Jerry Sloan: My thoughts.

Saddened.  Shocked.  Sick.

This is truly surreal for me.  I knew Jerry Sloan wouldn't be the coach forever.  Obviously.  But I never imagined him going out like this.  That is the most upsetting part about this whole thing.  I hope to write a separate post as a tribute to Jerry (time permitting...), but for now I just want to get some thoughts out of my head.

Jerry was forced out.  Let me explain what I DON'T mean by that.  I don't mean that he was fired.  I don't mean that an ultimatum was proposed.

Here's what I do mean.  Jerry comes from a different era and generation of basketball. An era when, believe it or not, the coaches were in charge of the teams.  I think that's how it should be.  Back in his prime as a coach, he managed egos and attitudes masterfully.  He dealt with the likes of Karl Malone and Greg Ostertag (among others).  I'm sure that disagreements between players and coaches are a frequent occurrence.  But back then, everyone knew that the coach had the final say.  The coach was the boss.  Sadly, in the NBA that is no longer the case.  Franchises are so obsessed with catering to the every desire of their "superstar" players (who may or may not actually play like "superstars"...), that the coach's authority is basically a farce.  Coaches are fired regularly.  That is just the landscape of professional basketball today.

It has been well documented that Deron Williams and Coach Sloan have butted heads, particularly this season.  Deron regularly takes shots at Sloan in the media, and openly criticizes the system and the plays that Sloan wants them to run.  Brian T. Smith (Jazz beat writer for the Salt Lake Tribune) indicates that at least three "blowout" arguments have taken place between the two this season, the most recent of which happened in the locker room at half time last night.  It apparently stemmed from a sequence in the first half when Jerry called a play from the sideline and Deron ran something completely different.

Less than a week ago, Coach Sloan signed an extension to continue coaching the Jazz for another season.  After last night's disappointing loss, Sloan tendered his resignation.  It is my feeling that at some point, probably gradually throughout this season, Jerry began to feel that he was no longer in charge of his team.  Last night, Deron basically refused to be coached.  It seems that was the straw that broke the camel's back.  It obviously affected him enough to change his mind from what he had decided a week ago.

At the press conference today, the media fished for answers regarding the speculation surrounding Sloan's reason for calling it quits.  They asked just about everyone if the conflicts with Deron had pushed him towards this decision. Of course everyone within the organization denied it, or side-stepped the questions.  Perhaps the most telling was Jerry's own response:

Rod Zundel (KSL):   "Jerry, did Deron push you out?"
Jerry Sloan:  "Deron is a great player."

If the situation with Deron wasn't a major factor in his decision, a simple "no" would have sufficed.

So there you go.  That's my feeling and what I've been able to piece together from media reports and such.  If Jerry had decided to retire at the end of the season, I would have been sad.  But the way this all went down just makes me sick.  Anyone who knows anything about Jerry Sloan knows that he was not a quitter.  He was a fighter.  He wouldn't bail in the middle of a season just because he's tired and feels ready to be done.  Especially just days after signing an extension.  No.  Jerry was forced out.  Forced out by the fact that he feels like he can no longer be effective as the coach of this team.  And why can't he be effective?  Because his player(s) are no longer listening to him and doing the things he says.

And that sucks.

What the...???

Believe it or not, it actually took me a few minutes to come up with a title for this post.  This was the best I could do to sum up how I'm feeling about the Utes right now.

Going into the TCU game, the Utes were averaging 45.3 points per game, and destroying their opponents by an average of 29.9 points per game.  In the last two weeks, the Utes have only managed to average 5 points per game while losing by an average of 32.5 points per game.  Why the huge turnaround?  Here's what I think:

TCU GAME:

Let's be honest.  Going into this game, the Utes hadn't faced a real tough test.  You could argue that Air Force is a good team, and you'd be right.  But Air Force is no where near the level of TCU.  The Utes rolled through their first 8 games, and I think the ease of the schedule gave Utah a false sense of security.  They started to think that they were invincible.  I don't know.  Maybe they thought they would waltz into Rice-Eccles Stadium and drop 60 points on the number one defense in the country.  It's disappointing to me that they weren't better prepared.  Coach Whittingham has a reputation for preparing his team very well -- especially for big games.  As it was, they looked like they had no game plan whatsoever.  But what's more disturbing is that the didn't seem to make ANY adjustments throughout the course of the game.  I think TCU ran the same play -- a swing pass to Jeremy Kerley -- about 500 times, and it went for 8-10 yards EVERY SINGLE TIME.  If I were their OC, I would have just said, "Ok, we're just gonna run that play on every snap for the rest of the day".

NOTRE DAME GAME:

For me, this game was even more disappointing than the TCU loss.  I say that because going in to the TCU game, we knew we were going to get a fight.  I figured we had about a 50/50 chance of beating TCU.  We knew TCU was a fantastic team.  But Notre Dame?  Going into the game, ND was 4-5 with home losses to Tulsa and Navy.  They lost their starting QB a week before they played the Utes -- which meant they were starting a true freshman in his very first game at the collegiate level.  And the QB wasn't the only position that was thin due to injury.  There was no doubt in my mind that Utah would win that game.  They'll bounce back.  They'll re-focus and win out.  They'll respond to getting embarrassed by TCU by getting a huge win at one of the most storied programs in the nation.  No doubt about it.  Yet they came out absolutely flat.  They honestly looked like they couldn't care less.  So yes, this game was even more disturbing to me than the TCU game.

I'm frustrated.  I know I'm a biased fan, but I honestly think the Utes are better than Notre Dame.  That probably makes me sound really dumb, but I do believe it.  If they had played the way we know they're capable of playing, they would have won.  Maybe they still had a little hangover from the TCU game.  That's inexcusable. 

Utah's QB situation is a mess right now.  I voiced my disapproval of Coach Whittingham's decision last season to bench Terrance Cain and make Wynn the starter half-way through the 8th game of the season.  First of all, Cain was not really playing that badly in that game.  The play calling -- in my opinion -- was more to blame for the lack of offensive production.  Up to that point, Wynn hadn't seen the field.  My feeling was that he should be red-shirted in order to preserve a year of eligibility.  But that didn't happen.  Now we have a situation where our starter is not playing well AT ALL, and we have a fantastic back-up QB sitting on the bench, wasting his last year of collegiate eligibility.  By all reports, Terrance Cain has improved leaps and bounds since last season.  Can the same be said for Wynn?  Look, I don't dislike the kid, but can anyone honestly say he's any better today than he was when he came in at half-time against Wyoming last season?  If you have noticed any improvement in him at all, please let me know.  But me, I'm just not seeing it.

Now, that being said, I don't really think starting Cain would have won the TCU game.  But I think it could have won the ND game.  Obviously there are MANY other problems with this team right now, but the QB situation, to me, is the most disturbing.  Whittingham is a great coach, and I wouldn't want anyone else.  But I believe he has made a very serious and costly mistake here.  Utah has 2 games left this year, plus a bowl game.  If they play the way they have the last two weeks, I am 100% sure that they will lose all three.

Just putting this out there...

If the Jazz trade AK to the Denver Freakin' Nuggets, and get back Boris Freakin' Diaw...


I. WILL. RIOT.

That is all.

What a difference a couple of days can make

Wow.  The last 48 hours for the Utah Jazz have been crazy and exciting.  Just 3 days ago this offseason was looking like it could end up being the most disappointing one I could remember.  Boozer gone (which I was glad about, but with no prospects to replace him with I was worried), Korver gone, Matthews likely gone.  I felt like the Jazz had taken a massive step backwards.  I was trying to look on the bright side, thinking about next year's lottery pick -- I was sure the Jazz couldn't make the playoffs in 2011.

And now?  So much has changed.

First, the Jazz were able to work things out with Chicago to do a sign-and-trade for Boozer.  By signing Boozer and then immediately trading him to Chicago, the Jazz obtained a Traded Player Exception (TPE) which is basically an exception to the rule that states that the salaries of the player or players who are traded away must match the salaries of the player(s) brought in.  With the TPE, the Jazz could obtain a player via trade without having to send back matching salaries.  They used the TPE to bring in Al Jefferson from the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Al is a 6'10" Center/Power Forward.  He was the key piece that Boston sent to Minnesota in the blockbuster trade that netted the Celtics Kevin Garnett.  Al was the piece that made losing KG ok.  He puts up great numbers -- which I believe will be even better here in Utah.  He was really the only good player the T'Wolves had, so teams would zero in on him, double-team him, and make his job tough.  They won't be able to play him that way here.  The Jazz have too many other weapons.  Al isn't known for his defense, but he blocks more shots than Boozer or Okur, and he's longer than either of them as well.  But perhaps the most important thing is this:

via twitter.com/tribjazz

In a text-message conversation with Paul the other day, he said something that I completely agree with:  keeping Deron Williams happy should be the number 1 priority.  He's the one guy that is truly irreplaceable on this team.  His contract is up in 2 more years, and if we want him to re-sign, the Jazz as an organization has to show him that they will do whatever it takes to become a contender.  Deron likes what he sees in Al Jefferson, and that says a lot to me.  I think Al will fit right in here in Utah, and give the Jazz a true low-post back-to-the-basket type player.  I love this trade.

But...

The one thing that I didn't love about it was that Al's $13+ million contract put the Jazz into the luxury tax, meaning that the likelihood of matching Portland's ridiculous offer sheet to Wes Matthews was slim to none.  With the addition of Jefferson, the Jazz were a playoff team again.  But without a guy like Wes, they weren't a contender.  In order to really be seen as a contender the Jazz needed a guy who was:

1.  A consistent outside shooter.
2. A lock-down defender.
3. A tough, hard working, team player.
4. Someone they could afford.

Wes fit the bill on 3 out of 4.  But unfortunately, he was just too expensive thanks to Portland's outrageous offer.  So to me, it looked like the Jazz were destined for a 6-8 seed in the playoffs and an early exit.

But then, a miracle happened.  Somehow, even though the "experts" and the "sources" all said that he had narrowed it down to San Antonio and Los Angeles, Raja Bell signed a 3 year, $9.8 million contract with the Utah Jazz.

Many will remember Raja from the 2 year stint he played with the Jazz from 2003 to 2005.  I was on my mission the entire time he was on the team, so I never got to see him in a Jazz uniform.  Bell is known for being one of the best perimeter and one-on-one defenders in the league -- particularly against one Kobe Bryant.  He doesn't take any crap from anybody -- and he doesn't let anyone get away with pushing his teammates around (ala Malone, Harpring) Who could forget his infamous clothesline play?  I could watch that all day...  Bell is also a fantastic 3-point shooter.  He has shot 41% from 3 throughout his career, and 46% in the playoffs.  His percentages are actually higher than both Korver and one Jeff Hornacek.  From what I understand, when the Jazz were having their struggles during a miserable few seasons, Bell was the one urging his teammates on, trying to stir them up and get them to give a whole effort.  When it became official that the Jazz would not make the playoffs, Bell said, "So what, we didn't make the playoffs?  We still have a job to do.  We can still go out and beat teams just to say we beat them."  This attitude is the epitome of Jerry Sloan's oft repeated words, "We can't start feeling sorry for ourselves".

Bell covers all four of the needs that I mentioned above, but he also brings something that the Jazz have been in need of -- veteran leadership.  Raja is 33 years old and has been deep into the playoffs.  He understands what it takes to win, and he can help shoulder some of the team-leadership responsibilities that have rested solely on Deron's shoulders for the last several years (because, let's face it, no matter how many times Boozer said "I'm the leader of this team", he was never a leader.  If you have to say you're the leader in order for people to know it, you're not convincing anyone.)  Derek Fisher (let's not get into that now...) was a veteran player and provided leadership and experience in the Jazz locker room when he was on the team.  It's no coincidence that that year was when the Jazz made it to the Western Conference Finals.  Hopefully Raja can help fill that void.

The future for the Jazz is looking bright.  I can't believe how things have shaped up over the past couple days, but it has me very excited to see what this team can do this season.  Go JAZZ!!

I totally called this...

Well, Kevin O'Connor, you just don't learn your lesson, do you?  I just KNEW this was going to happen.  The Portland Trailblazers have signed Wesley Matthews to a massive, front loaded offer sheet.  How does this make any sense at all for Portland?  They have one of the best shooting guards in the NBA -- Brandon Roy.  So they really want to pay their backup SG $9.2 million next year?  No, I don't think so.  They did this because they like to screw the Jazz.  My guess is that they're banking on the Jazz matching the offer.

I've made my position known.  I want to keep Wes.  But wow -- 9.2 million dollars?!  This just sucks.  I hate Portland.

Free Agency Update

We're a week into the free agency period and several contracts have already been inked.  Some of my predictions were right, some were wrong, and some are still yet to be determined.

I was right about Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade teaming up in Miami.  However, I did not think LeBron would be joining them.  I guess I underestimated how big of a jerk he is.  Not only did he turn his back on the town and the people he grew up with, but he made a ridiculous spectacle of the whole thing.  I had no idea how self-absorbed, narcissistic, and pompous he is.  I've never had a problem with Dwayne Wade or Chris Bosh, but now I just hope that experiment fails miserably.  I hope their egos are too big to coexist on the same team.  I hope karma comes back to bite LeBron.

As far as our own free agents...

When it comes to Boozer, I am actually pleasantly surprised.  All signs indicated that the Front Office intended to keep him around.  And while the ideal situation would have been to work out a sign and trade to bring in a player to fill a need, I'm satisfied with the trade exemption the Jazz received in the transaction.  (That being said, I wish the Jazz would have traded Boozer last summer, or last season before the trade deadline so that we could have gotten a player in return.)  The trade exemption allows the Jazz to make a trade and bring in a player (or players) for salary equal to what Boozer will make in his first year in Chicago (+- $100K).  Without the exemption, the Jazz would have only been able to offer a player part of their Mid-Level exemption -- whatever portion is left after re-signing Matthews.  The trade exemption only benefits us if we use it, so I truly hope the Jazz don't sit on their hands.  There are players we could go after, but we have to act fast.  Both Toronto and Cleveland have significant amounts of cap space now that they've lost Bosh and James.  If we don't act, someone else will.  My prime target would be Al Jefferson.  The T-Wolves just acquired Michael Beasley, and rumor is they are trying to unload Jefferson to relieve salary (since they offered Gay a big fat contract).  Jefferson could thrive in the Jazz's system, and I'd love to see him here.

Sadly, I was also right about Korver.  It was announced today that he'll be joining Carlos Boozer in Chicago. I appreciate everything he did for the Jazz and for the community.  I wish him nothing but the best.

So now we have to wait and see.  My guess is that Portland will make a pitch to Wes Matthews, which the Jazz will match.  I think they'll most likely bring back Fesenko as well, since we'll need a center with Memo hurt.  Besides, I haven't heard any talk about teams being interested in Fes.

I'd love to see the Jazz go all in and make some big moves.  Bring in another scorer, a big, a shooter, etc.  I can only imagine how D-Will is reacting to all of this.  He sees his team getting worse -- losing a productive (sometimes) player in Boozer, and a consistent outside threat that spreads the floor.  He's probably frustrated right now and anxious for management to bring in some help.  I hope they can do it.  At the end of the season, he said that this team keeps doing the exact same thing and expecting different results.  And it's true.  For the most part, the roster hasn't changed over the last 3 seasons, and the Jazz have been eliminated by the Lakers 3 years in a row.  But management has seemed content to just stand pat and hope things get better.  Now that Boozer and Korver are gone, I think this kind of forces their hand.  They HAVE to do something now, or risk losing their franchise player in two years when his contract is up.  I wish Larry was still here.  He had more passion for the Jazz in his little finger than Greg has in his entire being.  I just hope they do something.

The Offseason

July first has arrived. Today is the day that NBA teams can begin to court free agents. Of course, if you don't think organizations have been in under-the-table discussions with players' agents for weeks, you are a bit naive as to how things are done in the NBA.

Now that the free agent market is officially open for business, I'd like to make some predictions about the Jazz's free agents, as well as some of the other high-profile FA's in the league.

Utah Jazz

Free Agents: C Kyrylo Fesenko (restricted), G Wesley Matthews (restricted), F Carlos Boozer (unrestricted), F/G Kyle Korver (unrestricted)


The Jazz sent qualifying offers to both Wesley Matthews and Kyrylo Fesenko, meaning that they can match any offer either player receives.  I don't particularly like being in this position.  To me it means that the Jazz are really hoping to keep them both (especially Wes), but if that's the case -- why not try and get something worked out and in the books before July 1st?  Now we're at the mercy of other teams.  This is what happened last season with Paul Millsap, and the same thing happened a year earlier with CJ Miles.  CJ signed an offer sheet with OKC, and the Jazz matched.  Paul signed an offer sheet with Portland, and the Jazz matched.  The frustrating thing about this is that CJ ended up getting overpaid, and some argue that Paul Millsap did as well.  I think Millsap is worth every penny he's making and more, but his contract did hurt us last year because Portland intentionally made it a very front-loaded deal (meaning Paul makes more in the first year of the contract than he will for the other 3 years).  It put us over the cap and we had to give up Maynor and Brewer in cost-cutting moves.

My guess is that we will end up re-signing both of these players, but don't be surprised if someone else makes them an offer first.

As for Korver, I think the writing is pretty much on the wall.  Sad to say it, but I think he's gone.  When the Jazz drafted Gordon Hayward -- a guy who plays Kyle's postion, and has a similar skill-set -- they basically were broadcasting to the fan base that they had no intention of going after Korver.  The reality is, I don't think we can really afford him.  Several teams will be interested after Kover set a new record for 3-Point % in a season.  The Jazz should have calculated how much revenue will be lost now that no more pink Kyle Korver jerseys will be sold.  I'd imagine the Jazz's female fanbase will take a significant hit.  Joking aside, I really like Korver and I'll be sad if he goes.  He's been a great player and always given 100%, and what's more, he's been a huge part of the community.

And then there's Boozer.  Oy vey.  Reports indicate that the Jazz are making it a priority to bring him back...  Are you kidding me?!  Look.  Boozer is capable of being a dominant PF in this league.  But the fact is, he is not the answer for the Jazz.  I don't want to spend a lot of time making a case against Boozer, so I'll just say this.  You can't do the same thing over and over and over and expect a different result.  If the Jazz re-sign him, Boozer will miss a significant number of games over a 5 or 6 year contract, the Jazz will win between 45 and 50 games each year, consistently lose to the Lakers, probably make the playoffs (but without home-court), and more than likely exit in the first round.  And the sad thing is, I'm pretty sure the front office is just fine with that.

One idea that I've heard tossed around is to work out a sign & trade with Boozer.  The scenario is that the Jazz sign Boozer and immediately trade him to Orlando for Marcin Gortat + either JJ Redick or Ryan Anderson.  Works for me.  Gortat is probably the best back-up center in the league, and could start on a lot of teams.  His number won't wow you, but remember he's playing behind Dwight Howard.  He would bring a 6'11" defensive player with deep playoff experience to the team.  Redick could fill the role of the departing Korver (the basketball role -- not the heart throb role).  But this is just one of many rumors that are floating around.

LeBron James

The hype surrounding his free agency has been almost as obnoxious as Kobe's angry under-bite face.  But I'm not convinced... My guess is, in the end, he'll end up signing with Cleveland.  I just don't really see him abandoning his home state and the fans who love him.  However, if he does decide to leave, I think New York is his most likely destination.

Dwayne Wade

I know this is going to sound boring, but I don't think he's going anywhere either.  I think he'll continue to be part of the Miami Heat, and possibly end up playing his entire career there.

Chris Bosh

I think he's Miami bound.  Just a feeling I've got, but I think he and Wade will team up.

So there -- that's what I think.  We'll see how it all plays out over the summer.

Response to some silly comments...

Utah will become the 12th member of the Pacific Athletic Conference starting with the 2011-12 season. I plan to write another post expressing my thoughts on this, but right now, I just want to address some things. A lot has been said about this situation. I'd like to respond to some of the statements that have been made. Some of the names have been omitted to protect the ignorant... ;)

"Utah good for six years, BYU good for 30? Who gets invited to the Pac 10? Oh yeah, Utah..... This whole religious bigotry crap is really getting on my nerves!!" -- Random Facebook Friend

Strictly in terms of football -- if any non-BCS team deserved to be invited to a BCS league, it was Utah. The only other program that could possibly state that they should have been invited would be Boise State. But Utah's 2004 season when they totally annihilated everyone they played, combined with their 2008 campaign filled with gut-it-out type wins and a thrashing of Alabama clearly overshadow Boise's gimmicks and trick plays. Since the beginning of the BCS era, Utah has had more success against BCS teams than any other non-BCS school. And Utah holds the nation's longest active bowl win-streak at 9 straight victories.

But this move isn't just about football. Although Utah's basketball program has seen a couple of less-than-impressive seasons recently, they still rank in the top 20 in the nation in all-time win%. In womens gymnastics (which is important to the PAC), Utah has one of the most successful programs in the country, boasting multiple national championships.

But this move isn't just about athletics. Utah is considered a prestigious research university. Developments such as the first artificial human heart (1982), and multiple advances in cancer research (Huntsman Cancer Institute) have taken place at the University of Utah. Utah has a very respected and competitive medical school. These things are important to the PAC, and were factors in their decision to invite Utah to join their conference.

No one can say that BYU doesn't have a good football program. But the most impressive thing they've done since I turned 1 year old is beat a mediocre Oklahoma team. No one cares about 10 win seasons. No one cares about MWC championships. They want to see you win the BIG games. Run the table. Pound a perennial powerhouse into the ground. You're not going to turn any heads winning the Vegas bowl.

And while BYU is a fine institution, they are in no way a research university. They don't even have a medical school. They just don't fit the mold of the PAC. But as for the comment about religious bigotry, I'll address that next...

Dick Harmon -- writer for the Deseret News and notorious BYU homer -- was interviewed by ESPN. They asked him why Utah was invited to the PAC. His response:

"Primarily, [because] they were not BYU and they were not tied to the LDS church -- or the Mormons -- and that's probably the bottom line. BYU has better facilities, a bigger football stadium, umm... the last 40 years of better tradition in football, and they've just dominated the Mountain West Conference, and the WAC conference in total athletic supremacy, uh, for decades."

Poor Dick. Maybe he misunderstood the question. He was asked why Utah was invited to the PAC, and instead of answering that, he threw himself and Cougar nation a little pity party. Clearly Dick, my FB friend above, and many other BYU faithful feel that the one and only reason that BYU was not invited over Utah is because of their religious affiliation. They were discriminated against because they're the Mormons.

So here's my response to that. False. I've already responded to most of what Dick said above, but I really grow weary of BYU peeps playing the religion card. "We're at a disadvantage in recruiting because of our honor code!" "We're at a disadvantage because our good recruits leave on missions and lose some of their athletic ability due to 2 years without playing!" Blah, blah blah. Waaa, waaa, waaa. Yep, you're a church-owned private school. What do you expect? Quit griping about it. BYU should be proud of the church. They should be proud of their honor code, and proud of their players for putting athletic careers on hold to serve missions. But more often I hear it discussed as something that handicaps their athletic programs.

I'm sure part -- a very small part -- of the PAC's decision was due to the fact that BYU doesn't play on Sundays (well, until they get to the NFL that is...), which is usually part of the PAC schedule for multiple sports. BYU has this entitlement complex. It's like saying, "PAC, you should invite us to your conference AND accommodate us and change how you do things so that we fit in, because we're BYU!" Sorry guys, that's just not how it works. And that doesn't make other people bigots.

Anyway, I've never been able to read more than a few lines of Dick Harmon's articles, and this interview really irritated me. Grow up and try to be a little professional next time, Dick.

Trade Thoughts: If I were Kevin O'Connor...

So, it's pretty clear that the Jazz need to shake things up. Their recent trade (Eric Maynor and Matt Harpring to OKC for... nothing...) has some people scratching their heads. It makes sense to me, only from a purely financial point of view. Greg Miller made it clear at the beginning of the season that he was willing to bite the bullet and pay the luxury tax if that was what it would take to build a championship team. However, it's obvious that the Jazz -- as presently constituted -- are not even close to being a championship team. I'm guessing he's not as willing to pay the tax for a 8th seed, first round exit team. And I can't say I blame him. So, in order to dump Harpring's contract, the price was our impressive young rookie backup PG. I'm sad to see him go. (as a side note, I'm also sad we don't have Matt Harpring out there anymore, getting under people's skin and driving them crazy... I'll miss that guy.)

This trade, however, has left a vacancy on the Jazz's roster. Per NBA rules, teams are required to carry 13 players on their rosters, and we now only have 12. Does this mean another trade is in the works? Possibly a trade that will focus more on improving this team, rather than being purely a business move? Unfortunately, that is unlikely. As much as I'd like to hope that is the plan, it seems much more likely that the Jazz will call up someone from the D-League's Flash to fill the spot.

Nevertheless, it's fun to speculate on what could happen (however ridiculously unrealistic it might be...) In playing around with ESPN's NBA Trade Machine, I came up with this trade. I think it's a gem. Take a look:

Click HERE to enlarge

All in favor, please manifest. Any opposed, by the same sign? (Sit down, Brother Willey. I'm pretty sure you don't count anymore...)

Problem with trades is, the other team has to agree to it too. Darn.

Oh well.

Rivalry Week: I hate BYU!

Well, it's finally here again! Actually, it doesn't seem like it was that long ago that these two teams last met on the field. What a glorious day that was.

Last season, I posted this list of the reasons I don't like BYU. I'd like to revisit it. My feelings about BYU will never change, but since they're constantly finding new ways to be obnoxious, here are this year's top 10 reasons for hating BYU:

10. If you've a Ute fan, you've undoubtedly heard BYU fans refer to our football program as "Little Brother". I can't tell you how stupid I think that is. I can't understand where this term came from. Our programs is older than theirs, so age has nothing to do with it... Are they saying their program has had more success? Well, no, that can't be it either. Utah owns the series by 20 games. Surely it can't be because they have a national championship. Because any bonehead would have to recognize that if the same bogus system that awarded them that national title were still in place today, Utah would have TWO national championships (instead, a new bogus system is in place...). Are they saying that their recent success makes them our "big brother"? Well no, because Utah has gone undefeated twice in the last 5 years, won 2 BCS bowls, won 5 of the last 7 Holy Wars, and 8 bowl games in a row. BYU can't say they've done any of that. So I am left to conclude that the only reason we are "Little Brother" is this: We all know that every Cougar fan has the Book of Mormon memorized (they're just all so very righteous...). So they MUST be referring to the fact that Nephi (aka "Little Brother") was made a ruler and a teacher over his elder bretheren. That's GOT to be it.

9. This was, in all seriousness, said to my father at church last sunday. Please understand that this was not said in a joking manner. The man who said it was as serious as a heart attack. My dad asked this BYU fan in the ward how he thought the game will go this Saturday. The man's response: "BYU's going to win. They've got more returned missionaries on their team, so the Lord will bless them." WHA....??? Seriously??? And I have to say, he's not alone in this school of thought. Remember the imfamous quote by Austin Collie? You do. I know you do.

8. Bronco Mendenhall. This guy is just... it's so hard to even put in words. He is the epitome of what I don't want the world to think members of the church are like. He's arrogant, he's weird, and he ALWAYS make football about religion. What I wouldn't give for a chance to punch that guy in the face.

7. Speaking of coaches... BYU fans seem to take great pleasure in bringing up the fact that coach Whittingham played his college football at BYU. I always hear things like "It took a cougar to turn your program around!" Guys, get over it. Yeah, he went to BYU. He was there for 4 years and he's coached at Utah for over 15 years. And while we're on the subject, your golden boy LaVell Edwards played his college ball at Utah State, and earned his masters degree from the University of Utah. So if you really wanna play that card, it took a Ute to guide BYU to ALL of the success their program has EVER had.

6. Idiot fans. Please understand that what I'm about to say does not apply to all BYU fans. And I am able to admit that there are idiots at every school, and the U is no exception. But come on. You know the guys I'm talking about. The guy from number 9 for example. Or how about this guy. And definitely this guy. It's the arrogance. The "holier than thou" attitudes. Those are the fans I can't stand.

5. Speaking of fans, why do so many of you guys pretend you don't care about the rivalry game? That drives me nuts! You do care -- I know you do. How do I know? Because when you guys win, all I hear for the next 12 months are clever little quips such as "Hey, Harline is still open!" or "4th and 18!". So seriously, don't give me that bull. It is such an obvious ploy. Pretend you don't care so that when you lose, you can continue pretending you don't care.

4. Why on earth do you people sing "Popcorn Popping" (complete with actions) at your football games?! News flash: people already think Mormons are weird. Is this really necessary?

3. Traitors. Harvey Unga and Manase Tonga, I'm talking to YOU!

2. Here's a double-standard for you. Bronco always goes on and on about how BYU gets it done with returned missionaries. He seems to think that going on a mission is a pretty important thing to do. Couldn't agree more. In fact, at age 19, it is THE MOST important thing to be doing. So why then, does BYU distract young men who are on missions by recruiting them while they are on their missions?! BYU has a nasty habbit of stealing away athletes who have already committed to other schools. Somehow these guys commit to some other school, go on their missions, and come back Cougars. Fishy. Actually some guys are so distracted, they don't even finish their missions. *cough* Max Hall *cough* Sorry, but I think it is absolutely unacceptable for a school that is owned by the church to distract these guys while they're supposed to be focused on missionary service. A lot of these guys have a hard time making the decision to do the right thing and put their football careers on hold to go serve missions. Pretty shady.

1. Just because they're BYU.

Happy rivalry week, and GO UTES!!

Season Opener: Highlights and Lowlights

Well, I've been waiting for it since May... What a let-down.

Let's start with the highlights, since it's a much shorter list:

1. Deron Williams. We all know this guys is a stud. 28 points and 13 assists, he looked as sharp as ever. As long as Deron stays healthy, we will compete in most games.
2. Free throw shooting. The Jazz overall had a pretty good showing from the line, finishing 25-29 (86.2%)
3. Memo's outside shooting looked pretty good.
4. Fes didn't look too bad when he came in for Memo early in the game. He seems to have improved. I'd still like to see more Koufos.

And the lowlights? Well, there are many, but I'll just list a few:

1. Carlos Boozer. I think most of us are expecting Boozer to play out of his mind this year, since he's trying to get a big contract. Boozer's all about the $$. Maybe he still will, but last night he looked like crap. Poor shot selection, zero defense, the usual. He blew a couple of assists for Deron by not being ready for the passes. He just looked terrible.
2. Turnovers. We had 16 which isn't horrific, but they led to 22 points for the Nuggets. And we only lost by nine.
3. Second-chance points. We gave up 14 offensive rebounds that led to 20 second chance points. I don't know how many put-back dunks the Nuggets had, but it was a lot.
4. Defense. We didn't get back in transition, we didn't rotate over, and we gave them way to many easy baskets.
5. Depth. We were missing CJ, Kyle, and Matt last night, and it showed. I think those guys might have been able to give us the lift we needed.
6. Paul Millsap. I never thought he'd be a lowlight, but last night he didn't really do much to show the world why he got such a big raise. I have no doubt that will change as the season progresses, but as for last night, he just really didn't play that well. He's still one of my favorite players, and I don't think anyone (aside from Deron) works harder than him.

Agree? Disagree? What were your highlights and lowlights?

I hate bye weeks.

But in the mean time...

GO AGGIES!!

The Utes So Far

I have to say that I have been a little uncomfortable during both of our games so far. In the USU game, the second half was much better, but the SJSU game really could have been a disaster. Then again, it also could have been a blow out. We made some mistakes that cost us points, and I think it was more a case of us shooting ourselves in the foot than SJSU outplaying us. It's hard to guage this year's team based on the two games we've seen so far, but I have three areas of concern:

1. Turnovers. 3 against Utah State and 2 against SJSU (actually three if you count turning the ball over on downs -- which I do.) I think we need to really focus on this. We have to take care of the ball. You can get away with it against lesser WAC opponents, but if we don't get this fixed, teams like Oregon, TCU, and BYU (heck, maybe even AFA or CSU) will make us pay.
   
2. Pass coverage. We gave up a big pass play to USU, and a few of them to SJSU. Fortunately Oregon's strength is not the passing game, but that doesn't mean they can't burn us there. We have to do a better job keeping up witht he WR's. And it's not just the corners' responsibility. The pass rush has been pretty unimpressive thus far, and I am a believer in the addage "The key to a good secondary is a great pass rush".
   
3. Goal line offense. We've been stood up inside the one yard line twice in as many games. I really have to question the play calling: 1st down -- Asiata direct snap. 2nd down -- Asiata direct snap. 3rd down -- Asiata direct snap. 4th down -- you guessed it, Asiata direct snap. We did the same thing 2 weeks in a row, and I have to say, it's about as predictable as Gary Crowton. We need to try somehting else, because if USU and SJSU can stop us, it's obviously not working.

Nevertheless, I don't want this post to sound negative. We have seen some good things -- actually some great things -- so far as well. I really like Cain, and he is going to be an excellent QB. I loved seeing him take off and run -- boy can move! Asiata has been a great run threat (and I was impressed with backups Wide and Shakerin as well). Reed and Brooks are huge playmakers and fun to watch. Defensively, I think our linebacking corps has been great, not really allowing much on the ground (aside from the flukey play by USU). Our new punter seems to be really solid.

Well I'm rambling. Vote here -- what are your thoughts on the Utah vs. Oregon game?

My prediction? Utah 34, Oregon 21

Just how good is BYU anyway?

Alright – I mentioned that I had more to say on the BYU – OU game, so here it comes.

First of all, I have to give credit where credit is due. I was extremely surprised and actually impressed with how well BYU play Oklahoma in the first half. I expected Oklahoma to be sitting on a 3 touchdown lead at half time. I think you can attribute it to a few things:

• Oklahoma did an absolutely TERRIBLE job of rebuilding their offensive line. They were penalized over and over and over for holding, false starts, etc. Bradford had no protection whatsoever, and that really changed the whole dynamic of OU’s offense.
  
• Play calling. Can someone tell me why OU insisted on running the ball? I understand it’s important to establish the run in order to open things up for the passing game, but really? When you’ve got Sam Bradford slinging the ball, capable receivers, and BYU’s secondary, it should be a no-brainer!
  
• BYU’s defense has improved significantly. Their pass rush was great, and they had constant pressure on the QB (which eventually led to his injury).

So, in my opinion, those are the reasons the score was so close at halftime. Now let’s talk about the second half. The obvious difference is that Oklahoma is now playing without their best player. Even then, BYU couldn’t do much. The OU defense kept them in check, while the OU offense hardly did anything. Finally Oklahoma put together a pretty good drive. They got all the way down to the 2 yard line. They didn’t get in on 1st and goal. They didn’t get in on 2nd and goal. They didn’t get in on 3rd and goal. And so, of course, they line up on 4th and goal, as anyone would. Except they had a freshman QB playing in basically his first game since high school. He let the play clock expire. Would Sam Bradford have let that happen? I guarantee you, he would not. Thus, OU was backed up 5 yards and opted to kick a field goal rather than risk coming up empty. Again, I have to disagree with the coaching decision. Listen up, Bob Stoops. You’re on BYU’s 5 yard line, you have the lead, and the game is nearing it’s end. If you go for the TD on 4th down, you have the opportunity to basically put the game out of reach. If you come up empty on 4th, BYU gets the ball – on their own 5 yard line. And your defense has been able to stifle every drive BYU has put together so far in this game. They’ve picked off Max Hall twice, and gotten pressure on him numerous times. You would be in perfect position to score a safety, which also gives you the ball back. Why not trust your defense?

But even then, OU was still not down and out. BYU put together a very impressive drive that led to a touchdown with about 2 and a half minutes left in the game. On the ensuing kickoff, Mitch Payne boots the ball out of bounds, giving OU the ball on their own 40. They’re down by one point, so all they need is a field goal. That means they have 2 and a half minutes to move the ball about 30 yards. Did they accomplish that? Oh yes, they did. Except they tried to get just a little closer. And then, that magnificent OU offensive line had yet another penalty that moved them back. With time running out, they had to try the long long field goal. 54 yards is a tall order for any college kicker. They missed it. BYU wins.

So I ask again, just how good is BYU? If not for that one penalty at the end, that field goal is probably good. Have the Cougars really fixed the problems that plagued them against TCU, Utah, and Arizona last year? I submit that they have not. If you could pin-point BYU’s two biggest weaknesses last year, what would you say? I’d say this:

• Max Hall: Sure, he’s an extremely accurate QB… when he has all day. And in most of their games last year, he did have all day. But the truth is that any team who consistently put pressure on him, beat him. He was sacked, picked off, he fumbled, made bad reads, you name it. And what I saw on Saturday against Oklahoma was the same old Max Hall. Every time OU got pressure on him, he threw it up for grabs. He got picked twice, but it could have easily been 4 or 5. I also saw him try to squeeze it into triple coverage a couple times. I really don’t think he’s any better than last year. The difference? This year he doesn’t have a veteran O-Line to protect him. Thus, the key to beating BYU this year will once again be getting pressure on Maxie.
  
• Slow secondary: This was the other major criticism made against BYU last year. Because their DB’s were considerably slower than most teams’ WR’s, they were forced (or rather, coached) to play 10 yards off the receivers at scrimmage. This left the receivers wide open on short, underneath routes which a lot of times went for big yardage after the catch. Are they any better this year? I really don’t know. But I doubt it. Since OU barely threw the ball at all, I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

I’d just like to finish up by saying that I agree with coach Whittingham’s opinion of the polls. He thinks that any poll taken before 4 or 5 games have been played is completely meaningless. BYU beat #3, Oklahoma. So does that mean that BYU deserves to be in the Top 10, or does it mean that OU never did deserve such a lofty ranking. I’m inclined to think the latter. Time will tell.

College Football Kickoff Weekend

College football is finally here! After 8 months of anticipation and speculation, the season has finally begun.

The Utah game was about what I expected it to be. It was sloppy at times, but overall I saw good things. Terrance Cain appears to be a very capable QB, and I think he will improve as the season goes on. The play calling was conservative by design. It was meant to make Cain feel comfortable. I also think it was a smart move -- Why open up the playbook in the season opener when you don't need to? With tougher games coming up down the road, the coaches knew that a conservative game plan was the way to go.

The MWC made a lot of noise during the off-season. We are trying to gain respect and work our way towards inclusion in the BCS. We have several opportunites to make our case stronger this season. Here are the games that feature MWC teams vs BCS opponents:

BYU has already shaken things up with their win over Oklahoma last night (I have more to say on this game... later). TCU has a chance to make a statement against the ACC with games against Virginia and Clemson. Utah takes on Oregon, the only team that looks to challenge USC for the PAC-10 this year. Wyoming takes on Texas, who many have projected to play in the NC game. I think that if the MWC wants to be taken seriously, we need to win at least two-thirds of these games. That means that it can't just be Utah, TCU, and BYU. Some other MWC teams will have to start pulling their weight.

College football is one of my favorite times of the year, and I look forward to another great season of Utah Utes football!

Should I really be surprised?

Wow. If you were to look up the word "poser", I'm pretty sure these photos would follow. Just take a look for yourself.

Mr. "Righteous Living" Austin Collie is starting a new trend:

wearing just the hood of your hoodie.

Max Hall poppin' the collar. (and the sleeve)
Dennis Pitta, Max Hall, and Austin Collie trying WAY too hard.

Collie sports the "just woke up look"

So this is how Bronco holds practice... that explains a lot.

"YIPEEEE!!!"

As if we needed any further proof that these guys are dorks...

Umm... YES PLEASE!!!

Chris Bosh: Raptors May Move Him

Update: The Raptors are privately acknowledging that they might need to trade Bosh, or risk losing him as a free agent in 2010, the New York Daily News reports.

Analysis: Bosh is set to join the free agent lottery in 2010, when Dwyane Wade and LeBron James are also free. According to the report in the Daily News, Toronto is interested in packaging Bosh in a deal to acquire Carlos Boozer. The Bulls are also interested in Bosh, with Luol Deng being offered.

It doesn't look like much will change... again

After the 2007-2008 NBA season, The Jazz didn't make any big moves. The only change to the roster was the trade that brough Brevin Knight to Utah (and we all know how well that worked out). I actually thought that the lack of change might be a good thing. I thought that the fact that this group of players had already spent some time together, and had playoff experience together would be an advantage. However, my reasoning was flawed. I have come to realize that the Jazz are still lacking something. (my personal opinion is that we need a strong defensive big man, but who knows...) I was hoping to see a big move during the off-season. Something to get excited about after a disappointing performance towards the end of the regular season and in the playoffs. However, it looks like we may end up with pretty much the same roster again.

Korver has decided not to opt out
Boozer probably won't either
We've made an offer to Millsap (which I pray he takes)

So it's not looking like there will be a blockbuster trade this year. I could be wrong though. I guess we'll just have to see what happens.

Derek Fisher belongs with the Lakers...

So, I have to say that I really liked Fisher last year. He was a definite leader on the team, and he made big plays at big moments. Then he used his daughter's disease to play on Larry H. Miller's sympathies. He got released from his contract in order to be closer to his daughter's physicians (located in New York... I guess someone failed geography.) Ever since, I have realized he's shady. He is a big-time actor, and he flops a lot. He's an all out punk. And for anyone who wants to say, "No, come on! Derek Fisher is a class act!", I submit the following:



You can see that Fisher knows the screen is coming. He keeps looking over his shoulder waiting for Scola. When he sees him coming, he preps himself, turns, and with all his strength he blasts Scola. It was a straight up dirty play, and 100% intentional. He was ejected from the game. Here is Fisher's explanation of what happened:



Nice try Derek, but ANYONE can see that it's a load of bull. You are lame, and if anyone needed proof you're a crooked liar, now they've got it. Case closed.

I hate this man...

I pretty much want him to fall on his face. Like thirty times. Or more.