Hey again,
Apparently, month #2 of school is also a bitch. I have barely had time to breathe or do laundry.
Much less blog.
But I did manage to catch the last quarter of the Blazers-Sonics tonight (by ignoring that huge stack of tests, mind you) and I was impressed by the boys' comeback. It looked like Seattle (with their new coach, PJ "the screamer" Carlissimo -- let's just say I understand why Spree wanted to throttle him) was going to pull it off in the Rose Garden. But then BRoy got an unbelievable rebound in serious traffic and kicked it out to Martell of all people. "MW for three" doesn't really have a ring to it. Yet. But it could grow on me.
It seems our boys were out to an early lead but most of the second half was all Seattle, who went up to a similar 13 point lead in the third. I tuned in in the fourth, and watched to the end.
It was pretty exciting. Travis Outlaw looked good on defense against Szerbiak (?) and even the Vanilla Gorilla had some moves. They didn't give up, didn't give in, defended well, and got stops when they needed them. Their pre-season record goes to 4-2 and winds up Friday night.
Say what you want about pre-season means nothing. I think for a team trying to build chemistry and solidify efforts, a comeback win against rival Seattle is just what the doctor ordered. Fans were really enjoying the RG and reports were all the screens are Hi Def now.
Pre-season stats so far have the Blazers at 84% for FT, up substantially from last year. This is good. However, my boy Steve Blake did a Shaq imitation late in the game that fortunately didn't cost them the whole thing. Dude. Gottsta make the freethrows. No excuses.
BRoy looked like he was back in fine form and Webster looked surprisingly competent on the three pointers. Maybe he's ready to be consistent this year. Jarrett Jack had a few nice moves inside and as mentioned T-Law brought some D. All in all, an excellent effort that paid off.
Looking forward to many more close games on the new Comcast channel Nov. 1.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Miles ready to be a team player. Jury out.
I apologize for my extended absence on this blog. The first month of school is a bitch.
Anyway -- article on OLive about DMiles and how he has "fallen in love with the work ethic and character" of our team in the last year he has been out. Hmm.
Now. I ain't saying people can't change. But this is pretty out there from the $48 Million, I wanna be traded, get me outta PDX guy we saw last year. Maybe Miles has grown up. He has a wife and a kid on the way. Maybe his partner in crimes Randolph is long gone and he figures he better get with the program, as in Nate's program.
He says himself in the article that actions speak louder than words. You got that right.
And really, since the last time he gave an interview was a year ago, it's been pretty quiet.
And by that I mean, no traffic stops. No arrests. No 911 transcripts. No reports of dog abuse.
All the usual "I don't want to be a Blazer anymore" behavior. And, he's lost 25 pounds, has logged quite a bit of time in the practice facility, and seems to be a changed man.
I do know that when I saw the GO interview last week, and he said he had been "talking to Miles" I wanted to scream, Run Away, Greg. Run away! because I still think Miles is locker room poision, until and unless I get some proof to the contrary.
Time will tell.
Anyway -- article on OLive about DMiles and how he has "fallen in love with the work ethic and character" of our team in the last year he has been out. Hmm.
Now. I ain't saying people can't change. But this is pretty out there from the $48 Million, I wanna be traded, get me outta PDX guy we saw last year. Maybe Miles has grown up. He has a wife and a kid on the way. Maybe his partner in crimes Randolph is long gone and he figures he better get with the program, as in Nate's program.
He says himself in the article that actions speak louder than words. You got that right.
And really, since the last time he gave an interview was a year ago, it's been pretty quiet.
And by that I mean, no traffic stops. No arrests. No 911 transcripts. No reports of dog abuse.
All the usual "I don't want to be a Blazer anymore" behavior. And, he's lost 25 pounds, has logged quite a bit of time in the practice facility, and seems to be a changed man.
I do know that when I saw the GO interview last week, and he said he had been "talking to Miles" I wanted to scream, Run Away, Greg. Run away! because I still think Miles is locker room poision, until and unless I get some proof to the contrary.
Time will tell.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Oden era, interrupted
Well. Our worst fears about the Blazer admin's silence were realized as GO had microfracture surgery and will be out for the 07-08 season. There was so much build up, so much hype, with the pick. So much celebration, even sober people had hangovers. Jerseys bigger than buildings hung around downtown. We partied at Pioneer Square. Season tickets sold upwards of $2 million the day the pick was announced.
But the ensuing reaction and headlines around town since the announcement (finally) that Oden will not play even one game his rookie year are as over the top as the partying. "Gloom and doom hits PDX" Sadness, grief. Blazer nation on suicide watch.
I am here to tell you to get over yourselves. GO was not the second coming of Christ and his surgery is not the first sign of the end of the world. Really.
Dave from Blazer's Edge wrote an open letter to GO. He assured the 19 year old that his injury and inability to play right away will NOT mean Portlanders just will stay away in droves. Those types of fans are usually Laker fans. If the star is out, the Staples center is empty. Are Blazer fans that shallow ?
As Brandon Roy said on Courtside recently, GO is family. You don't desert family when the chips are down. You rally around him. Support and encourage him. Imagine how he feels. That's right. Some people saw banners hanging from the rafters, money signs in their eyes, and forgot that the "product" in this case is a 19 year old kid from out of town. And he and his mom, when he came out of surgery, said over and over to Nate and KP "we're so sorry, we're so sorry" as if his knee could have purposely messed itself up to keep Portlanders from their overhyped dreams of granduer. This is not about YOU, portland fans. It's about Greg Oden. Stop whining
and support your team, ALL of them. And let Greg do his rehab without the guilt trip.
But the ensuing reaction and headlines around town since the announcement (finally) that Oden will not play even one game his rookie year are as over the top as the partying. "Gloom and doom hits PDX" Sadness, grief. Blazer nation on suicide watch.
I am here to tell you to get over yourselves. GO was not the second coming of Christ and his surgery is not the first sign of the end of the world. Really.
Dave from Blazer's Edge wrote an open letter to GO. He assured the 19 year old that his injury and inability to play right away will NOT mean Portlanders just will stay away in droves. Those types of fans are usually Laker fans. If the star is out, the Staples center is empty. Are Blazer fans that shallow ?
As Brandon Roy said on Courtside recently, GO is family. You don't desert family when the chips are down. You rally around him. Support and encourage him. Imagine how he feels. That's right. Some people saw banners hanging from the rafters, money signs in their eyes, and forgot that the "product" in this case is a 19 year old kid from out of town. And he and his mom, when he came out of surgery, said over and over to Nate and KP "we're so sorry, we're so sorry" as if his knee could have purposely messed itself up to keep Portlanders from their overhyped dreams of granduer. This is not about YOU, portland fans. It's about Greg Oden. Stop whining
and support your team, ALL of them. And let Greg do his rehab without the guilt trip.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Helllooooooo -- Oden to have surgery and other news
Ok -- survived back to school (mostly) and I am back in the blogging saddle, if you will. Only to find that the Blazers are playing all coy about our new face of the franchise and his knee issues.
Did we know going in that someone 7 foot 2 was gonna be high maintenance ? I kinda did.
First, tonsils. Now knee surgery. Geez. I can hear the collective OMG it's the return of Sam Bowie. (If you say who is that, you are not allowed to read my blog anymore -- at least until you do some googling and figure it out).
Look. He's 19. Does anyone born before 1970 even remember being 19 ? I barely can. I worked at Pizza Hut for $3.10 an hour and thought $90 a week was living way large. But I digress.
Perhaps the Blazer admin could calm some nerves by, say, giving an interview and saying, It's nothing. That would be the least I would expect. The silence makes people go, Oh S*** we should have taken Durant. Maybe we should have. But, we didn't. But the Blazer front office, Nate and KP owe the fan base, re-energized and paying way more than we ever thought possible for nose bleed seats, some explanation. Not even saying No comment is a bad move.
One hopes and prays for our collective Blazer Nation sakes that this is not a serious issue. If it is, let's go back to premise #1: he's 19. He's in shape. He will rehab quickly. It will be fine. And hey, he'll give some minutes to the other 10 or 12 on the bench that need to develop.
Really. Big picture, people. It will be fine.
Did we know going in that someone 7 foot 2 was gonna be high maintenance ? I kinda did.
First, tonsils. Now knee surgery. Geez. I can hear the collective OMG it's the return of Sam Bowie. (If you say who is that, you are not allowed to read my blog anymore -- at least until you do some googling and figure it out).
Look. He's 19. Does anyone born before 1970 even remember being 19 ? I barely can. I worked at Pizza Hut for $3.10 an hour and thought $90 a week was living way large. But I digress.
Perhaps the Blazer admin could calm some nerves by, say, giving an interview and saying, It's nothing. That would be the least I would expect. The silence makes people go, Oh S*** we should have taken Durant. Maybe we should have. But, we didn't. But the Blazer front office, Nate and KP owe the fan base, re-energized and paying way more than we ever thought possible for nose bleed seats, some explanation. Not even saying No comment is a bad move.
One hopes and prays for our collective Blazer Nation sakes that this is not a serious issue. If it is, let's go back to premise #1: he's 19. He's in shape. He will rehab quickly. It will be fine. And hey, he'll give some minutes to the other 10 or 12 on the bench that need to develop.
Really. Big picture, people. It will be fine.
Monday, August 20, 2007
SI.com recognizes Daddy Mac as coach of the future
Ian Thomsen lists his All-Future roster today at SI.com and Nate McMillan gets some love:
COACH
Coach Nate McMillan Portland Trail Blazers
If he can survive the next couple of years with his ultra-young roster, he could develop a Popovichesque relationship with Greg Oden. McMillan has the work ethic, defensive mind-set and integrity to become a championship coach.
Nice to see that some sportswriters recognize that it mostly comes back to good coaching, regardless of roster. Oh, and Oden makes the All Future list (5 years from now) as a reserve, along with Durant and DWade.
COACH
Coach Nate McMillan Portland Trail Blazers
If he can survive the next couple of years with his ultra-young roster, he could develop a Popovichesque relationship with Greg Oden. McMillan has the work ethic, defensive mind-set and integrity to become a championship coach.
Nice to see that some sportswriters recognize that it mostly comes back to good coaching, regardless of roster. Oh, and Oden makes the All Future list (5 years from now) as a reserve, along with Durant and DWade.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Ime headed to San Anton
In a move Portland is sure to live to regret, Ime Udoka is leaving town. Headed for Texas.
To me, this is similar to the woman who puts her husband through med school and then he dumps her when he becomes a doctor. Lame. Lame. Lame.
Apologies to Udoka, who is no girly-girl, but you get the point. The Blazers think they are all that and a bag of chips, now that Oden is in the picture. So no love for those that got you to this point. Nice.
According to the Oregonian today:
Udoka, who played at Jefferson High School and Portland State, will provide San Antonio with solid long-range shooting, superior perimeter defense and a tireless work ethic.
The Blazers invited him to their training camp last season as an afterthought, but he blossomed into an opening-day starter. He started 75 games at small forward, averaging 8.4 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game, and shot 46.1 percent from the field, including 40.6 percent from three-point range. Before the breakout season, Udoka was a journeyman, making professional stops in Europe, the NBA Development League and the NBA. "He's excited to start the next phase of his career," Cowan said. "He wants to be a Spur for a long time."
This is extremely bad basketball karma. The Blazers better hope Outlaw is a hell of a trophy wife. Those starter wives often get the last laugh.
To me, this is similar to the woman who puts her husband through med school and then he dumps her when he becomes a doctor. Lame. Lame. Lame.
Apologies to Udoka, who is no girly-girl, but you get the point. The Blazers think they are all that and a bag of chips, now that Oden is in the picture. So no love for those that got you to this point. Nice.
According to the Oregonian today:
Udoka, who played at Jefferson High School and Portland State, will provide San Antonio with solid long-range shooting, superior perimeter defense and a tireless work ethic.
The Blazers invited him to their training camp last season as an afterthought, but he blossomed into an opening-day starter. He started 75 games at small forward, averaging 8.4 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game, and shot 46.1 percent from the field, including 40.6 percent from three-point range. Before the breakout season, Udoka was a journeyman, making professional stops in Europe, the NBA Development League and the NBA. "He's excited to start the next phase of his career," Cowan said. "He wants to be a Spur for a long time."
This is extremely bad basketball karma. The Blazers better hope Outlaw is a hell of a trophy wife. Those starter wives often get the last laugh.
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Canzano to launch radio show in September
The sports guy that Oregon sports fans love to hate is expanding his "Bald Face Truth" segment from local ESPN drive time to 4 nights a week on KXL, statewide, next month.
The first thing that came to my mind is Thank God, that means less Michael Savage.
The second thing was -- wait. The "can't ever say anything good about the Blazers" guy ?
Is going to work for the KXL owned Paul Allen, to talk sports including the Paul Allen owned Blazers ? Huh.
According to Canzano's blog, he has been granted 100% editorial control and autonomy. Which for someone who often does nothing but criticize is brave or stupid on Blazer management's part. At the very least it implies a lot of confidence in the new team.
Just saw the quote from Blazers first lieutenant, Mike Golub, who said:
"John Canzano is a lightning-rod for controversy and nobody knows that better than we do. With that being said, we feel confident about the direction of our organization and the new chapter of the team. Portland sports fans are passionate about the Trail Blazers and passionate about John's opinions. ... While we may not always agree with what John might say, this new partnership will add an unprecedented level of transparency."
Which, if you remember a couple years ago, was the last thing the Blazer management was about. The local media and the team were sworn enemies during the 90s and earlier this decade. This represents about 180% from the Blazer suits' earlier efforts.
So I guess that's all good. Although, it's kinda suspicious. It would be like the Bush administration saying Come on in, and we'll tell you all about the last six years, no problem.
Or like Darth Vader giving a seminar on sensitivity training. Odd.
Most of the time, I don't mind Canzano. I think his bark is worse than his bite in most cases.
I think he lives to piss people off and it's mostly an act for ratings. I also think it's good for the Blazers to be accountable to someone who does not romanticize the team and its baggage.
Dissent is the highest form of patriotism, and perhaps also of fandom.
The first thing that came to my mind is Thank God, that means less Michael Savage.
The second thing was -- wait. The "can't ever say anything good about the Blazers" guy ?
Is going to work for the KXL owned Paul Allen, to talk sports including the Paul Allen owned Blazers ? Huh.
According to Canzano's blog, he has been granted 100% editorial control and autonomy. Which for someone who often does nothing but criticize is brave or stupid on Blazer management's part. At the very least it implies a lot of confidence in the new team.
Just saw the quote from Blazers first lieutenant, Mike Golub, who said:
"John Canzano is a lightning-rod for controversy and nobody knows that better than we do. With that being said, we feel confident about the direction of our organization and the new chapter of the team. Portland sports fans are passionate about the Trail Blazers and passionate about John's opinions. ... While we may not always agree with what John might say, this new partnership will add an unprecedented level of transparency."
Which, if you remember a couple years ago, was the last thing the Blazer management was about. The local media and the team were sworn enemies during the 90s and earlier this decade. This represents about 180% from the Blazer suits' earlier efforts.
So I guess that's all good. Although, it's kinda suspicious. It would be like the Bush administration saying Come on in, and we'll tell you all about the last six years, no problem.
Or like Darth Vader giving a seminar on sensitivity training. Odd.
Most of the time, I don't mind Canzano. I think his bark is worse than his bite in most cases.
I think he lives to piss people off and it's mostly an act for ratings. I also think it's good for the Blazers to be accountable to someone who does not romanticize the team and its baggage.
Dissent is the highest form of patriotism, and perhaps also of fandom.
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