Yup. I became very jaded after the Deron/Boozer/AK47 Jazz were bounced out. I remember one of the announcers let slip that there was a $100M+ advertising deal riding on the long-awaited Lakers-Celtics finals. No wonder during the Lakers/Jazz series that Boozer could get mauled beneath the rim (couldn’t even lift his arms) and the refs just swallowed their whistles. Meanwhile on the other end, Kobe can sneeze and he gets free throws. Jazz basically have to shoot lights out and play nearly perfect to even stand a chance – even then I’m not sure it’s enough.
It seems like with a new owner and this Jazz team, we should have a legitimate shot. I’m not sure it’s enough to compete with the viewers and $$ the large market teams command. The NBA is an entertainment business, first and foremost. I’m not saying it isn’t smart, but it sure makes it hard to be invested in a small market team.
I sure hope this year I am pleasantly surprised. Kudos to the coaches and players for such a stellar run. I hope they come out with swagger and not the defeatist / victim mentality I’ve adopted as a fan lol.