KAYSVILLE, Utah — Earl “Bud” Martin from Kaysville might possibly own the largest Utah Jazz banner in all of Utah.
But it’s not just because Martin, 88, is a die-hard fan — he was actually involved in the construction of the franchise’s home.
“I was the purchasing agent for buying all the steel before it was even called the Delta Center,” Martin said. “So they put up the last beam, then they took down the banner and they folded it up. That Monday morning, I come to work and it's sitting on my desk.
“I asked the secretary, 'Where'd this come from?' She says, 'I don't know.' So it actually belonged to Larry Miller, you know, who was the owner of the Jazz... I'd had some work done with him.”
The banner that reads "Get Jazz'd" is big — 30 feet long and 12 feet high — and it signified that the new arena was the home of the Utah Jazz.
Martin placed the banner outside his home, especially in the 90s when the Jazz made several appearances in the conference finals.
“I don’t miss putting it up but I miss how many people stopped by to look at it,” said Martin.
When I visited him Tuesday, I was hoping to see it outside his house, but unfortunately, it wasn’t there. So I asked when it was last hanging outside his house.
“I would say it was in it was in the mid or late 90s,” Martin said. "That's the last time the Jazz did really good. You know, made it to the finals. And of course, they got beat by the Chicago Bulls, and I was so disgusted. I folded it up, carried it upstairs in the barn.”
Hopeful, Martin put it up again in 2007 when they played the Jazz played the Spurs in the Western Conference finals. They lost, and back to the barn it went.
But I was eager to see this original sign, so Martin let me throw it from the top of the barn to the ground. I rolled it out for him. It was quite dusty but it was worth it as Martin’s face lit up. He hadn’t seen it in over 20 years.
“It brings a tear to my eye,” Martin said as he looked at the large banner.
Martin says he has no interest in selling it. However, he did say he would give it to the Utah Jazz today if they’d take it.
