How the Jazz Could Have Won

Posted by Annie Whittaker on May 29, 2008

‘Post – Season Pack-Up’ (Melissa Majchrzak – NBAE/Getty Images)

I’m almost over the loss. Really I am. In fact what I’m writing about really applies to any event with a winner/loser outcome. I’m sure the fans in San Antonio are feeling the same way after their game four loss to the Lakers. (Is there a secret rule in the referee manual that prohibits calling an obvious foul on the shot in the last seconds of a game)?

The feeling that I’m talking about is kind of hard to describe. Well let me put it this way. Have you heard of the “butterfly effect?” Or possibly you know it as the “ripple effect.” If you’re unfamiliar with the subject, look into chaos theory. Or if you don’t have a couple of hours to spare for delving, read the Ray Bradbury short story “A Sound of Thunder.” Or if you’re like most of us Americans, get all of your historical information and pop culture references by watching the Simpsons. They did a Halloween episode based on the story.

I’m not one to be superstitious when it comes to things like wearing the same pair of socks that you wore when you last won, or cutting off some poor, helpless animal’s foot. I did however find myself really wondering what actions during the course of my own day may have affected the outcome of the Jazz series. I know it sounds a bit crazy at first glance but it starts out fairly innocently. I don’t think most Jazz fans would think it too far fetched to believe that if the referee made just one less bad call, or even one less no-call that the ending would be completely different. So maybe if Mehmet Okur got one more minute of good sleep on game day, or maybe if Kyle Korver’s hair was just a few centimeters longer, thus affecting his aerodynamics, both of them would have made more shots. The possibilities are endless. All I know is that I left the game wondering, what if, just what if, I had taken a different route to the arena, or I had arrived in my seat just a moment sooner, to cheer just that much more, would that have been enough to change the outcome of the game?

Well, I’ll have the summer to think about it, and when I figure out the formula, I’ll post it here for everyone to put it into practice.

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mrsjazz on May 29, 2008 said:

what if the refs don’t call that foul on Williams at the end of half. that was the three points we needed to force OT!

jc on May 29, 2008 said:

living in the “coulda-woulda-shouda’s” is a dangerous place to be. we can relax and realize that it was more than one call that lost all of the games in the series for us. it was our poor choices on offense. it was our lack of focus on defense. poor boxing out technique.

Annie Whittaker on May 29, 2008 said:

jc, I totally agree. By the way my little obsession about how the world would be different if I had done this or that doesn’t just apply to the Jazz. For example, I just have to wonder if I had put my bike away just a few minutes later when I was 10, it wouldn’t have been stolen. You know, stuff like that. I just had to find out if any one else does the same thing.

The Mueller’s on May 30, 2008 said:

Cute article. I find myself doing the same thing. I have to leave the room when we are losing (my husband says I’m a bad luck charm). So, maybe I stayed too long??? Maybe I shouldn’t have watched the entire game? Maybe I should leave the state??? J/K Fun blog!

J R Stewart on May 30, 2008 said:

Dohh. . . chocolate.

I know the Simpsons are my primary source of historical information!

Bart would have conspired with Bear to put a long tube on the motorcycle exhaust pipe and position it right under Dr. Pill’s thrown.

With Dr. Pill “exhausted”, the Jazz could have had Sideshow Bob, (no, the real one, not Anderson Varejao) lure the petulant man child onto a little river cruise, thus missing the game.

Ahhhh, The Simpsons to the rescue again!

Jazzaholic

Linda McFarland on May 30, 2008 said:

I think our lives are full of “what ifs”, maybe more so with women than men. My husband claims some of the ways I think about the things I do before a Jazz game are crazy but I have to remind him that years back during coaching there was a rigid routine that we followed (even down to the socks he wore) before a game. Of course “that was different”. I agree that to seriously live in a coulda, woulda, shoulda world would be dangerous but it is a fun part of a game or such. I think it helps some of us come down to the realization that the season is over. I would be bad at doing that cold turkey! The fact that this blog will keep going between seasons is great. I hope everyone will continue to write in about a lot of things. We need to keep in touch to get ready for next season. Oh, by the way, Jazzaholic, you can PLEASE put on a different pair of socks now.

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