Jerry Sloan

I have never been a fan of the Utah Jazz.
I never cheered for Karl Malone.
I always rooted against John Stockton.
I do not care about watching Deron Williams.
Yet...I have always been a Jerry Sloan fan.

He has forgotten more about basketball than I will ever know about the game.
Sloan was a hard-nosed coach who found ways to make his Jazz competitive no matter the roster.
He never took crap from anyone.
And now, that "take no crap" mentality has lead to this...he quit.

I'm very sorry to see him go despite my lack of affection for the Utah Jazz.
But, mostly I'm surprised to see him go in the middle of the season.

Jerry Sloan and Deron Williams must have had a relationship far more turbulent than they ever lead on.
Which makes my admiration for Coach Sloan all the greater.
Having so many years of experience, his confrontations with Deron Williams must have been no small matter if it drove him to resign.
Yet, up to the very end, he never lost the locker room.

Sloan was unable or unwilling to finish out the season with Deron Williams on his team.
And as a result, I am now even less of a Deron Williams fan than I ever was.

Many of us lost a part of our youth with Sloan's resignation.
I don't remember the Utah Jazz under any other coach.
Chances are, you don't either.
Most NBA fans today grew up watching Sloan and his Sherlock Holmes-like profile stalking the sidelines and barking at his players and the officials with equal ferocity.
And abruptly -- that's all gone.
No farewell season and no opportunity for us to appreciate his coaching one last game.

So long Coach Sloan.

Coach Sloan doing what he was born to do

Respect the BC Mafia Foo!