Michael Jordan Over Jazz T-Shirts Don't Go Over Well In Utah, Who Woulda Thunk It
Fans in Utah grew outraged after spotting Jazz merchandise featuring Michael Jordan's "Jumpman" logo, from within their own team store. For comparison's sake, it was equivalent to losing your lady to a rival man and then praising him on your social media.
Heads were bound to roll in Utah for the "mishap."
Utah Fans Are *Not* Jazz'd - Proper or Over-Reaction?
It was a blasphemous move by the Jazz to think this MJ x Utah collab could sit well with fans.
Anyone who tuned into primetime basketball in the '90s remembers the Jazz-Bulls rivalry. The vendetta between MJ's Bulls and Stockton/Malone's Jazz teams was settled. Chicago and Jordan beat the Jazz in the Finals in back-to-back years ('97, '98), and Utah fans adopted generational misery in exchange.
Michael Jordan (L) of the Chicago Bulls goes to the basket past Shandon Anderson of the Utah Jazz 14 June during game six of the NBA Finals at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, UT. The Bulls lead the best-of-seven series 3-2. AFP PHOTO/Mike NELSON (Photo by MIKE NELSON / AFP) (Photo credit should read MIKE NELSON/AFP via Getty Images)
FILE: John Stockton of the Utah Jazz with the ball during a National Basketball Association game against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Matt A. Brown/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Jazz fans are still feeling the pain of those missed championships, so spotting the MJ-branded merch was cause for rage.
The Jazz responded by discontinuing the MJ shirt from their store, a Utah spokesperson told the New York Post.
The inclusion of the Jumpman logo seemed more in line with the Jordan brand than professing fandom for the Bulls player. It was still just-cause for the cancelation.
Would any Jazz fans buy this??
Time To Bring Back REAL Rivalries In Sports
Any reasonable fan could have blown a fuse if a rival player was spotted on their team's merchandise. The undying fervor of team pride should be upheld, especially in modern-day sports where players jersey-swap or host "rival" players for podcast appearances. It's nice to finally see some old-school vitriol toward a rival, which is in the ethos of fandom.
Imagine being a Patriots fan wearing a team shirt with Eli Manning's face or a UNC fan sporting Duke's logo. Jordan practically built a legacy on beating the Jazz alone, including his "Flu Game" in Game 5 of the 1997 Finals against Utah.
As much as 'cancel culture' has a bad connotation, in sports, it's fair game to boo something or someone into changing, especially if it sucks.
Were Jazz fans right to protest the MJ shirt? What are the best sports rivalries in history? Send us your thoughts via email: alejandro.avila@outkick.com.