Another chapter in the "Book of Fans"

    For as long as I can remember, Runnin' Utes basketball and (more recently) the Jazz have been a big part of my life.

    I had a family member who played for the Runnin' Utes.  He made the team by hard work as a walk on and had his best game ever against BYU.  

     As a kid, I was legally blind in my left eye.  This made learning how to read all but impossible.  I remember day after day of throwing books across the room in frustration as my poor parents tried to teach me.  Nothing worked.  One day, my Dad got the idea that maybe if I found something I was interested in, the reading would come easier.  He introduced me to box scores in the "Houston Chronicle" and a light bulb clicked on.

    Each morning, I got up early and was assigned to tell him about what had happened in the Jazz (his team), Rockets (my team), and Runnin' Utes (our team) games.  Even though they were a long way away, I learned to love players like Jimmy Soto and Josh Grant by reading the box scores.  Reading became fun, and it changed my life.

    When we moved to Utah, I jumped ship to the Jazz full time.  I loved going to the occasional game at the "Decibel Center" or walking across campus to see the Utes play up on the hill.  In my driveway at home, I shot baskets for hours on end and pretended to be right there along side Mike Doleac, Nick Jacobson, Alex Jensen, Andre Miller, Hanno Mottola, Ketih Van Horn, Jeff Hornacek, Karl Malone, John Stockton and my many other heroes.  

    Those were the glory days.  Though we came up just short of winning the big win, we were on top of the world.  

    These days, times are different.  But my love of those teams has not changed.  

    I enjoy social media.  I like reading what others see because I feel like 99% of people have something to offer that I can learn from.  I also like that I can control who I follow.  I don't follow any bozos.  I follow those who are passionate and bring something to the table, and I love it.  

    At the same time, it can be a terrible place.  I see people taking to it to run down kids who are trying their hardest and may not always have the results on the court or field.  When I see this, I picture in my mind this family member I mentioned earlier.  I picture him playing hard and having people run him down when things didn't go right and it gets me upset.  These are kids who work their tails off in school and on the court. 

   Why does anyone feel the need to run down a kid?  Or even worse, their family?  That is pathetic.  I get tired of Jazz fans who constantly want to blame all of the problems in the world on Ty Corbin, but Ty is a grown man who is paid quite well and taking over the top criticism from zealots is part of the job.  It is pitiful that he has to deal with it, but it is part of the job nonetheless.  Kids?  Moms and Dads who just love their kids? Absolutely disgusting that anyone would feel the need to call them names and harass them.  Would anyone say this same stuff to their face?  Not a chance.  So why do it over social media?  

    In no way, shape, or form, am I saying that athletes and coaches are beyond criticism.  There are criticisms of the Ute and Jazz players and coaches that are fair and appropriate.  Was I frustrated after last night's game?  You better believe it.  

    I was asked an interesting question last night.  I am known as someone who is optimistic about my teams and people wanted to know at what point will good efforts not be enough and when will I "demand" that my teams win games such as last night. 

     My answer?  Never.  We play in a difficult conference.  Losses like this are going to happen no matter how much talent we have.  Do I want more wins?  Absolutely.  Do I believe they will come?  Without a doubt!  But in the meantime, I will accept the reality that we are an up and coming team.  Twice this year, we have given Arizona a ball game despite being at a significant talent disadvantage.  If being content with that makes me a "lapdog" or "someone who pathetically accepts moral victories", so be it.  It is reality, even if I am disappointed that one got away.  

    Win, lose, or draw, I will always support my team, the players, and coaches, as long as I see a great effort being put forth.  When I see a lousy effort, even in wins, I will become more vocal.  (you should read my blogs about the 2012 Boston Red Sox).  I do not think for even one second that I am a better fan than someone who feels differently, it is just the way I approach it.  

   In anything in life, it helps to look at the big picture.  Two years ago, outside of people I can count on one hand, I couldn't have paid anyone to talk about Runnin' Ute hoops with me.  Last night, the Huntsman Center was darn near full.  Improvement is being made.  Larry K is doing things the right way.  Our time will come.  I have no doubt about it.  Someday soon, all of these frustrations will be distant memories.  

   

    

    

Why I Believe That "Coach K" is the Right Man For Utah

                                                 Andre Miller playing against Kentucky in the 1998 NCAA Championship 
                                                                 game.  Can the Utes get back to this level?  Maybe..............read on!   



    I experienced one of those sports moments last night.  A moment of sheer sports euphoria.

     Despite the fact that they are terrible this year, I always know when the Runnin' Utes are playing.  I always make sure that I am following the game.  Before last night's game, the Runnin' Utes had trotted out onto the court 27 times.  22 of those times, they had fallen short.  Often times, their falls have been epically spectacular, or spectacularly epic, however you look at it.

     Last night seemed to be no different.  Stanford was in town, and the Utes quickly fell behind by 10 points.  As I am listening to Bill Riley and Jimmy Soto bring me every missed shot and turnover, I am just hoping that Utah can keep it close.  I want them to battle through this, to not let this game get out of hand.  I want the fair weather fans to pick up their paper tomorrow and see that Utah at least battled.

    Before I know it, its 21-11 and I have lost all hope.  The final game in the Huntsman Center this season will be another beat down.  Oh well, we will always have gymnastics right?

    Wrong.

    Jason Washburn and Chris Hines, two guys who to me embody what being a Runnin' Ute is all about, lead a charge and the Utes come back to take the lead going into halftime!

    In my mind, I am telling myself that this is fools gold.  Sure, they have a halftime lead. But Stanford will wake up and realize they are playing Utah and they will probably win this one going away.

    I text my friend Jesse to ask his opinion.  Jesse has been subjected to every painful second of this season at the Huntsman Center.  He knows this team better than anyone.

    "Do you think we can pull this out?" I ask

    "Called it before the game started, we are winning this one tonight." came the response.

    I hope he is right, I tell myself.

    I better explain myself here.  I am passionate about "my" teams.  I follow them like crazy and I cheer my guts out for them.  But if I absolutely had to pick my favorite team, it would be the Runnin' Utes.  Yes, I would take the Runnin' Utes over the Jazz, Utah Football, and the Red Sox.  I have my reasons, not the least of which is that my Dad was a Runnin' Ute in his day.  The Runnin' Utes are the only team where my fandom borders on dangerous for my health.  I want SO BADLY for this team to win, that it kills me.  I convince myself that they can't win, because if I believe that they can and they don't, then it just eats at me.  So I tell myself they won't have a chance, but inside I know I'm lying and I believe in them every time they step on the floor.

     Whew! That feels better.  Glad I got that off my chest.....back to my story.

     There is a battle in the second half.  And all throughout I can't shake the feeling that this will end like so many games have this year.  They will make it close, but Stanford will pull away at the end.  This team doesn't have a closer, and we are doomed.  But I keep listening.  I was a die-hard in '98 when we came so close, I am not going to bale on this team now that times are rough.

     Finally, five seconds left.  Washburn at the line.  Utes by 1.  I should really take this movie I picked up home and watch it with my wife (this is the reason I am in my car in the first place, I went to rent a movie).  But I can't.  I have to listen until the bitter end.

     Brick.  Stanford gets the ball.

     Their best shooter who has hit some big shots all night has the ball, and he is racing down the court so that once again my heart can be ripped out, thrown on the ground, and stomped on.  As Bill is describing these final seconds, I am getting ready to take out my frustration at this inevitable loss on the steering wheel of the car.

     But no!  He missed it!  And it bounced right to a Ute!  Game over! We won!

     YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  We are 6-22! In your face doubters!  Take that haters!  I looked at my phone and right on cue, there is the text from Jesse.

     "And that is a win".  Truer words were never spoken. 

     Ok, the title of this is "Why I believe that Coach K is the right man for Utah", and I have spent a large chunk of time boring you with a story about one truly statistically insignificant game.  The Utes aren't going anywhere this year.  In fact, there are a lot of growing pains before this team is back to its glory days, if they ever make it.

     My point is that what I saw and heard last night gives me a lot of optimism.  Not optimist for the immediate future, but hope that someday we might get back to the promised land.

     Truth be told, I liked Jim Boylen.  He had passion and a love for the program and the University.  He cared deeply about his players.  Add this to the fact that even though he went 1-7 against the TDS in his time, he still managed to get under the skin of their fans (I have never figured out any reason why this is so, but who cares?)

      I had complaints about him, don't get me wrong.  He just wasn't a head coach.  His offensive schemes were not effective.  While he was a decent teacher of the game, his players did not improve at the rate they should have.  He constantly preached about getting tougher, and his players never did.

      With this team, I have seen a noticeable and marked improvement over the course of the season.  I know that the naysayers are going to say "well, couldn't get much worse!".  Yeah, thank you for that.  Please feel free to crawl back under your bridge now.

    Instead of quitting, they have remained resilient.  They play their butts off every game.  Most of the time, they simply don't have the talent to win, but they are giving it everything they have.  Jason Washburn has come miles this season.  Players are improving.  They are playing as a team (yet another knock of mine on Boylen).  And at times, dare I say it, it even looks like they are having fun. There is a sense of toughness and mental strength this year that I haven't seen in recent years.  It's almost as if the team is repeatedly singing Bieber's "I Will Never Say Never!" Ok, probably not..............but you get my point. 

     Larry K has taken a team of no talent (yes, some can argue that he caused the lack of talent, but thats a pointless debate at this point) and taught them to fight and play the right way.  This isn't the Mighty Ducks, where a team of nobodies suddenly becomes unbeatable.  Like I said, there are a lot of hard times ahead.  But for the first time in a long time, the ship is pointed in the right direction.

    In my next post, I am going to explain what has to happen for this team to get going again, now that they are pointed in the right direction!