Free Thinkers

A group of colonies who threw off their unjust government created a new one that had enough, and only enough, power to protect their newfound freedom, liberty, and to guarantee their ability to pursue happiness. Since then (weather by some fantastic conspiracy of those with power or because it is just simply the natural evolution of society) that government has completely stepped out of the boundaries set for it by it's people and have created another society where the masses work for little more than to keep those with power, in power.

My Trail Blazers blog

When Clyde Drexler, Terry Porter, Buck Williams, Jerome Kersey, and Kevin Duckworth were the Portland Trail Blazers there was a fever. This sickness that helped fuel an NBA championship performance in 1977 burned hot and very alive with a great group of players in the late 80's and early 90's. Those infected with the disease would be late getting their homework done, hate rival NBA teams, fill the sportsbars and the coliseum on game days, and laugh, cry , or cheer at their beloved team's performance. All across the northwest most strongly in Oregon people were diagnosed as "+" for Blazermania. Families gathered around their radio to listen to Bill Schonely call the plays and love hearing every time he was able to use his coined phrase "Rip City" when we heard the ball tear through the chords of the blazers net. Even in the mountains logging crews would shut down their entire operations so they can get to the sports bar and watch the blazers take on great teams like Magic’s Lakers, Isiah’s Pistons, and Jordan’s Bulls. Getting all the way to the finals to be beaten first by the Pistons, then by the Bulls and eventually passing the window of opportunity without another championship wasn’t enough to rid us of the virus. It took a decade of unrealized potential, lackadaisical play, poor management, and off court criminal behavior to empty the stands of fans. Even when we put good players on the floor with mental and physical discipline we never seemed to get a whole team together that wanted to fire the temperatures to full flame again. When we did get good players (good people and good players) like Brian Grant, management would never do what they needed to keep them here. In 2004 and 2005 it seemed the Northwest finally might have gotten a handle on the disease with record LOW attendance and fan support for the Blazers. It seams only the Virus Carriers were left to keep Blazermania on the charts as a possible contagion. The same people who don’t care how bad they do, or how many criminals the Blazers make millionaires- They still listen, watch, or attend almost every Blazer game cheering for their one or two favorite players and imagine a team if all of the players worked, played, and loved the game and the fans as much as them. Well, from the bottom there is only one place to go, UP!

The Trail Blazers during the 2006 NBA draft were leading the way with record breaking trades moving to put their team back on the map. By the end of the day the blazers added to their rosters 4 first round draft picks! Two of those drafts were predicted by many to go in the top 3. The comments from scouts and fans of those players not only report excellent players, but simply good people. Already on the books were other young players that started to show promise in 2005-2006. During the Las Vegas summer league the Trailblazers worked very hard to expose their fans to their young player's efforts through their web page and delayed radio broadcasts. Our young players did not disappoint us. Report after report came out offering praise. Our players, especially the play of Brandon Roy, has shown Blazer fans a glimpse of something from the past. It is given many different names like intelligence, poise, vibe, and presence. To the Blazermaniacs it is Hope. Hope that we have some players that show great promise and might bring back our cheers for a team that has a habit of not only winning games, but winning our support. The fear is still here and strong that the management of the team will ruin it, make some bad decision that takes away the potential they have received. Can the management give the team a chance to put something special together?

Recently resigned Joel Przybilla thinks so. One of Portland’s management jobs this summer was to deal with the probable loss of the veteran center. As a free agent Joel was courted over the summer by Chicago, Detroit, and San Antonio. All of these teams played deep into last years playoffs. It would take something pretty special for a free agent to pass up top dollars to play for a contending team. Most of us were wondering what we were going to do to fill the gap from the loss of Joel. The announcement from the blazers that Joel has actually chosen to come back to “problematic Portland” was a complete shock. Visit the Blazer’s home page and you can listen to interviews where Joel reveals that the reason he came back was not only a desire for him and his family to live in Portland (which as credit to the northwest is not uncommon) but a show of loyalty to a team that brought him in when others wouldn’t and a belief in what the Blazers have shown as a new direction for the team. Joel says he has the feeling that things are going to turn into something special in Portland and he wants to be part of it. Someone better call the center for disease control because all of the blazer fans I know are already talking of how they can’t wait to watch their blazers play this year and how these young talented prospects will develop. Let the psychosis spread across Oregon and the northwest as we wave goodbye to the Jail Blazers and hope for the return of our Trail Blazers and may the rival teams be prepared to once again stand in awe of the insanity of a coliseum, city, and state full of Blazermaniax!