ESPN's Bucher Credits Jazz Home Court Advantage to Mormonism, Repressed Anger

Via Sports Media Watch, the Deseret News reports ESPN's Ric Bucherz made some touchy comments on Colin Cowherd's ESPN radio show about why the Utah Jazz have such a strong home court advantage. Apparently, we should credit the Church of Latter Day Saints.

"Let's be honest. They're Mormon. And they're in Salt Lake. And there's nothing else there," he said. "You've got to smile and be happy all the time. This might be one opportunity for fans to get vicious."

So instead of drinking and gambling, like the rest of us rube pagans, Jazz fans focus their esprit mal on yelling insults at Warriors or goading Ron Artest into an ejection? Even if it weren't uncomfortable in its plain bigotry (with the turn of phrase "let's be honest" a nice indicator of coming insensitivity), it's plain bad logic. News columnist Scott D. Pierce places the expected perspective on it.

If Bucher had been talking about the Knicks and said, "They're Jews and they're in New York City"; if Bucher had said, "They're African-Americans and they're in Memphis," he would have been suspended if not fired by now.

SMW does note Bucher isn't on the docket for any upcoming playoff games on ABC or ESPN ... not even the Lakers' home game. (Michelle Tafoya got the call.) Whether it's a suspension or not, we'll never know, because ESPN will never tell us. ESPN PR says Bucher was not scheduled this weekend before the incident occurred.

UPDATE: ESPN VP of Public Relations Josh Krulewitz sends along this statement: "We spoke to Ric and he understands that his comments were inappropriate. This type of religious generalization has no place on our outlets and we apologize." Bucher's own apology is after the jump.

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BEIJING - APRIL 04: BEIJING - April 04: NBA Star Yao Ming answers a question about Olympics and his leg injury during a news conference on April 4, 2008 in Beijing, China. Yao Ming will try the therapeutic method of Chinese medicine for his leg injury after coming back to China yesterday. (Photo by Feng Li/Getty Images)

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Bucher's statement:

"I apologize for my remarks. I knew immediately that I had made an inappropriate connection between Mormons and the harsh reception that opposing teams sometimes experience inside EnergySolutions Arena. I regret making that connection and apologize to anyone of the Mormon faith for having done so. The point I was trying to make is that the manner in which some Jazz fans get on visiting teams is counter to the general friendliness that the people of Salt Lake City are known for and have exhibited to me. I tried to revise my remarks later in the broadcast and remove any connection between that behavior and the Mormon faith, but I clearly did not go far enough. I hope that this apology will do that and that all citizens of Salt Lake City will find it in their hearts to welcome me as hospitably as they have in the past."