Reader comments
Brad Rock: Jazz fans no nastier than others

New to area | 1:59 p.m. May 17, 2009

I have been to Eleven different NBA arenas had have the thought that the Utah fans, as wonderful as they are outside the building, inside they become quite mean and rude, and to a degree even embarrassing to the state.

TheWiz | 2:20 p.m. May 17, 2009

Of course there are idiots everywhere, including Utah, but I think that fans in places like New York and L.A. are worse because I've heard that some Muslim slurs were being hurled at Okur in L.A., and with more people in those cities there's more idiots there, and a greater chance of those idiots being in a given venue. Of course the generalizing of athletes on Utah teams as all Mormon, as is pointing out those that are (whether on Utah teams or not) that they are Mormon is pretty ignorant as well.

Anonymous | 2:33 p.m. May 17, 2009

did anyone watch the dallas-denver games???
Those crowds are classless and an embarrassment. Maybe these teams expect coming to Utah and being treated like family and when they aren't it seems that much worse

Comments continue below

who cares | 2:45 p.m. May 17, 2009

it really shouldn't matter what people are yelling at players. As long as they are not throwing stuff on the court or field. Maybe players like kobe deserve the hate.

Anonymous | 3:10 p.m. May 17, 2009

I think the word classless gets thrown around too much. Soccer fans around the world have been known to do way more crazy "classless" things then NBA fans. Why do NBA fans have to sit and enjoy the game like it's a tennis match in order to be called classy. The fact is the Jazz have a way better record at home largely because of the fans. However screaming "Cancer", the "N-word" are completely inappropriate, and a huge embarrassment. I think booing Fisher when the National media was doing there story about him was what labeled us "classless"
before that we were just the "loudest arena"

Anonymous | 3:29 p.m. May 17, 2009

What does Utah have besides the Jazz? Laker fans never have years of making excuses.

Winters are long and miserable in Utah. Utahans need the Jazz to keep their minds off where they live.

Fernando Arias | 4:01 p.m. May 17, 2009

To be perfectly honest, the atmosphere of insults and lack of self-censorship when it comes to basketball is what has turned me off of most of it.

I only follow the Jazz but I didn't even renew my League Pass so I only saw them in nationally televised games.

Reading the same nonsense from "fans" on boards has also become incredibly tedious as is seeing too many games where the officials become major players.

re: anonymous | 8:44 p.m. May 17, 2009

Its easy to not have to make excuses when good players get handed to you. "My name is Kobe and I don't want to play for Charlotte, I want to play for the Lakers". He whines and LA gets him for Divac. They Pau Gasol for virtually nothing because the Memphis owner wouldn't take the much better deal Chicago offered him because if it backfired, he would be ridiculed by his friends back in Chicago, his home town. Yeah, no need for excuse when quality players get handed to you for nothing in return.

Poor Sports are Everywhere | 11:04 p.m. May 17, 2009

The problem isn't just Jazz fans--and yes, a few of them ARE jerks. Just like at any other NBA arena. (The Derek Fisher cancer taunt, if true--especially tacky. Most of us have kids and we'd all do what we thought was best for them, right?) The problem is a disease of poor sportsmanship virtually everywhere across America.

For some perspective, read Grant Wahl's article a couple of years ago in Sports Illustrated about abusive college basketball fans. (Sorry, can't post the link, but easily searchable from the SI website.) It's a quest for the most cutting insult, the most shameful harassment, or the worst intimidation.

A bunch of people have this insane idea that ripping apart the other team is the same as cheering for your own. Ridiculous. It just brings us all down and makes everyone look ugly. We've already had the threats, taunts, and even injuries. Let's hope we all rediscover our humanity and decency before somebody gets killed! No joke.

todd from santa ana | 11:45 p.m. May 17, 2009

i remember how brutal AC GREEN and WAYNE GRETZKY were treated by the fans on theyr'e returns back to the Forum with Suns and Blues respectively.

Its part of the game | 11:16 a.m. May 18, 2009

Well people hate to inform you of this but its called home court advatage for a reason. Besides if the Jazz cant be nasty our fans should be. ha. shut up and play ball. These guys make millions and you better believe anyone can spit, toss stuff, and call me a cracker to play a game that i love and get paid to do it. They have the best job in the world and all of your bleeding hearts still make it hard for me to feel bad for NBA players. Key to remember is that if I see them on the street I will be the first to walk up and say nice game. Its all just a game treat it as such and enjoy.

PurplePeopleEater | 1:25 p.m. May 18, 2009

Whatever the press reports (TV, print), the hoards believe. Take Danny Ainge's finger biting incident. At first thought, most of you remember that HE bit the other guy's finger, when in actuality (I watched that game), it was Tree Rollins that bit Danny's finger in a floor scrum. But, the press quickly picked on the Mormon kid and the falsehood stuck.

Same about Jazz fans. You're from the wrong state to get any respect.

Yiorgos66 | 4:44 p.m. May 18, 2009

If you think that nba fans are bad just ask Thurl Bailey he played in Greece 15 years ago and knows about bad fans.You can check the greek playoffs finals
between panathinaikos and Olympiacos to check fans behaviour

BooHoo | 11:44 p.m. May 18, 2009

Jazz fans really are no worse than anyone else. We're the fans people love to hate. More power to us, I say. I personally, don't care what other people say about Jazz fans. And at least our owner has more "class" than to pick a fight with another player's mom. Every team has their stupid fans. I've been to plenty of other arenas where fans are much much worse. I was at a playoff game in Houston and I couldn't even pay attention to the game I was so busy trying to pick stuff out of my hair. At least we're respectful of other fans.

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