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The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
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  1. Tobyus Sanchezo
    Tobyus Sanchezo
    Posts: 1600

    Posted 04/11/2009 3:46 PM

    A few years back, my friends and I used to say "Go Blazers" to people as a conversation starter. A lot of folks would make statements like "I don't watch games anymore, because the Blazers have some bad apples on the team."
    I always figured that people lost interest in the Blazers because we were losing so many games. But now I can see how Portland fans care about the player's personalities as much, if not more, then winning and losing.
    If you'd lost interest for the Trailblazers in the past, and I know there's a lot of you, there's no Blazer bandwagon, only Blazermania!
    I am a fan of playoffs in two zero one three
  1. RipCityRevival
    RipCityRevival
    Posts: 683

    Posted 04/12/2009 11:34 PM

    I like where you are going with this, but more needs to be said. I myself was burned by those bad apples. I still would listen to, or watch the games on TV, because I LOVE the game and Portland is my team, but I didn't care to go to the games or sport the gear. Portland is a unique town. Rudy said that playing here is strange because if he is seen walking down the street, people acknowledge him and a few people will ask for autographs, but it isn't out of control like in Europe. The truth is, there is no place like Portland when it comes to the people. We love our Blazers, but we have a level of respect for them as human beings that isn't found anywhere else in the world. We are a town that boycotted a Playoff team, and continued to boycott until all the "bad apples" were disposed of. Then when they got the pieces in place, we sold out a team that barely made .500 last season. After years of yellow hummers, strip clubs, metal detectors, and who could forget the dog fighting? Not to mention a registered sex offender, the loading dock after a game, and the most technicals for a single player in an NBA season. Crawl spaces, multiple DUI's in Clackamas County alone, and a girl and her friends posing for photos in a hotel room. The saddest part about what I pointed out, is that I didn't get everything in there. Then, the last two years all the national media has been telling the world that they can count out Portland because you can't have all "good guys" and expect to win games. That you need to have a guy with attitude and guys with attitude get into trouble once in a while. Well, look at us now. The youngest team to be in the position we are in. We have the opportunity to have home court advantage in the first round of the Playoffs, and a team of great guys that are talking about trying for the championship this year. Whether they can accomplish it or not, no matter what the odds are, that is their goal. Going into next season, that will be their goal. This is not just about winning the game of basketball, it is about proving a point to the rest of the world that you don't have to lie, cheat, or steal to get ahead in life. It is about having good rolemodels for Portland's young again. This is bigger than the game and the respect for Portland, it is about the city itself and how we want to be represented around the world. Congrats to the Blazers for their accomplishments, but also Portland should feel very proud of themselves for pushing managment to make the right decision.
    I am a fan of #20 in the rafters, but #1 in our hearts and prayers...The Enforcer
  1. Tobyus Sanchezo
    Tobyus Sanchezo
    Posts: 1600

    Posted 04/13/2009 2:17 PM

    OK! Allright! The Blazers had some horribly, rotten apples. Thanks for the memory jog there partner.
    I am a fan of playoffs in two zero one three
  1. Dman
    Dman
    Posts: 101

    Posted 04/14/2009 9:26 AM

    As far as I am concerned, 98% of the credit for the positive turnaround goes to the fans. We let them know we were tired of it and wouldn't support it. We got what we want. A positive team and and a winning season.

    BLAZERMANIA BABY!
    I am a fan of Since 1969 when the NBA awarded Portland the franchise.
  1. HowardLee84
    HowardLee84

    Posted 04/14/2009 11:11 AM

    That was an absolutely fantastic post RipCityRevival.

    It's absolutely great to see that a team of "nice guys" are getting the job done. Everyone wants it when they step out onto the boards and you can tell that. Even on a lot more road games this season you've been able to see the desire in the players to get the job done and the team spirit they have.

    Good point about the fans as well Dman. We can beat anyone at home and our atmosphere is fantastic. I think it's fair to say the team have surpassed a lot of our expectations for the season and that is showing in the love they're getting from the fans.

    It's been a wait for the playoffs so bring it on... Oh, and lets finish the regular season with a nice little win over Denver :)
    I am a fan of not being a fan of the close season :)
  1. shighkin
    shighkin
    Posts: 7

    Posted 05/04/2009 1:16 PM

    I remember around 2000 or 2001, Bonzi Wells was supposed to do a signing at a mall in Portland from 2-4. Me and my dad and my brother get in line, he shows up at 2:45, but leaves at 4 anyway. And he wasn't even signing autographs, what was happening was you pay a dollar (supposedly for school supplies for kids or something), and Bonzi hands you a ball, and you get to shoot it through a hoop.

    I'm really glad we have guys now who respect their fans.
  1. RipCityRevival
    RipCityRevival
    Posts: 683

    Posted 05/04/2009 1:49 PM

    I remember Telfair trying to get on a plane with a handgun in his bag. I remember fist fights at practice. Ryder had all kinds of trouble. I think the only one that got labeled in that era that didn't deserve it was Sabonis. His wife was a drunk, but Sabbas was a good guy. He shouldn't have gotten lumped in with the rest because his wife couldn't control herself. I hope some of the Rocket fans in here get a chance to read this so they can understand why we are so excited about where we are with the team we have. This is why we had a rally in Portland. It wasn't just about making the playoffs, it was about making the playoffs without sacrificing our values.
    I am a fan of #20 in the rafters, but #1 in our hearts and prayers...The Enforcer
  1. shighkin
    shighkin
    Posts: 7

    Posted 05/04/2009 3:18 PM

    My favorite player from that era was Brian Grant. Great player, great dude, no off the court issues. And then we trade him for Shawn Kemp, the coke addict. Fun times.

    But like someone above said, it had to be mostly the fan response that turned it around. I remember going to games in like 2003-2005, and I swear the Rose Garden would be half empty, and 2/3 of the people would leave by the middle of the 4th quarter. My parents went to a Paul McCartney concert at the Rose Garden in 2005 and they said that either him or the opening act or a crew person (I can't remember which) said something like "Hello Portland! Home of the Blazers!" and everybody started booing. I remember that I wasn't surprised in the slightest when they told me that story.

    I think, also, the two people that should get most of the credit for turning the team around are, obviously, KP and Nate. KP brought a completely different and fresh philosophy and was all about getting young guys and letting them develop together rather than going after aging veterans and guys with legal and attitude problems. And as for Nate, with all due respect to Mo Cheeks who I thought did the best he could with the team he was given and was treated very unfairly by the fans and media while he was our coach, has been a godsend. In his four years of coaching the Blazers, the team has gone from having the worst record in the league, at 21-61, to winning 54 games, being co-division winners, and making the playoffs for the first time in 6 years.
  1. RipCityRevival
    RipCityRevival
    Posts: 683

    Posted 05/06/2009 11:09 PM

    So with all this back in our memory, how can people even think about tossing ideas around like Sheed back to Portland, or Boozer, or half the players that are being tossed around. Granted, not all of them have criminal backgrounds, but they do have a history of being trouble in the locker room and jerks on the court. Why would we even think about revisiting that?
    I am a fan of #20 in the rafters, but #1 in our hearts and prayers...The Enforcer
  1. PTBunitd
    PTBunitd
    Posts: 31

    Posted 05/07/2009 9:36 AM

    i know i only talk about possibilities. if it were up to me, i really don't want ANYONE leaving Portland. I really do think that who will come in, is also a sort of touchy subject. There are "possibilities" however, when i talk about them, it's just a conversation thing.

    also, Von Wafer told to leave by Rick Adelman last night. I think Rip hit it on the nail by calling him a cancer.
    I am a fan of go ahead and close off the paint, we'll still destroy you from the perimeter.
  1. PTBunitd
    PTBunitd
    Posts: 31

    Posted 05/07/2009 9:50 AM

    Speaking of crazy ex's (players)

    My friend was friends with Zach Randolph's girlfriend of the time.

    Apparently he needs some therapy. lol
    I am a fan of go ahead and close off the paint, we'll still destroy you from the perimeter.
  1. Jackson
    Jackson
    Posts: 12

    Posted 07/16/2009 1:13 AM

    Don't forget Steve Smith... I always liked him.
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