Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
BYU fans in unexpected placesWhile I was on vacation last week, I had an experience that while small, is a good example of why BYU likes the situation it is in.
My family and I had just stopped in Independence, Missouri, the place I lived until I was 13. We were getting gas at a local convenience store when I was approached by someone wearing a BYU t-shirt. I can tell you from experience that seeing BYU gear outside of an LDS Church setting in Missouri is not a common occurrence. This gentleman had approached me because he saw my BYU hat and the Cougar Sports Saturday shirt I was wearing. He was obviously just as surprised to see me as I was to see him. What followed next was something that I'm sure would bring a smile to both Tom Holmoe and Bronco's faces.
After asking me if I worked for KSL, and finding out what I did, he told me that he had watched BYU's Media Day on BYUtv. He told me how excited he was to have the access and to be able to catch up on BYU football during the offseason. He told me that even though he had always been a BYU fan, this past season was one of his favorites because he had been able to see all the football and basketball games on ESPN and BYUtv.
While that was just one isolated experience, I walked away from that encounter with a better understanding of why it's so important for BYU to protect its broadcast rights. In Utah, we take for granted how easily accessible Cougar sports are to us. Fans in local markets will always have ways to watch their team; but what about the fans who don't live along the Wasatch Front?
BYU's partnership with ESPN, and its ability to utilize BYUtv for live coverage and rebroadcasts, is more than just about having a place to televise games. It's not about money; it's about getting the product out to those who want it. BYU is not just a local or regional team. I am always amazed when I hear Greg Wrubell and Marc Lyons take a phone call or read an email from someone on the other side of the globe on KSL Newsradio's BYU Football postgame show. There are Cougar fans all over the world.
During our seven-day vacation, we traveled through Wyoming, Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas and Colorado. I am pleased to report that I saw some BYU gear in every state we went through. That is why BYU is holding tightly to its television rights. The university knows how important it is to make BYU sports available to everyone that wants it. To settle for anything less would be shortchanging a fan base that can't get enough.
The Jazz begin Summer League
The Utah Jazz will play their first game in the Orlando Summer League today. While the roster consists of 16 players, there are really only four guys you need to pay attention to. No offense to Paul Millsap's brother or John Stockton's son, but the only names you need to follow are Enes Kanter, Alec Burks, DeMarre Carroll and Kevin Murphy.
Of those four, Murphy is the only player not currently signed for this upcoming season. The Jazz will however give Murphy, their 2nd round selection in last month's draft, every opportunity to make the team.
To me, this summer league is most important to Kanter. Last season was his first real basketball in several years. Going into last season, I didn't expect him to play as much as he did--I was pleasantly surprised. The 6'10" Turk averaged four points and four rebounds during his rookie season. He was raw and unpolished, but he showed abilities that the Jazz have never had in a center.
When people talk about the young core of the Jazz, they're referring to Hayward, Favors, Kanter and Burks. Favors is the clear star of the bunch. The guy is a stud and should be an all-star in the near future. While Hayward is somewhat inconsistent, his talent at the NBA level is obvious. With those two guys taking part in Team USA workouts, Burks and Kanter have the opportunity to take charge of the summer league.
If you look back on prior summer leagues, guys that will be impact players in the NBA usually dominate in the summer league. That's what Kanter needs to do: dominate. With his size and skill-set, he needs to leave no doubt that he will be a force to be reckoned with next season and for many seasons to come.
