Sunday: A day of rest or a day of Jazz?

/ sgodfrey630

With about two weeks left in the regular season, the Utah Jazz sent me an email. Bought regular season tickets? Well we love you, it basically said. And as an expression of love, here is a promo code to get first dibs on home playoff games.

The dates weren’t announced yet, since the Jazz and the Clippers went to the finish line to determine home court, but I bought a pair to both games (on the highest row of the upper bowl, thank you very much!). My rationale was that I’d bring my wife to one game and my old man to the other.

On the Wednesday, after the regular season finale, the schedule was released. My tickets were updated:

  • Home Game #1: April 21; Friday night at 8 PM.
  • Home Game #2: April 23; Sunday at 7 PM

Sunday? I was frustrated. I was bummed. And I listed my tickets on KSL Classifieds immediately, without much thought. As I did so, I browsed the section and saw dozens of posts similar to mine, all posted within the same time frame. A few days went by and I hadn’t received a single inquiry. My KSL stats said 150 people viewed my listing, but why indulge on a ticket when:

  • a) there were dozens (and lots better seats) in the classified section and
  • b) the Jazz were still selling the same game tickets.

A buddy texted me that he was bummed it was a Sunday game. We’d still watch, of course, but attend? And if we’d watch, well, then what was the difference? Did it really matter?

There is no right answer for the Communion Conundrum. The league, TV, and schedule demands need these Sunday games and the Jazz will easily find 19,911 souls who will make the game rowdy and raucous (and in case you were curious, it took a few days but it was fairly easy to sell my tickets). As I put a poll out on Twitter, 59 people responded and only one said they had sold their tickets and probably wouldn’t watch it either because it was on Sunday.  Many went the other direction and said that it didn’t matter to them; it was just another day, just another game, the day of the week determined little.

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Obviously my religion is showing at this point, but an original commandment from on high was to remember the Sabbath day and to keep it holy. For many, Sunday is a day for church, rest. Can attending a playoff game fall into that category?  Well, no, but doesn’t the Lord love basketball, as demonstrated by basketball courts inside most of the LDS chapels in Utah?

*******************

In his autobiography, Driven, Larry H. Miller, the man we all love dearly, points out that he missed MJ’s game winner in 1998 because it was a Sunday, and has missed many others too.

Think about that. The team’s owner, who went all-in twice to save the Jazz financially, the fan who was visible passionate and vocal, one of the very faces of the franchise was not in attendance for arguable the biggest game in franchise history. Picture Mark Cuban, or even fanatic Clipper’s owner Steve Ballmer, missing a Game 7 or an elimination game. As MJ rises up (pushes off?) he may have looked over and seen Section 17, Row A, Seat 20: empty.

Miller said, “The reason I missed those games is because they were played on Sunday, and, for religious reasons, I don’t attend games on Sunday.” He added, “It’s a personal decision, and my decision-though certainly not an easy one-to not attend games on Sunday.”

Miller would instead go for long drives with his wife Gail, maybe listening to the last few minutes of the game on the radio. He thought it was his duty to set an example, but that “even if no one noticed, I would choose to miss the Sunday games anyway. It just feels like the right thing to do.”

Miller was raised in a LDS home, but his parents became disinterested while he was a teenager.  One day they simply announced they would no longer attend church, but they would support their kids if they chose to remain active. Miller kept the faith throughout high school but soon remained just active enough as a young adult to be eligible to play on the church softball teams. As his friends started serving LDS missions, he focused on work and raising his family instead. Soon, he abandoned church all together and was labeled, “inactive.” One day, little five-year-old Greg asked, “Where does God live?” which sparked the re-conversion choo-choo train. Over the years, other experiences happened (like washing dishes at a ward dinner for eight hours) but he had some experiences and feelings that slowly prompted and slowly led him getting back into the church. Along the way, he had realized the importance of giving Sunday to God, as he loved playing softball and those games were often on Sunday.

During one interview with a leader, the Bishop asked if he could come to church. When Larry responded about softball, the Bishop asked, “would you give me 35 Sundays?” Reflecting on this experience, Miller was ashamed it had turned into a “negotiation.”

Once he made Sundays a priority, he didn’t want to give in or justify any longer. Not only would he not attend the games, he would try his best to not watch or listen either. Sometimes, in close games or big games like MJ’s shot, he would give in for a few minutes at the end of check the score periodically. Regarding Sundays, he said “I’m not trying to be holier than thou. I’ve got plenty of faults. But the radio … TV, we’re talking shades of gray. It would be hard for me to compromise it.”

Miller mentions the NBA did their best to respect his Sunday desires and scheduled the Jazz as little as possible on the Lord’s day. Come playoff time, Miller acknowledged that’s harder to do, and inevitable with TV schedules, it happens. But for fifteen years he skipped Sunday games which means if he were here, he wouldn’t be there (which makes me wonder if Gail or Greg will be there this upcoming Sunday).

It’s the house that Larry built, but he wouldn’t be there on a Sunday.

*******************

As I pondered this topic, a few things were helpful. One was the book, Driven, by Larry H. Miller. If you haven’t read it, it’s worth it. Quotes and information are from the chapters, “Tithing and Reactivation” and “Never on a Sunday.” I also found an article on ESPN from May of 2008, when the Jazz faced the Los Angeles Lakers in the playoffs on a Sunday. Writer Gene Wojciechowski went for a drive with Larry instead of attending the game. It’s a nice commentary on the situation and can be found here.

 

Leave a comment