Just briefly here, kudos to Kevin by beating RealGM on the Blazers-come-to-practice-early story. Theirs can be seen here. No offense, RealGM, but I think you've got some serious competition.
Speaking of breaking news, I don't know if you'll be seeing me beat any established basketball websites with news. I always seem to be a bit behind, especially nowadays. It's mainly because of my busy schedule, but I seem to completely miss relevant stories every now and again on news outlets. Just the other day, I was working all day and didn't get a chance to check cnn.com until later that evening. The headlining story was about some fire that broke out in the midwest or something, and then I start to read the side stories, and one of them mentioned that Alberto Gonzalez stepped down as Attorney General.
SIDE NOTE: I try to stay away from politics when I'm writing about sports, but sometimes I just can't help it. In this case, when I heard about this, I would have ripped off my shirt and made a huge Tiger Woods Fist Pump if I weren't surrounded by professional-types that expect a modicum of self-restraint on the job.
So anyways, all that I could find was the reaction to the Gonzalez story. The Gonzalez story itself was long gone from the main page, and it had only been like seven hours since the story first broke. But it was odd because nobody had told me about it during the course of the day. I'm sure many people had heard about it; it wasn't exactly unexpected, but it was still big news. They just didn't think of it as important enough to gossip about at work. Surely not as important as the Anna Nicole Smith death, which I knew of exactly two seconds after it happened, by way of a devout Muslim, of all people. (sigh)
Maybe we'll be able to beat RealGM, but CNN might be tough at this point. At least until we get a secretary who will bring us coffee and sort our mail.
TJH
30 August 2007
29 August 2007
The Chronicles of Darius Miles
We'll be continuing our player breakdowns as the summer weeks roll along here at Rip City Forever, but right now I'd like to something that is fast becoming one of the most intriguing subplots of the upcoming NBA season.
Charles Oakley wants to come back.
Wait, never mind - no one cares about that. He's 43. His last effective year was 1998. He has even less of a chance than Allan Houston. He has less of a chance than George Gervin. These guys just want attention, and so because of that I think we should just completely ignore them when they talk about coming back. At any rate, that's what I'm gonna do.
So, on to something more pressing. Let's talk about the Darius Miles situation. First of all, notice how it's not "Darius Miles" anymore; it's "The Darius Miles Situation". I seem to have a different take on the Darius Miles situation than most other Trail Blazers supporters, in that I don't completely hate his guts.
I was glad to see him come to Portland, and even happier when he finished out the end of the 2004 season red hot. I wanted to re-sign him and was glad we did, although it was for too much money. Since then, he has been riddled with injuries and has become a lightning rod for criticism of the Blazers and everything that was wrong with our franchise. But was the criticism valid?
I see four main things that contribute to Miles' terrible reputation around these parts:
The Maurice Cheeks Incident. During a film session, Miles started yelling at Cheeks, cursing him out in front of the team and openly (and correctly) stating that Cheeks would be gone by the end of the year. Now, keep in mind that Maurice Cheeks had a sterling reputation in Portland at this time. No, not for being a decent basketball coach, because he surely was not. I'm trying to think of a good name to call him... I think "blockhead" is sufficient. No, he had a good rep for being a nice guy. Sure, he was arguably the worst coach in our history, but did you see him help out that little girl who forgot the words to the national anthem? See, that's the stuff that really matter to certain sportswriters and media bigwigs, stupid human interest stories, and so it got played up and got national attention.
But can you really get on Miles' case for this? The way I see it, he was frustrated at how the team was playing, and he was frustrated at how his coach seemed oblivious to their fast downward spiral. He acted out, and maybe he shouldn't have, because he's a professional or whatever, but at least he actually cared. He cared enough to be frustrated at the team's mediocrity, and he cared enough to embarrass himself in a situation that was surrounded by a notoriously fickle media.
The Fine and Suspension. After the bust-up with Cheeks, the team fined him, and it was later discovered that the team had attempted to return the fine money to him in secret. Much of the bad press was given to Miles, when all of it should have gone towards John Nash and Steve Patterson, two dolts who couldn't have run a lemonade stand efficiently, much less a professional basketball team. If Miles was offered the money back, so what if he agreed to take it? That's like getting a "Bank Error in Your Favor" card in Monopoly. You just take the card, think to yourself "Alright!", and just take the money from the bank.
The Contract. Again, this wasn't anything to blame Miles for. This contract might have been the first one in NBA history where the player actually admitted to the media that it was "much more" than he was expecting. Yes, it was a bad contract, but it was probably the most logical at the time out of the big three contracts given out at this time: Miles, Randolph, and Ratliff. Think about it: Miles played superb in the season leading up to the new contract. He was young, he was a fan favorite, and he was so excited to play in Portland he would wear an old Drexler jersey around town. Meanwhile, Ratliff was extended by five years for almost $60 million when everyone knew he had terrible knees and was too old, and Randolph was a nutjob who couldn't play defense, jump, or pass, and he was handed a near-max deal. That's really something, for John Nash to sign Darius Miles to a $48 million dollar contract and only have it be the third worst contract given out in a year's time. You can't just be that bad at your job on accident; you have to really try.
The Interview. Read most of it here. I can't defend Darius here, because he does actually appear insane here, but I just can't help but being in awe of the sheer audacity of complaining about not having a bobble-head doll made of yourself in an interview with a leading newspaper that everybody reads. I don't know, maybe it's the sensationalist in me.
And maybe it's that same part of me that wants to see him come back. But by all accounts, his teammates like him and he wants to come back and play for us, and he's been working out at the practice facility non-stop this summer. Plus, we all know how good he can be when he actually tries and ignores his feelings of being disrespected and vilified, slights which he undeniably has suffered. Everybody I talk to want Darius gone, and they talk about him like he's a criminal who's corrupting the young guys on the team, but if you compare Miles to Zach Randolph, who only just recently got shipped out, Miles looks like a saint. Randolph has had many incidents with the law, ranging from dogfighting to drugs to alleged rape. Darius likes going to strip clubs, but Zach liked them so much that he went to a strip club when he was on bereavement leave from the team, and then skipped out on the bill. And as far as play on the basketball court - the real issue here - Randolph was constantly out of shape and was a terrible teammate.
There are three possibilities that exist now, seeing as we know he will not be retiring anytime soon:
1. Darius will be kept on the bench and not given a chance to play.
2. Darius will come back, get to play, and shipped off the minute we get any kind of offer.
3. Darius will come back, play well, and provide veteran leadership in a solid reserve role.
If you're not hoping for #3, I think it's time to stop living in the past.
TJH
Charles Oakley wants to come back.
Wait, never mind - no one cares about that. He's 43. His last effective year was 1998. He has even less of a chance than Allan Houston. He has less of a chance than George Gervin. These guys just want attention, and so because of that I think we should just completely ignore them when they talk about coming back. At any rate, that's what I'm gonna do.
So, on to something more pressing. Let's talk about the Darius Miles situation. First of all, notice how it's not "Darius Miles" anymore; it's "The Darius Miles Situation". I seem to have a different take on the Darius Miles situation than most other Trail Blazers supporters, in that I don't completely hate his guts.
I was glad to see him come to Portland, and even happier when he finished out the end of the 2004 season red hot. I wanted to re-sign him and was glad we did, although it was for too much money. Since then, he has been riddled with injuries and has become a lightning rod for criticism of the Blazers and everything that was wrong with our franchise. But was the criticism valid?I see four main things that contribute to Miles' terrible reputation around these parts:
The Maurice Cheeks Incident. During a film session, Miles started yelling at Cheeks, cursing him out in front of the team and openly (and correctly) stating that Cheeks would be gone by the end of the year. Now, keep in mind that Maurice Cheeks had a sterling reputation in Portland at this time. No, not for being a decent basketball coach, because he surely was not. I'm trying to think of a good name to call him... I think "blockhead" is sufficient. No, he had a good rep for being a nice guy. Sure, he was arguably the worst coach in our history, but did you see him help out that little girl who forgot the words to the national anthem? See, that's the stuff that really matter to certain sportswriters and media bigwigs, stupid human interest stories, and so it got played up and got national attention.
But can you really get on Miles' case for this? The way I see it, he was frustrated at how the team was playing, and he was frustrated at how his coach seemed oblivious to their fast downward spiral. He acted out, and maybe he shouldn't have, because he's a professional or whatever, but at least he actually cared. He cared enough to be frustrated at the team's mediocrity, and he cared enough to embarrass himself in a situation that was surrounded by a notoriously fickle media.The Fine and Suspension. After the bust-up with Cheeks, the team fined him, and it was later discovered that the team had attempted to return the fine money to him in secret. Much of the bad press was given to Miles, when all of it should have gone towards John Nash and Steve Patterson, two dolts who couldn't have run a lemonade stand efficiently, much less a professional basketball team. If Miles was offered the money back, so what if he agreed to take it? That's like getting a "Bank Error in Your Favor" card in Monopoly. You just take the card, think to yourself "Alright!", and just take the money from the bank.
The Contract. Again, this wasn't anything to blame Miles for. This contract might have been the first one in NBA history where the player actually admitted to the media that it was "much more" than he was expecting. Yes, it was a bad contract, but it was probably the most logical at the time out of the big three contracts given out at this time: Miles, Randolph, and Ratliff. Think about it: Miles played superb in the season leading up to the new contract. He was young, he was a fan favorite, and he was so excited to play in Portland he would wear an old Drexler jersey around town. Meanwhile, Ratliff was extended by five years for almost $60 million when everyone knew he had terrible knees and was too old, and Randolph was a nutjob who couldn't play defense, jump, or pass, and he was handed a near-max deal. That's really something, for John Nash to sign Darius Miles to a $48 million dollar contract and only have it be the third worst contract given out in a year's time. You can't just be that bad at your job on accident; you have to really try.The Interview. Read most of it here. I can't defend Darius here, because he does actually appear insane here, but I just can't help but being in awe of the sheer audacity of complaining about not having a bobble-head doll made of yourself in an interview with a leading newspaper that everybody reads. I don't know, maybe it's the sensationalist in me.
And maybe it's that same part of me that wants to see him come back. But by all accounts, his teammates like him and he wants to come back and play for us, and he's been working out at the practice facility non-stop this summer. Plus, we all know how good he can be when he actually tries and ignores his feelings of being disrespected and vilified, slights which he undeniably has suffered. Everybody I talk to want Darius gone, and they talk about him like he's a criminal who's corrupting the young guys on the team, but if you compare Miles to Zach Randolph, who only just recently got shipped out, Miles looks like a saint. Randolph has had many incidents with the law, ranging from dogfighting to drugs to alleged rape. Darius likes going to strip clubs, but Zach liked them so much that he went to a strip club when he was on bereavement leave from the team, and then skipped out on the bill. And as far as play on the basketball court - the real issue here - Randolph was constantly out of shape and was a terrible teammate.There are three possibilities that exist now, seeing as we know he will not be retiring anytime soon:
1. Darius will be kept on the bench and not given a chance to play.
2. Darius will come back, get to play, and shipped off the minute we get any kind of offer.
3. Darius will come back, play well, and provide veteran leadership in a solid reserve role.
If you're not hoping for #3, I think it's time to stop living in the past.
TJH
28 August 2007
Summer Practice
My friend Andy told me that the Blazers are practicing already. I didn't really believe it, so I checked it out, and it's true.
I was impressed, most of the team was there, apparently even the perma-rehabbing Darius Miles showed up. He was there watching his spot on the team slip away with every forgettable moment that slips by in his recent career.
Most impressive though, Martell Webster. Andy said he had shed some pounds and that he had been training all summer, again, disbelief on my end. But then I saw this wingman curl off a pick and hit a three, then drive past his defender and dunk on someone...couldn't be? Mike Barrett said Desmond Mason was there, maybe that was him, didn't look like him, but maybe it was him. I looked up a headshot of Webster and sure enough, it was him. Slimmer and more athletic. Impressive.
As Barrett says, NBA teams can't require their players to show up until late in September. Maybe all this summer practicing will equal a few more wins this year, if anything it's great to see a team actually want to be a team. If you aren't on the bandwagon yet for this upcoming year, how can you not be now?
KT
I was impressed, most of the team was there, apparently even the perma-rehabbing Darius Miles showed up. He was there watching his spot on the team slip away with every forgettable moment that slips by in his recent career.
Most impressive though, Martell Webster. Andy said he had shed some pounds and that he had been training all summer, again, disbelief on my end. But then I saw this wingman curl off a pick and hit a three, then drive past his defender and dunk on someone...couldn't be? Mike Barrett said Desmond Mason was there, maybe that was him, didn't look like him, but maybe it was him. I looked up a headshot of Webster and sure enough, it was him. Slimmer and more athletic. Impressive.
As Barrett says, NBA teams can't require their players to show up until late in September. Maybe all this summer practicing will equal a few more wins this year, if anything it's great to see a team actually want to be a team. If you aren't on the bandwagon yet for this upcoming year, how can you not be now?
KT
27 August 2007
What a Guy
Today I finally jumped on the Greg Oden bandwagon.
See, he's just a regular guy, just like you and me. He likes attractive women and going to Doug Fir.
TJH
See, he's just a regular guy, just like you and me. He likes attractive women and going to Doug Fir.
TJH
Loose Balls
First of all... Wow. Baden basketballs. That brings back some memories. When I was a kid I wanted a Spalding basketball so bad - that's what they used in the NBA, and so that's what I wanted to use. Yet I somehow ended up with like seven Badens that would go lopsided after two weeks of playing with them. So even though I was in the enviable position of having an eight foot hoop in my driveway that all my friends could dunk on in fifth grade, we always ended up going somewhere else to play because there weren't any decent basketballs at my house.
What did Przybilla shoot last year from the line? It couldn't have been more than 40%. Let me check...
37%. What a prediction. And what a terrible free throw percentage. How is this possible? What is with big guys and their inability to shoot free throws? Is it because they never practice them? I find that hard to believe, because you'd score a ton more points if you make more free throws, and then you would have a bigger chance of getting a bigger contract. Also, if you're a threat from the line, that makes you a bigger threat in the post, because you don't have everybody hacking you every time you get close to the basket. So the incentive to practice is there.
I actually have a theory, which I probably stole from somebody much smarter than me, that big guys have trouble shooting free throws because their hands are so much bigger than the ball. That would explain why so many of them have such terrible shooting mechanics. Maybe how Joel Przybilla feels like shooting a basketball is how I feel shooting a tennis ball. I mean, look at how Shaq shoots his free throws - he holds the ball on the very tips of his fingers and gently lofts the ball up toward the basket. That's my tennis ball form.
But yeah, I like Przybilla in a backup role right now. Great defender, zero offense. I mean, in order to be effective I think he needs to play with the right guys, and I like the idea of a Przybilla block starting up a Sergio/Outlaw/Frye fast break, or something to that effect. He is overpayed, but he did stay with us for less money than what he was offered elsewhere, and he is a much better option than Magloire, who somehow still has a job making millions playing professional basketball.
Thankfully it's not with us.
TJH
What did Przybilla shoot last year from the line? It couldn't have been more than 40%. Let me check...
37%. What a prediction. And what a terrible free throw percentage. How is this possible? What is with big guys and their inability to shoot free throws? Is it because they never practice them? I find that hard to believe, because you'd score a ton more points if you make more free throws, and then you would have a bigger chance of getting a bigger contract. Also, if you're a threat from the line, that makes you a bigger threat in the post, because you don't have everybody hacking you every time you get close to the basket. So the incentive to practice is there.
I actually have a theory, which I probably stole from somebody much smarter than me, that big guys have trouble shooting free throws because their hands are so much bigger than the ball. That would explain why so many of them have such terrible shooting mechanics. Maybe how Joel Przybilla feels like shooting a basketball is how I feel shooting a tennis ball. I mean, look at how Shaq shoots his free throws - he holds the ball on the very tips of his fingers and gently lofts the ball up toward the basket. That's my tennis ball form.But yeah, I like Przybilla in a backup role right now. Great defender, zero offense. I mean, in order to be effective I think he needs to play with the right guys, and I like the idea of a Przybilla block starting up a Sergio/Outlaw/Frye fast break, or something to that effect. He is overpayed, but he did stay with us for less money than what he was offered elsewhere, and he is a much better option than Magloire, who somehow still has a job making millions playing professional basketball.
Thankfully it's not with us.
TJH
We're Official
Hi everyone, just letting you know we are now available at an easier URL:
www.ripcityforever.com
Don't hesitate to leave a comment or subscribe.
We hope that you are enjoying our writing so far. We are enjoying doing it and we have some great ideas that we will be expanding upon in the coming weeks and months.
TJH
www.ripcityforever.com
Don't hesitate to leave a comment or subscribe.
We hope that you are enjoying our writing so far. We are enjoying doing it and we have some great ideas that we will be expanding upon in the coming weeks and months.
TJH
26 August 2007
Glowing Balls
Maybe the NBA should market these a little bit more:
Or, maybe the Blazers should get Przybilla one or two of these so that he can train through the night. Maybe he can bring that free-throw percentage up past Chris Dudley range, so that just in case Oden happens to foul out (they allow 10 fouls during reg. season right?) and we actually need Joel at the end of the game, we could pass him the ball on offense without having to worry about the hack-a-Przy being implored by the opposing team.
I know, I know, Joel is a big fan favorite, mostly because he is a big white guy I think (see Joe Wolf), but I really hate seeing teams pay money for one dimensional, slow, big men (see Jerome James, Jim McIlvane, and shoot, every big man the Sonics pay or want to pay). Although I do like that he blocks a lot of shots per minute. Man, he is so polarizing.
The real point of this post though was not to compare Przybilla to Dud, but to make everybody remember how cool the glow in the dark ball was supposed to be.
KT
Or, maybe the Blazers should get Przybilla one or two of these so that he can train through the night. Maybe he can bring that free-throw percentage up past Chris Dudley range, so that just in case Oden happens to foul out (they allow 10 fouls during reg. season right?) and we actually need Joel at the end of the game, we could pass him the ball on offense without having to worry about the hack-a-Przy being implored by the opposing team.
I know, I know, Joel is a big fan favorite, mostly because he is a big white guy I think (see Joe Wolf), but I really hate seeing teams pay money for one dimensional, slow, big men (see Jerome James, Jim McIlvane, and shoot, every big man the Sonics pay or want to pay). Although I do like that he blocks a lot of shots per minute. Man, he is so polarizing.
The real point of this post though was not to compare Przybilla to Dud, but to make everybody remember how cool the glow in the dark ball was supposed to be.
KT
24 August 2007
This is the Modern World
I don't watch many movies, and I don't really watch that much television, but I like having the option to do so whenever I want. 
No matter how much I complain about our society and it's reliance on instant gratification and the ever-increasing pace of life, etc etc etc, I do appreciate being able to stop by Movie Madness on the way home from work and pick up a season of Fawlty Towers on DVD. That's a freedom worth fighting for. Screw speech, man - I'm fighting for freedom of entertainment.
It's easy for some people to get carried away with this freedom, though. For example, my friend Gray recently watched three seasons of "The Wire" and one season of "24" in exactly ten days. Gray, whose previous pathetic-yet-mildly-inspirational claim to fame was downing an entire family meal from Taco Bell in one sitting, could have obviously spent his hours a bit more productively. He could have dined out with friends, or went on a bike ride, or decided to spend hours writing for a blog that nobody reads. But he was lured by the easily affordable and available alternative. He took the easy way out.
But my point is not based on morality or how people have become insouciant to the over-reliance on the easy-way-out way of life.
My point is that the NBA needs to hop on this bandwagon.
First, let's look at the ridiculous ways the NBA marketing people are selling their product currently. A recent best-seller in the NBA store is the basketball with what looks like your favorite player's jersey painted on the ball. Look at this basketball - why would anybody buy this?
What moron would buy this ball, which shines like a bowling ball for some reason, over, say, an actual basketball? And if the NBA is actually making money off things like this, we know for sure they aren't profiting off the WNBA, which is subsidized by the NBA for $12 million dollars a season to cover for operating losses. Nobody pays any money to watch the WNBA. And again, we're no business experts here at Rip City Forever, but I think it's safe to say that this a bit of a problem for a sports league.
What the NBA doesn't fully realize is that within their own league, they hold a unique position within the marketing world, in that as the parameters of what encompasses the league evolve, by definition, more and more product should be available for the public to consume. The NBA, to me, is like a really great television show. Of course, my focus is always on what's next, but sometimes it's fun to kick back and watch something that's happened already, that you've already seen.
This is why you see old TV shows being released on DVD and being sold for $40 a season. People like familiarity, and people are willing to spend their disposable income on worthless crap. That's like Rule #1 in the American marketplace. The demand is there, so you supply the product that meets the demand. Simple.
But the NBA doesn't get the picture. They show old games on NBATV and ESPN Classic, and they promote their old stars in corny public relations ventures, but that doesn't do the league's entertainment value justice. They need to officially release old games. It's simple. They have these games digitally stored. Package them together and sell them on DVD! They could sell whole playoff series on DVD, or they could have All-Star packages, say, where you get the ten best World B. Free games of all time. Or Rivalry packages, where you get the best Blazers v Lakers games of all time. Or Alltime Greatest Playoff Injustices, a fifty-volume set which would include all of the times the Spurs were handed games by the officials in exchange for mob payouts.
There's a problem though - it makes sense. Too much sense, perhaps - at least for the NBA, where poor business decisions and micromanagement go hand in hand. Too much sense for a league that is plagued by corruption and old-hat leadership.
Oh well, at least the NBA has never had a dogfighting problem.
Wait...
TJH
No matter how much I complain about our society and it's reliance on instant gratification and the ever-increasing pace of life, etc etc etc, I do appreciate being able to stop by Movie Madness on the way home from work and pick up a season of Fawlty Towers on DVD. That's a freedom worth fighting for. Screw speech, man - I'm fighting for freedom of entertainment.It's easy for some people to get carried away with this freedom, though. For example, my friend Gray recently watched three seasons of "The Wire" and one season of "24" in exactly ten days. Gray, whose previous pathetic-yet-mildly-inspirational claim to fame was downing an entire family meal from Taco Bell in one sitting, could have obviously spent his hours a bit more productively. He could have dined out with friends, or went on a bike ride, or decided to spend hours writing for a blog that nobody reads. But he was lured by the easily affordable and available alternative. He took the easy way out.
But my point is not based on morality or how people have become insouciant to the over-reliance on the easy-way-out way of life.
My point is that the NBA needs to hop on this bandwagon.
First, let's look at the ridiculous ways the NBA marketing people are selling their product currently. A recent best-seller in the NBA store is the basketball with what looks like your favorite player's jersey painted on the ball. Look at this basketball - why would anybody buy this?
What moron would buy this ball, which shines like a bowling ball for some reason, over, say, an actual basketball? And if the NBA is actually making money off things like this, we know for sure they aren't profiting off the WNBA, which is subsidized by the NBA for $12 million dollars a season to cover for operating losses. Nobody pays any money to watch the WNBA. And again, we're no business experts here at Rip City Forever, but I think it's safe to say that this a bit of a problem for a sports league.
What the NBA doesn't fully realize is that within their own league, they hold a unique position within the marketing world, in that as the parameters of what encompasses the league evolve, by definition, more and more product should be available for the public to consume. The NBA, to me, is like a really great television show. Of course, my focus is always on what's next, but sometimes it's fun to kick back and watch something that's happened already, that you've already seen.
This is why you see old TV shows being released on DVD and being sold for $40 a season. People like familiarity, and people are willing to spend their disposable income on worthless crap. That's like Rule #1 in the American marketplace. The demand is there, so you supply the product that meets the demand. Simple.But the NBA doesn't get the picture. They show old games on NBATV and ESPN Classic, and they promote their old stars in corny public relations ventures, but that doesn't do the league's entertainment value justice. They need to officially release old games. It's simple. They have these games digitally stored. Package them together and sell them on DVD! They could sell whole playoff series on DVD, or they could have All-Star packages, say, where you get the ten best World B. Free games of all time. Or Rivalry packages, where you get the best Blazers v Lakers games of all time. Or Alltime Greatest Playoff Injustices, a fifty-volume set which would include all of the times the Spurs were handed games by the officials in exchange for mob payouts.
There's a problem though - it makes sense. Too much sense, perhaps - at least for the NBA, where poor business decisions and micromanagement go hand in hand. Too much sense for a league that is plagued by corruption and old-hat leadership.Oh well, at least the NBA has never had a dogfighting problem.
Wait...
TJH
Point Guards, Round 3
OK, I want to like McRoberts. I like how he's buddies with Oden and I like that he's got a beard now, but... he went to Duke. It's really hard for me to support anybody that played for Duke. Actually, I can't remember any Dukies ever on the Blazers besides Alaa Abdelnaby. It's gonna be difficult, but I'm gonna have to adjust.
Now, as far as Green goes, chances are he won't find that much success in the NBA. I hope I'm wrong, but even if he finds success, it very likely won't be with us. See, I think scouts and general managers should take into account college success, but they should only put heavy weight on it when they've narrowed their choices down to a small group of players.
For example, let's take the 2004 Draft. Detroit picked second, and they picked Darko Milicic, seen here spending some quality time on his jetski, over Carmelo Anthony. This was the same Carmelo Anthony who had just turned in one of the finest college basketball seasons of the past ten years. The same Carmelo Anthony who led his Syracuse team to their first ever national championship. Meanwhile, Milicic was a 17-year old Serbian who put up average numbers for some European team. Obviously, college success should have played more of a role in Detroit's decision there.
But I agree that generally it's still a crapshoot. For every Carmelo there's a Cleaves, Miles Simon, Christian Laettner, the O'Bannon brothers, Joakim Noah (just wait), Pervis Ellison, Danny Manning... I could go on. Now, you're right - on paper, we look pretty strong at the point. And assuming that everybody will be okay with playing a bit less minutes than what they're expecting, we'll be solid. My main concern is Jack taking Sergio's minutes. That's what it comes down to. But as you mentioned, Jack and Blake both would be able to play spells at the two, and there are so many intriguing lineup possibilities. We can play small, big, fast, young, you name it. We could even play white if we had Koponen. So much for progression, eh?
TJH
Now, as far as Green goes, chances are he won't find that much success in the NBA. I hope I'm wrong, but even if he finds success, it very likely won't be with us. See, I think scouts and general managers should take into account college success, but they should only put heavy weight on it when they've narrowed their choices down to a small group of players.
For example, let's take the 2004 Draft. Detroit picked second, and they picked Darko Milicic, seen here spending some quality time on his jetski, over Carmelo Anthony. This was the same Carmelo Anthony who had just turned in one of the finest college basketball seasons of the past ten years. The same Carmelo Anthony who led his Syracuse team to their first ever national championship. Meanwhile, Milicic was a 17-year old Serbian who put up average numbers for some European team. Obviously, college success should have played more of a role in Detroit's decision there.But I agree that generally it's still a crapshoot. For every Carmelo there's a Cleaves, Miles Simon, Christian Laettner, the O'Bannon brothers, Joakim Noah (just wait), Pervis Ellison, Danny Manning... I could go on. Now, you're right - on paper, we look pretty strong at the point. And assuming that everybody will be okay with playing a bit less minutes than what they're expecting, we'll be solid. My main concern is Jack taking Sergio's minutes. That's what it comes down to. But as you mentioned, Jack and Blake both would be able to play spells at the two, and there are so many intriguing lineup possibilities. We can play small, big, fast, young, you name it. We could even play white if we had Koponen. So much for progression, eh?
TJH
Four's Company
Reading Tyler's breakdown of our point guards got me thinking that for the first time since 2000, when we had Mighty Mouse, Greg Anthony and Rod Strickland, our point guards might actually be one of our strengths.
It's true that beyond Steve Blake our points are relatively untested, but think about it, if coach can figure out a way to keep up everyone's morale, namely Jack, I think we could have a extremely solid backcourt. Blake can run the show with Jack spelling him in the last 3 minutes of the first quarter, and the first 3 of the second, and the same in the second half. And when Webster or Jones start slumping we can bring in Sergio and move Blake to the two for a spell, just to change things up a bit. Green will be the leader of the blowout squad (knock on wood), and the great Fin will be in Finland watching the whole thing with wonder in his eyes.
I agree with most of what you had to say about our guards, Tyler, except one thing. Taurean Green. Yes he is a proven winner, and yes, some believe that that does go a long way towards a players' future success, but I have a few objections.
First, Mateen Cleaves. Enough said?
Second, well, actually, that's about it. Taurean Green is a better shooter than Cleaves was, but I would put a lot of money on them having about the same career trajectory once it's all said and done. Last I checked Mateen was barely getting off the bench for someone's summer league team.
I hope that Green gets sent to the D-league so that he can see some playing time, and free up a roster spot for someone else who might be able to make a contribution this year. Green might be able to, but I don't know if this year is that year. And as long as we have Josh McRoberts, we don't need a fourth point guard, he can bring the ball up if need be. He's my pick for the next Sabonis. You gotta love him.
KT
It's true that beyond Steve Blake our points are relatively untested, but think about it, if coach can figure out a way to keep up everyone's morale, namely Jack, I think we could have a extremely solid backcourt. Blake can run the show with Jack spelling him in the last 3 minutes of the first quarter, and the first 3 of the second, and the same in the second half. And when Webster or Jones start slumping we can bring in Sergio and move Blake to the two for a spell, just to change things up a bit. Green will be the leader of the blowout squad (knock on wood), and the great Fin will be in Finland watching the whole thing with wonder in his eyes.
I agree with most of what you had to say about our guards, Tyler, except one thing. Taurean Green. Yes he is a proven winner, and yes, some believe that that does go a long way towards a players' future success, but I have a few objections.
First, Mateen Cleaves. Enough said?
Second, well, actually, that's about it. Taurean Green is a better shooter than Cleaves was, but I would put a lot of money on them having about the same career trajectory once it's all said and done. Last I checked Mateen was barely getting off the bench for someone's summer league team.
I hope that Green gets sent to the D-league so that he can see some playing time, and free up a roster spot for someone else who might be able to make a contribution this year. Green might be able to, but I don't know if this year is that year. And as long as we have Josh McRoberts, we don't need a fourth point guard, he can bring the ball up if need be. He's my pick for the next Sabonis. You gotta love him.
KT
22 August 2007
Point Guards Aplenty
I know it's a bit early for any sort of predictions regarding next season, and so I think we here at RCF will refrain from doing so until we get closer to tip-off. We'll definitely be focusing on the Blazers more as the season gets started, and so in the interim, expect to see some variety in our postings. I've already went off on some admittedly strange tangents, and you probably will see much more of them. But right now, I want to talk about the Blazers. I'd like to start some discussions based on our assessments of our players. The first group? The point guards.
-STEVE BLAKE. I'm as excited to see Blake back in a Portland uniform as anything else, really. A great pickup at a reasonable price. He's proven himself time and time again that he deserves to be a full time starter in the League, and I'm glad Denver was stupid enough to let him walk. Two years ago he worked his way up from third-string point guard to full-time starter, finishing the season second in the NBA in assist-to-turnover ratio (an underrated stat if there ever was one). He's what I want my point guard to be: an unselfish passer, a solid shooter, and a smart perimeter defender - although I would like to see him grow his hair out a bit more. And no, I don't mean a goatee, which he tried last year to add to his intimidation factor or something. I don't think it worked.
-JARRETT JACK. Ummm... hi Jarrett. Welcome back. As you can see, we brought Steve back. I know, we got rid of him a while ago, and we handed you the keys to our offense and proclaimed you to be our point guard of the future, BUT... Steve's back, and he's gonna be starting. We wouldn't have signed him and made such a big deal out of it if the spot was really up for grabs. So we'd like the keys back now, but we'll still let you use them once in a while. But not too much, because Sergio is the actual point guard of the future, and so he have to let him play some, and so... hmmm... OK. Let's put it this way. We'll let you run the point for ten minutes a game, but when your game suffers because of your loss of confidence, which we're fully expecting to happen around mid-December, we'll ship you off to Atlanta or Milwaukee or some other NBA outpost so mired in mediocrity that they can't tell fantasy from reality anymore. Sound fair?
-SERGIO RODRIGUEZ. I love Sergio's game. I remember last year I would from time to time text my friend Sergio's game lines, and they would go something like this: "Sergio tonite: 4 min, 8 ast, 1 to". And of course, he also had games with 5 turnovers and no dimes. He was inconsistent, he had trouble with his outside shot, and he seemed uninterested at times. But from what I saw, McMillan got to the point at the tail end of the season where he would yank Sergio out of the game after making a minor mistake. This happened hundreds of times. Anybody who knows a lick about basketball understands that you can't put a point guard in the game, say, three minutes into the second quarter, and expect him to make an immediate impact. It takes time. You have to let the game come to you. If you try to rush things, if you try to force action when the situation isn't right, it rarely works out the way you want it. But he's like 20 years old, and he was incredible at times last year. This is no flash in the pan here. He will be great - great - in five years.
-TAUREAN GREEN. I don't know much about him, and so it's kinda hard to say much yet. OK, so we know he's a proven champion. That's always promising. But is there any chance he's getting playing time this year with our current roster? Absolutely not. In fact, they shouldn't have even signed him to a guaranteed contract, but that's for another angrier posting (proposed title: "Kevin Pritchard's Numerous Mistakes That Nobody Brings Up Because Blazer Fans Are So Happy That Bumbling Idiot Steve Patterson Is Finally Out Of The Picture"). But then again, if Jack gets traded (cross your fingers), or if a player or two gets hurt, who knows? And at the very least, he does have a pretty good haircut.
Jack's the odd man out here. Remember, there's no more Zach to dump it into after he runs head first in a double team. I hear people say that he can play shooting guard for spells, but he's undersized, and, more importantly, he can't shoot the ball that well. Jarrett Jack is a good basketball player. However, he does nothing extremely well, and that will lead to his eventual unceremonious exit from the team. We have four point guards on our active roster, and a fifth player (Roy) who can handle the point as good as anybody on the floor at any given time. So Jarrett, I wish you all the luck in the world. You're gonna need it.
TJH
-STEVE BLAKE. I'm as excited to see Blake back in a Portland uniform as anything else, really. A great pickup at a reasonable price. He's proven himself time and time again that he deserves to be a full time starter in the League, and I'm glad Denver was stupid enough to let him walk. Two years ago he worked his way up from third-string point guard to full-time starter, finishing the season second in the NBA in assist-to-turnover ratio (an underrated stat if there ever was one). He's what I want my point guard to be: an unselfish passer, a solid shooter, and a smart perimeter defender - although I would like to see him grow his hair out a bit more. And no, I don't mean a goatee, which he tried last year to add to his intimidation factor or something. I don't think it worked. 
-JARRETT JACK. Ummm... hi Jarrett. Welcome back. As you can see, we brought Steve back. I know, we got rid of him a while ago, and we handed you the keys to our offense and proclaimed you to be our point guard of the future, BUT... Steve's back, and he's gonna be starting. We wouldn't have signed him and made such a big deal out of it if the spot was really up for grabs. So we'd like the keys back now, but we'll still let you use them once in a while. But not too much, because Sergio is the actual point guard of the future, and so he have to let him play some, and so... hmmm... OK. Let's put it this way. We'll let you run the point for ten minutes a game, but when your game suffers because of your loss of confidence, which we're fully expecting to happen around mid-December, we'll ship you off to Atlanta or Milwaukee or some other NBA outpost so mired in mediocrity that they can't tell fantasy from reality anymore. Sound fair?
-SERGIO RODRIGUEZ. I love Sergio's game. I remember last year I would from time to time text my friend Sergio's game lines, and they would go something like this: "Sergio tonite: 4 min, 8 ast, 1 to". And of course, he also had games with 5 turnovers and no dimes. He was inconsistent, he had trouble with his outside shot, and he seemed uninterested at times. But from what I saw, McMillan got to the point at the tail end of the season where he would yank Sergio out of the game after making a minor mistake. This happened hundreds of times. Anybody who knows a lick about basketball understands that you can't put a point guard in the game, say, three minutes into the second quarter, and expect him to make an immediate impact. It takes time. You have to let the game come to you. If you try to rush things, if you try to force action when the situation isn't right, it rarely works out the way you want it. But he's like 20 years old, and he was incredible at times last year. This is no flash in the pan here. He will be great - great - in five years.
-TAUREAN GREEN. I don't know much about him, and so it's kinda hard to say much yet. OK, so we know he's a proven champion. That's always promising. But is there any chance he's getting playing time this year with our current roster? Absolutely not. In fact, they shouldn't have even signed him to a guaranteed contract, but that's for another angrier posting (proposed title: "Kevin Pritchard's Numerous Mistakes That Nobody Brings Up Because Blazer Fans Are So Happy That Bumbling Idiot Steve Patterson Is Finally Out Of The Picture"). But then again, if Jack gets traded (cross your fingers), or if a player or two gets hurt, who knows? And at the very least, he does have a pretty good haircut.Jack's the odd man out here. Remember, there's no more Zach to dump it into after he runs head first in a double team. I hear people say that he can play shooting guard for spells, but he's undersized, and, more importantly, he can't shoot the ball that well. Jarrett Jack is a good basketball player. However, he does nothing extremely well, and that will lead to his eventual unceremonious exit from the team. We have four point guards on our active roster, and a fifth player (Roy) who can handle the point as good as anybody on the floor at any given time. So Jarrett, I wish you all the luck in the world. You're gonna need it.
TJH
21 August 2007
Heartbreaker
"Rock'n'roll and basketball, man, that's what I'm talking about!"
I was in the Houston Rockets locker room at the Rose Garden, making my rounds, when Matt Bullard says this to no one in particular.
He was remarking about the NBA highlight reel playing on the television in the corner, which, by some stroke of luck, was not playing the audio from that channel, but from one of the Garden's closed-captioned feeds, which was playing a Led Zeppelin tune. At this point in my life, I was about 17, and I think I was just ending my Pink Floyd phase and running head on into my Zeppelin phase. Any musician, or music fan, or sensible young man for that matter, has probably experienced the Led Zeppelin phase. It's just one of those phases of adolescence, of upcoming adulthood, I guess. So I heard Bullard and I smiled and nodded my complete approval, because it wasn't every day that you heard those words in an NBA locker room. I'm glad Steve Francis wasn't in the immediate vicinity, because he probably would have murdered Matt on the spot.
So anyways, about a month later, the Lakers came to town, and I found myself in the visitor's training room with Kobe and Shaq. This was right before they won their first championship, so they were still getting along okay. And Kobe was feeling talkative, which was rare for him, because I had never seen him stoop to the level of speaking with the lowly ballboys. "You like Slim?" he asked me.
"Who?"
"Slim. Slim Shady."
Oh, right. He means Eminem. "Not really," I said. In truth, I would rather listen to an elephant getting his testicles stuck in a garbage disposal, but I didn't want to appear crass.
"Why not?" Kobe seemed really surprised. And I couldn't really blame him. A white kid not liking a white rapper? Pretty weird.
"I don't know." I know, I wasn't really quick on the trigger back in those days. Shaq noticed I was nervous and he was highly amused at the situation.
"What do you like, then?" he asked.
"Mostly rock and roll music."
"Seriously?" Kobe looked disgusted. "Whatever, man." Kobe waved his hand derisively at me. Shaq laughed.
So I got to thinking, does the symbiosis of hip hop and basketball that is constantly fed to us make a lick of sense? It seems like rock and roll music goes together better with basketball and the culture that surrounds it. Technically speaking, basketball, like rock and roll, is very stop-and-go, high-and-low, dynamic and energetic. Hip hop, however, is very static, very even. There is very little human emotion in the actual sonic qualities of the music - I mean, it's just made through a computer. The fluctuations and spontaneity, the human element of an NBA game really has no similarites to a rap song. A basketball team is like a rock and roll band. You need people to accept their roles and throw their massive egos out the window in order to acheive success. However, every once in a while, one person can step up and lift everybody up on their shoulders by playing a rad solo or hitting a clutch shot.
A great example of this was LeBron's insane Game 5 in the East Semis last year. That was the Heartbreaker solo of great basketball performances. One of Led Zeppelin's finest moments, Heartbreaker was the song that really got me into Zeppelin in the first place. It starts as a solid hard rock song with a catchy riff, but then completely throws the listener for a loop by suddenly crashing to a stop midway through, only to be replaced by the dirty caterwauling of Jimmy Page's psyche.
And as it goes on, it gets crazier and crazier, and you just start laughing as the sheer brilliance and wildness of the tune goes past anything you've ever heard. Even more impressive, Page made the solo up on the spot. It's funny, when I listen to the end of the solo, I get a visual of the band standing around all awkward, wondering if Page is ever going to finish, or if he's about to do something crazy like dive into the drum kit or rip the guitar strings off with his teeth. Page eventually calms down, and starts playing the original riff that started the song off, and I can see Robert Plant looking at Jones and Bonham, shrugging his shoulders at them, and getting back into the song. That's how I felt watching LeBron in Game 5. It was incredible - he ended up scoring the Cavaliers' final 25 points - and topped it off with a game-winning layup. His teammates were standing around watching him, literally. They weren't even moving on offense. They weren't running plays, which in itself wasn't that weird because they really hadn't all season. But now, at least there was no need to. I think Damon Jones walked up into the stands to get a girl's phone number in the fourth quarter. It was bad. But it was bad in the best possible sense you can imagine. It was rock and roll, and I will never be convinced otherwise.
TJH
I was in the Houston Rockets locker room at the Rose Garden, making my rounds, when Matt Bullard says this to no one in particular.
He was remarking about the NBA highlight reel playing on the television in the corner, which, by some stroke of luck, was not playing the audio from that channel, but from one of the Garden's closed-captioned feeds, which was playing a Led Zeppelin tune. At this point in my life, I was about 17, and I think I was just ending my Pink Floyd phase and running head on into my Zeppelin phase. Any musician, or music fan, or sensible young man for that matter, has probably experienced the Led Zeppelin phase. It's just one of those phases of adolescence, of upcoming adulthood, I guess. So I heard Bullard and I smiled and nodded my complete approval, because it wasn't every day that you heard those words in an NBA locker room. I'm glad Steve Francis wasn't in the immediate vicinity, because he probably would have murdered Matt on the spot.So anyways, about a month later, the Lakers came to town, and I found myself in the visitor's training room with Kobe and Shaq. This was right before they won their first championship, so they were still getting along okay. And Kobe was feeling talkative, which was rare for him, because I had never seen him stoop to the level of speaking with the lowly ballboys. "You like Slim?" he asked me.
"Who?"
"Slim. Slim Shady."
Oh, right. He means Eminem. "Not really," I said. In truth, I would rather listen to an elephant getting his testicles stuck in a garbage disposal, but I didn't want to appear crass.
"Why not?" Kobe seemed really surprised. And I couldn't really blame him. A white kid not liking a white rapper? Pretty weird."I don't know." I know, I wasn't really quick on the trigger back in those days. Shaq noticed I was nervous and he was highly amused at the situation.
"What do you like, then?" he asked.
"Mostly rock and roll music."
"Seriously?" Kobe looked disgusted. "Whatever, man." Kobe waved his hand derisively at me. Shaq laughed.
So I got to thinking, does the symbiosis of hip hop and basketball that is constantly fed to us make a lick of sense? It seems like rock and roll music goes together better with basketball and the culture that surrounds it. Technically speaking, basketball, like rock and roll, is very stop-and-go, high-and-low, dynamic and energetic. Hip hop, however, is very static, very even. There is very little human emotion in the actual sonic qualities of the music - I mean, it's just made through a computer. The fluctuations and spontaneity, the human element of an NBA game really has no similarites to a rap song. A basketball team is like a rock and roll band. You need people to accept their roles and throw their massive egos out the window in order to acheive success. However, every once in a while, one person can step up and lift everybody up on their shoulders by playing a rad solo or hitting a clutch shot.
A great example of this was LeBron's insane Game 5 in the East Semis last year. That was the Heartbreaker solo of great basketball performances. One of Led Zeppelin's finest moments, Heartbreaker was the song that really got me into Zeppelin in the first place. It starts as a solid hard rock song with a catchy riff, but then completely throws the listener for a loop by suddenly crashing to a stop midway through, only to be replaced by the dirty caterwauling of Jimmy Page's psyche.
And as it goes on, it gets crazier and crazier, and you just start laughing as the sheer brilliance and wildness of the tune goes past anything you've ever heard. Even more impressive, Page made the solo up on the spot. It's funny, when I listen to the end of the solo, I get a visual of the band standing around all awkward, wondering if Page is ever going to finish, or if he's about to do something crazy like dive into the drum kit or rip the guitar strings off with his teeth. Page eventually calms down, and starts playing the original riff that started the song off, and I can see Robert Plant looking at Jones and Bonham, shrugging his shoulders at them, and getting back into the song. That's how I felt watching LeBron in Game 5. It was incredible - he ended up scoring the Cavaliers' final 25 points - and topped it off with a game-winning layup. His teammates were standing around watching him, literally. They weren't even moving on offense. They weren't running plays, which in itself wasn't that weird because they really hadn't all season. But now, at least there was no need to. I think Damon Jones walked up into the stands to get a girl's phone number in the fourth quarter. It was bad. But it was bad in the best possible sense you can imagine. It was rock and roll, and I will never be convinced otherwise.TJH
20 August 2007
The coffee has gone bad.
I am glad there are others out there that share my appreciation of one of the more flamboyant players we have had in recent memory. If you get to know me you wouldn't be surprised that James Robinson is also a favorite. How can you not like him either? But, more than the high socks, even the three fingers Walt would put up for every three he made, even if he was 1-6 in a game, the way he sealed his place in my memory was when he two-hand patted the backboard after a dunk. Incredible.
Seattle is a wreck. Let's be honest here. Beyond Durant they have almost nothing to cheer for next year. They are going to trot out a lineup next year with more small forwards then a D-II team, in a gym that is barely recognizable as a professional Arena, and as Tyler hit on previously, they are owned by Oklahoma. Wow. Atlanta may have more to cheer about this year.
Ever since Kemp and Payton left Seattle the Sonics have been pretty inconsequential in the league, except for the year McMillan took them to the playoffs on the ankles of Ray Allen, the "potential" of Lewis, and a bunch of second-rung gunners. I mean really, what is Oklahoma looking to get here? Aren't they still paying Jim McIlvane? They should have to just for punishment.
I mean, I don't want them to go either. I would love for them to stay in Seattle so that the Northwest could rise to power together and force the East Coast to learn their geography so that I don't have to explain to anyone out here that Oregon and Washington happens to be right above California. But this whole plan of theirs seems silly. The owners even said themselves that they don't think they will make a lot of money, and that they just hope to "break even." Yikes. Is this the NBA or the NBDL? This is a business, right? Shouldn't they be making smart business decisions? I'm an English major though, maybe I am just see things differently.
Another Sonic update: Durant and Collison have been dropped from the USA roster. Everything is coming up roses for them...
KT
Seattle is a wreck. Let's be honest here. Beyond Durant they have almost nothing to cheer for next year. They are going to trot out a lineup next year with more small forwards then a D-II team, in a gym that is barely recognizable as a professional Arena, and as Tyler hit on previously, they are owned by Oklahoma. Wow. Atlanta may have more to cheer about this year.
Ever since Kemp and Payton left Seattle the Sonics have been pretty inconsequential in the league, except for the year McMillan took them to the playoffs on the ankles of Ray Allen, the "potential" of Lewis, and a bunch of second-rung gunners. I mean really, what is Oklahoma looking to get here? Aren't they still paying Jim McIlvane? They should have to just for punishment.
I mean, I don't want them to go either. I would love for them to stay in Seattle so that the Northwest could rise to power together and force the East Coast to learn their geography so that I don't have to explain to anyone out here that Oregon and Washington happens to be right above California. But this whole plan of theirs seems silly. The owners even said themselves that they don't think they will make a lot of money, and that they just hope to "break even." Yikes. Is this the NBA or the NBDL? This is a business, right? Shouldn't they be making smart business decisions? I'm an English major though, maybe I am just see things differently.
Another Sonic update: Durant and Collison have been dropped from the USA roster. Everything is coming up roses for them...
KT
The Wizard
Kevin, I love that one of your fave players is Walt Williams. Wasn't he great? One of the all-time underrated Blazers, and likely the only Blazer to ever appear in a Hootie and the Blowfish video. Also, he was a really nice guy, always interested in the lives of everybody around him. A class act.
Here's my Walt Williams story. So, everyone knew back then that he idolized Clyde Frazier, and honestly, who wouldn't? If you were a kid supporting the Knicks back in the early '70s, there was no need to look further than Frazier for a hoops hero. So every once in a while Walt would come to the games all dressed up like Clyde used to dress, you know - old suits, pinstripe pants, things like that. And everyone made fun of him for it, but he was cool with it.
So this one day I was in the training room with a bunch of other players, taping somebody's ankles or filling coolers with ice or something. About half the team was in the room getting taped up and just hanging around watching television, and Jay Jensen, the trainer, was in there too. Jay was pretty straightlaced, very low key and was generally unimpressed with the
players and their naturally assumed largesse, and so you usually didn't hear him say much of anything. But then Walt Williams comes into the room, dressed in black from head to toe, and wearing this ridiculous black top hat, slightly tilted to one side. Everyone started laughing, and he sheepishly tried to play it off, but I noticed that he seemed to be moving around with a bit more immediacy in his gait and interacting with people in a more direct style than I was used to hearing. So he left the training room, and just as he was leaving, Jay Jensen asks somebody, "Why do you think he's dressed like that?" I guess Walt heard Jay, because he poked his head back into the training room and says to him, without a hint of sarcasm, "Because I mean business tonight".
That got a huge laugh out of everybody, and it was even funnier to me when I read a bit later about a very similar story involving Frazier. I guess Walt's idolatry was pushing into obsession, but hey, it worked. I remember him scoring about 20 points that night and hitting about 5 threes, fingers waggling to the crowd after each one, socks pulled as high as his inflated ego would let him.
TJH
Here's my Walt Williams story. So, everyone knew back then that he idolized Clyde Frazier, and honestly, who wouldn't? If you were a kid supporting the Knicks back in the early '70s, there was no need to look further than Frazier for a hoops hero. So every once in a while Walt would come to the games all dressed up like Clyde used to dress, you know - old suits, pinstripe pants, things like that. And everyone made fun of him for it, but he was cool with it.
So this one day I was in the training room with a bunch of other players, taping somebody's ankles or filling coolers with ice or something. About half the team was in the room getting taped up and just hanging around watching television, and Jay Jensen, the trainer, was in there too. Jay was pretty straightlaced, very low key and was generally unimpressed with the
players and their naturally assumed largesse, and so you usually didn't hear him say much of anything. But then Walt Williams comes into the room, dressed in black from head to toe, and wearing this ridiculous black top hat, slightly tilted to one side. Everyone started laughing, and he sheepishly tried to play it off, but I noticed that he seemed to be moving around with a bit more immediacy in his gait and interacting with people in a more direct style than I was used to hearing. So he left the training room, and just as he was leaving, Jay Jensen asks somebody, "Why do you think he's dressed like that?" I guess Walt heard Jay, because he poked his head back into the training room and says to him, without a hint of sarcasm, "Because I mean business tonight".That got a huge laugh out of everybody, and it was even funnier to me when I read a bit later about a very similar story involving Frazier. I guess Walt's idolatry was pushing into obsession, but hey, it worked. I remember him scoring about 20 points that night and hitting about 5 threes, fingers waggling to the crowd after each one, socks pulled as high as his inflated ego would let him.
TJH
Good Luck, Seattle
So, it looks like the Sonics are going to move to Oklahoma for sure now. That's what everyone has been saying for a while, since the rednecks showed up at the press conference with their ten gallon hats in tow. But I somehow thought things would work out for the Sonics. I thought they would stay. Of course, the rednecks claimed they wanted to stay. "We want to work out a situation that would be beneficial to everybody in order to keep the Sonics in Seattle", I believe was the official word, and I bought it hook, line, and sinker.
Well, now we know that was a complete lie. Great. Last week they finally admitted that the goal all along was to snatch the Sonics up and get them down to OKC as soon as possible. And I know the Sonics aren't my team, and they've actually been the source of alot of bad basketball memories through the years, especially back when Sedale Threatt was draining threes and the
X-Man was posterizing Kevin Duckworth. They're our rivals, but I guess there's a level of mutual respect that stems from the dynamism that pervades the Portland-Seattle rivalry. This must be what it feels like to grow up with an older brother who constantly harrasses you and brings you down, and puts hairspray in your contact solution container, and traps you inside of a sleeping bag and runs up and down concrete stairs, dragging you behind (Yes, I know a bit about being an older brother). But then when the older brother moves away to go to college, you might be ecstatic about getting his bedroom, but you probably would start sentimentalizing the relationship and getting a bit nostalgic and sad. That's pretty much how I feel.
But given the situation, I would be angry at any position that trivializes the fans as such. A sports team is an owner's for however long he owns the team. A sports team is a GM's for however long he runs the team, which I think the average is like five years. But a team is a fan's for life. And it's sad to see the Sonics fans just ignored and tossed aside, by both the team's former owners and the team's new owners. We might not realize it, because we always think that our personal situations and experiences are unique and unmatched in this sense, and such a part of our lives that we don't really spend time internalizing the reasons why we behave this way, but supporting a club is such a weird thing to begin with. It's not the actual team and the actual owner and the actual players who make the team important to people; what makes the team is the belief in the team, the memories forged over time, and the shared social experiences of the community of supporters.
And it hits close to home for us, anyways, because this very thing was very close to happening in Portland just a year and a half ago. Amazingly, we've made so much progress in the past year that talk of the Blazers moving to another city likely won't arise for the rest of our lives. And it's funny how the biggest change we've made as an organization is not the ridiculous 25-point pledge to the fans, nor the recent emphasis on the culture and character of our players, but rather management's conscious decision to simply hire people that know what the hell they are doing.
In the end, with this Sonics move imminent, I can't help but see this as yet another example of rich people trying to make it seem like they are making decisions based on the perceived benefits of a larger group of people. You see it happen all the time, in all areas of society - most notably government, where you still have people lining their pockets with money from Big Oil and Lockheed Martin claiming that we are still in Iraq to sustain prolonged peace outside and inside of our borders. And just when I think that it's amazing that around 30% of Americans still believe in George Bush and "compassionate conservatism" and all this nonsense, I remember I believed Clay Bennett and his group of millionaire rednecks, who rode into the Pacific Northwest on their golden horses and fully intend to steal one of our crown jewels.
And we're gonna let them do it.
TJH
Well, now we know that was a complete lie. Great. Last week they finally admitted that the goal all along was to snatch the Sonics up and get them down to OKC as soon as possible. And I know the Sonics aren't my team, and they've actually been the source of alot of bad basketball memories through the years, especially back when Sedale Threatt was draining threes and the
X-Man was posterizing Kevin Duckworth. They're our rivals, but I guess there's a level of mutual respect that stems from the dynamism that pervades the Portland-Seattle rivalry. This must be what it feels like to grow up with an older brother who constantly harrasses you and brings you down, and puts hairspray in your contact solution container, and traps you inside of a sleeping bag and runs up and down concrete stairs, dragging you behind (Yes, I know a bit about being an older brother). But then when the older brother moves away to go to college, you might be ecstatic about getting his bedroom, but you probably would start sentimentalizing the relationship and getting a bit nostalgic and sad. That's pretty much how I feel.But given the situation, I would be angry at any position that trivializes the fans as such. A sports team is an owner's for however long he owns the team. A sports team is a GM's for however long he runs the team, which I think the average is like five years. But a team is a fan's for life. And it's sad to see the Sonics fans just ignored and tossed aside, by both the team's former owners and the team's new owners. We might not realize it, because we always think that our personal situations and experiences are unique and unmatched in this sense, and such a part of our lives that we don't really spend time internalizing the reasons why we behave this way, but supporting a club is such a weird thing to begin with. It's not the actual team and the actual owner and the actual players who make the team important to people; what makes the team is the belief in the team, the memories forged over time, and the shared social experiences of the community of supporters.
And it hits close to home for us, anyways, because this very thing was very close to happening in Portland just a year and a half ago. Amazingly, we've made so much progress in the past year that talk of the Blazers moving to another city likely won't arise for the rest of our lives. And it's funny how the biggest change we've made as an organization is not the ridiculous 25-point pledge to the fans, nor the recent emphasis on the culture and character of our players, but rather management's conscious decision to simply hire people that know what the hell they are doing.
In the end, with this Sonics move imminent, I can't help but see this as yet another example of rich people trying to make it seem like they are making decisions based on the perceived benefits of a larger group of people. You see it happen all the time, in all areas of society - most notably government, where you still have people lining their pockets with money from Big Oil and Lockheed Martin claiming that we are still in Iraq to sustain prolonged peace outside and inside of our borders. And just when I think that it's amazing that around 30% of Americans still believe in George Bush and "compassionate conservatism" and all this nonsense, I remember I believed Clay Bennett and his group of millionaire rednecks, who rode into the Pacific Northwest on their golden horses and fully intend to steal one of our crown jewels.And we're gonna let them do it.
TJH
19 August 2007
More Ime
What the league disagreed with was the original contract demand, which was admittedly far too high. Udoka's camp held out too long with the high demand, and teams looked elsewhere to fill their rosters. A shame, but what's a GM to do, with the free agent pool dwindling by the day, and not knowing when, or if, Ime's demand came down? But the situation, honestly, was worth paying attention to, if you were Blazers brass. San Antonio had their eye on him from the very beginning, and they held out and got lucky. And at the risk of developing some serious chest pain, I have to compliment the Spurs in their personnel moves over the years. Spurs fans, while they may eat their young, do know their basketball, and it's funny how they are talking as if Udoka will be taking over from Bowen this year.
I love players like Udoka. Great role players are the key to success in the League, more than anything I think. If you're talking about determining the formula for success, there really isn't one that's applicable across the board, although if you listen to blathering idiots like Stephen A. Smith yell at you through your television, you NEED TWO SUPERSTARS TO WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP. Well, that's wrong. You don't even need one. That's been proven as recent as three years ago, with Detroit manhandling a Lakers team with three. Or maybe you'll hear from another maniac talking head (Greg Anthony? Mike Breen? Take your pick) that you need a dominant big man to win a title. Well, again, that's wrong. The closest thing I can determine to be an absolute truth when it comes to winning is that you need players to accept their roles on the team. And that's where Udoka fits in.
And besides Roy, he saved more games for us last year than anybody, including Randolph. It was evident from the very beginning of the season, when, if I remember correctly, he fought for an offensive board off a free throw and put in a game winner. That was the story throughout the season. He was constantly impressing me with his hard work and his unselfishness, and I just think it's ridiculous that we couldn't afford to spend an extra $3 million to keep him around for another two years. That's it. I'm actually a realist just like you, Kevin - that's what happens when you support this team for a quarter century. With that said, to avoid the additional luxury tax the signing would have created, couldn't Paul Allen have just sold one of his diamond-encrusted toilet brushes or something? I'm sure he has some extra stuff like that just lying around his yachts that he could get rid of. Hell, that's probably how the Vulcans convinced him to buy Francis out...
TJH
I love players like Udoka. Great role players are the key to success in the League, more than anything I think. If you're talking about determining the formula for success, there really isn't one that's applicable across the board, although if you listen to blathering idiots like Stephen A. Smith yell at you through your television, you NEED TWO SUPERSTARS TO WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP. Well, that's wrong. You don't even need one. That's been proven as recent as three years ago, with Detroit manhandling a Lakers team with three. Or maybe you'll hear from another maniac talking head (Greg Anthony? Mike Breen? Take your pick) that you need a dominant big man to win a title. Well, again, that's wrong. The closest thing I can determine to be an absolute truth when it comes to winning is that you need players to accept their roles on the team. And that's where Udoka fits in.And besides Roy, he saved more games for us last year than anybody, including Randolph. It was evident from the very beginning of the season, when, if I remember correctly, he fought for an offensive board off a free throw and put in a game winner. That was the story throughout the season. He was constantly impressing me with his hard work and his unselfishness, and I just think it's ridiculous that we couldn't afford to spend an extra $3 million to keep him around for another two years. That's it. I'm actually a realist just like you, Kevin - that's what happens when you support this team for a quarter century. With that said, to avoid the additional luxury tax the signing would have created, couldn't Paul Allen have just sold one of his diamond-encrusted toilet brushes or something? I'm sure he has some extra stuff like that just lying around his yachts that he could get rid of. Hell, that's probably how the Vulcans convinced him to buy Francis out...
TJH
Ime just don't get it...
Maybe it's because I don't live in Portland. Maybe it's because I didn't get to see him play in person too much, or that he didn't generate enough pub to get them on national TV more often, but what is all the tear-shedding about over losing Ime? Tyler said that even if you took away the fact that he was a local kid and that he did all kinds of good for the community and whatnot, that he would still be a good player to pay money to play for us again. Turns out the whole league disagreed wholeheartedly. Except, of course, the Spurs, who paid him almost as little as possible to back up Bruce Bowen. Now he almost literally is a poor-man's Bruce Bowen.
Yes, at first glance James Jones did under-perform Ime last year, but he also played 10 less minutes a game. I'm not saying he is a huge upgrade or anything, but I just don't see what all the fuss is about over losing him, beyond the fact that he was a local kid (right?). Plus he is old. He's 30. Do we really need an aging role player with no playoff experience, again, beyond the fact that he was a local kid (am I right)? Maybe it's just me.
And personally, Kevin Pritchard might get a write-in for President from me when I vote in 2008. Dumping captain Zero? He could have traded him for Bimbo Coles in a wheelchair and I would have stood and applauded. For that Mr. Pritchard, I salute you.
KT
Yes, at first glance James Jones did under-perform Ime last year, but he also played 10 less minutes a game. I'm not saying he is a huge upgrade or anything, but I just don't see what all the fuss is about over losing him, beyond the fact that he was a local kid (right?). Plus he is old. He's 30. Do we really need an aging role player with no playoff experience, again, beyond the fact that he was a local kid (am I right)? Maybe it's just me.
And personally, Kevin Pritchard might get a write-in for President from me when I vote in 2008. Dumping captain Zero? He could have traded him for Bimbo Coles in a wheelchair and I would have stood and applauded. For that Mr. Pritchard, I salute you.
KT
Cautiously Hopeful
"Hello, my name is Kevin Thomas, and I am a Blazers fan."
Every time I have told someone in the past few years that I am, indeed, a Blazers fan, I have felt like the newest member of an AA group. This summer, as we all know, the tide may have begun to turn. But I still embark on this blog with a little trepidation. To commit myself to contributing to this blog is to commit myself to all the inevitable ups and downs that this season will bring. This season of bloated hopes riding on young players shoulder, this season of renewed fervor in a city looking for a TEAM to cheer for, this season of forty-some-odd wins.
I am a realist.
A little about me: My favorite players of past are Rasheed Wallace, JR Rider, Walt Williams, and Joe Wolf. I love good stories. And damnit, I am a tried and true Blazers fan.
I endured the fiasco that was our 17-point undoing at the hands of Kobe and Shaq while going to school in southern California. I watched as the Lakers won three consecutive championships while the Blazers started down the road to NBA-obscurity, while most of my classmates were having their wildest dreams come true thanks to the purple and gold. Now I hope it is our time. Cautiously I look forward to this year, and this blog, and hope that our young players can bring Rip City back to Portland.
Currently I live in Washington, DC. I was home for the draft though, and when we drafted Oden I almost canceled my return flight and bought season tickets. Maybe if we have three all-stars I will move back to Portland this year. In all reality though, I will be in LA come the new year, and hopefully watching the undoing of the Lakers first hand. A retribution of sorts.
I look forward to this, and hope that others find it entertaining as well, and that our promising young squad can produce more than just excitement. Namely, wins.
KT
Every time I have told someone in the past few years that I am, indeed, a Blazers fan, I have felt like the newest member of an AA group. This summer, as we all know, the tide may have begun to turn. But I still embark on this blog with a little trepidation. To commit myself to contributing to this blog is to commit myself to all the inevitable ups and downs that this season will bring. This season of bloated hopes riding on young players shoulder, this season of renewed fervor in a city looking for a TEAM to cheer for, this season of forty-some-odd wins.
I am a realist.
A little about me: My favorite players of past are Rasheed Wallace, JR Rider, Walt Williams, and Joe Wolf. I love good stories. And damnit, I am a tried and true Blazers fan.
I endured the fiasco that was our 17-point undoing at the hands of Kobe and Shaq while going to school in southern California. I watched as the Lakers won three consecutive championships while the Blazers started down the road to NBA-obscurity, while most of my classmates were having their wildest dreams come true thanks to the purple and gold. Now I hope it is our time. Cautiously I look forward to this year, and this blog, and hope that our young players can bring Rip City back to Portland.
Currently I live in Washington, DC. I was home for the draft though, and when we drafted Oden I almost canceled my return flight and bought season tickets. Maybe if we have three all-stars I will move back to Portland this year. In all reality though, I will be in LA come the new year, and hopefully watching the undoing of the Lakers first hand. A retribution of sorts.
I look forward to this, and hope that others find it entertaining as well, and that our promising young squad can produce more than just excitement. Namely, wins.
KT
Ime, We Hardly Knew Ye
While I am really excited and very optimistic about our chances this season, and I am generally quite happy with how Pritchard has remodeled the team, he just made one mistake that's damn near unforgivable.
He let Ime Udoka walk away.
Now, I realize that there was a bit of a stand-off between management and Udoka's buffoon of an agent, and I understand that the Blazers couldn't afford to sign him for $4 million a season, which is what his camp was demanding at the beginning of the negoatiations. I understand that in the meantime, we chose to use that $4 mil a year, part of our MLE, to get Steve Blake back, instead of waiting for Udoka to budge on his price. We couldn't sign both of them under the MLE, and Udoka was still holding out.
He let Ime Udoka walk away.
Now, I realize that there was a bit of a stand-off between management and Udoka's buffoon of an agent, and I understand that the Blazers couldn't afford to sign him for $4 million a season, which is what his camp was demanding at the beginning of the negoatiations. I understand that in the meantime, we chose to use that $4 mil a year, part of our MLE, to get Steve Blake back, instead of waiting for Udoka to budge on his price. We couldn't sign both of them under the MLE, and Udoka was still holding out.
Fine. I understand choosing Blake over Udoka. In fact, I would have done the same thing. We needed someone solid running the point more than we needed another small forward. Simple.
But then, Ime's price dropped. Turns out he ended up getting an offer from San Antonio that was only slightly higher than the veteran minimum. He took the offer, because that was the only offer he had left on the table. The Blazers didn't meet the offer, and that's where the mistake was made. Did Pritchard's pride get in the way of this non-offer? Was he so offended at the original contract demand that he cut off communication with Udoka's camp? You're telling me that Ime wouldn't have signed with Portland if we matched the Spurs' offer? Hard to believe, that.Ime proved himself last year, and he deserved a chance to come back. And even if you ignore the fact that he's a local guy, that he was involved in the community, and that the fans loved him, from a basketball standpoint, he was worth keeping, especially at the bargain price of $1 million a season, which we could have afforded with the rest of our MLE. He's a hard worker who plays with a chip on his shoulder and can hit the open three consistently. And if you want to judge it by numbers, James Jones, his replacement, was outscored, outrebounded, outdimed, shot 10% less from the field (!) and 3% less from three than Udoka last year.
Honestly, it's still too early to tell if this was a mistake. We won't know anything until November, at the very earliest. But if you're one of Pritchard's many rabid supporters, you'd better start wondering if all this great publicity surrounding the team these days has gone to his head. Signing second-rounders to guaranteed contracts, keeping four point guards on the roster...
Could Pritchard be in over his head?
TJH
Pleasure in Pain
Supporting the Blazers is like seeing a pretty girl at the grocery store, and noticing that she is alone and smiling at you very suggestively, and so you decide to approach her, only to see her boyfriend pop out at the last second, and he's wearing a pink Abercrombie and Fitch polo shirt two sizes too small and holding a giant ham.
Every day.
For 25 years.
But you carry on, and you keep going to get groceries there, because at least you get to see the pretty girl every day, and who knows, maybe someday the boyfriend won't pop out.
Every day.
For 25 years.
But you carry on, and you keep going to get groceries there, because at least you get to see the pretty girl every day, and who knows, maybe someday the boyfriend won't pop out.
Then what do you do?
TJHAnd So It Begins...
I was born into the Blazers.
See, I didn't really have any choice in the matter. In my family, you supported the Trail Blazers. I wasn't forced to ever go to church, like many kids I knew, or I didn't have parents with overbearing political beliefs that they tried to cram into my gullible head. I had choices. I could be who I wanted to be. Well, in all areas except one.
Not that I am complaining or anything. I am a Blazer supporter, and have been through and through. Thusly, as any supporter of the team would be able to understand, my relationship with the Blazers has been the most complex relationship I've ever had. They've contributed heavily to my caustic, dry personality, and yet my unfailingly optimistic outlook on life remains. Don't get your hopes up, because you know it's not over until the whistle blows. But hey, things can't get any worse, so things have to get better.
I guess I have my grandmother to blame more than anybody. Sports, or football, specifically, play a large part in English families, and in England, your weekends pretty much revolve around supporting your football club. Hers was Manchester United, as is mine. But when she came to the United States after the war, there was no more football to follow. United ran in her blood, but she needed some kind of outlet - she needed to support something that she had access to. There always needs to be some kind of emotional distraction or outlet from the banality of middle-class life - especially in the United States. Sports provides that. And now, with the Internet and satellite television, you can follow any sport, any club, from anywhere in the world. But then? You needed something local. You needed something close, affordable, and worth your time. You needed a distraction.
From what I understand, my family's distraction was following Portland Wrestling for a while, going to matches and generally acting like idiots.
Until the Blazers came.
It started badly in terms of wins and losses, but Portland still supported the team. Our identity was formed around the team and our rabid supporters. Then came 1977, and the Blazers were NBA champions, and 250,000 people skipped work to go to the parade, and Game 6 of the 1977 NBA Finals in Oregon had a 96%
share of the television audience - the largest share for any event in the history of television anywhere in the world. My parents were season ticket holders, and people in Portland worked their schedules around Blazer games. It must have been an incredible time, and I am incredibly bitter that I missed out.
I was born in 1982, and so by the time I was old enough to follow the team, the Blazers made the Finals twice in three years, and they completely took my life over. We would get together with the neighbors and family and have Blazer parties, everyone pitching in enough cash to buy the game off Blazer Cable. I would spend the night at my grandparents' house on weekend game nights, where I got to eat unlimited amounts of ice cream and listen to my grandma unload enough vitriol on Joey Crawford to make it sound as if he dropped kittens off bridges for fun. But we didn't win it all, and so my desire to experience supporting a champion grew even more.
I stayed keen throughout high school, when I got a job with the Blazers as a team attendant. It was my first job, and I can't imagine ever having a better one. I went to every home game for three years. I had front row seats for each game, and I got to experience first-hand NBA life. I got to talk to all the players, some of my heroes growing up, and I got to know some of them quite well. I have enough memories from my time with the team to fill countless pages. I will likely be sharing some of my experiences here on Rip City Forever, as well as further exploring and trying to explain the part of our hearts and psyche that are so inextricably linked to this team.
But mainly, the purpose of this project is to provide a diary of the upcoming season. I will be working with my old friend Kevin Thomas, a fellow Portland native and Blazer nut who will be corresponding from Los Angeles and will introduce himself on Rip City Forever shortly. We will be writing purely as fans, as two of the many Blazermaniacs that are still out there, and on behalf of the many more who are still in hiding, just waiting for the right time to pull their heads out of the sand and fully pledge themselves to the cause once more. Granted, our support has been chewed up and spit into the rubbish bin of our good graces time and time again, but there has never been a better time to stand up and bring the spirit to the streets.
The time for revolution is now.
TJH
See, I didn't really have any choice in the matter. In my family, you supported the Trail Blazers. I wasn't forced to ever go to church, like many kids I knew, or I didn't have parents with overbearing political beliefs that they tried to cram into my gullible head. I had choices. I could be who I wanted to be. Well, in all areas except one.
Not that I am complaining or anything. I am a Blazer supporter, and have been through and through. Thusly, as any supporter of the team would be able to understand, my relationship with the Blazers has been the most complex relationship I've ever had. They've contributed heavily to my caustic, dry personality, and yet my unfailingly optimistic outlook on life remains. Don't get your hopes up, because you know it's not over until the whistle blows. But hey, things can't get any worse, so things have to get better. I guess I have my grandmother to blame more than anybody. Sports, or football, specifically, play a large part in English families, and in England, your weekends pretty much revolve around supporting your football club. Hers was Manchester United, as is mine. But when she came to the United States after the war, there was no more football to follow. United ran in her blood, but she needed some kind of outlet - she needed to support something that she had access to. There always needs to be some kind of emotional distraction or outlet from the banality of middle-class life - especially in the United States. Sports provides that. And now, with the Internet and satellite television, you can follow any sport, any club, from anywhere in the world. But then? You needed something local. You needed something close, affordable, and worth your time. You needed a distraction.
From what I understand, my family's distraction was following Portland Wrestling for a while, going to matches and generally acting like idiots.
Until the Blazers came.
It started badly in terms of wins and losses, but Portland still supported the team. Our identity was formed around the team and our rabid supporters. Then came 1977, and the Blazers were NBA champions, and 250,000 people skipped work to go to the parade, and Game 6 of the 1977 NBA Finals in Oregon had a 96%
share of the television audience - the largest share for any event in the history of television anywhere in the world. My parents were season ticket holders, and people in Portland worked their schedules around Blazer games. It must have been an incredible time, and I am incredibly bitter that I missed out.I was born in 1982, and so by the time I was old enough to follow the team, the Blazers made the Finals twice in three years, and they completely took my life over. We would get together with the neighbors and family and have Blazer parties, everyone pitching in enough cash to buy the game off Blazer Cable. I would spend the night at my grandparents' house on weekend game nights, where I got to eat unlimited amounts of ice cream and listen to my grandma unload enough vitriol on Joey Crawford to make it sound as if he dropped kittens off bridges for fun. But we didn't win it all, and so my desire to experience supporting a champion grew even more.
I stayed keen throughout high school, when I got a job with the Blazers as a team attendant. It was my first job, and I can't imagine ever having a better one. I went to every home game for three years. I had front row seats for each game, and I got to experience first-hand NBA life. I got to talk to all the players, some of my heroes growing up, and I got to know some of them quite well. I have enough memories from my time with the team to fill countless pages. I will likely be sharing some of my experiences here on Rip City Forever, as well as further exploring and trying to explain the part of our hearts and psyche that are so inextricably linked to this team.
But mainly, the purpose of this project is to provide a diary of the upcoming season. I will be working with my old friend Kevin Thomas, a fellow Portland native and Blazer nut who will be corresponding from Los Angeles and will introduce himself on Rip City Forever shortly. We will be writing purely as fans, as two of the many Blazermaniacs that are still out there, and on behalf of the many more who are still in hiding, just waiting for the right time to pull their heads out of the sand and fully pledge themselves to the cause once more. Granted, our support has been chewed up and spit into the rubbish bin of our good graces time and time again, but there has never been a better time to stand up and bring the spirit to the streets.
The time for revolution is now.
TJH
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