Since when am I a Jazz fan?

Growing up as the second of four boys, one thing that was an important and central part of my childhood was sports. Baseball, basketball, football, skiing, golf, etc. We played baseball in the Redder's back yard so much that there were four large spots of dirt in the lawn from where we had the bases. We even made up our own sports sometimes. There was "Keep it up!" when we were younger, which basically consisted of taking turns hitting a balloon and not letting it touch the ground. Then a little later there was the game in which we laid out about a 10-foot long "goal" at each end of our backyard. Then the two opposing players would stand in front of each goal, using the dried out sunflower stalks from our garden as blocking sticks. Person 1 would throw a frisbee from their goal to Person 2's goal, and Person 2 would try to block the shot with the sunflower stalk stick. Then Person 2 would try to get the frisbee through Person 1's goal, and so on. We would even pretend to have "professional" wrestling matches on the trampoline (if you count WWF as a sport).


While sports was a common part of growing up between my brothers and I, one thing we didn't have much consensus on was our favorite sports teams. Living in Idaho, there was never really a hometown team to root for. So we ended up picking our own favorite teams. Baseball was the only sport in which there was consensus - the Atlanta Braves. This was probably because a) their games were (and still are) always played on TBS, and b) we all loved Dale Murphy - who was a good Mormon role model for little Mormon boys. I still have a soft spot in my heart for the Braves, even though I feel obligated to claim the Washington Nationals as my new favorite team, since I attended a number of Nationals games during their inaugural season when I was in DC.


As for football, Ryan chose the Chicago Bears, Jeremy took the Miami Dolphins, and Stephen went for the Cincinnati Bengals. As for me, I never made up my mind. I simply picked a new favorite team at random each year - the Denver Broncos, the San Fransisco 49ers, the Green Bay Packers, and the New York Jets each took their turn. These days, I'm pretty much the same, though if I were pressed to claim a favorite, I would probably go with the New England Patriots. (Not even numerous years in DC could turn me into a Redskins fan!)


And then there is basketball. Ryan and Stephen teamed up to root for the Chicago Bulls (and who could blame them - it was back in the peak Michael Jordan years), Jeremy claimed the Utah Jazz (with Karl Malone and John Stockton), and I picked the L.A. Lakers (anchored by Magic Johnson).


Since my youth, I have continued to be a casual L.A. Laker fan and enjoyed the successful multi-year championship run they have completed in recent years. But this year, Deidra and I have watched numerous Utah Jazz playoff games - usually with a few other couples in our ward. I have to admit that I have taken a liking to the Jazz and their run so far in the playoffs. Especially after last night's game, which was full of all sorts of excitement, suspense, and drama. I was particularly impressed with Derek Fisher, as he arrived at the game in the middle of the third quarter after his daughter underwent surgery in New York earlier that morning. He came in during the 4th quarter and overtime to give the Jazz exactly the lift they needed to win the game. And his composure and remarks to the press after the game about how his family and faith always come first were a poignant reminder to me that there are some down-to-earth athletes out there.


So I guess I'm jumping on the bandwagon in support of the Jazz . . . at least for now. I'm not ready to make a long-term commitment quite yet.