More blabbing about how wonderful the Jazz were

Regarding the precvious posts I've done, the new Grandaddy album still has not engaged me at all, which is frustrating. Also, the United State absolutely humiliated themselves against the Czech Republic. There's no faster way to kill the buzz about the World Cup than to have your team dismantled. Watching the Finals tonight, I had the ol' flashback to Jazz-Bulls in in 97 and 98 and the phenomenon that was in Utah. Sports have a transcendent quality about them, such that when the home team does well, every one talks about them. What's interesting about Utah, is that the Jazz are the only universally beloved team in town. Allegiances are split between BYU and the U, and everyone has their own favorite pro football and baseball teams (although the 49ers are easily the most popular football team). There's something about the success of the Jazz...somehow it validates Utahns, to see a team that they think reflects them. I think Larry Miller strives to build the team to match what Utahns are like. Those two summers when they were in the Finals were magical. Everyone was on edge about the games and unlike a football game, this went on for two weeks each time. Every one was watching, disecting, talking about the game. I had only heard about such things, but it was the greatest feeling. Such solidarity. What still kills me about the first series is that the Jazz had double digit leads in every second quarter and always blew it. The Michael Jordan Flu game was one of the greatest turning points of any series. But the Jazz didn't roll over and die in Game 6 like they should have. Instead, the game was tied right up to the final seconds. And yet, no one and I mean these loud stupid commentators on TV and espn.com (and I'm including Bill Simmons in this and his one-note Celtics/East Coast rants that totally ignore the Jazz...Let me say this, he had the audacity to say that the Suns/Bulls series was the best of the 6 Bulls championships...what's he smoking? Suns fell down 3-1, won one game and then lost it in game 6. Maybe he should watch the 97 finals again and realize how great that was) ever gives the Jazz credit for being a pretty freaking impressive team in the 1990s. Oh yeah, and they earned those trips to the Finals, going three times to the Western conference championships before finally breaking through. I think I wrote this last time
Some man in a talk about Naples talked about death and how Naples is a doomed city so everyone's all okay with it. He mentioned two other doomed cities (Venice and New Orleans) and somehow ignored LA or SF, both of whom are living with the knowledge that the San Andreas could destroy them. Oh well, I guess it was easier to make the point by not including all doomed cities. I have no idea what I want to say now. I think it was going to be something about making peace with death (interestingly explored in the Amber Spyglass), but I lost the drive. Good night