Jazz Vandals

I have always been a Lakers fan. I watched the Lakers dominate the west for the 1980s and early 1990s with "Showtime". Coached by Pat "Slick" Riley there were stars like Kareem, Magic, James Worthy, Jamaal Wilkes, Michael Cooper, Byron Scott, and so many others. All these games were listened to by radio so we could hear Chick Hearn call the game instead of the "impartial" commentators on the national broadcasting channel.

Then came the lean years of of the 90s with Kareem retiring, Magic retiring to deal with AIDS then returning, then retiring, and on and on. Life for a Lakers fan was tough living in Utah. The rebuilding Lakers had to contend with with the buzzsaw that was the pick and roll of John Stockton and Karl Malone. I hate the basketball style on the court because it is too static and repetitive, but you can't ignore its effectiveness. It has provided Jerry Sloan with a consistently competitive team and made him the most tenured coach in the NBA if not all of professional sports.

You can take the guy out of LA, but you can't take LA out of the guy. These years were lean as the floundering Lakers always seemed to be the 8 seed to the Jazz 1 seed. Inevitably that made for a quick playoff exit as the Jazz would go on to be perennial second bests to Michael Jordan's Bulls. These were the days when I would go to work only to find the sports page taped to my office door reminding me of the disappointment of every Lakers playoff game.

Well then came the resurgence of Showtime in the late 90's with Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal, Derek Fisher, Rick Fox, and Robert Horry. The Jazz and all others faltered at the dynamic duo that was Shaq and Kobe. Gone were the sports pages and the smack talk from co-workers. I am not the one to gloat but it was satisfying to not have to rationalize my love for the Lakers.

Shaq has left for warmer climes and bigger paydays, but the Lakers still have Kobe, Pau, Lamar, and Derek. Derek Fisher's success with the Jazz has only made the hatred of the Lakers here in Jazzville all the more heated. Which brings me to my current predicament.

Someone had the audacity to vandalize my license plate rim that proudly declared my love of the purple and gold. This was a Christmas present. It used to have a gold 'L' for Lakers and a purple background on the bottom. Someone picked them off some time before Christmas probably while I was stimulating the economy (i.e. shopping). I really liked this rim and am currently trying to find an exact replacement. My trip to Lakerdom after Christmas resulted in no such item despite going to several various sports fan stores.

So to all you Jazz fans out there, please leave my car alone. Be content with yelling at the TV screen when they lose, but don't take it out on the people who cheer for the champions. As I continue my search for a replacement I have now added two posters to the garage walls (another Christmas present). They were not going to be hung in the house so at least I can see my Lakers as I pull in and out of the garage.

I know I am spoiled with all those banners and retired jerseys in the Staples Center rafters, but I really don't want the Celtics or those wannabe Cavaliers to be champions.