"I don't think there's going to be a less vociferous crowd out there," Jackson added before the game. "I still think they'll be as rabid as ever if I can judge from the greeting we got coming into the building. I would be very concerned if I was living in the Mormon community and the Salt Lake community at the quality of those signs that were out there. They were rather amoral and probably a little raucous - on Mother's Day and on Sunday. So, it will be an interesting game."

"This is a rare Sunday playoff game. I've only participated in two or three of them before (in Utah). I don't think it will change the nature of the crowd." It didn't.

This whole complaint would make a lot more sense if Phil Jackson and the Lakers were either (a) God, or (b) mothers. Those are the only people that deserve more respect than usual on Mother's Day. It's the stupidest complaint in the world. If you think about it, the Jazz fans, Mormon or not, who would be less raucous on a Sunday just because it's Sunday probably wouldn't go to a Sunday game at all!

stuckinbig10country wrote:

They booed Fisher because of all the teams he could have picked to go to, he picked the team that everyone hates.

I think it is funny to listen to ESPN laud Larry Miller and the Jazz for releasing Fisher from his contract, and for Derek for being a family man first, and then the next sentence they are talking about how Fisher's daughter goes to NYC 2+ times a month for her treatments.

Last I checked, LA is farther from NYC, where Fisher continues to take his daughter for treatment, and a lot of the booing the fans do is because of the impression--valid or not--that he leveraged his daughter's condition to benefit himself professionally since (at least on the surface) he actually moved farther from the doctors rather than closer, and being closer to treatment was his grounds for asking for a release.

It would be an interesting topic for OTL or a more investigative journalistic piece to put the issue to rest, but I doubt there are many sports journalists with enough clout to risk questioning Fisher about using his daughter's condition to get out of Utah and back to California, where he never made any bones about wanting to be, even prior to the manifestation of the illness.

I say good riddance to the Fish. Granted the guy is a "good person". I was happy he left and still am. I feel he is by and large overrated with a great story about his daughter (and I do hope everything turns out fine as far as that goes). But like Sno said, interesting that he would go to LA after getting out of a contract to be closer to the doctors taking care of his daughter. Are the flights better from LA? more frequent? I doubt it. On top of that, I'm confidant that SLC has some of the finest cancer doctors in the world with the Huntsman center and all the cash that oozes from that place. EDIT: ALSO!!!! I remember hearing last year during the playoffs that KOBE and FISHER were calling each other having conversations and giving advice on each others play during the playoffs. I'm not against that but I DO wonder if, "hey fisher, why don't you think about coming back to LA and playing for the Lakers. Talk to Miller and see what you can work out" ever came up.

Bottom line- I'm glad that Fisher is gone, but would have loved to get something back when he left. Good luck to ya Fisher.

My father has a good friend who is an NBA official and he also regularly tells us that Salt lake has the loudest foulest fans. Take it for what its worth but this is nothing new and Phil Jackson is not the first NBA employee to make this statement.

As for Fisher, Jazz fans make me sick! The man made a choice he felt was best for his family during a VERY difficult time. Regardless of why and regardless of the medical facilities available in Utah he made a decsion that he felt was best for his family. Im so disappointed that in a community that promotes itself as family first fans would begrudge D Fish for making a professional decision with his family in mind. Any suggestion that it was some sort of selfish ploy to play in LA is wrong and nothing more then sour grapes!!

jbar1221 wrote:

My father has a good friend who is an NBA official and he also regularly tells us that Salt lake has the loudest foulest fans.

Has he officiated a Pistons game? That place is a zoo, with only slightly less throwing of monkey feces.

Jazz fans may be the loudest (good for them), but I'll forever disagree that they are the foulest. My experience has been different.