May
22
It's hard to believe it's been just seven months since I started following the Portland Trail Blazers. There are some around the site who have an idea of how that come about and when I talk about an idea, I mean more of a whom.
I was in my college dorm room one October day as my roommate, known here as
Kassandra, was preparing to stream the online audio of a pre-season game. I'd listened in the background to a couple other games she had streamed and noticed her really getting into it.
There was just a little over an hour left before game time.when I, rather than innocently I thought, posed my quandary: "Kasey, what's is it that's so great about the Blazers?"
As I look back on her response, especially that initial look of confusion on her face (something resembling a "How could anyone NOT love the Blazers?"), I cannot imagine not laughing about the nearly 50-minute crash course I received of information about the team, its players and the best fans in the world. It was enlightening and she was certainly enthusiastic. I understood. and then she added one last thing: "The best way to understand the Blazers, and a fan's love for them, is to become a fan yourself." I did.
I've been welcomed on this site and twitter (my roommate again, claiming she channeled her inner Patty Mills to get me to sign up!) by several other Blazers fans and that's been absolutely incredible. I feel as if I've been a fan for much longer. Despite the fact I was born and raised just northwest of Los Angeles, I've never been much of a fan of either NBA team in my area (Clippers too unremarkable, Lakers too arrogant). his year, all that changed when I saw these guys grow into a brotherhood.
As a matter of fact, the only thing I've been chided for here was for saying I thought Luke Babbitt was kind of cute, like an all-american boy next door type.
I am entering my first full off season with the Blazers. While I don't want to see major sweeping changes, I realize it might be inevitable. I don't know what changes will be made, but I know what the team needs to take it's next step. That's a couple more pieces to the puzzle and health. While I'm not looking forward to saying farewell to any of these guys, I am looking forward to saying hello to the new guys.
So I've been a rookie fan this past season and whatever next season brings, I'll be there next to my roommate (yes, we'll be roommates next year as well!) while we stream the games.
Julianne
EDIT: At the beginning of the second to last paragraph, I alluded to Rich Cho and I entering our first full off season with the Blazers. Given Cho's departure on May 23, I have deleted that reference.