The Summer of Our Discontent

The NBA, where caring happens for a 68 year-old coach but not for the overpaid malingerers who sabotaged the season. I’m pretty sure Jerry Sloan would chew off his own leg to compete.

So the season ends the way it began: Ronnie Price and various role players bringing hustle and heart and competitive fire to the floor. That’s all we ever wanted. Sure, a championship would be nice, but we’ve been diehard fans for years without a ring. Read the open letter from The Cowhide Globe:

Dear Ronnie Price:

You embody everything a Jazzman should be. Thanks for bringing your heart, energy, determination and toughness! I hope that you will be with us again next season.

Here’s to your ability to lift the Jazz from a 20-point deficit in the fourth and rallying the boys to close the gap to 5… I can guarantee you… that you have every Jazz fan behind you. You’ve more than earned your keep. In fact, you’ve completely endeared yourself to all of Jazz nation. Please come back next season!

Hard to believe it was just a few months ago that the Jazz were getting performances like that out of everyone. Instead, the Jazz head to the exits with the chants of “Utah Sucks” ringing in their ears from the classy crowd at Staples.

Somehow, though, I’m excited about this summer. I’m sad to see Hot Rod Hundley retire, I miss Larry Miller on the radio and on the sidelines, free agency will turn the team inside out, and the financial apocalypse is poised to change professional sports as we know it. But still, I like I mentioned in a previous post, the end of this season feels like the end of a bad relationship. It’s that feeling you get when you finally break up with someone after staying together way too long. Each season is a new dance, and I’m looking forward to the Fall look.

So, I’ll need a few days to mull things over, but I’ll be back with thoughts about Hot Rod’s retirement, (classy move by Derek Fisher to pay respect to the man after the game), summer prospects, Rocky Mountain Revue coverage. Spring is in the air and it’s time to move on.

In the meantime, is it so wrong that I’m shamelessly jumping on the Denver Nuggets’ bandwagon?