SB Nation User Blog: Shums

Recap: Utah Jazz @ Atlanta Hawks -- The Least Interesting Game In The World

Shums — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 02:32:52 -0000

Deron Williams does his Louis Armstrong impression. Actually, that would've been a lot more entertaining than this game.

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So I’m sitting on my couch and someone knocks at the door. Not the main door to my apartment. The door that leads out to my front deck. The front deck that is situated about fifteen feet above the ground floor. HOW DID SOMEONE GET TO MY FRONT DECK AND KNOCK ON MY DOOR.

… then I realized that the deck connects to the other side of my duplex. Turns out this dude came over to visit my roommate but entered the wrong side of the house, thus showing up on my front deck.

This incredibly boring story is brought to you purely to underscore how UTTERLY AWFUL this game was. By comparison, that story was friggin' Shakespeare.

Seriously, there was nothing to see here after about the first quarter. The Jazz opened the game poorly, with bad spacing, lazy ball movement, careless passes (Boozer had three turnovers in the first quarter alone) and settling for long jumpers -- again. While the Hawks started hot and quickly cooled off, the four-point lead at the end of the first would be all they needed.

From then on, it was a comedy of errors on the part of the boys in blue, culminating in a dismal 37-17 third quarter that had the Hawks up by 30 points. Josh Smith led the way with a Kirilenko-esque* stat line of 16 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 steals and 2 blocks.

*By "Kirilenko-esque" I am here referring to the times when Kirilenko was, you know, a good basketball player.

One night after appearing on national television and hearing Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley call him the best point guard in the NBA. Deron Williams put up this line: 2 points on 1-8 shooting, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 4 turnovers and a +/- rating of -36 in 21 minutes. If he's ever had a worse game as a professional, I can't remember it.

The fourth quarter was probably the most entertaining part of the game for Jazz fans, as a lineup of Eric Maynor, Wesley Matthews, Ronnie Price, Andrei Kirilenko and Kyrylo Fesenko looked like the only players with "Utah" on their chests who gave a crap.

Of course, by then, the conversation in the Game Thread had turned away from the basketball game and onto such thrilling topics as "Peanuts: Not Actually Nuts At All" and "I Have Too Many Vowels On My Scrabble Rack."

Honestly, there may be other insights to glean from this game, but I don't have the energy to try right now. I'm serious. I had observations in the first half. At least I think I did. I mean, there they are in the Game Thread, with my name beneath them and everything, but the rest of the game was so boringly depressingly terrible that I think it deprived me of my ability to remember things I actually said.

The good news: we can bounce back tomorrow night in Charlotte. In the words of Wesley: You have until midnight. Then it's time to get over it and move on.

Peachtree Hoops

D-Will gets grilled on 'Inside the NBA'

Shums — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 08:22:38 -0000

Since the Jazz are in Atlanta to play the Hawks tonight, Deron Williams made an appearance on the TNT broadcast of "Inside the NBA" with Ernie, Kenny and Chuck. And they didn't cut him any slack. Observe:

Wow. Is it just me, or did it seem like, after unanimously proclaiming him the best point guard in the league (even specifying "better than Chris Paul"), they all really went after Deron and the Jazz? And our ninja did NOT look comfortable. In fact, he starts getting a little feisty with Barkley, who keeps insisting (as he did during the Laker game last week) that there is "tension in y'all's locker room" and that "you KNOW what's going to happen [at the end of the season when Boozer is not re-signed]."

Deron dutifully gives the party line, that there are no chemistry problems now and that no one really knows what's going to happen next offseason. But as each of the hosts repeats essentially the same question -- "Why isn't this team better than it is, or as good as it could be?" -- D-Will has to just keep shaking his head, and you can sense his frustration growing as he admits "...I wish I knew" after an awkward pause.

Consider also Deron's Tweet after his appearance:

@d_will_8_4real: Segment is going to Air on the post game show! Kenny and Charles didn't let me off the hook at all! Had a good time

Deron's never really been one to hold back his emotions. If he's annoyed, you can usually tell, even if the words themselves don't show it. He was annoyed tonight.

So I'm left wondering what to read into this. Is he just sick of having the same questions fired at him and being expected to give the golden answer? Or is this indicative of the very internal "tension" that Barkley suspects and Deron denies? (Or am I overreacting? Because that sounds like something I would do.)

Final point: We know Deron (or his representation) is pushing more publicly to make the All-Star Game this year. (And again, you can tell in his voice when Ernie asks him about it that it would mean an awful lot to him, more than he wants to let on.) Kenny says that his goal shouldn't even be set there, but rather as a first- or second-team All-NBA selection -- a goal he accomplished as a second-teamer in 07-08. I think it's interesting that people around the league seem to have such respect for D-Will... at least to his face. But when it gets right down to it, he still hasn't made an All-Star team, and he still isn't recognized for his game by the public at large.

Lots of interesting things in that five-minute interview to parse out. Let's hear what you all thought about it.

Time for tickets

Shums — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 00:26:14 -0000

I attended seven Real Salt Lake home games this year. I would have liked to attend more, but lack of funds, failing to plan ahead and work obligations made it tough. I did subscribe to the MLS internet broadcasts and eventually watched every match this season, including every glorious minute of the MLS Cup Final.

While I don't hang out on the Big Soccer boards all day or watch match replays over and over, I read every mainstream media article and most of the fan blogs, and consider myself a pretty big RSL fan. Now I'm ready to become a season ticket holder.

So my question is: what's the best option? Cheapest seats possible? Any particular section? Do I join a supporters group? Which one? (I know Denz is a Rogue Cavalier Brigade guy.) Looking for some advice from anyone on here, or maybe some fellow committed fans to sit and watch with. Or anyone else's experiences with buying season tickets or joining supporters clubs would be useful too. What say you?

Get equipped! Old-school logo version here!

Shums — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:42:00 -0000

Get equipped! Old-school logo version here!

SLC Dunk Fantasy Basketball League: Back by popular demand!

Shums — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 03:08:45 -0000

Yes, it's that time of year again. The time of year when you actually start paying attention to basketball news from other teams. The time of year when you purchase huge tomes of stats and opinion, pore over them and discard them an hour after the draft. The time of year when you participate in that most joyous of activities, at the crossroads of Sports Fan Drive and Dweeb Boulevard.

That's right, suckas: fantasy basketball.

I've booted up last year's league for another year. The URL and password are the same as ever. All managers from last year's league have already been e-mailed. Otherwise, if you want in, leave a comment or send me an e-mail. At the moment I have a 12-team limit, but I will expand it if there's enough demand.

Let me know how I might better serve you in this capacity. Prepare to die. Commissioner Shums out.

On the so-called "Holy War" and rooting for rivals

Shums — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 03:49:52 -0000

(From the FanPosts...)

A recent post on Mountain West Connection got me thinking. The post simply asks the question: Would you root for your rival?

A lot of sports fans would consider this a stupid question. And depending on the sport, they could be right. In the NBA, for example, I am a loyal Utah Jazz fan. The good of any rival team, whether the Lakers, Spurs, Nuggets, Rockets, or anyone else, can only mean bad news for me. There is absolutely no benefit to another NBA team doing well. This is the way of it in pretty much all professional sports.

College is different. Especially in a smaller market like the Mountain West. Especially football. College football is subjective by nature. In football there are polls and formulas. Recruiting budgets and TV deals. Haves and have-nots. For us in the Mountain West, this means it's not just about winning. It's about making an impression. It's about proving people wrong. It's about getting noticed. And unfortunately, a lot of that is out of our hands. (Okay, technically all of it is out of our hands, since we're not actually out there with a Y on our helmets. You get the point.)

(Continued after the jump...)

Consequently, it behooves us as BYU fans to want the rest of our conference to look good, especially in non-conference games and bowls. When the teams in our league are better, and BYU beats them, BYU looks better. Even if BYU loses, it lessens the sting if the opponent is respectable.

This brings up the inevitable dilemma, and the subject of the original MWC connection post: Would you, for the good of the conference, and therefore the good of the Cougars, cheer for the Utes to win games?

Me, I go back and forth on the issue. I'm a BYU graduate, and I grew up in Provo. I have always cheered for BYU and always will. And I do favor them when they play the Utes.

Having said that, I have no hatred towards the Utes at all. I like seeing them win, except for when they play BYU. And even then, if they're honestly the better team when they play BYU, and show it on the field, then I can usually live with that too, and accept the fact that we didn't get the job done. It's not just because it makes the conference look better. I really just don't have any hatred for them -- whether by "them" I mean the players themselves, or the school, or the fans. I live in Salt Lake City now, with several Utah students. I know too many people on both sides of the rivalry to hate.

However, in my current line of work, I have to see a LOT of the worst parts of the BYU/Utah rivalry, on both sides. I see the worst of the smug, superior, self-centered, condescending arrogance that Utes fans hate in BYU fans. (And let's be honest, Cougar fans -- there's more than a little truth to that.) I also see the worst of the baiting, mean-spirited, confrontational belligerence that BYU fans hate in Utah fans. Both extremes are equally annoying to me, and sometimes make me want to give up any stake in the rivalry at all.

I cannot stand the media-created and perpetuated moniker "The Holy War," and I don't use it when I talk about the BYU/Utah rivalry. I know it's easy to make BYU a target given its religious affiliation. And I understand that it even deserves some of that criticism, given the high-minded attitude the school sometimes has about its sports programs. I don't care. I want my rivalry to be about what happens on the field. Nothing else.

Calling it "The Holy War" is a tacit acceptance of the erroneous stereotype that BYU vs. Utah really means Mormons vs. Non-Mormons. Given the number of LDS athletes on both sides (not to mention both head coaches), that stereotype is silly. Using the nickname also means you're silently giving permission to those who hate BYU solely on the grounds that BYU is affiliated with the LDS Church. Which, I guess, is anyone's right. But I'll not be party to it.

There's no question that seeing a rival lose can be a pleasurable experience, full of sadism and schadenfreude. It's nice to have material to use against that friend or family member who supports the other side, ways to tease and needle and annoy.

There are times that we all like to see Utah lose. That doesn't mean we have to be irrational about it.

Even if, sometimes, we just can't help ourselves.

Poll

Would you ever cheer for the Utes to win a game?

Yes, I'm okay with them doing well, as long as BYU does better

24 votes

Yes, it's all in-state anyway, I like both teams

5 votes

Only in non-conference games and bowls

14 votes

No, never, I'd love it if they never won another game

10 votes

53 votes | Poll has closed

SLC Dunk Fantasy Football League Registration

Shums — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 01:27:03 -0000

Okay folks: it's for real this time. The SLC Dunk Fantasy Football League is a go. Initial plan is for 10 teams (although I know I had more votes than that, but I really want committed teams, so let me know if you really want in and I'll expand the number), with a live online draft scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 30 at 6pm Mountain time. More specifics will be available in-league.

So. If you're interested, leave a comment here, or send me an email (you can find my email on my SB Nation user page), and I will send you the league ID# and password. You can see the rules and scoring once you're in the league, but a brief description: 1 QB, 2 RBs, 2 WRs, 1 TE, 1 Flex (W/R/T), 1 K, 1 DEF/ST, standard Yahoo scoring, no waivers, no transaction limit (sort of like I did with our basketball league: make as many moves as you want, whenever you want).

Any questions, hit me up; I'm more than happy to help. (And by the way, if you've been lurking here and not making any comments, this is the perfect way to get to know some of the regulars! We don't bite! Except UtesFan, but he's been better since he had his shots.)

So yeah. Let's do this. Commish out.

How did you become a BYU fan?

Shums — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 01:51:17 -0000

I'm always interested to hear about why people became fans of their favorite teams. In the case of the Cougars, there are three likely reasons: you're a student, you're from Utah, or you're a Latter-day Saint. The school's connection to the LDS Church is well known, as is the way BYU travels well for away games, since many Utah and LDS transplants show up in their Cougar blue.

Of course, those reasons also make it more difficult to be a BYU fan, especially these days. Inside the state, the BYU-Utah rivalry (I refuse to call it by that stupid nickname) has reached ridiculous proportions... and, let's face it, things didn't go our way this past year. Outside of Utah, BYU's connections to both the state and the LDS Church make the school and its athletic teams an easy (and unfunny) punchline for the ignorant and the belligerent. Sometimes it takes a special kind of fortitude to stay True Blue. But chances are, if you're here and you're reading this, I don't have to tell you that.

But maybe you're from out of state and adopted the team. Maybe your family used to live in Utah and you follow the Cougs from afar. I'm sure there are lots of different stories. So mark yourself in the poll, and tell your story in the comments.

Poll

How did you become a BYU fan? (pick the answer that fits you best)

BYU student, gotta represent

8 votes

Grew up in Utah, always been a fan

6 votes

Moved to Utah, adopted the team

1 votes

The LDS connection

4 votes

Parents/family are BYU fans

4 votes

Other (explain in comments)

1 votes

24 votes | Poll has closed

SLC Dunk Fantasy Football League... gauging interest...

Shums — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 03:59:08 -0000

So, last year's SLC Dunk fantasy basketball league was a success; we had ten solid players, no real dead teams, and a nice competitive spirit. Now, even though it's not the sport of choice for a true blue Jazz fan, the NFL season will soon be upon us, and with it, the delights of fantasy football. For those of you who haven't played, fantasy football is even easier to pick up than fantasy basketball, as there is less constant upkeep (just one game a week per player) and a little more drama in the scoring. Anyway, I'm only in one league right now, and I'm looking for more, so I just wanted to gauge interest in an SLC Dunk league, run by yours truly. I'll keep the poll open for a while, and if there's enough interest I'll start another official sign-up thread. Who's in?

Poll

Who's up for an SLC Dunk fantasy football league?

Me!

14 votes

Not me!

1 votes

Um, not basketball, who cares?

3 votes

18 votes | Poll has closed

Boozer tells Chicago radio he expects a trade

Shums — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 18:21:32 -0000

Boozer tells Chicago radio he expects a trade

Deseret News' Tim Buckley reports: "Jazz power forward Carlos Boozer told a Chicago radio station today that he expects to soon be traded, and that he'll be happy if he is."