty DM's. I am of the opinion that fans don't have to think that everything with their team is perfect, they don't have to always think that things are sunshine, lollipops and rainbows with the team in order to be a fan. I understand that there are fans that make dumb suggestions, they have trade ideas they want to share, they have ideas about player rotations, some of the suggestions might not be the greatest or they may not even make sense, but is it OK to insult these fans or make any fan who may not agree with you feel like an idiot?
I don't understand insulting others, I don't understand the attitude of superiority. When media members make fun of fans it grows it encourages fans to insult other fans, it creates a negative attitude in our little Jazz online world. Isn't there enough to worry about this Jazz team without creating a feud amongst ourselves?
Again I have always been treated with respect but to hear on a few podcasts this week alone the negativity towards fans and hear from other fans about the insults they have received, I couldn't keep quiet. The Jazz in their PR have made it quite clear that they want everyone to feel apart of the team.
Lets work on that media, lets work on that fans. Lets show respect to each other. We need each other. Fans need the media for access to the team and the media need fans to have a job.
Jazz fans are very passionate, we love our team, we want the best for our team. We may not have the access that the media have but it doesn't mean we don't have knowledge about the game we call the basketball.