As it turns out, the fans actually do matter.
At least if you ask Cleveland Indians pitcher Chris Perez.
Perez sounded off last weekend when he complained to the media that fans weren't coming to see first-place Cleveland in large enough numbers. He called the team's average of 15,188 a slap in the face."
Interesting. I've always considered it mostly disingenuous maintenance talk when players praised their fans. I figured players would compete in an empty gym in Greenland if the money was good enough. Fans were a peripheral matter. During this year's playoffs, Jazz forward Josh Howard said the fan support in Utah was a major reason he signed a contract to play here. Al Jefferson has often cited fan support as a major incentive.
Now comes word from at least one major leaguer who truly believes fan support is a huge factor in choosing where to play.
"Nobody wants to play in front of 5,000 fans," Perez said. "We know the weather stinks, but people see that (low attendance). Other players know that.
"You had a choice of playing in St. Louis where you get 40,000 like (Carlos) Beltran chose to do, or you can come to Cleveland."
Wow. Harsh.
Which brings us to the Jazz and their fans. Utah is often mentioned among the consistently supportive crowds in the NBA, in both numbers and noise. In 2011-12, the Jazz's 19,306 home attendance average was sixth-best in the league, ahead of such glamorous teams as the Lakers and Clippers. That was 97 percent of capacity, which was 12th-best in the league, right behind the Spurs.
At any rate, if baseball's Perez is correct in saying that attendance and support are major factors, that increases the Jazz's odds of signing top free agents.
Maybe if fans yell hard enough, Chris Paul will get here after all.