The Utah Jazz have decided that the one thing they needed to change to get them over the hump were their player introductions needed to resemble the Rockets (and every other NBA team's intros). http://www.sltrib.com/sports/ci_10657561 Jazz notes Utah Jazz: Lights out! Arena will darken for player intros By Ross Siler The Salt Lake Tribune Article Last Updated: 10/07/2008 07:37:46 AM MDT Talking about the new lighting and sound system installed at EnergySolutions Arena, which will enable the Jazz to darken their arena for player introductions this season, Deron Williams was practically glowing Monday. "I've been trying to get that since we got here," Williams said. "When you're growing up, you always envision NBA games, going and turning the lights off and having intros. It was kind of weird when I came here and I'm like, 'What's wrong with the lights?' " The Jazz long have been the last NBA team to introduce players with the lights on. They went 37-4 at home last season, but Williams said there was little sentiment among players to stick with something that wasn't broken. "It feels like a real game," Williams said, adding that he'd had conversations with team president Randy Rigby about several arena upgrades, including a new video board. Issue free: As long as nobody is on scholarship, Kyle Korver is going to refrain from comparing the closeness on the Jazz to a college team. But Korver did say Monday of the team's chemistry, "This is by far the best I've been on." With so many players eager to hang out off the court, Korver added, "I think that really feeds into how you play on the court." To say the Jazz got a head start by bringing back 13 players from last season might be an understatement. "We're farther along right now at this point than we were last year," Williams said. "I think it's night and day, just because we have pretty much the same team back. There's not much teaching going on. We know the offense. Like I said, we're just trying to sharpen things up." Friend or foe: Although they spent the summer as teammates with USA Basketball, Williams said he would have no problem readjusting to life playing against Kobe Bryant. "It was fun playing with them. I had a blast. It was a great experience to play with the guys that I got a chance to play [with]," Williams said. "But when you step on the court, they're competitors just like I am, and they want to win just like I do." Briefly: Williams said he expected to play the first and third quarters tonight, with his minutes increasing later in the preseason. . . . Jazz coach Jerry Sloan was undecided about using some of the small lineups he's shown so far. rsiler@sltrib.com
As a firm believer in the "jinx" phenomenoma, I hope that this change in their normal routine jinxes the hell out of them and their home record goes completely in the tank. Never change anything that works, no matter how minute it may be.
Well, it is Utah so it's not too far of a reach to think they've been in the 19th century until recently.
I wonder if any male Jazz season ticket holders bring all of their wives to the games. Next time we play in Utah, I'll be looking for men with 3 or 4 women on each side of them all wearing the same outfits.
As maybe the only Rockets fan living in Utah I've been to several Rockets/Jazz games at EnergySolutions Arena (Delta Center) and the last thing that crowd needs is more motivation to get loud. Trust me...the crowd is pumped up enough. Hopefully this will fire up more road teams.
Deron: "WTF??? Where did all the lights go?" ........"Why are there only white people here?....." AK47: "I'm Russian and I'm allowed to cheat on my wife."
