The recent chatter concerning Greg Oden's bulking up has raised some questions for me:

How much is Odie "owned" by the Blazers?
Is it all spelled out explicitly in his contract? Where do Greg's personal rights end and the Trailblazer's rights to his body begin? It is intriguing to me to think a team owns the rights to a still developing youngster and can "shape" him to conform to a particular need. For example, Nate wanting a wiry-strong body for his style of play. Another coach may want a bulky wide-body for another style and need. A young developing body is like clay in the hands of a potter. How will this tinkering affect a young man later in life? How would an athlete's body naturally develop without the intense isolation training?

Where's the communication?
How was Greg allowed to get so top-heavy before Nate had to say "Whoa!"? Aren't these things covered in staff meetings? Why do we rarely hear from Oden's agent?

Have we really come that far?
With all the modern shoe technology, R & D, training methods, innovative offensive and defensive schemes - in essence, making a science out of winning games - has the game really improved over the years? Sure, players do fly higher and the average physical size of teams has increased. But I bet we still have as many or more injuries, careers are shorter, and overall fan interest in pro basketball has diminished.

I suppose it's just the natural evolution of the game where equipment, strength training and cerebral court concepts are emphasized so much that we find the simpler, inner virtues like heart, effort and the will to win sometimes so wanting. I can understand doing all one is able to make winning happen but is there now a line one eventually crosses where he becomes more machine than man?

This may be much ado about nothing and I admit to ignorance. But that's why I'm asking. What do you think?