Frustrated Oregonians

Alright, a non-T-Biggs entry. Mostly about sports.

I've just eliminated everyone from my readership except Jake(s).

The Blazers announced today that they will be firing Maurice Cheeks. I don't disagree with this move, as a concept, but the timing is lousy. Portland was featured in almost every trade rumor all season, and they let the trade deadline come and go without making a move. You're telling me that no one wants Shareef's salary coming off the books? Sure, the Blazers are loaded with overpaid undesirables, but the management has to do something. This team is going nowhere, and fast. They should gamble on their young guns (Telfair) and do their best to absolve themselves of elaphantine contracts (Stoudamire, Darius). They had that playoff streak for way too long. There is no way to win an NBA title without going through the lottery. Unless you're the Lakers, in which case you just spend for it. Think about it, other than the post-millenial Lakers, every NBA champion of the last umpteenth years has featured a superstar that they've drafted. Um...oh yeah, except the Pistons, but they're an anomaly. Jordan, Hakeem, TD, Bird, etc...

An enormous playoff run...and I'm talking 15 plus years (not 8,9,10) only inhibits the future growth of your team. The veterans get older, lose their trade value, the team becomes maxed out trying to support their contracts, and there is no one to pick up the torch, because they haven't had any quality draft picks....due to the damn streak. The Blazers and the Jazz of the two longest playoff runs in recent NBA memory...and how many titles did they win? None. None. None.

I know the Blazers are an impossible team to root for. I find it impossible to root for them 90% of the time. But every once in awhile, they put a game together that makes me remember why it is I became a sports fan. The "good ol' days" of Drexler, Porter, Kersey, Duckworth, Williams, Robinson, Young, Ainge, etc...aren't coming back, and I doubt Randolph, Miles, and Pryzbviflaa will fill those shoes, but, they're the only team I have to root for. I'm not into football and baseball as much, not because I don't like those sports, but because I don't have a "team" that I can get behind. E and Jake(s) always complain about the Vikings and the Twins and being a small market and this and that and this and that, but they would never wish that those clubs had never existed. If the Vikings are down, they have hope for the Twins or Wolves, or vice versa...if the Blazers are down, well, I have all summer to think about how they'll probably be down again next year.

I wish the team was different, I wish I had something to cheer for, but I don't with that they never existed.

Anyway, Mo's firing stinks. Let him finish the year. We're clearly not making the playoffs. Dump some contracts. Pick up some likable guys. Build fan support. Create a positive game experience. Draft some horses. Sign a marquee free agent. Start winning again.