IT WAS 20 YEARS AGO TODAY

(Sergeant Pepper taught the band to play. . . I had to)

May 29, 1997
I was 38 years old, and just finishing
up year 17 of teaching.
(Halfway through my career.)

Cathy, Carolyn, Jane, and I went to

the Tina Turner concert, with Cyndi Lauper as

the warm-up act.

At the same time, the Jazz were playing the

Houston Rockets in Game 6 of the 

Western Conference Finals.  The Jazz were up

3 games to 2.  If they won, they would play the

Chicago Bulls in the NBA Finals.

If they lost, they would return to Salt Lake City

for Game 7.
They were down.  A lot.

The concert started.

Cyndi Lauper was the warm-up act.

She was the first

purple haired pregnant person 

I had ever seen!

After Cyndi, there was a change over of the backdrops.
Many people ran up the stairs before the concert started,
to watch the end of the game on the concourse monitors.
The Jazz were down by 10 points with 2:59 left.

Tina came out and started her first song.

During that first number, the doors flew open,

and people ran down the stairs in the arena.

I thought it was part of the concert.

Before the end of the first number, word had

spread through the arena that the Jazz had won!

The Jazz were down 10 points with 2:59 left in the 4th quarter.
John Stockton scored the last 9 points

of the game, including the

"Shot heard round the World!"

Bill Walton, color commentator, said "Oh, oh"

and it was over.

Summer for Barkley, Drexler, and Olaujuwon.

NBA Finals for

Stockton, Malone, and Hornacek!

Tina stopped her concert, announced that
the Jazz had won!
The spotlights swooped around the arena,
and landed on Karl's MVP poster!

The concert continued.

I wanted to go to the airport to welcome the team home.
I was outvoted...3 to 1
The next day was also the last day of school.
I was not the driver, so no choice.
However, they were showing it on tv
(usually, the networks had signed off)
I stayed up all night watching it.
At the same time I was putting together
Calvan and Jay's retirement scrapbooks.
(RIP, Calvan & Jay)

On March 22, 2017,
the Utah Jazz were playing the New York Knicks.
Their coach was none other than
Jeff Hornacek!
What a wonderful time for a reunion!
Everyone was there, except for two.

Karl Malone had financed a housing project
in Louisiana,  It was their grand opening.
And, Larry H. Miller, the owner, had passed away.

Most of the time was spent at the
Zion's Bank Basketball Center.

Comparing the gray goatees.

3 generations of centers
Mark Eaton, Greg Ostertag, Rudy Gobert

John Stockton, Gail Miller, Jerry Sloan
Press Conference

During the half time event, each player and coach
were introduced, and received a plaque from owner, Gail Miller.
I was so impressed that those players wearing hats
or sunglasses (Big Dawg) would remove them
before they came to Gail.

Karl spoke from Louisiana.

Former Coach, Frank Layden, was team president.

Coach Jerry Sloan

Coaching Staff

Greg Ostertag

Chris Morris

Jeff Hormacek

Antoine Carr
"Big Dawg"

Gail Miller and John Stockton

John spoke on behalf of everyone

Watching 
"The Shot"

Group Photo

Now, let's do this again next year . . . the 20th anniversary

of the Jazz in the NBA Finals from 1998.

Make sure Karl's there.

And . . . let's invite Michael Jordan.

Michael can recreate how he pushed off on B Russ!

And then . . . the tongue came out, 
and you knew it was all over!