All JAZZED UP

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This is me. This is my ball.

In the issue out last week, we looked at the Deron Williams or Chris Paul debate and how their rivalry would be the new point guard discussion, an Isiah or Stockton argument with real sustainability. Naturally, poor Williams went out and promptly sprained his ankle. Surprisingly, his Jazz are still rolling, off to a solid 3-0 start. This leads us to more thoughts on the Jazz.

1. The team has, according to the Sports Business Journal, the best season-ticket fan base in the league, despite league-wide concern over season ticket renewals in light of a tepid economy. (We're stuck on tepid, as "recession" still means two consecutive quarters at declining growth, and we've had but one, and at a drop of .3 percent. Not that tepid doesn't suck.) Anyway, according to the article, the Jazz are set with a base of 14,000 regular season ticket-holders, plus a waiting list.

2. This makes us think David Sternonomics, which, while it was (and is) somewhat evil regarding the poor citizens of Seattle—these people have had to build stadiums for owners more often than they open umbrellas—may be onto something. During economic downturns, while sports fans in cities in New York, Chicago or even Miami are forced to divide loyalties and budgets to see all the local pro teams, in one-team towns like San Antonio, Utah or Oklahoma City, it's an easier sell.

3. But that leads us to this: Do the players have enough to do? (We kid, mostly.) They seem to, and the Jazz may have a waiting list for tickets, but other teams may have one for the potential free agents on their team. This team has a ridiculous eight guys set to be free agents after this season, which makes the current campaign a weird one. If they under-perform, do guys want to leave for a better shot at a title elsewhere? If they over-perform, and the market likes their stockpile, can they possibly afford to keep the team together? And will the fans line up for whatever is on the floor next year?

Negative thinking, we admit.

This is the kind of thing our friend Henry Abbott will probably write 68,000 words on over the course of the season, but that's a start for us.

The Utah Jazz: Most intriguing team of the year? Top five, and not just because we already cursed their best player.

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