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I read an article recently where a guy blamed all sorts of things on this vast anti-Utah conspiracy. He wasn't kidding. People thinking Paul is better than DWill was, in part, because everyone hates Utah. People not liking Malone or thinking Stockton isn't the #2 (behind Magic obviously) PG ever? Because of Utah hate. It went on and on.

To me it's crazy. That's like saying there's a Buffalo bias or an anti-Charlotte faction or people staunchly against St. Louis to the point they can't be rational. I mean NY or LA or even Chicago or DC or Boston? Okay. I can see a Miami hatred or something. But who would be specifically anti-Utah? Why? Who cares?

What do you think? Is there an anti-Utah bias in the NBA, sports, and/or life in general? If you think so, can you back this up in any way?

Just curious.

i know rocket fans hate them

and some of the utah fans on here are annoying, not that they're the only ones, something about them annoys me though

People don't like Malone because he was a loser who shrank during big moments.

studcrackers wrote:i know rocket fans hate them

and some of the utah fans on here are annoying, not that they're the only ones, something about them annoys me though

There was a clip that someone posted of (I think) a radio host talking about Utah sports fans. He basically talked about how shocked he was about hearing racial slurs and other obscene language so frequently.

Clearly every city and every fanbase will have lunatics who can socially embarass their entire city or town just by their idiotic comments.

1. No one really hates Utah in general. It's too small and irrelevant to really hate on. The only person I know who expressed a negative opinion on it at all is my college buddy who was from Utah.

2. Chris Paul is better than Deron Williams. Deron might be the second best PG in the game today by a considerable margin, but Paul is just that much better than everyone including Deron. The only case you can make as a Utah fan is that Deron fits your own scheme better.

3. People hate Malone because he's a dirty player who has delivered serious injuries to many players, and one that has a reputation of being unclutch. And a pedophile and a redneck. That said, I still liked him as a player.

4. No one hates Stockton. But Frazier was just better, and I would say Thomas was as well. One could make a case for Payton too.

5. It's more that Utah has an inferiority complex. They have a great team assembled in Salt Lake City, but they don't get enough media love and Deron Williams is getting overshadowed by Chris Paul.

The problem with Utah's "team" is that they think they can start 3 power fowards and get somewhere.

I hated the Jazz because in the 90's they ran plays just to try to draw fouls. They got home cooking more than any team in the league.

They were basically a bunch of dirty cheats. I busted a nut all over myself every time they lost in the playoffs. I have nothing against the modern Jazz team.

Farm Raid wrote:I read an article recently where a guy blamed all sorts of things on this vast anti-Utah conspiracy. He wasn't kidding. People thinking Paul is better than DWill was, in part, because everyone hates Utah. People not liking Malone or thinking Stockton isn't the #2 (behind Magic obviously) PG ever? Because of Utah hate. It went on and on.


Just curious.

So do you really, really, really think people say Paul is better than Deron only because Deron is in Utah? Really? Do people say Kobe is better than LeBron only because Lebron is in Cleveland? Do people say Dwight Howard is better than Okur only because Okur is in Utah?

Learn to read. I was talking about what the article was saying.

Free advice: If you can't read, either get off the internet or stick to videos. If you can't read this paragraph, PM me your phone number and I'll leave you a voice message explaining it.

Well Deron not making the all star game I think shows a little bias. Players have shown lots of anti utah bias, Utah has had trades where the player they traded for would not even report to the team.

Players not wanting to play there doesn't mean the media and fans are and stuff are specifically biased against them more than they are, say, Memphis or Pittsburgh or Cincinnati or Portland or something. Which was the contention: There's an actual anti-Utah bias.

Not anti-small market, anti-Utah.

"People hate Mormonism, that's the reason"

This is what the OP actually believes.

Farm Raid wrote:Learn to read. I was talking about what the article was saying.

Free advice: If you can't read, either get off the internet or stick to videos. If you can't read this paragraph, PM me your phone number and I'll leave you a voice message explaining it.

If I can't read the paragraph, how will I know what to do?

Its a bunch of crap... everyone thinks their team's players are underrated... I think the Jazz are a very talented team, with a very smart coach who gets the most out of his players. Uses youth and experience hand in hand and usually gets a great result.

Now if we want to talk about the geographical location, I've been once and I won't go back willingly. I understand that slurs and idiots are in every arena, but in UTA I heard it far too often - common conversation. Maybe bad seats, but still... and on the boards here, some of the more frequently obnoxious posters just happen to be Jazz fans...

But weigh it out compared to other teams, and its exactly the same. Claiming an "anti" ______ bias, just to one team, is childish.. whoever wrote that article has some serious projecting issues.

ubernathan wrote:I can't read either!

Fixed.

Anyway, 510Reggae, it's not just that article, I've seen it from Jazz fans on other messageboards too, so it's more than that. I've heard that from other fanbases, but some people actually do have an anti-Knicks bias, or an anti-Laker or Bull bias.

But then there's alot of Jazz fans that claim there's an anti-Utah bias and I don't see it. You never hear someone say "Oh, that's just the anti-Kansas City bias!" because it's ridiculous, Kansas City is too small for anyone but AFC West fans to hate.

Just strange. I wish some more Jazz fans would post.

I'll admit they get their share of idiots jawing at them, what with anti-Mormon slights and things of that nature, but it doesn't make them unique.

If you listen to those same people:

- SF is full of gay people and Asians...

- Miami caters to the old and/or Jewish

- NY is full of dumb Italians

- Everyone in Boston talks like Jimmy Fallon does in those SNL skits

- Texas, Louisiana, hell, the entire South of the US - there's stereotypes everywhere.

Theres absolute no basis for an actual bias when your a small market team. But I think the true reason behind this complaining is because no other area gets picked on due to religion, and thats obviously a predominant and important part of the "Utah experience". That's the only semi-justification I can see for it, otherwise - untie your pigtails, ditch the plaid skirt and quit whining you little schoolgirls (directed at no one in general)

Uncooked wrote:People don't like Malone because he was a pedophile.

Fixed.

Farm Raid wrote:
But then there's alot of Jazz fans that claim there's an anti-Utah bias and I don't see it. You never hear someone say "Oh, that's just the anti-Kansas City bias!" because it's ridiculous, Kansas City is too small for anyone but AFC West fans to hate.

Just strange. I wish some more Jazz fans would post.

As a Jazz fan I'll say that I see more rants about Mormons and polygamy and the fact that SLC is more demographically white than probably any other NBA city all the time.

It does get old. I don't know if that means there is an anti-Utah bias per se, but no other city gets a bunch of unrelated crap like Salt Lake does, and frankly, it's not very close. As much as I love the city of Portland, it isn't exactly a great big city with tons to do (although I think there's plenty to do there), and it isn't exacty the diversity capital of the world. Yet Portland gets zero crap for it, and zero crap for the various nutjobs they have around there. I guess yacking about Mormons is some sort of real easy target that many here just can't resist, or maybe they lack the originiality to come up with something better.

I have no idea if there is an anti-Utah bias out there more so than say an anti-small market bias. That and there are a lot of unsubstantiated reports about the Jazz and their crowd that for whatever reason people tend to take as gospel around here. I've been to quite a few Jazz games and never heard anything that amounts to a racial comment, yet other people apparently have. Then again I've heard a lot of idiocy from drunk crowds in just about any game in any city I've been to in any sport.

510Reggae wrote:I'll admit they get their share of idiots jawing at them, what with anti-Mormon slights and things of that nature, but it doesn't make them unique.

Maybe not unique, but it's not even close.

And when Utah fans strike back and question them about the "charms" of their city, gee, let's say Oakland for example, they are labeled as insenstive and uncultured. Apparently, stupid stereotypes are only acceptable one way.

In all actuality, the anti Utah bias is something people have felt since the late 1840's/early 1850's when the Mormons moved form the mid-west to the Western territories.

The Mormons were viewed as a cult (many still believe they are) and were run out of Illinois, and many states in the Mid-West. There was obvious persecution, and basically it followed them into Utah, and despite what people outside of Utah say, it's still there.

Much like the way most people from the South still believe they haven't completely recovered from the Civil War, Utahn's feel the same way since the "mormon trek."

You can believe what you want, I still see it, and I don't even live in Utah anymore, but it's one of those things that the subtlety of it probably doesn't affect outsiders, but people in Utah can see it build, and it definitely adds up, Mormon or not.

Nate505 wrote:-= original quote snipped =-


Maybe not unique, but it's not even close.

And when Utah fans strike back and question them about the "charms" of their city, gee, let's say Oakland for example, they are labeled as insenstive and uncultured. Apparently, stupid stereotypes are only acceptable one way.

So... your argument is that Utah fans are always attacked first, and then in here, you take a jab at Oakland?

Did I take a potshot at Utah? Or did I just say that nearly every geographical location catches some kind of crap?

And the rest of that doesn't even make sense.... stereotypes are only acceptable one way? Sarcastic or not it doesn't make sense...

And truthfully, you really don't help the case for Utah fans when you act that way.

EDIT: By the way... did anyone seem to say that teasing Mormons in any way is somehow immune to the label of insensitive or uncultured? Becayse thats what you are implying, which reeks of someone trying to put themselves on a pedestal.