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The Downbeat #842 - The Anticipation is the Thing

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COUNTDOWN WIDGET

With recent news about Energy Solutions rather unethical attempt to place an employee on the state's Radiation Control board, I got to thinking about how unethical it is to make us have to spit out Energy Solutions Arena in conversations about games. So then, I started thinking about companies with links to Utah that could buy the naming rights. I kinda like the idea of staying away from ones in questionable industries, so Rio Tinto is out (plus they have the soccer stadium). Nothing that may be offensive to the families; Blue Boutique Arena- out.

How about a company that has recently invested a lot of money and brought a lot of jobs to Utah? The Goldman-Sachs Center? Still a bit of a mouthful. Then, it dawned on me. How about Adobe Arena? They are opening a multi-bajillion dollar campus right at the point of the mountain in Utah County, have a good reputation, plus the name just rolls right off the tongue.

What say you, Adobe Executives that surely read SLC Dunk daily?

This might not go over so well with some Dunkers:

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/sports/54907787-77/jazz-bell-utah-howard.html.csp

BTS (welcome back!) is reporting that the Jazz still have interest in bringing back Josh Howard. The big roadblock? Raja Bell. With Raja still stuck in limbo, the Jazz are maxed out with 15 players on their roster, thus having no room for Howard. Both sides are being very hush, hush, about the aspects of Bell's buyout, so we'll have to see if something breaks in the next....11 days.

I just got around to reading this story, in which Matt Moore of Pro Basketball Talk, comments on Amar's fantastic post about Al Jefferson's need to make a jump in offense and improve on defense. I know, it was four days ago. I'm busy, probably.

While both articles were really good, I think the end of Mr. Moore's was quite poignant:

I’m going to keep telling you, the Jazz are one of the most fascinating stories this season. They could detonate and hold a firesale, make the playoffs and go on a surprising run, anything. It’s a complex and nuanced situation that deserves your attention.

The staff here at SLC Dunk meet pretty regularly (Google meet) to talk about the blog, make plans, and talk about the Jazz, and one thing that we ALL agree on is that its going to be an interesting season. You could hear it in the previous weeks roundtable podcast. Predictions about this team are impossible because we LITERALLY *Chris Traeger voice* have no idea what will happen..... and that's what makes it so amazing. I know that uncertainty gives some Jazz fans a fair amount of anxiety (try Qi Gong, Yoga, or meditation for this), but what's undeniable is that is entertaining as hell. And that's really what its all about, right? Its a super interesting soap opera that you won't get ridiculed for watching. Its that MTV reality show that you don't have to be ashamed for loving. Its True Blood, without the feeling of, "I hope no one finds out about my Eric Northman man-crush" (Google it... and stop pretending you don't know).

This is one of the reasons that this offseason has been particularly brutal. We have been in a lull since mid-July and the anticipation of watching it all play out is killing us like a vampire hit with a silver tipped arrow. How good was this season of True Blood?!!!

Moni does her getting to know you's on her DB's, but she's on vacation, so I want to ask, what shows are your guilty pleasures? Real Housewives of _____, Real World, Project Runway? Out with it. This is group therapy.