Allegiance vs Sanity

I have been a committed fan of the Utah Jazz my entire life. At times this loyalty has brought about moments of glory and bliss the likes of which could never be matched. However, as any fan can attest, what comes up in the crazy upside down world of sports must come crashing down. As was the case this Tuesday night, when my beloved Jazz officially, for the first, granted me the opportunity to question my strict devotion and blind allegiance to their cause. No, this wasn’t simply a counter reaction to one of the most horrific performances ever achieved on a basketball court, rather this form of serious contemplation occurred purely over reasons of personal sanity and overall psychological well being.

Perhaps it can best be argued that I, for what ever reason, have simply fallen victim to the child-like tendencies exhibited by all fanatics…..um fans over the course of a given game or season. Or better yet, possibly this most resent reaction can best be described as an angered blip on my sports enthralled radar, the likes of which is sure to re-occur time and time again. And if those first two excuses don't wet your whistle, how about the ultimate notion that this most catastrophic response to the worst three game stretch in Utah Jazz history - ultimately boils down to me caring to much about a sport, a team, a player, and/or a given outcome. Yes my friends, the harsh reality of suddenly discovering that sports, both college and professional, amounts to nothing more than wasted time and unnecessary antics has finally set in.

No longer can I passively tolerate nor carelessly stand by and allow myself to be routinely psychologically abused and/or physically tormented by the uncontrolled events of third-fourth-or fifth consecutive Carlos Boozer missed free-throw or another Deron Williams misguided pass. Sports is after all meant to be some what unpredictable, highly contested, and at times down right maddening. And so far, the latter seems to be continuously dominating the former.

While my aspirations for the Jazz are surely to live on. It is my hope that as the years pass and consequently my age increases, I can more fully develop and then employ a more simplified stance towards what has clearly served as both an outlet and focal point for most of my life. Sure, I’ll continue to cheer, root for, and probably even yell for my teams and their definitive success. However, form know on, I’ll look do so with the refreshing idea that outcomes are merely finalized results, professional athletes are still after all human-beings, and my beloved Jazz are and always will be…..well….chokers!!

Great teams win when they must, good teams win when they should, average teams win when their at home, bad teams win when their befriended by luck, horrible teams win rarely, and the Utah Jazz....well lets just hope they win!!