A must-win? That's been the Jazz's problem this year — they should have considered them all must-wins. In which case they may not have lost to such inconsequential teams as Chicago, Golden State, Minnesota, Seattle and Boston. The Jazz are 2-6 against New York, Charlotte and Seattle — teams with a combined 69 wins and 150 losses among them.

So exactly when can they plan on returning to their customary spot in the post-season? When they finally figure out they aren't good enough to cruise, even at the start of games. Or when they trade away enough players who don't understand and bring in some who do.

It's sad when the biggest stories of the season occur when a player's wife tells the media she thinks he should be allowed one indiscretion per year, and when the owner yells at his players and coaches.

Remember when the biggest stories were usually on the court? Not anymore. If it's not Carlos Boozer's injured hamstring it's Andrei Kirlenko's wife or Larry Miller's temper.

Sayonara playoffs, hello controversy.

Life can be tough when you're a team on the skids. While it's true off-court stories like the ones previously mentioned will always make news, they don't always dominate. Karl Malone certainly stirred things up from time to time. But if it was during the season, it was usually overshadowed by an important win. Nowadays, controversial stories have the half-life of plutonium.

Want to know the quickest way to kill a negative story? Create a positive one. Any public relations specialist in the world can tell you that.

But the Jazz haven't been able to do that; haven't won enough to divert the fallout.

So here they sit, 2 1/2 games back of the final playoff spot with eight to go. Consequently, the next truly interesting story for the Jazz probably won't involve a game. More likely, it will involve whether the Jazz trade Carlos Boozer and/or whether Sloan retires.

Neither is the kind of publicity the team necessarily wants.

But these days, they aren't in a position to choose.

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E-mail: rock@desnews.com