Meet
King for a day
Posted by: Ben Hoeksel on August 23rd, 2010
The author's views are entirely his or her own and may not reflect the views of the Utah Jazz.
Question to all of my fellow Jazz fans: have you ever sat on either: the front row, in a suite, the Lexus Club, or at the very top where they serve dinner? For those of us lucky enough to have done so, we all remember the exact game.
My pops is in the car business. One day when I was about 14, a guy came into their dealership and purchased a new Jeep Grand Cherokee. He had enjoyed doing business with my dad, and consequently said to him, “You know, I think I’m going to be busy driving this around tonight, would you be interested in my Jazz tickets for the game tonight, since my wife and I won’t be able to go?” Of course, my dad says yes. Being the guy that he is, he turns around and gives them to my older bro and me to go to the game. I don’t remember at what point I realized this, but they were front row seats. First (and only to this point) time ever I’ve been able to sit there. I remember walking down the stairs at the Delta Center. Understandably, the security guy stopped me and my 16 year old brother dead in our tracks when we were about halfway down the lower bowl. We showed them our tix, gave them a grin, and continued our happy walk down the stairs to the first row. I touched a basketball twice throughout the process. Once, one of the Sacramento Kings had a ball clang off the rim during warm-ups, and it bounced over to me. Pretty sweet. Even better, during a timeout in the 3rd, an official walked up to me, handed me the game ball and asked me to “warm it up for him” during the timeout. Like a starstruck dork, I rubbed the ball over and over in every direction trying to ensure the ball was nice and warm for Stock on the ensuing play.
I’ve sat in the suites 4 times. Those are awesome by themselves. The two big pros to the suites: food, and the restroom. It’s pretty weird to be in the fridge and grabbing a Dr. Pepper and turning around to 20+ thousand people. 3 of the 4 times were terrific. One of the times left a bitter taste in my mouth where half of the group at the game had the tv in the suite on watching American Idol or something. Not cool guys. Not cool. Each of those times were for business. Going to the suites on business is an interesting ordeal for a big Jazz fan, if any of you have ventured there. Do you go ahead and throw on your AK-47 jersey and your goofy dirty Jazz ball-cap, when you’re really there to impress clients? This was a difficult line for me to walk. Early on, it was clear I would not be able to temper my emotion during the game. I’d still stand and go nuts during player intros, I’d still scream at Dick Bavetta, etc. What was the biggest challenge really was making sure I was actually conversing with the other people in the suite instead of just watching the game.
I’ve never sat in the Lexus Club. I hear that’s pretty sweet. Unfortunately, I don’t think you can luck into tickets to the Lexus Club like I have for the suites or the first row.
Despite all of that, none of those qualified as my favorite Jazz game ever that I went to. Although the front row was a close second, none can beat February 3rd, 1992. I was there for Jr. Jazz, baby. Top of the top rows. (With apologies to the long time readers who’ve heard me talk about this game before) The game? Utah Jazz vs. Chicago Bulls. Triple OT. Jordan? Ejected for shoving the ref. Final Score? 126-123. Jeff Malone ices the game with 3 free throws in the third extra period.
I guess this just goes to show that it doesn’t take much money or the best seats to have a heck of a Jazz experience. That gives me hope. Because my poor 3 year old son is going to be stuck on the top row with me for a loooong time.
Replies: 13
Views: 1405
13 Responses
This is a great story Ben, the closest I have ever been is the middle of the lower bowl and I thought those were great seats. I am interested in how the Suite seats are, it seems like they are pretty far away from the action for how expensive they are. I too was at that Jordan game a few rows closer than you, but not many, and it was amazing, I screamed so loud I did not have a voice the next day. Definately in my top five games, up there with the game where Stockton broke the assist record, where Malone scored 60+ points and the play-off game when Fisher arrived later in the game, right off the plane. Another thing I have always wondered about is how parents can afford to take three or four little kids to a game and sit in the first 10-15 rows of the arena. What do these people do for a living?
My parents were at that exact Bulls game as you! Except somehow they had seats in a suite, the lucky bastages. Of course, I was 12 at the time…
As for me, I usually enjoy the game from the nosebleeds, but I’ve been in a suite twice.
No, I have not done any of those. If I go through life never having done that, I won’t feel too bad. Yeah, it would cool, but I am content with the upper bowl tickets I get. It’s still fun. They’re much cheaper, anyways. I remember having one heck of a Jazz experience when I was at the game where we beat the Spurs for the first time in several years by a game winning put in by Memo I believe. Just like you said, I think that was just as enjoyable in the upper bowl as it would’ve been down in the lower bowl When I become rich and famous I might consider buying an expensive ticket like that. But it would be for a lower bowl or front row seat. I would enjoy that. If I want to have dinner while I watch the Jazz game as well as an available restroom, I think I will just chill at home.
Ben, you asked for my twitter tag in the last blog you did. Did you ever read my response to that?
I have never sat front row. I am very jealous. My sister’s HS boyfriend’s dad belonged to the 100 club. He had seats in the front row, just one seat away from LHM. She was able to go to a few games. I hated it because she didn’t even care about the Jazz or going to the game. I had to tell her who they were playing, who was on the team etc.
she came home once and couldn’t even remember who the Jazz played! She now gets seats to the Miami Heat through her husband’s work (nice seats in the lower bowl). She never even remember dwayne wade’s name. Its just wrong!
I sat in a suite once. It was a lots of fun. My friend got tickets through work so we had a girls night out. She is one of my few friends who is a girl who loves the Jazz like I do. Unfortunately she moved to Chicago. I teased her that now she has half the Jazz on the Bulls. So she can go to the Bulls game and pretend its the Jazz. (she hates the bulls for obvious reasons )
Great topic Ben. I’ve attended a few games in the suites, mostly when my father also got tickets from work. One memorable game was versus Dallas. In the suite next to us was President Monson. It was pretty entertaining to watch him throughout the game (I do remember that he ate Golden Spoon yogurt!).
About six years ago, I was one of the Deseret News Cover the Jazz writing contests,winning a suite for my family. That was a blast…except we lost to the Celts!
The closest seats I have ever had where on the 10th row right at mid court, my seat was on one side of the line the wife’s was on the other, we could hear every explicit from Sloan’s mouth, LOL, great seats, but the most memorable was in the playoffs, I think it was 97 or 98 I took my Dad to the Lakers game, We had the very top row and Blew them out. It’s not always where you sit; it’s the game or even the person that you attend the game with.
This is the first year I have had season tickets (Big Thanks to the Wife!!!) and I am really excited for the season to start, not for just the Jazz but to spend a couple nights a week OUT with the wife. We went to all the playoff games and it was a blast.
I have done them, but alas not here in SLC.
My uncle owns several night clubs in Sacramento. He has a private sweet at ARCO and reserve lists for floor seats for big names that come to his clubs.
I have been to several Jazz games there in the box and on the floor. I got to go to two games in a Jazz-Kings playoff series when I was a kid. One on the Floor and one in the box. Chris Webber signed my rookie card after another game I went to against the Bulls.
I remember that triple Ot game against the Bulls. I was really young and had to go to bed because of school. My dad came and woke me up to tell me the Jazz had won.
I’ve been to the suite 3 times-against Phoenix this year when we came back from 17 down to win, against New York, and in the playoffs, game four against the Lakers. Defintley amazing, just to be in the suite. The people there were all business people, but I wasn’t on business, so I screamed and cheered so loud I got looks from everyone in the suite. But who cares? And I used to have about 7 games a year center court row 11 in the lower bowl until my Dad got a new job. I loved watching Stockton play there-amazing.
Great idea for a post! The closest I’ve been is the second row and I’ll never forget it. I was only about 8 or so but it was still awesome. We got to have the VIP dinner prior to the game, got free concessions like nachos, popcorn, and soda, and I got to see how gigantic the players really were. I don’t remember the year but the game was against the Blazers.
I’ve also been in the suites one time. The food was delicious and the fact you could have all the drinks you wanted was awesome. It wasn’t the best of games (vs. Golden State) but it was still an awesome time. Other than that, my dad used to buy a 10 – 11 game package on the 10th row every year so I was always pretty close. Last year was the first time I had to buy my own ticket plan in the upper bowl and consequently suffered from altitude sickness the first game I attended.
To be honest though, I actually grew to like the upper bowl seats better than the lower bowl. We had a better view of the floor and the crowd is a lot more rowdy up there. One thing I can say for sure though: whether you’re in the lower bowl, upper bowl, or in the suites nothing beats being at a game in person.
If any of you remember Greg Miller sent out a Tweet this last season before the Jazz Grizzlies game saying something like who ever meets me first to the end of the jazz bench gets a front row seat. Well luckily i was one of his first followers and got the seat. We walked all the way along the baseline and the sideline to his seats where the Millers sit. I sat next to Greg and his son the whole game. It was while we were on like a 3 game losing steak so he asked me if i was one of those people who tweeted him telling him to trade the whole team away (which i wasn’t). But it was really cool to here the inside scoop from the guy who runs the team. We went into the Lexus club during half time and sat with Greg his wife and Gail.
The game is so crazy from down there. It’s totally diffrent
It was one of the coolest experiences any Jazz fan could imagine. Front row sitting next to Greg!
Alex,
That is a really great experience for you, something most Jazz fans could only dream about, thanks for sharing.
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