Bob On Sports

Revive This Blog

2007-08-29T11:01:00.000-06:00

I think I may have figured out a way to post to this blog without it affecting my work situation. Hopefully, we won't be too far into football season before I start posting again...

-Bob

2007-06-26T16:05:00.000-06:00

ReAL Phoenix? And Utah as a "big" league sports town.

2006-05-04T13:26:00.000-06:00

In today's Tribune, Kurt Kragthorpe says that losing Real Salt Lake will hurt Salt Lake City's image as being a big-league sports team.

It's an image that we don't have.

RSL says that they will make a profit in 5 years if they have their own stadium they don't have to build to rent out for concerts (because that's what this city lacks is concert venues), and has 20,000 fans per game (near-sellout crowds, BTW).

I'm not surprised they aren't doing as hot. The Blitzz sure didn't sell any tickets, and they put a winning product on the field.

It's the problem the WNBA had when they brought the Starzz here: They overestimated the market for women's basketball. They figured the Jazz sold out nearly every game, and lots of people in town play bball. But, the UofU women's team got 1,000 people per game, and those were free.

Right now, sports in Utah aren't doing real well financially, and it's probably because there's an oversaturation of sports in town.

The Jazz had their smallest crowds since the Delta Center opened. The Grizzlies averaged 1/4 capacity, and they were a playoff team. The Bees worse than that.

The only team to do well lately has been the Blaze, and the jury's still out on that one. Will the newness wear off? It's hard to know.

But this I do know: It's hard to call yourself a major league town when you can't even support minor league teams.

-Bob

Rocky Mountain Raceways

2006-04-30T16:04:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, I attended the opener for Rocky Mountain Raceways' 2006 season. It was fun, except for one thing.

Some of their classes are really small.

For instance, the figure-8s consisted of 4 cars.

And, the most they had on the track at a time was 3.

That's not fun for anybody.

However, in the Modifieds, Lynn Hardy was back to his beating and banging self. Some people were really getting into it, some arguing he wasn't being penalized enough, others saying he shouldn't be penalized.

This should be good.

-Bob

Springtime

2006-04-19T12:01:00.000-06:00

Ah, spring is in the air. I'm writing this from the third floor of the main salt lake library, looking out the window at the fresh snow-capped mountains. The sky is a beatuiful blue, and things are good. The Jazz season is done after tonight, and we're two weeks into the Bees season. Not to mention 3/4ths of the Blaze and the start of Real Salt Lake's season.

Life is good.

-Bob

Blaze Opener

2006-02-06T09:57:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry that it's been so long since my last post. My life is a little too crazy at the moment to write on 3 blogs, so I make do with what I have.

For the Blaze home opener last Saturday, I was positioned near the players' wives' room, so I didn't get to really see anything. However, the crowd seemed good-sized, and was loud. I did enjoy KJZZ's broadcast of the game.

-Bob

Blaze Home Opener in 10 Days!!

2006-01-25T11:44:00.000-07:00

The Utah Blaze open in 10 days, and I am so excited!!!

Oh, and Bob on Sports has learned that Lt Governor Gary Herbert will do the opening coin flip.

-Bob

Antonio Davis

2006-01-20T11:29:00.000-07:00

At first, I thought Antonio Davis was a hero for going into the stands to protect his wife, and that the NBA would be foolish to punish him.

However, as I thought about it, I realized that Davis could have gotten himself into big trouble. He painted a large target on his back, just asking for a fan to throw a punch. Also, this was shortly after a heated fistfight on the court between players, much like the start of the Artest thing a year ago.

Players need to be aware that if there is a problem, the security and guest services staff at the arena will take care of things. We keep an eye on the crowd, and if anything seems unusual, we watch closely. If you see something happening, grab someone from security. They'll go get it. That's their job. Your job is to play basketball, and ignore the stands.

Do I think he deserved a five game suspension? No. 1-2 would have sent the message.

Also, the story about what was going on in the stands is coming out, and what hapopened depends on who you ask.

We'll start ladies first, from the Chicago Sun-Times:

New York Knicks forward Antonio Davis said his wife, Kendra, was physically assaulted Wednesday at the United Center, and that was the reason he waded into the stands.

''First of all, the guy did swing at her and did grab her,'' Davis, who was hit with a five-game suspension, said Thursday on Sporting News Radio. ''My wife said the guy was rude and all that, and that's understandable. You can't control what a guy is saying.

''But when it becomes a physical matter where someone is placing his hands on my wife, then that's a whole [different] matter.

''I think there was an usher, a security guard, that came down and said something to him. And then someone else jumped into the conversation and began to call my wife names and came over and, I think, grabbed her, from what my understanding is.''

And, now for the Gentleman, from the Seattle Times:

Michael Axelrod, the 22-year-old fan that Davis confronted, said he did nothing wrong — and he plans to file a $1 million battery and slander suit against Davis and his wife, Kendra. Axelrod said Kendra Davis tried to scratch him after he protested a call. He said he never laid a hand on her and he was not drunk, as the Knicks forward contended.

...

"Once the ref blows his whistle, I yell out, 'That's a terrible call,' and then I start booing with everybody else," Axelrod said.

"She gets in my face and says, 'These are his kids. Shut your ... mouth,' " said Axelrod.

"She has her finger on me, on my cheek. She was digging her finger in. I thought she might start scratching me," Axelrod said. "I say, 'Get your hands off me. Don't touch me, I'm trying to watch the game.' "

He said she then started rubbing his cheek and mocking him, saying, " 'I'm not touching you. It's OK, baby.' "

"I felt like hitting her, but you can't — she's a woman," he said

FanFest

2006-01-13T15:54:00.000-07:00

Last Night, the Utah Blaze had their FanFest at the Delta Center. I was going to bring my digital camera, but I forgot.

Anywho, the feild looked great, and it was fun to see a football practice. The team spent an hour signing autographs after the game. the feild was covered with fans seeking those autographs.

While the crowd was small, they were devoted to the Blaze and arena football. Many of theose I talked to had been fans of the Warriors.

I heard that we've sold 7,000 season tickets.

3 weeks until the season opener.

-Bob

Utah Blaze

2006-01-11T18:58:00.000-07:00

Hey, am I the only one excited about the upcoming Utah Blaze season? Maybe it's the fact that I work at the Delta Center, and so I get to see the games for free, but I'd be geeked about it anyway, I think.

Anyway, here's some important dates to know about, along with the Blaze's TV schedule:

January 12: Fan Fest at the Delta Center. Free to the Public, 4-8PM. Watch the team practice, and then get autographs afterward. Also, check out your seats.

January 28: Season Opener @ San Jose, 8:30 PM on FSN Utah.

January 4: Home Opener vs. Dallas, 7:00 PM on KJZZ.

The rest of the TV schedule:

Feb 25: @ Los Angeles 8:30 FSN Utah
March 4: vs. San Jose 7:00 FSN Utah
March 16: @ Grand Rapids 5:00 FSN Utah
March 24: vs. Las Vegas 7:00 KJZZ
April 7: vs Arizona 7:00 PM FSN Utah
April 15: vs. Los Angeles 7:00 FSN Utah
April 21: @ Colorado 7:00 FSN Utah
May 6: @ Chicago 6:00 FSN Utah
May 12: Vs. Kansas City 7:00 KJZZ

-Bob

5 in a row!

2006-01-04T12:23:00.000-07:00

The Jazz have now won five games in a row!

That puts us in a tie with Minnesota for first place in our division (at .500). We've played 4 more games than the T-Wolves.

Moreover, it makes us the 8th seed, if the playoffs were to start today.

Let's keep it up on the 4-game road trip!

-Bob

Jazz vs. 76ers, Kobes minus Kobe

2005-12-31T12:35:00.000-07:00

Shortly, I'll be leaving to work the Jazz/76ers game in a new-year's-eve special. Aleen Iverson will probably drop 45 on us.

Then, the Jazz play a home-and-home against the Los Angeles Kobes, starting Tomorrow in LA.

Except that Kobe won't be there, for either game.

Turns out the NBA suspended him (I thought you couldn't suspend/fine/call a foul on God) for two games, which happen to be the two games against the Jazz.

-Bob

Michigan/Nebraska: Worst Officials Ever!

2005-12-28T22:27:00.000-07:00

It's a good thing that Utah State got out of the Sun Belt Conference.

The SBC has some of the worst officials ever.

At least the San Antonio Bowl crew.

Nebraska won by four.

However, their team was on the feild before the game was over. The play was still going, and the entire bench was on the field.

15-yard penalty after the play, Michigan 1st and goal from the 8, 0:00 on the clock, final play.

Except, the refs swallowed their flags.

If the game had been in Ann Arbor, there would have been a riot on the field.

And I don't blame them.

-Bob

2005 in Sports

2005-12-28T20:57:00.000-07:00

Let's congratulate the following teams on a successful 2005:

USC Trojans ~~ NCAA Football
New England Patriots ~~ NFL
North Carolina ~~ NCAA Basketball
San Antonio Spurs ~~ NBA
The Fans ~~ NHL
Chicago White Sox ~~ Baseball
London, England ~~ 2012 Olympics

-Bob

Jazz win 2 in a row

2005-12-28T12:06:00.000-07:00

Whatever funk the Jazz were in seems to be gone.

Or, it was the fact that Yao Ming was absent, and TMac left at halftime (yet still lit up the Jazz for 21) so that he could be with his fiancee, who was going into labor with his child.

Ming/TMac gone means more than Boozer being gone for the Jazz.

Okur contributed a 20-point, 17 rebound effort for the Jazz, a night after a 23/10 OT outing with Memphis.

If Memo ever goes down with injury (knock on wood), we're screwed.

Up next: Annother Back-to-back at home Saturday with Philadelphia, then Sunday at the Lakers.

-Bob

Jazz: Last Night's Game

2005-12-27T17:44:00.000-07:00

Last Night's Jazz Game against Memphis was great! It looked like all was lost when, with 3:30 left in the third, we were down 18. But, it's amazing what a 20-point run will do to you.

And, we didn't let down in Overtime, like we did against the Lakers.

Up tonight is the Rockets in Houston. Then, Philadelphia back in the Delta Center New Year's Eve.

-Bob

Robert Whaley

2005-12-21T10:39:00.000-07:00

There is a reason I have not commented on the Robert Whaley/Bobby Williams, Deron Williams/Torrey Ellis situation.

It is because I am employed by the Delta Center, a division of Larry H Miller Sports and Entertainment, and therefore need to be careful in what I say.

So, you will get a no comment from me on most Jazz-related matters.

-Bob

The Call: Lakers/Jazz 12/1/05

2005-12-03T17:43:00.000-07:00

In my job at the Delta Center, I have a unique opportunity. I happen to work on floor level. In the corner where the infamous foul/nonfoul on Kobe Briant took place Thursday Night.

Unfortunately, I had to watch it on the Jumbotron. The fact is that there were too many employees (fellow ushers, security, the Jazz Dancers, Bear, etc.) standing in there to have a good view. I would have had a decent view of the play, but everyone was standing up in my way.

So, I saw the Jumbotron. And, I don't remember hearing the whistle.

Upon looking at the replays, there was no foul. Kobe Briant claims that Brown kicked his legs out from under him. However, the replays show NO CONTACT with Kobe's legs before, during, or after the shot.

However, do I blame the officials for blowing the call and costing the Jazz the game? No. For several reasons:

1) The Michael Jordan Rule. The big name players will always get the call. Kobe may be a third the player MJ was, but he is the League right now. He will always get the call. The Jazz enjoyed Stockton and Malone occasionally getting the star call.

2) Bad officiating. The official who blew that call missed several calls in the game anyway, so it wasn't unexpected.

3) The Jazz beat themselves. Harpring missed a free throw just seconds before the phantom foul that would have made all this a moot point. Kobe fouled out in OT, but the Jazz couldn't capitalize. The guy who hit the 3 to put LA up by 4 in the closing seconds was wide open. We wit sub-40% of our shots in the game.

4) At least we showed up to the game. It wasn't a 60-point effort.

-Bob

2005-11-17T12:38:00.000-07:00

(Cross-posted on my political blog, The World, According to Me.)

Over at DailyKos, I was reading through Pete Ashdown's diary about Hatch's recent poll numbers (losing 45-48% to "someone else."

And a poster said this, which got me thinking:

My only suggestion is for Mr. Ashdown to pledge to aggressively fight to get the Mountain West Conference into the Bowl Championship Series on an equal basis with all other conferences with automatic bids. Hatch held some hearings, but the simple fact is that the unholy exclusionary monopolistic BCS was allowed to come into existence on Hatch's watch and it continues.

This has resulted in untold millions of dollars being funnelled into schools other than Utah and BYU (and all other MWC schools) simply by reason of the existence of the exclusionary oligopoly.

This is an issue that is Utah-specific and should be aggressively pushed by any challenger to the odious Hatch, who has been a miserable failure in attempting to overcome the horrendous effects of the monopolization of the college football industry.

This is the kind of thing that polititions don't usually talk about, but would get people interested.

Pete, please do it.

-Bob

Some more Rivalry Smack

2005-11-17T11:11:00.000-07:00

A friend e-mailed these to me.

"It's a good thing Orson Pratt was not made President of the LDSChurch. Otherwise BYU would have been named OPU."-Ute fan

"What do you get when you cross U of U football with a groundhog? Sixmore weeks of bad football."-BYU fan

"What's the difference between a BYU fan and a puppie? Eventually thepuppy grows up and stops whining."-Ute fan

"How many Ute freshman does it take to change a lightbulb? None, it'sa sophomore course."-BYU fan

Jazz Suck

2005-11-15T08:46:00.000-07:00

What is up with the Jazz? Losing by 11, when the other team can't manage 75 points? Shooting 29% from the field? 20 Turnovers!?!?

But, that's just one game, right? And they were missing 3 top guys.

Well, AK47 hasn't been that effective this year. And Boozer hasn't played since February.

And, the Jazz have been horrible this year.

41.3% Shooting from the field
69.8% Free Throws
17.9 Turnovers per game
#2 Scorer is Williams, who comes off the bench.

No wonder Larry H Miller looked so upset last night.

No wonder the crowd booed last night when the game ended. We deserved it.

-Bob

A joke

2005-11-14T11:23:00.000-07:00

So, this guy brings his blind date, a BYU student, to her first football game.

After the game, he asks her what she thought.

"Well, I just don't understand what all the fuss was. It's only 25 cents!" was her reply.

He said "I don't understand."

She said "Well, at the start of the game, some guy threw a coin in the air, and the rest of the game, everyone was yelling "Get the Quarter Back! Get the Quarter BAck!"

-Bob

Rivalry Week.

2005-11-11T15:44:00.000-07:00

It's my favorite week of the year. BYU vs Utah. The game isn't until next week, but the games have begun.

You see, my LDS singles ward is having a "Turkey Bowl" game tomorrow afternoon. The Game will be split between the Utes and the Cougars.

The smack talk has been floating around the e-mail list all week. Here's some samples (names have been removed to protect the innocent).

SW: It's time to put away petty concerns because it's time for the annual rivalry.....BYU? or UTAH?
It's time to put your body where your mouth is and come out for our Turkey Bowl 2005!!
In preparation for the November 19th showdown we will have our own....U-G-L-Y you don't have an alibi. Your ugly, yaaa your ugly!
Don't be sad don't be blue Frankenstein was ugly too.
Come on out with your cheering section because we all know those little rhymes warm your heart to hear.

SW again: You know Cougar fans, the Prophet and a majority of the Apostles are Utes. Another Prophet founded the U of U in 1860.
Get 'er done.
See ya Saturday.

BA (me) after giving a weather report: noon temps will be 49, with a 10 mph wind blowingstriaght off the Great Salt Lake. So, come prepared. Layer, Layer, Layer, but make sure you can still move. Remember, the more fashionable you are, the lessTurkey-Bowl ready you are.Oh, and if you're a good football player, wear red. Everyone else can wear blue.....

JE (notice the first word is a typo...): Where your true colors (of course they're blue andwhite) and be ready to show off your cheerleading skills!!I found these quotes from an article on one of Utah University's websites it was written in 2003 by a BYU student. I thought it was veryappropriate for the BIG ward GAME on Saturday. It was titled "The Utes Are Good? I guess There is a First Time forEverything""Ugly. That's really the only way to describe the way BYU has ownedUtah in the last 30 years of The Holy War.That's because since 1973, the Cougars are 22-8 against the Utes.That's football's equivalent of a backhand slap.As you consider that sublime statistic, the vicious case of Little ManSyndrome that plagues Ute players and fans is understandable. They'rebasically Milhouse to BYU's Bart.Having slipped into that position, Utah's seasons are now made orbroken by BYU (although mostly the latter in recent history). Fans andplayers are unable to enjoy any other successes or accept any otherfailures.In Ute country, BYU is the season. Without Utah, BYU would be out agood rivalry game. Without BYU, Utah would be out a reason to live.See the behavior of the Ute community if you need proof. They beginrunning their mouths about the game before the season starts, and theycome to the game armed with snowballs, beer cans or any otherprojectile they can find to hurl at anything wearing blue. If theycan't find anything, they roam the venue looking for random fights....Because it[BYU] dominated Utah and the conference for so long, now thatBYU is having a bad streak, the Utes and the rest of the conferencehave developed a "Kick the bully while he's down" mentality...It's OK,though. Granted, this has been a difficult season, but we know thatthis too shall pass because BYU football has something Utah doesn't:tradition....."If you would like to see the whole article do a search on google forthe title "The Utes Are Good? I guess There is a First Time forEverything"

RJ (to be fair, he also has a glaring typo...): hope everyone comes on Saturday....because we know all the realathletes in the ward are Ute fans. I would like to thank Mr. [JE] for his warped history on this historic rivalry....unfortunately,Mr. [E] has a brief memory. Utah has dominated this rivalry for allbut a brief 20 years (from 1973 to 1993), of course these are the onlyyears Mr [E] brings up. I would like to give you the real numbers(because there is too much false information out there).The rivalry started in 1922 and BYU didn't win a game until 1942 (beingshut out 10 of the first 20 encounters). Of the first 40 meetings, BYUonly managed to win 4 of them.Utah continued to dominate until 1972 when BYU got a young coach inLavell Edwards. He turned the tide and over the next 20 years therivalry was in BYU's favor. Then Utah started to resurge in 1993 andhas won 8 of the last 12 meetings. This indicates that not only hasUtah dominated the overall series, but the recent history as well.Not including the drubbings BYU Academy took prior to 1922, Utah owns a50-31-4 record against Cougars. That's not too bad BYU fans....Imean, your team wins 36% of the time. Somehow Mr. [E] thinks thisnumber represents a large majority. I guess I'd have to take astatistics course at the University down south to figure that one out.Unfortunately for BYU fans, the 20 years they were actually competitivein this rivalry are over. Lavell Edwards is gone and so is themystique. Gary Crowton failed and your first choice for a new coachpicked the Utes....tough times.I can't wiat until basketball season, did you know that BYU holds therecord for the school with the most NCAA Tournament apperances withoutgetting past the third round?I guess there's always mens volleyball.

New at the Delta Center

2005-10-17T09:11:00.000-06:00

Hey, just thought I'd be the first to drop this on you. Up on the cement above the suites at the Delta Center (where the "ring of fame" is), there is going to be an LCD display, much like what they have in other arenas.

While it has been installed, it probably won't be up and running for the first Jazz preseason game tonight. It will probably be running by the other preseason game on the 28th.

-Bob

tags: Sports, Utah Jazz, NBA

ReAL Estúpido

2005-10-12T13:05:00.000-06:00

Cross-posted at The World, According to Me, my political blog.

ReAL Salt Lake of Sandy made their decision: Sandy.

I feel like the girl who thought she had been invited to the prom by the star quarterback, only to have the fourth-string punter show up on her doorstep.

They say that the location appeals to soccer moms. It's too bad I didn't see that many families at the games I attended. Most of the kids I saw were the ones who were on the field for pre-game activities.

Politics won the day. But that's annother story.

We've heard it all before: Location, Location, Location. Well, I'll give you three reasons why this location sucks:

1) Location by the freeway. RSLoS seems to play several Wednesday Night games. I've gone to Jodan Commons (the movie theater right accross the street from the new stadium) several times for a 7:00 show. Traffic sucked getting off the freeway, trying to turn right onto State, and getting into the parking lot. Now, imagine throwing a 20,000 seat stadium into the mix. Anyone who has driven near the Delta Center on event nights can tell you that it makes for a terrible combination. And unlike the Delta Center, which has many parking options to lessen traffic congestion, the Sandy Stadium will have one.

2) Location by TRAX. Sure, eventually, UTA will get a station built behind Jordan Commons or the Southtown Expo Center, but then it's almost a two-block walk from there to the stadium (or more depending on where on the lot they stick the thing). As evidenced by people pay double or triple for parking within a block of the Delta Center versus a block away, people won't take TRAX in huge numbers, further pushing the traffic problems.

3) Ethnicities. I don't want to sound like a racist, but most soccer fans in Utah are not white. So, we stucj our new soccer stadium in one of the whitest cities in the country. I'm sure the three Latino families in Sandy will enjoy easy access to the stadium.

-Bob

tags: tags: Real Salt Lake, Major League Soccer, Utah politics, Salt Lake County, Sports