CBS SportsLine - Utah fans: Save projectiles for your team

[Solid D]

http://cbs.sportsline.com/nba/story/10201286

http://images.sportsline.com/u/photos/basketball/nba/img10201290.jpg

May 29, 2007
By Tony Mejia
CBS SportsLine.com Staff Writer

SALT LAKE CITY -- The ending was unnecessarily ugly.

Utah's fans should be ashamed of their Game 4 actions. (Getty Images)
Jerry Sloan and Derek Fisher making the walk of shame after separate ejections, fans throwing things at Spurs players from all directions, boos raining down from departing fans.

It's not the type of scene you would associate with Salt Lake City, known for its picturesque mountains, skiing and friendly atmosphere. Jazz fans who made their brethren look bad by chucking cups and whatever else they could find should be ashamed.

If they wanted to express their displeasure at anyone, it shouldn't have been the San Antonio players or the refs, but rather their own guys.

Don't blame the whistles for a 91-79 defeat that put Utah in a 3-1 hole in the Western Conference finals. That's the lamest angle. San Antonio outshot the Jazz 25-2 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter, but that was entirely about aggressiveness, not bad calls.

San Antonio got to the basket and Utah didn't. The Spurs imposed their will and Utah settled for jumpers. The Jazz team that dominated the second half Saturday night was nowhere to be found. That team outscored the Spurs 50-26 in the paint. On Monday night the Spurs turned the tables, winning that battle 40-30.

Utah's players let the city down. No one else.

The bottom line is that after San Antonio wrestled away the lead from the Jazz on a Michael Finley 3-pointer with 11 seconds remaining in the first quarter, the Jazz had 10 possessions where they had pulled to within one basket of tying or taking the lead and could never get it done.

"When we had a chance to get momentum on our side, we didn't have enough patience," Jazz guard Gordan Giricek said. "We were taking quick shots and we were missing the shots. It was our fault. We had our chances."

Before they turned into barbarians, the crowd at Energy Solutions Arena was ready to explode in a good way. It felt like if Utah could ever actually pull even or surge ahead, we'd be headed to San Antonio 2-2.

Instead, Salt Lake has probably seen its last basketball game of the season, and it's because the crowd was more hostile and combative than Utah's players.

Down 59-52, the Spurs executed a nice pick-and-roll that gave Tim Duncan a clear path to the basket for what seemed to be an uncontested layup. Out of nowhere, Carlos Boozer came over and swatted his shot nastily, sending him flying in one direction while the ball went in the other. Boozer then got down the court and knocked down a jumper, which was followed by a Deron Williams basket on the next possession.

That's the resistance and fire Utah needed for 48 minutes. Instead, it was only visible in short spurts and was nowhere to be found with the game on the line in the fourth quarter. Williams, shaking off a nasty stomach bug that put his availability in question, struggled with double teams in the second half. It didn't help that, aside from Boozer, his supporting cast produced little.

"We had three or four possessions where we just threw the ball away. They put pressure on us and we couldn't handle that situation very well," Sloan said. "I think they've got to learn every time they step on the floor is, obviously, you need to learn to stick with what you are trying to do and not have the turnovers and not have the fouls that put them on the free-throw line, regardless of circumstances."

That's accountability, and if Utah would've taken a little more ownership during the game instead of afterward, the result wouldn't have seemed like it was put in the hands of the officials.

That's what Manu Ginobili did. After an awful first three quarters where he was just 2-for-7, Ginobili took it upon himself to deliver the result.

"I wasn't being so aggressive or I didn't go to the rim as hard," said Ginobili, who finished with a team-high 22 points. "Then I just hit a 3 early in the fourth quarter and I just started feeling better and that's where I felt it."

That 3-pointer Ginobili was referencing pushed a 67-66 lead to four, and it closed the book on Utah's chances. It's not like the Jazz didn't have enough chances. If you get 10 opportunities to change the climate of a game, and for that matter a series, and you fail, you have no one to throw cups at but yourselves.

Once again, Andrei Kirilenko had a slow night. Mehmet Okur scored just seven points, which is now his series average. This is an All-Star we're talking about who just happens to be shooting 26 percent (10-for-38) in these four games. Fisher had more fouls than he did shots, and his frustration got the best of him late, even if the technical fouls were objectionable.

The Jazz have proven that it's no fluke that they've gotten this far. They've played with the Spurs. They've slowed Duncan. But when the opportunity came to break through, they missed out time and time again.

The blame game can be played with the mirror.

[L.I.T]

There's some sort of social parable in this whole thing.

[Tek_XX]

I'd say this article pretty much summed it up.

[milkyway21]

Very good article from Mejia.


If they wanted to express their displeasure at anyone, it shouldn't have been the San Antonio players or the refs, but rather their own guys.

whoa that's what I've been saying on other thread..:D

[mVp]

nice article

[jmard5]

Utah fans should need to read this.

[WalterBenitez]

Utah fans should need to read this.

Only after they were cleaned of dangerous beers, anyhow the guy got an important issue that was the momentum, that was IMHO what Spurs did well, and Jazz don't.

[Bruno]

The nba can't let that kind of events happens again. It's bad for the business.

sanctions must be taken :

First step :
Big fine for the team + fans who have thrown things must be baned.

If it continues, second step :
The team must played a certain amount of home games without a crowd.

If it continues, third step :
The team can't make the playoffs and don't have draft picks for a year.

If it conitnues, fourth step :
The franchise must find a new location.

If you do something like that, the problem will be fast solved.

[Cry Havoc]

The trey that put us ahead 70-66 was absolutely huge. They lost composure after that, forced a few possessions, and we went on a nice run.

[MannyIsGod]

The nba can't let that kind of events happens again. It's bad for the business.

sanctions must be taken :

First step :
Big fine for the team + fans who have thrown things must be baned.

If it continues, second step :
The team must played a certain amount of home games without a crowd.

If it continues, third step :
The team can't make the playoffs and don't have draft picks for a year.

If it conitnues, fourth step :
The franchise must find a new location.

If you do something like that, the problem will be fast solved.Sorry Bruno - I stopped reading there.

[IX_Equilibrium]

Jazz fans at games > Spurs fans at games

Yeah, they may not be the classiest bunch, with the throwing of things on the court, but they are loud and passionate about the game. I wish Spurs fans would show half of that emotion at games.

[Obstructed_View]

The nba can't let that kind of events happens again. It's bad for the business.

sanctions must be taken :

First step :
Big fine for the team + fans who have thrown things must be baned.

If it continues, second step :
The team must played a certain amount of home games without a crowd.

If it continues, third step :
The team can't make the playoffs and don't have draft picks for a year.

If it conitnues, fourth step :
The franchise must find a new location.

If you do something like that, the problem will be fast solved.

Yep. The fans shouldn't be allowed to turn into soccer fans with impunity.

[LilMissSPURfect]

SPURS fans are just that. SPURS fans! We have become spoiled with the spurs...that camping out watching the game from outside the arena, pep rallys and the whole nine....I remember always doing that when we couldn't get tickets at hemisphere in the 90s! WHERE has it all gone.....?I'm a die hard and will always cheer my heart and soul win or lose for MANU and the spurs ;-) !!!!!!!

[nkdlunch]

“They threw Carmex (lip balm) at me,” he said. “I like Carmex, but not getting it thrown at me.” -Bruce Bowen

:lmao

[wildbill2u]

Jazz fans at games > Spurs fans at games

Yeah, they may not be the classiest bunch, with the throwing of things on the court, but they are loud and passionate about the game. I wish Spurs fans would show half of that emotion at games.
Before we get too sanctimonius, let's remember that Spurs fans were once called the rowdiest in the league and one of the reasons were their penchant for dumping beer and other things (guacamole on Larry Brown comes to mind) on players and coaches going back to their locker room.

The only reason that doesn't occur now is because the ticket prices have priced out the rowdy fans at the lower levels near the court and the Baseline Bums no longer sit just above the opposing teams exit to the locker rooms.

[George Gervin's Afro]

stay classy salt lake city :lol

[IX_Equilibrium]

You don't need to throw things to show emotion, wildbill. I just wish we would see more of what you see in Utah or Golden St.

[BreezeHillBill]

The nba can't let that kind of events happens again. It's bad for the business.

sanctions must be taken :

First step :
Big fine for the team + fans who have thrown things must be baned.

If it continues, second step :
The team must played a certain amount of home games without a crowd.

If it continues, third step :
The team can't make the playoffs and don't have draft picks for a year.

If it conitnues, fourth step :
The franchise must find a new location.

If you do something like that, the problem will be fast solved.
Anybody old enough (like me) to remember the Minnesota/Dallas playoff game, with Roger Staubach,s last second "Hail Mary" (the origin of this nickname for the play) pass to Drew Pearson which won the game for the Cowboys? A spectator threw a whiskey bottle onto the field and cold cocked an official. Minnesota's quarterback was Fran Tarkenton was the quarterback. Fran's father witnessed the incident and died of a heart attack.
That kind of shit has ever since been pretty harshly treated by the NFL ever since.

[DarrinS]

Anybody old enough (like me) to remember the Minnesota/Dallas playoff game, with Roger Staubach,s last second "Hail Mary" (the origin of this nickname for the play) pass to Drew Pearson which won the game for the Cowboys? A spectator threw a whiskey bottle onto the field and cold cocked an official. Minnesota's quarterback was Fran Tarkenton was the quarterback. Fran's father witnessed the incident and died of a heart attack.
That kind of shit has ever since been pretty harshly treated by the NFL ever since.


That's an urban legend

look --> http://www.snopes.com/sports/football/tarkenton.asp

[Solid D]

Was the Carmex in this form?

http://www.canadahomehealth.com/images/medium/products/carmexlip15_MED.jpg

or in this form?

http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/texasbeautysupplycom_1951_23087441

[LifeOnaPlate]

I think it's too bad that the actions of a handful of [probably drunk] disgruntled fans makes the entire Jazz fanbase look bad to people who want to overgeneralize the situation. As a Jazz fan I would never throw anything at players, coaches, other fans, or officials, no matter what the situation was. My brother was at the game on the 7th row, he stayed a while after the teams had cleared the floor and I asked him how many people were throwing things and he said "people were throwing things?" I went and checked the replay, watched as closely as I could, and couldn't see anything being thrown. I realize things WERE thrown, but it doesn't seem like this was some universal raining down of garnage; more likely a handful of idiots throwing stuff. It's too bad that it went on, but I really think it is being blown out of preportion.

[Vito Corleone]

SPURS fans are just that. SPURS fans! We have become spoiled with the spurs...that camping out watching the game from outside the arena, pep rallys and the whole nine....I remember always doing that when we couldn't get tickets at hemisphere in the 90s! WHERE has it all gone.....?I'm a die hard and will always cheer my heart and soul win or lose for MANU and the spurs ;-) !!!!!!!

I'm a Spurs fan living in Utah, I can tell you that Jazz fans are pretty passionate about their team, but remember they are hungry, this is their first playoff run since Stockton and Malone were here.

Spurs fans haven't been hungry since 2k3, we now expect championships. For better or worse it is want it is. San Antonio has been a playoff team since 1989 that is a long long time. To only miss the playoffs one time in 18 years is can make any fans pretty complacent.

[greywheel]

Didn't someone in Phoenix throw a water bottle at Duncan after game 5? And there was fan talk about the Spurs closing it out in 6 because they didn't want to go back to Arizona?
I hope this again gives the Spurs a little extra motivation to close this out and not go back.

[BigBeezie]

When I heard Utah fans were throwing stuff, I thought "what a bunch of losers".

I hope we kick their ass on Wednesday.

[TampaDude]

All I gotta say is...SPURS IN 5!!! :toast

[td4mvp21]

That's the whole idea of it. A couple of the calls weren't good ones, but the rest were legit and deserved. The Spurs were attacking the hole constantly, the entire game. The Jazz started settling for jumpers in the fourth. Sucks for the Jazz but they should have been chanting "Jazz you suck", not "Ref you suck".

[LifeOnaPlate]

When I heard Utah fans were throwing stuff, I thought "what a bunch of losers".

I hope we kick their ass on Wednesday.

When I heard Spurs fans lumping all Jazz fans into one entity all bent on throwing things at Spurs players I thought "some Spurs fans need to differentiate between individual and group actions."

[Solid D]

^ I agree. Generalizations can be very unfair.

[Ya Vez]

yeah there are idiots in every game.. I've been in the nose bleeds at some spurs games and have seen a few near fights breakout... but oh well.. you punish the idiots not the other 99% that are there to enjoy the game...

[2centsworth]

Jazz fans at games > Spurs fans at games

Yeah, they may not be the classiest bunch, with the throwing of things on the court, but they are loud and passionate about the game. I wish Spurs fans would show half of that emotion at games.
were you at game 2? if you weren't, shut the hell up because the crowd was electric that night.

[Oh, Gee!!]

I wish Spurs gave us free T-Shirts like every other NBA franchise does for its fans.

[Oh, Gee!!]

yeah there are idiots in every game.. I've been in the nose bleeds at some spurs games and have seen a few near fights breakout... but oh well.. you punish the idiots not the other 99% that are there to enjoy the game...


that's a rough crowd up there, boy.

[Girasuck]

That article is dead on. I was furious with the way we played in the 4th and very dissapointed that we lost. Then that dissapointment and anger from the game turned into embarrassment after hearing that some of OUR fans were throwing stuff on the floor. That in itself pissed me off more than the game did.

[GrandeDavid]

No way to prevent it from happening. You can only punish who gets caught. I'd do PA announcements as reminders, some sort of warning posted on team web sites or a flyer at games. And those caught throwing stuff receive a very steep fine and banning from the arena. That will deter fans from throwing stuff. But you'll never be able to prevent unruly incidents entirely unless you want to go Hugo Chavez. And that ain't America.

[Booyah30]

And you thought Suns fans were bad.

[LifeOnaPlate]

Throwing crap on the floor= not cool. I will here state, the volume of things thrown was miniscule.

[Soul_Patch]

I think the majority of people are smart enough to know that a few rowdy fans throwing shit doesn't make up the entire Jazz fan base...


I will say though, if the arena would have toned down the "ref you suck" chants, i believe you would have only gotten about half of the calls in the 4th that you got.

you start shit with the refs, they make you pay by calling every thing they see.

[LifeOnaPlate]

I beleive they were chanting "Javie Sucks," something Spurs fans could relate to. Hasn't he screwed the Spurs over last year? If the totals are correct, Javie called 24 fouls against Utah and 4 against the Spurs. Pretty odd, any way you slice it.

[BreezeHillBill]

That's an urban legend

look --> http://www.snopes.com/sports/football/tarkenton.asp
Thanks. The article bears out everything I remembered, except the incident being the cause of the heart attack. That's how it was widely reportted at the time, however.

Anyway, I saw it and my memory is better than I expected. And my point was
that the NBA could learn something from the NFL on the subject.

Also, what are the odds that the drunk would hit one of the only heads on the field with no helmet?

[Marcus Bryant]

The Jazz would've gotten calls if they had attacked the rim in the 4th. Instead they settled far too often for the outside J. The Spurs limited them to 'one and done' on the offensive end as the Spurs increased their defensive intensity.

[Vito Corleone]

Just to be fair, I got to the point that I refused to go to a Spurs game in the Alamo Dome when they would open up the upper deck because those freaks would love to toss coins. I got hit several times and finally decided it wasn't worth it.

[Marcus Bryant]

Just to be fair, I got to the point that I refused to go to a Spurs game in the Alamo Dome when they would open up the upper deck because those freaks would love to toss coins. I got hit several times and finally decided it wasn't worth it.

H-E-B Peasant Nights were awesome, man.

[LifeOnaPlate]

Marcus: Deron Williams drove the lane, got fouled in the 4th several times, no call.

[Marcus Bryant]

That happened maybe once early in the 4th.

[Spurminator]

Marcus: Deron Williams drove the lane, got fouled in the 4th several times, no call.


Deron Williams is lucky he hasn't been caught pushing off with his other arm yet.

[LifeOnaPlate]

Williams pushing off? Dude, if you think Williams pushes off on offense, be glad you didn't face Baron Davis. Unbelievable.

[mrsmaalox]

No way to prevent it from happening. You can only punish who gets caught. I'd do PA announcements as reminders, some sort of warning posted on team web sites or a flyer at games. And those caught throwing stuff receive a very steep fine and banning from the arena. That will deter fans from throwing stuff. But you'll never be able to prevent unruly incidents entirely unless you want to go Hugo Chavez. And that ain't America.
It all leads right back to thedebate about players getting suspended forleaving the bench. Until there is a way to clarify a players intent when leaving hthe bench, it is too risky to change that rule; I mean what if those same few rabid fans decide they need to "defend" their favorite player from the guy who just stood up to stretch his leg?! That rule is just an ounce of prevention for a potential free for all.

[Obstructed_View]

To the Jazz fans' credit, a number object-throwers were removed from the arena in handcuffs, proving that the others around them didn't let them get away with doing something dangerous.

[IX_Equilibrium]

were you at game 2? if you weren't, shut the hell up because the crowd was electric that night.


I was not at game 2, and it takes more than a single game to define a crowd. Therefore, I will not shut the hell up.

[GrandeDavid]

To only miss the playoffs one time in 18 years is can make any fans pretty complacent.

The Spurs are the only reason I keep my sanity as Astros and Texans fans. :lol

[GrandeDavid]

H-E-B Peasant Nights were awesome, man.

:lol