Readers' forum: Thank you, Sloan

Thank you, Jerry Sloan, for the dozens of simple things that you said about basketball, and life that I've quoted to my children. They so often hit the mark. But the way you lived spoke more clearly than your words.

Thank you, Jerry, for the way you played and coached. Thank you for your respect for the game, and its fans. Thank you for your strong character, and the simple, private virtues you were forced to live so publicly: hard work, honesty, courage, commitment, passion for your job, loyalty to family, to worthy teammates and to your employer.

Thanks for your determination to fight through tough times, on and off the court, for your gratitude, and humility. Underneath your toughness, it was always clear how much you cared.

Thank you for the fun we've had cheering for you and your teams. By getting the best out of them night after night you helped to chase the dark and cold out of over two-dozen Utah winters. You will be greatly missed.

I saw Sloan quoted as saying that Utah felt like home after all of these years. I know that it would make a lot of people very happy if he felt comfortable sticking around.

Steve Lewis

Park City