Utah Jazz extra: Having fun, extra tidbits at new Jazzland blog

Deseretnews.com had so much fun getting an overhaul I decided to give our Jazz blog a makeover. Here's the kind of fun we're having at Jazzland:

1. So, why the name Jazzland?

Jan. 25 entry: "I didn't think Wizland, Warriorland or Lakerland would go over too well with Jazz fans. Jimmerland maybe. It's also a hat tip to all the other fill-in-the-blank-lands out there: Disneyland, Newfoundland, wasteland, McDonald's Playland and, yes, even Grantland (the site of that ESPN sports dude who once ripped on an article I wrote and mentioned our fine publication as "something called the Deseret News," which is as big of a claim to fame as I have at this juncture of my life)."

2. A moment of respect to the rejected ideas

Jan. 25 entry: DJJazzyJody & The Fresh Print; The Jazz Zinger (Team on the rocks, ain't no big surprise); Smooth Jazz (Kenny G would've played automatically); Jazzercise with Jody (Picture me in a Jane Fonda leotard. Ha! Now try to get that image out of your brain); Jazz Bandwidth (Cyber humor. The joke was funnier in html mode); and variations of the word Jazz that might get me in trouble in print.

3. Big Al's potty humor

Jan. 28 entry: (Al) Jefferson laughed off follow-up questions (about his ankle injury) before giving a frank explanation: "I just had to use the restroom =85 I should've went before — my mom always told me to go to the bathroom before." Hours later, it was announced that Jefferson couldn't go — play against Toronto, that is.

"Jefferson wasn't available for comments Wednesday night or at practice Thursday, and I took a charge (joking) to stop him briefly on his way to the team bus: "How are you feeling?"

"Jefferson: "I'm feeling a lot better than I was the other day." My follow-up caught him off guard: "Just have to go to the bathroom?" The tongue-in-cheek question was asked with a smile, and Jefferson laughed back. "Y'all jinxed me. How did y'all even know that (injury)? I was playing it off."

"The most important life lesson to take away from this incident? Jefferson's mom is absolutely correct."

4. Embedding myself in post-Super Bowl NYC

Feb. 10 entry: "Hey, New York. Your football team just won the championship.. Where are you going to go? Why, Times Square, of course!" I took a dozen photos, some even in focus, of rowdy revelers in Times Square, including an Eli dog, an arrested fan, Mickey Mouse and Adam from Manhattan who let me do a celebratory grip-and-grin with the Super Aluminum Bowl Championship Trophy.