Great story about Butch Huskey. I was a Jazz fan when they were stinking up New Orleans and have never wavered in supporting them, so I know how your son feels about caring for someone (or in my case, some team) that is a winner in our hearts, regardless of the attention they do or don't get.

I treasure my Pistol Pete Maravich basketball card from their expansion year birth, and the tired, dirty, nasty Jazz cap that Thurl Bailey (a heckuva nice guy too) signed on a cold, wet night after a Jazz-Hawks game in 1990 in Atlanta (of course the Jazz lost that one, just for me!). Best wishes to you and your family this holiday.

Patrick B. Harris III

----------------------------

Steve Wulf replies:

Usually I would just write, Nice note, thank you and happy holidays. But your mention of Thurl Bailey got to me. Years ago I did a story on Chuck Nevitt, the hugely nice 7'5" center for the Rockets (at the time), and they were playing the Jazz, so I went to talk to Thurl, who played with Chuck at N.C. State. I was totally blown away not only by his courtesy, but his intelligence, his voice, his presence. Thurl may not have been a big star, but he had as much charisma as any athlete I've ever met. Now I can say it: What a nice note. Thank you and happy holidays, Wulf

Steve Wulf is executive editor of ESPN The Magazine. E-mail him at steve.wulf@espnmag.com.