SALT LAKE CITY - A commentator for ESPN said Wednesday that Salt Lake City is one of the toughest places for NBA teams to play because Utah Jazz fans are just frustrated Mormons who don't have much else to do.
The remarks were made by Ric Bucher on ESPN Radio Wednesday morning, which was broadcast locally by 1320 KFAN. Bucher was discussing the playoffs with Colin Cowherd when he opined about why the Jazz' home arena is so intimidating.
"It is the most intimidating place to play because of the configuration of the arena... and, let's be honest... they are Mormon," Bucher said.
The sports commentator went on to insinuate that fans in Salt Lake City let their frustration build because there isn't much to do in Utah -- and they let their aggression out at Jazz games.
"They are in Salt Lake, and there's nothing up there," he said. "You gotta smile and be happy all the time... and this is the one opportunity for people to get vicious in a fair arena. And the fans seem to take full advantage of it."
Commentators in the past have identified the Jazz' home arena as one of the loudest in the league. During the 1997 NBA championship between Utah and Chicago, the issue led NBC to measure the decibel level inside the then-Delta Center.
But never before has a correlation been so publicly drawn between the Jazz' home play and religion.
Bucher's comments ignited a firestorm of criticism from Jazz fans on Thursday. On an Internet Utah Jazz forum, people questioned whether religion has anything to do with the team's home success.
"The smaller the market, the more likely the team there is going to be worshipped," one poster wrote. "Do [Green Bay] Packer fans worship their team because they're Mormons too?"
"It would be cool if I ran into [Bucher] at a bar during the playoffs," wrote another Jazz fan. "I would show him how much I can cuss... and how not-Mormon I am."
Bucher has been with ESPN since 1999 and regularly contributes to the network's magazine and reports as an NBA correspondent.
