Jazz reporters complicit with mass destruction

Utah Jazz beat reporters have sold their souls for access. Like the White House press corps prior to the Iraq war, Salt Lake City sports reporters have developed an odd culture of reverence to the organizations they are entrusted to examine. Their access is so cherished that they will not risk it to provide the public with the real story we deserve to know.

No reporter at the Deseret News or Salt Lake Tribune has had the guts to write a piece condemning Jerry Sloan for the pure insanity of starting a 6’1’’ man at shooting guard. Is there a good reason for not using Ronnie Brewer, or starting Gordon Giricek? What is it? Jazz fans want to hear it. Jazz fans are DYING to know. Any real journalist would give us this story. The reporters all know there is a great story here, but they won’t come out and say it: The emperor has no clothes.

Here’s the deal: Jerry Sloan holds strange nonsensical affections and grudges against players that are completely independent of how they perform on the court. Like Bush, Sloan is an ideologue who fixates. He wishes things were true, rather than looking for actual empirical evidence verifying they are indeed true.

Like Bush, Sloan is leading his organization into war (sports is sanitized warfare) on false premises: Derek Fisher’s veteran leadership and over-all nice guy demeanor makes up for the obvious facts—he is far too small to play the shooting guard position effectively in the NBA; cannot shoot; and, is not a great perimeter defender.

We’ve come to expect this rally-round-the-flag reverence to power in American politics at the beginning of a real war. But in sports? This is truly odd. This is the one area where being as obnoxious as possible is welcome. So, why the kid gloves?

Here is the piece unique to Utah’s culture. If Sloan were a coach in Los Angeles or Detroit — or any city other than still-provincial Salt Lake — he would be massacred in the press for his un-explained personnel choices.

After Tracy McGrady averages 40 points against the Jazz in their upcoming first round loss, perhaps Sloan will face some scrutiny. However, as the botched media coverage prior to the Iraq War proves, journalists must be constantly critical and anticipate developments before they become terminal. Danger is indeed on the horizon…it’s even beginning to effect my sleep.

In my dreams, I see a baby-faced man wearing white. His outfit is trimmed in purple and gold. He is taking long-range shots over and over again. Twenty thousand Delta Center voices gasp, and then groan. I hear Hot Rod Hundley’s smooth voice saying “Benoit for …” BRICK. BRICK. BRICK. The words linger in the air and then scatter. The letters rearrange themselves into the shape of Dee Brown’s ever-cheerful face packing up his locker in early May. The scene shifts to the deck of an aircraft carrier off the coast of San Diego. On the flight deck is Derek Fisher wearing a tight-fitting flight suit. A lone hoop floats in the air, behind it a game of one-on-one is being played. A towering Saddam has burned Fisher on six straight jump shots. Wearing a tutu, Sloan watches and screams at a man holding the whistle.