Since the very first time that I watched the Portland Trailblazers play, I have been captivated by the skills that these grown men had.  I lived my life assuming that the Blazers would never lose, as long as they played to the best of their abilities.  But because the NBA consists of teams that have men, just as the Blazers did, it was never with certainty that the red, black and silver would always come away with a victory.  

I guess this is what actually made my fascination with the NBA that much more intense.  In the NBA, any team could beat any other team on any given night.  Not knowing who was going to win, added a mix of excitement, anticipation and relief or failure depending on the outcome of the game.  But most of all, it left me with a desire to watch the next one to see what would happen.  Back then, winning and losing meant something more than revenue shares and media attention.  It meant that for a day, we could relish in a victory over our opponent, while anticipating the challenge of our next.

But now, in today's im"media"te journalism, there is not time to relish in any success.  The point of winning is no longer the enjoyment of success or to be embraced by the moment.  In this race to determine the winner before the game is even played, leads to open criticism when teams fail to meet the media's expectations.  Analysts and sports writers urge fans to forget team mantras, franchise goals and player development, and sway the public to press for immediate goals, even if unattainable.  You can't report on tomorrow's win unless it happens.  That doesn't stop analysts and commentators from patting themselves on the back when they finally get one of their guesses right, or condemning the team that made their analysis look silly.  

When a player makes the right statement, the media gives him the thumbs up and declares that any GM would be an idiot to pass on such a guy.  If another player doesn't smile when the cameras are in his face, it becomes a potential knock against his character.  What's worse, the fans that look to the media for objective journalism are somewhat duped into thinking that this assessment is made by an individual with respectable knowledge of the league and the individual being scrutinized.  

And so begins that power play between franchises looking for what is best for their organizations, and the media trying to create the news, instead of reporting it.  As fans of the game, we suffer most.  

After digesting the long tributes about player potential and the ad nauseam comparisons to former and current players, fans are left with little to look forward to.  It's as if the media has forced the fans to consume all hope and joy up front leaving empty wells, once filled with fan enthusiasm.  

Last year, the Portland Trailblazers brought a little suspense back into our hearts.  During the last half of the season, we had surpassed the expectations set out by the franchise management.  Win or lose, we could enjoy the game for what it was, an uncertainty that could be defined as a win or loss, rather than a success or a failure.  Portland fans were pulled to the edge of their seats, hoping that our guys were going to be able to gut it out against a more experience team, instead of being repulsed by a failure to produce.  Once again, we are able to embrace the team for what it is: a group of young guys that faced the league to the best of their abilities and proved that with hard work and the support of fans, basketball can be fun and exciting again, without having to base all of the success on the total number of wins.

There was once a time when the NBA wasn't just about the money.  It was about being the best of the best.  Wins came with desire and desire came from wanting to win.  I want to be captivated again, surprised and held is suspense as the team makes its way towards the ultimate goal of winning a championship.  Media speculation has put a tainted skew on the success of incoming players.  If a player has success, it is still considered a failure in comparison to individuals who have attained greater success.  

How many knocks went against Magic or Bird for not winning as many championships as Russell?  What about MJ and Kobe for not averaging as many points as Wilt.  When these young guys come into this league, the first thing some analyst does is try to slap on a label and set ultra high expectations for these players, all in the name of being the first to classify this guy or that guy.  

These players only become busts after failing to meet the expectations placed on them by the media.  Teams like the Blazers, Spurs and the Bulls ignore that type of hype, choosing players that they feel fit their team concept of culture.  I'm sure that KP would have preferred to keep out of the spotlight during this decision making process and then address all the hype after the fact.  But let's face it the media wants to feed the public.  I consider the speculation and analysis more like candy than a nutritional snack.  Too much candy will make you overweight and unhealthy.  It's hard for fans to break that cycle, with the immediate availability of sugar laced rumors and juicy tidbits of smart sounding hypothesis.

With Oden as our selection, anything less than a finals run in two years will mean a slight against the franchise.  Even if we win, it will be expected and some of the luster would be lost on the "Eventuality" factor.  

But with Durant, there is an obvious uncertainty about the success that he could bring to the team.  One of the elements that made the '77 team such an icon of NBA magic is that they were not expected to win it all.  And when they did, they did it as a team.  This only amplified the joy of success.

Now we can get into debates about whether or not if Oden is selected that this will become Oden's team, or if Durant comes to this team this will become Durant's team.  

The ultimate question is: who will complete this team and make the Portland Trailblazers an exciting, successful and determined team.  

And, when you close your eyes and picture each of these guys filling a role on this squad, if you still can't decide which player will bring the Blazers the most glory, then you may be just where you need to be.  Getting caught up in the excitement of not knowing the future and sitting back, letting the players lead us to victory, not the media.