SALT LAKE CITY — You could eat off the floors at newly renovated Vivint Arena — which to me seems fair. I wouldn’t hesitate to invoke the “five-second rule” and pick up food, if it’s hand-tossed pizza from Maxwell’s or the Dragonslayer from Cubby’s.
Fortunately, the revamped building has ample table space, as well as plenty of food options.
The Jazz hosted the Sydney Kings on Monday in the first sporting event since the building’s upgrade. It’s an impressive place. Cushioned midnight-blue seats rise as far as the eye can see. The place is as sparkling as a model home, complete with surround sound.
But will that be enough to pack ‘em in?
You can’t tell from a 108-83 preseason win. Especially one that includes a team from Down Under — and we’re not talking about San Antonio. But Rudy Gobert and Ricky Rubio are enough to bring cheers, which they did. Derrick Favors and Rodney Hood are enough to make fans hopeful. However, the lack of a clear go-to offensive player is still enough to make Jazz fans antsy.
The first take on the 2017-18 Utah Jazz: Nice house. But it will take a playoff team to keep the ticket holders coming.
As for a go-to scorer, Hood is the early candidate, having scored 18 points on 7-for-10 shooting.
In an emotional ribbon-cutting last week, team owner Gail Miller got emotional. She has always maintained the team is a community gift, not an investment. That’s the way she and the late Larry H. Miller always viewed it.
The improvements haven’t come without cost to both the Millers and the fans. The construction tab was $125 million — $30 million more than the building’s original price. Costs always go up, including ticket prices. I have a friend who has been buying season tickets since the Jazz’s first game in Utah in 1979. Through the years he kept his seats, absorbing the rising costs. But when the sales people called last spring to pitch this year’s renewal package, the expense was so steep he told them, “That’s it. I’m out.”
Gone, a victim of supply and demand.
That partially explains why my seat on Monday was approximately one city block away from the playing court. I’m not complaining. I have never paid to cover a Jazz game. It’s a courtesy all professional teams provide the media. In turn, the media can’t be choosy. So it came as no surprise to me that my seat for the Jazz’s exhibition opener was far from my original Delta Center seat. In 1991 I sat midcourt, front row. Later I was moved to midcourt, second row. Then midcourt, third row. Then above the tunnel, second row.
Now I’m just left of the Nauvoo Bell on Temple Square.
Still, the view is unobstructed.
I like to think of it as the bridge of the Enterprise.
As for evaluating the Jazz, there’s not much to say. They trotted out all the right people for the start (Gobert, Hood, Rubio, Favors and Joe Ingles). Five of the Jazz’s first six shots went in for a 12-2 lead. And everyone played, 16 total.
“I told our guys depth is going to be a strength,” coach Quin Snyder said.
At times, they were even entertaining. Rubio threw a perfect lob to Gobert for a dunk. Later Rubio whipped a perfect wraparound pass to Gobert, who pivoted and slammed. Ingles and Hood lobbed to Gobert for slams, too.
Looks like the Jazz’s best play has already been decided.
The Jazz rolled out to a 24-9 lead but by halftime the Kings had pulled to within nine.
“The game could have gone either way,” Snyder said.
Not in this hemisphere.
Predictably, the arena was less than half full. That’s normal for a preseason game. They were playing Australia. All that country’s good players are already on the Jazz, right?
By night’s end, things had gone as expected. For a first night, the Jazz were involved enough. But clearly they are in a different league than the Sydney Kings. Meanwhile, the arena is in a different league than it was. But as nice as it is, it will take work to keep all those deep blue seats filled. People aren’t coming out to see a bottom-feeder.
With great surroundings come great expectations.