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Show I Jazz Should Be Given A Chance T - h & Si S 1 LlhZJi By DAVE WIGHAM jgj Now that the Utah Jazz has made the first move to get the franchise going in the right direction let's give S them a chance. BY NAMING Frank Layden as the head coach the $ Jazz have given themselves a positive image in the : press and public and we as the fans should at least ig give them the courtesy of judging them on their own : merits. g Last week, the day of the coaching change, a Salt Lake City radio station held a two hour special in g which the fans called up and voiced their opinions of both the coaching change and anything else they want to say about the Jazz. SEVERAL THINGS came up in those conversa- g tions that I feel should be further discussed. 8 First of all 1 for one would like to see the Utah Star jg comparison thing thrown out the window. Some cal-lers cal-lers noted the Stars were well received in the com- ijf munity, by making appearances, and they couldn't understand why the people aren't watching the Jazz. iij: WELL FOR one thing the Stars weren't that well g supported at the box office. The year they won the ABA title the fans started to show up but prior to that g the Jazz draw more than the Stars ever did. Most Iij: fans simply recall the picture of Zelmo Beaty being held above the crowd at a jam packed Salt Palace. j:j Remember that was after the championship game : and this reporter has to think that on the day the Jazz tooted their own horn. : THE JAZZ make more personal appearances than any other organization I can think of. Just ask one of j the players wives and they'll tell you hew much they ;S are gone. They don't have to do this but they want to be a part of the community. : Laura has sent them to such places as high :$ schools, junior highs, church groups, scout groups, : shopping malls, grand openings for anything, com- : munity centers, PTA groups and anything else you : can think of. THE MAIN reason you never hear about it is the : fact Laura doesn't make the announcement to TV or j radio. In other words they don't toot their horns. jij As mentioned this is something the players don't jij have to do. In other cities the teams charge money :: for any appearance. In Philly for example, to have jij any member of the 76erteam come to your group will ij: set you back a quick $200. The word is, there you pay :j:; big bucks, or you see no player. :ji; IT MIGHT be worth mentioning a couple of :ji; things. When Dolph Schayes was in town for three iij nights, his son Dan was scheduled to make an appearance. You'd think with his dad in town for jij: such a short time Dan would try to get out of it. Well, $ he didn't, in fact, he took his dad with him. jij: Feb. 27 is the next Saturday that the Jazz will be i home in Salt Lake City. Again you'd think they'd : want to be with their wives and families, yet many of : them will be making appearances. Ben Poquette has $ two that day. ijij win me in da mie inai piace win oe iuh again. i As for the second part, about the players on the ijij Stars making more persona appearances than the !S Jazz, anyone who makes that note simply doesn't make the facts. iij THE PERSON in charge of scheduling the players :ji: for appearances is Laura Herlovich and you'd be jij hard pressed to find a better person for the job than her. Laura is first class all the way. Always friendly : and joyful, face it she loves her work. She treats jj everyone the same, so if your group wants to have a : player visit them call her at the Jazz office, iji As I recall, whenever the Stars sent a player out ii for an appearance they ran publicity through every : part of the media possible. In other words they DON'T EVER compare the Stars to the Jazz. The ijj Jazz have them by a long way. I can remember as a iji youngster waiting for autographs of those guys after a game and they'd walk right by a bunch of us as if we $ didn't exist. Judge the Jazz by their own merits, let the Stars die. jij If you want a Jazz player for your group, call jij Laura at the Jazz office and she'll make the arrange- jij ments. ii IF YOU want to see an exciting brand of basketball come watch the Jazz and their new up tempo style of play. Then again if you want to see one guy have a lot ijij of fun at his work simply watch the new coach Frank $ Layden. |