PORTAL L
SECTION 11
ROW 28
SEATS 1 & 2
I have been attending Jazz games since 1979!
38 years!!!
That was the year Sam Battistone
bought the New Orleans (2 months until I'm there) Jazz
and moved them to Salt Lake City, where they
became the Utah Jazz.
The Jazz played in the Salt Palace #2.
This photo is the original Salt Palace.
1899-1910.
Located on 900 South, between State Street and Main Street.
It burned down in 1910.
At one point, they tried to change the name of the Jazz,
Big Dawg, Antoine Carr
A few years ago, low ticket sales
Cierra Robinson
Derrick Favors
Chris & I went to the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 in 2010
Bear surprised my mom on her 80th birthday!
UVU Drumline
Gordon Hayward & Elijah Milsap
Jaycie
Jeremy Evans & Rudy Gobert
Olympians
Katie
Kyle Korver with 1st grader, Courtney
With Mehmet (Memo) Okur.
My name is on the wall in the season ticket lounge.
Memo
Preston
With the team
Trevor Booker & Jeff Withey
Gordon . . . before fancy hair
CJ was drafted, and played for 2 years with the
Los Angeles Clippers
1 year with Orlando Magic
CJ in the red shoes
My entire family would go to the games
when CJ was in town
Lily with her homemade sign,
Go CJ Go
This was in LA.
Kobe gave all the players a pair of his shoes
when he retired.
Many general authorities of the LDS Church were there,
including President Thomas S. Monson
(President Monson sat in John Huntsman Sr. suite
for about 80% of the games for years!)
The car that looked like his casket leaving the funeral.
Each one of his kids drove one of them to the cemetery.
This photo is the original Salt Palace.
1899-1910.
Located on 900 South, between State Street and Main Street.
It burned down in 1910.
Salt Palace #2
The second Salt Palace opened in 1969.
It was located at 100 West South Temple.
It was built as part of Salt Lake's bid for the 1972 and 1976
Winter Olympics.
It seated 12,616 in the arena.
I also attended UEA here for many years!
In high school, my band, American Fork High School,
participated in a competition here.
When the building first opened, my mom and dad
took Reid and I to the
Ringling Brothers & Barnum and Bailey Circus.
Our seats were $5 each.
That got us on row #2!
Smoking was not allowed in the arena,
but you could smoke in a roped off area by the
concession stands.
Just like on a plane, or in a restaurant,
I could never figure why they thought the
smoke would not spread!
At one point, they tried to change the name of the Jazz,
since there was no connection with Utah.
One that I remembered, was the Pioneers.
I'm glad they didn't change!
When the Jazz were doing poor financially
(we lost Dominique Wilkins in the draft for
cash, so payroll could be met),
Larry H. Miller, a local car dealer, stepped
in and purchased half of the Jazz. Then, he
bought out Sam Battistone. Larry and his wife, Gail,
were the owners until Larry passed away.
Gail was then the sole owner, until the ownership
was put into a "trust" until she passes away.
Her family will then become the "trustees."
For the games in the Salt Palace, I purchased
my tickets at ZCMI at the University Mall.
The Utah Stars
ABA (American Basketball Association)
basketball team, made Salt Lake it's home from 1970-1975.
Ron Boone, Zelmo "Big Z" Beatty, and Willie Wise
were the stars! The first year in Utah, we won the ABA Championship!
My family attended several games a year!
The Utah Jazz played in this building from 1979-1991.
Besides the circus, I saw a "Golden Eagles" hockey game,
Disney on Ice, Neil Diamond, Mannheim Steamroller,
and Barry Manilow.
The best thing I saw in this building was the
practice session for the 1993 NBA All-Star teams!
I saw the best of the best!
(I bought this shirt then, and still wear it! 24 years old!!!)
They also had huge displays to see, and fun activities!
My favorite was Shaq's shoe!
The all-star game, held at the newly constructed
Delta Center, was actually close . . . not like
today's all star games that approach 200 points!
The West won, 135-132.
Karl Malone & John Stockton were Co-MVPs.
As the Utah Jazz began winning, and became more popular,
it was apparent that a larger building needed to be constructed.
In 1991, the Delta Center opened on 300 South Temple.
In October, during UEA, I was staying with Renae & Robert's boy,
Jared, while they went out of town. The were having an
open house of the building. I took Jared & Chris (both 11),
McKay (5), and Heidi (3).
It was soooo cool! We even got to go into the locker room!
I was surprised that they had tall urinals, but that makes sense!
When we got to sit in the arena, the jumbotron was on the
floor, but working.
It zoomed in on Heidi, with the words,
Little Miss JumboTron.
In 1994, the Salt Palace was demolished.
It was replaced by the third, and current Salt Palace.
Calvin L. Rampton Salt Palace Convention Center.
The Delta Center capacity was 19,911.
The name existed from 1991-2006, and then was
changed to the Energy Solutions Arena.
The Energy Solutions Arena existed from 2006-2015.
The name briefly changed in 2002.
It was renamed the Salt Lake Ice Center for the
2002 Winter Olympics.
In 2015, another sponsor created another
new name change.
Vivint Smart Home Arena.
Besides Utah Jazz games, I have seen:
Dream Team exhibition game, 2010 NCAA Sweet 16 and Elite 8,
NBA Finals, Circus, Disney On Ice, Mannheim Steamroller,
Neil Diamond,Cher, Village People, Cindy Lauper,
Tina Turner, and Michael Bublé.
I also attended 3 education workshops that dealt
with the Utah Jazz, sponsored by the Deseret News
and lots of Season Ticket events!
Here are pictures of events from the
Delta Center/Energy Solutions Arena/Vivint Smart Home Arena
(random order)
Alec Burks
Big Dawg, Antoine Carr
A few years ago, low ticket sales
Cierra Robinson
Derrick Favors
Chris & I went to the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 in 2010
Bear surprised my mom on her 80th birthday!
UVU Drumline
Favorite picture:
John & Karl came for Jerry Sloan's retirement.
They both still had flip phones!
Gordon Hayward & Elijah Milsap
Jaycie
Jeremy Evans & Rudy Gobert
Olympians
Katie
With former student, Ashley Hamilton, whose brother, Jared,
played on Miami Heat (with LeBron James...ring), New Orleans Pelicans,
Minnesota Timberwolves, and currently the Brooklyn Nets.
He played high school ball at Lone Peak.
Justin with his 3rd grade teacher, Nancy.
With Mehmet (Memo) Okur.
My name is on the wall in the season ticket lounge.
Memo
Preston
Trevor Booker & Jeff Withey
Gordon . . . before fancy hair
Waiting for CJ after a game
Los Angeles Clippers
1 year with Orlando Magic
CJ in the red shoes
My entire family would go to the games
when CJ was in town
Lily with her homemade sign,
Go CJ Go
This was in LA.
Kobe gave all the players a pair of his shoes
when he retired.
And here's something that has only happened once
in this building.
The funeral of Jazz owner, Larry H. Miller.
The casket was painted by the body shop
of one of his dealerships.
Made to look like one of his cars.
Many general authorities of the LDS Church were there,
including President Thomas S. Monson
(President Monson sat in John Huntsman Sr. suite
for about 80% of the games for years!)
The car that looked like his casket leaving the funeral.
Each one of his kids drove one of them to the cemetery.
No matter what the event, or the name changes,
one thing remained constant:
The Green Seats
You could not hide them!
The arena is now getting an entire makeover!
I received an email that said we could buy these seats.
But, it would just be 2 seats, and not mine.
Pass.
I have given away tickets for
Christmas, birthdays, weddings, graduations, and just to go with me.
Here is a list of people that have either sat in these exact seats,
or with me when I was in the upper bowl.
Dixie Mitchell . . . Reid & Laurel Mitchell . . . Chris & Kim, Courtney,
Camry, Carter Mitchell . . . Camille & Mark, Shayla, Kenzie Thomas . . .
Ashley & Jon, Jaycie, Preston, Addie, Ryker Kelly . . . McKay & Lori,
Cole, Haley Mitchell . . . Heidi & Mike, Oakley Schmutz . . . Katie Mitchell . . .
CJ Wilcox . . . Robert & Renae,Jared Reese . . . Dale & Gina,
Ginay, Kai & Kim, Corley & Arica,
Jade, Cassie, Kallin, Korden Bagley . . . CaLea & Taylor Gunther . . .
Cathy & Brad Tibbitts . . . Carolyn Hutchings . . . Jane Boulter . . .
Don & Paige Beckstrand . . . Nancy & Karl, Nathan Pope . . .
Chad & Kandace Hyland . . . Natalie & Colton Taylor . . .
Heidi, Colby, Creighton Park . . . Annalea Warward . . . Ashley, Garett Vance . . .
Carson & Brittni Vance . . . Jill Hertig . . . Cheryl Dominguez . . .
Austin & Marianne Cowley . . . Condita Washburn . . .
Matt & Brooke Goff . . . BreAnn Wayman . . . Phil & Lori,
Hannah, Hayley Chadwick . . . Jody & Ken Kyburz . . . Paul & Cortney,
Liz, Gabi Finlayson . . . Adonna & Sam, Kilee Iverson . . .
Amanda & Tyson Hodges . . . Analee Wiser . . . Ann Searle . . .
Uncle Bruce Howard . . . Katherine Chatfield . . . Cierra & Neil Worlton . . .
Karen & Dale,Jonny & Kenzie Esplin . . . Kimmy & Bud Pope . . .
David & MichelleStephenson . . . Lisa & Russ Hoover . . .
Heath & Tammy Clark . . . Dora Helsing . . . Sue Potts . . . Alisha
Johnson Mitchell & husband
That's all I can remember . . . over almost 36 years.
The arena is now being remodeled.
The new seats are blue, and cushy.
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