Is there a sports fan out there who doesn't dream of being a columnist? Get paid a buttload of money just to do what you would do for free — watch sports. Then, get paid more to be a blowhard! Another service most sports fans provide gratis.

Speaking of, The Salt Lake Tribune received a curious letter this week meant for DNews lifer columnist Lee Benson. An owner at the Skybox Sports Grille apparently thinks Benson works for the Tribune. And — Hello! — a $50 gift card fell out of the envelope.

Calling on my investigative skills (and violating everything sacred), I read the letter:

Dear Lee,

It's been about a year since you wrote a complimentary article about the SkyBox Sports Grille and basketball fever in Salt Lake City and particularly at the Gateway.

We did appreciate the article you wrote and want to invite you back to check out the atmosphere a year later during the NBA Playoffs. We do not expect another article to appear in The Tribune but hope your experience matches favorably with last year's experience. ...

Huh? I pulled up Benson's complimentary column from May 17, 2007, titled: "Jazz, burgers sizzling at the Sky Box."

... Granted, the Sky Box is not EnergySolutions Arena, although you can see -- and hear -- the home of the Jazz, since it's right across the street.

With 70 TVs hanging from the beams and in the bathrooms it's the next best thing to being there. Plus there's instant replay.

A lot of Jazz fans have figured this out, much to the delight of Tiffany Price, the Sky Box's manager, who sums up the prevailing playoff mood in five words:

"This has been like insane."

Insane in a good way.

Benson tells me that the owners of the SkyBox (who for some reason never launched a "SkyBox: Insane in a Good Way" ad campaign) are probably hoping he'll repeat last year's performance. As for the$50 in swag: "Our ethics policy is strict and doesn't allow soliciting or taking gifts of that nature."

My favorite part of Benson's ode to a sports bar is that he never mentions the words, "beer" or "alcohol" or "bar."