The offensive foul on Kirilenko may have looked like a flop to Houston, but the Houston player definitely pushed him out of the way. And even if it HAD been a flop, it would still have been payback for the offensive foul on Deron when he got shoved to the floor and had to leave the game for a few minutes. Sounds like Houston sour grapes to me.

If I wasn't a hard core Jazz fan, I'm pretty sure I would hate us too. It isn't fair to single out Utah for flopping. It's just part of the NBA.

DH, please remind your son-in-law, whenever he lapses into the tired argument that the Rockets have won two titles and the Jazz none, that the Rockets never had to play MJ and the Bulls to win those titles. I seem to recall that NO team beat MJ and the Bulls in an NBA Finals, thus the Jazz faced a much more daunting task than the Rockettes did playing the Magic. Tell him too that Olajuwon and Barkley were two of the games' finest floppers and vicious pick setters. Screens and physical positioning are fundamentals of basketball, but only fans of a team that loses to a fundamentally sound team complain of "dirty tactics." We will forgive your grandchildren for their Jazz-hatred. After all, like the Lamanites, such hatred results from the foolish traditions of their father, which were not correct! ;)

Dick - you could make an anonymous call to the authorities in Texas and....well maybe that's not such a good idea. You'll just have hope and pray that when your grandkids get old enough they will see the errors in their father's ways.

If Houston fans feel that strongly about the Jazz as rivals, it's a one-way rivalry. Unless they're playing the Jazz, I don't really think about the Rockets, aside from the fact that the Jazz own them.

The Jazz's biggest rival is in Texas, but they wear black, not red.

GO JAZZ!

Maybe Houston fans (and those of every NBA team) should take a closer look at their own players before bad-mouthing Jazz players. Ak's flop didn't lose the game, Houston lost the game. Every team has floppers and actors on it. i guess people that can't accept reality have to make excuses for their own insecurities.

GO JAZZ!!! I hope they sweep!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As a life long loud-and-proud Jazz living in hostile enemy territory, all I have to say is, "You Gotta Love It Baby."

For a real taste of bitter houston fans and their bit$@ing, go to chron.com and just read a bit in their sports section.

they whine more than Laker fans!

How does that song go? Oh yea... GET OVER IT! There's always next year, Rocket fans.

Uh, Although Utah has generally owned Houston in the Playoffs, and yes, the Rockets have two Titles to Utah's none, It was the Rockets who came back from a 3-1 deficit in '95 against the Jazz to go on to win their second championship ruining what I believe was the Jazz's best chance at a title - even including the finals years because there was no Jordan. Houston is a bitter rival - unforgivable - the Jazz can never inflict enough pain on Houston.

It's funny when Houston fans complain about flopping when they have the biggest flopper (minus giniobli) in the game. shane battier!
And if we want to talk about bad officiating...what about when deron gets thrown to the ground and no call.
What a bunch of babies!!!

Nice story dick It got me pumped up for all the celebrating that will be going on at ESA on saturday night. We simply have the rockets # just like the spurs have ours. At least the Rockets have won in Utah in the past Decade.

P.S. Dick tell your Son in Law it was about time we played some Men in Game 2.

I'm not sure Rockets fans have any room to critize flopping as long as they have Shane Floppier on their team.

Oh, and no mention of how the Jazz grab, hold, pinch, shove, punch, tweak, bop, poke, caress, and do the Vulcan neck pinch on every possession? C'mon, son-in-law! Learn the proper way to criticize the Jazz!

This article is worthless and not worth the ink it took to print. Who cares about one family issue? Certainly not me. Haven't we got bigger fish to fry? I do think so.

Great article! It's enlightening to hear things from the other perspective. I love Harpring, but I can see why Houston fans might go off.

I didn't realize that Houston fans had minds.

Trying to convert all these East Coast Biasd people to become Jazzfan's. Have succeeded in many folks taking notice of the Jazz. Keep spreading the word "You gotta Love it Baby". Always wearing my Jazzclothing and getting into alot of trash talk with the east coasters. Bring out the brooms. Jazz in four

Did T-Hanc play?
How did Aroido do?

I am a die-hard Jazz fan, but Houston can't possibly blame T-Mac for the loss. They rode him like a mule and he couldn't carry the whole load. All those minutes would make anyone tired. I do get tired of the "T-mac this and T-Mac that" from the commentators, though. He's a very good player, the Jazz have to respect him, but he can't carry the whole team for the whole game.

Oh, and the champion flopper has to be Manu. He's a fish when he drives the lane.

Ah yes, this coming from a fan of a team that has both Shane Floppier and Luis Flop-ola. Hi pot, I'm kettle.

Funny to me how his Houston goggles make him forget that his teams star scored 1 pt in the 4th, or that his team went 4-19 (21%) from the 3 line, or that they shot a wonderful 16-26 (61.5%) from the foul line. Yes, none of those REALLY cost them the game, is was a flop.

Oh, yes. Whining is whining, no matter who does it. Battier makes our guys look amateur at flopping. And he's a big boy.
Go Jazz, sweep 'em.

This was a great article. A very unique, interesting look at the series, and about the rivalry. Very, very well done.

Thanks Harmon - this article and the one about Travis Hansen were good reads. You and Monson are my favorite writers. Utah has never overwhelmed with shear physical talent so they have smartly balanced that with mastering other aspects of the game. If someone pushes off it is only smart to add a little flop to it to make sure the official notices. Those who complain about it just don't know how to do it as well. And maybe NBA fans will understand Jazz fan's mindset a little better when they remember that, outside of the U and BYU, the Jazz are really the only game in town.

another atrocious column by Dick Harmon. We don't care about your personal life, Dick. You are just a Jazz homer - and this was a waste of time.

Beat the Jazz!

After that look TMack gave Korver, who could like him, or the team he is on? Yes, we hate you too. Maybe not as much as LA or SA, or even the Nougats, but we hate you enough.

Houston when your best player is called a "sleepy-eyed assassin" on national TV you have a problem. I hope Jazz fans bring lots of blankets to the game tonight so T-Mac can get a proper nap during the fourth quarter, seeing he is just so tired.

I would hate to be a Houston fan! The real reasons for Houston fans to whine are as follows

1- T-Wac: What has this guy ever done? I still cant believe that people still refer to him as a "super star" He has NO HEART, he has NO ABILITY TO TAKE OVER A CRUCIAL GAME, and every year he back stabs his team and coaches. Houston your "super star" is a "super dud" and deep down you know it.

2- Yao: You wont admit it Houston, but Yao really isn't that "super star" either. The only reason the NBA continues to baby him and stoke his ego is to promote the NBA in the China Market. Reality set in this year, Yao has Maybe 3 more years of solid play, then what????

3- Addleman: Your coach is caught in the abyss of T-Wac, I watched him the other night blame everything under the sun for there loss. Fact, REAL coaches don't sit at the press table and Blame the referee.

Houston Fans, I feel sorry for all of you. We have your number, we will sweep you. How does that deep sinking feeling in your stomach feel? Go JAZZ!

Dick, this is your son-in-law's brother...although I am also a Rocket's fan and agree with EVERYTHING he says, this was a hilarious article. I just called him and we were laughing about it.

GO ROCKETS!!!!!

T-Mac is just not good enough to carry the whole team. even though he is one of the best players in the leauge. he needs to get a little help. if they had a good backup for him then i would be scared for the jazz. go jazz finish them.

The letters F-L-O-P translate into many different meanings: AK Flop 7 is dull, uninteresting, and anti-clever; Shane Battier is a flopper, he falls down before the feather touches him; T-Mac is a flop, period; also, to lay down or quit, we'll see tonight.

Jazz by double-digits.

What flop? I didn't see no stinkin' flop. Really, have these people never watched NBA basketball before? It is part of the game even in high school.
We all remember how Mr. Jordan could do no wrong, yet anyone who breathed on him was called for a foul. He didn't need to flop; the officials gave him what he wanted for free. But, I am not bitter. I am over it now. Acceptance is the first step.

Granted the Jazz are doing well. I give credit where credit is due, but the Jazz do flop. That's not the way the game is played. That's trash. It's okay because they will get shipped out faster than an FLDS church kid by San Antonio (OUCH).
GO HOUSTON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
by the way what else does Utah have? MLB team? No. NFL team? no. Oh well.

Man I hate Utah with a passion. I would rather see anybody esle in the NBA beat us that them. Freaking flopper. They play dirt on the other end and then they can even take a little push off from Scoal. I am suprised AK crybaby didn't cry also, instead of just falling down. Wimps! Play it straight up, if you are going to dish it take it also. Utah suxxs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ROCKETS HAVE 2 CHAMPIONSHIP TROPHIES JAZZ HAVE NONE. SORRY. GOOD NIGHT. JAZZ DO FLOP MORE THAN OTHER TEAM AND THAT'S NOT THE WAY THE GAME IS PLAYED.

SAN ANTONIO WILL DISPATCH THAT UGLY JERSEY OUT OF HERE QUICK.

DH, ask your son in law these questions...

How can they complain about AK when they have Battier? Have you watched him? He spends half the game on the floor. What about when McLady "got hit in the eye" and the jazz player received the foul, all the while McLady is winking and smiling at jazz fans as he walks down the court pretending to be hurt because he wasn't really touched. Who are the real flops and actors? Looks like McLady and Co. are pretty good themselves.

Also, don't forget about all of Hakims 5 step turn around jumpers. I've never seen someone take so many steps without being called for it.

Must I remind Major Tom that though it is true both years the Rockets won championships Jordan was playing baseball, in those same years the Jazz won ZERO NBA titles. In fact, didn't the Rockets knock the Jazz out of the playoffs both those years? I'll save yourselve the time, the answer to that is YES. Sorry sir, but your argument is flawed.

I am surprised Captain Dick's son-in-law didn't bring up the fact that Billy "The Whopper" Paultz forced The Dream to punch him back in the 80's. Houston fans can be just as over the top as the Jazz fans.

This Houston team has a long way to go before they even get to where their great teams of the 90's were.

How about Err'n Blocks.

Don't you mean the Lakers? The Jazz wouldn't play the Spurs until the Western Conf Finals.

Why is everything Kool-aid with you? Countless articles refer to the "kool-aid", please find a new term once in a while.

I don't know why this is a big deal, Utah sweeps T-Mac and a bunch of rookies...WOW! Time to plan the parade rought. Jazz fan's don't celebrate anything. There will be another team in Texas that will be more than happy to burst that bubble of yours. Houston/Spurs fans are not worried at all, we've tasted the Larry O'Brien trophy before, we know what it takes to get there, Too bad Utah never will.

Either way, a team in green will destroy who ever comes out of the west...

TusconUte - It wasn't Billy Paultz, it was "Franchise" Jeff Wilkins who took Akeem's sucker punch. And when he followed Akeem down the floor and said, "Is that the best you've got?" it was over. Akeem was totally destroyed and done for the night. One of my best playoff memories. Of course there was no call on The Dream.

Things haven't been so bad for me down here in Houston, even though I'm known as a Jazz fan. I guess I must just hang around the wrong people.

Incidentally, I don't know if all Houston fans have such a good memory for being wronged by the Jazz. I had to recount to some of my Houston friends the horrible illegal screen (bear hug) that Karl Malone set on Clyde Drexler to get Stockton open for that famous three in 1997. Even after I told them, they admitted that they couldn't remember the incident.

It's real interesting to me about how everyone hates all of Houston is howling over the so called "flop" look at the tape....there were no less than 4 fouls during that sequence...hard fouls and they happen to call the "AK flop". Well I can't tell you how many times DWILL went to the hole just to get knocked to his can with no call...yet every time "T-MAC" touches the ball and makes a move...guess what he's shooting free throws.....Houston (sour Grapes) fan's give us a little credit.....WE ARE A BETTER TEAM!!!!!

Dear disgruntled houston fans,

I guess this is where you just have to look at the ground and say, maybe next year...

When you go to bed after being swept out of the playoffs, dream about your 22 game win streak that would have been 26 if not for the Jazz...

Shoot...

As you begin to tire, and your eyes are as droopy as mclady himself, remember the gamblers fallacy and say to yourself once again, I hope we get Utah in the playoffs with home court advantage, next year will be our year...

Yours truley,

McLady

to TusconUte - On second thought you may be right about it being Billy Paultz. My quick "google" research found another reference to the Bill Paultz name so I'll concede to you. Regardless of who it was, they made Akeem look and feel like a little child and he might as well have sat down the rest of the game - he was that worthless. The Jazz are tough like Jerry Sloan.

I'm from Houston, but love the Jazz. I remember the "clock" broadcast. All I remember is that it was absolutely the most unprofessional behavior I ever hear from a broadcaster. All I could hear was some idiot screaming...no idea what was going on. Gene Peterson (Rockets announcer) is the worst play by play man ever. I've heard complaints about "Hot Rod" (although I've never heard him) but he can't be worse than Gene Peterson. Thank goodness he's retiring.

Way to go Aaron, way to represent H-town. How much is a win worth for the Jazz, if you have to do it by cheating and playing dirty... why is the team still named Jazz anyway, thats New Orleans original name, haha!

All i gotta say is...YOUR LUCKY THE BIG MAN IS ON THE SIDELINE THIS YEAR, and just to remind you Jazz fans, hes on the sideline sitting next to a revamped lineup. If you do prevail this playoff series, there is only one man that hopes we play you come playoffs 2009 more than I do, he goes by the nickname, THE GREAT WALL, and hes out for blood.

"McLady" that is funny, but... Jazz wont' stand a chance against Kobe or Duncan or KG. Then they too will look down at the ground and say maybe next year... or the next... or the next... (just like they have been doing throughout ALL their years in the NBA)

Jazz fans have no room to talk...

Sleep tight.