KEVIN PRITCHARD READS BLAZERS EDGE!!!!!!!

to say hi to Kevin and thank him for helping me be proud to be a Blazer fan!!

We appreciate the diligent effort and hope you enjoy the incumbent rewards surely to surround our organization (Rip City baby)! We are proud to be fans of this era!! Thanks and can you say C H A M P I O N S H I P!!!

Hi Mr. Pritchard … thank you for what you’ve done for the Blazers … and for reading BE.

As for his BE identity? Here’s a previous guess from me : Some time ago (Subject)

I ventured that TP43 was actually KP. There were lots of similarities (and KP came right out and said he visited websites under assumed names). Has anyone seen a post from TP43 lately? Of course not, he’s much too busy preparing for the draft.

If it keep on Tradin’, the Team gonna break – BlueBooYay 6/21/08

by jorga on Jun 25, 2008 6:29 PM PDT

You are a class act that is bringing pride and integrity back to the organization. I can’t wait for the season to start!

Hey, KP! Alright!

Thanks for all you’ve done to transform this team’s culture so far. The work isn’t done, but it’s been SO much fun to watch it in progress. We can’t wait for the season!

Oh, by the way – I’m rec’ing this post for you, KP.

Thanks for calling me back last year after I left a message on your voice mail begging you to draft Greg Oden!
You didn’t have to do that at all, but you took the time to call back a random fan just to say thanks for the support.
You are a class act, and the Blazers are lucky to have you.

including from me. I want to thank you most of all for your vision and integrity.

I’ll bet you get lots of laughs from the speculation, trade suggestions, and peanut gallery coaching that run rampant here. Thanks for participating. Blazers Edge suddenly just got a whole lot more interesting!

It just makes too much sense.

can you please bring the Blazers down under for a few games??? PLEASE….

if only you could figure out the whole Comcast thing… Im so tired about talking about it, and now that I live on the U of O campus I have CSN. however it is not by choice. Put some pressure on those guys to get it figured out. My family drives about 90 mins to get to a game and has done it through the thick and thin. We’ve been season ticket holders since 75 and we wore the merchandise when it wasn’t cool. We watch games on choppy 2 inch windows on their computer via the internet because we love this team with a passion and can’t stand to miss a game and Comcast won’t sell to us. The Blazers have the best fans in the NBA, and many of them are being punished.

Hey Mr. Pritchard. You’ve done an amazing job with the team.

I bet he’s the guy who plays with the trade machine all day to get 3 or 4 team trades.

You’re doing a great job and delivering a product that we fans are proud of. I am sure one day you might make a mistake and be burned in effigy, but not by me, I’ll remember what it used to be like and how things have changed.

You’ve earned the phrase “In KP we trust.”

Now pardon me as I go back to sipping my “Culture Kool-aid” (out of a Clyde Drexler Dairy Queen cup!)

I feel proud to be a Blazer fan again….I can feel proud of the guys that are on the floor. And that can be directly attributed to your work.
Keep it up!

You are doing a great job with this team. This is a team that has really grown up. I hated this team in the Jail Blazer era, and now I am a rabid Trail Blazers fan, and even wearing my Trail Blazers hat. Many thanks to you, for being a big part in my love of the Trail Blazers. Keep up the good work. GO TRAIL BLAZERS and Brandon for MVP!

Mr. Pritchard, you are the best GM in sports. You restored integrity and hope to the only franchise I’ve ever cared about when I never thought it was possible. You are the man. Thank you.

Thanks for making this team bleed awesomeness and style. If Paul Allen offers YOU a lifetime contract, please take it. Also if when OKC comes to town you could organize/enact Dave’s greeting suggestion here that’d be awesome. Thanks.

PS: When are you retiring Terry Porter’s jersey?

We all know Mortimer is KP.

I am glad you work for the Blazers. Keep up the good work.

Your pal,

Tom

Man thanks a lot for all the wonderful job, you make it easy being a blazers fan, and I want to thank you for taking huge risks to bring such a high quality team…. Thanks to your vision and dedication, but don’t stop the great work…
Oh and if you need a special translator/helper for nic batman, don`t hesitate to hit me, I`m your french guy for the job!!! Bwaahahaha…. no seriously, `cause he seemed a bit lost at practice the past couple days, anything to help, ya know… ;)
alright, au revoir et merci!

KP, first off I just want to say that you are the best GM in the NBA and I wanted you to know that. I have been a longtime reader of Blazer’s Edge but have never set up an account or posted anything until now. I didn’t want the opportunity for me to thank you slip away. I’m excited for the season to start and for you to win Executive of the Year!

Ditto nearly every comment already made. It’s nice to be able to trust completely that our GM is making positive moves and always pushing the team in the right direction.

I would love to take this opportunity to express my gratitude for the reintroduction of culture you have given our favorite professional team in Portland. Your standards for success are infectious and your focus on thinking beyond the here and now have me hopeful for the future generations of Blazer teams. I am confident that your impact will be felt for years to come. You should be proud of the integrity in which your vision has meticulously been realized. There are not a lot of people in sports, much less GMs in the NBA that I would feel more comfortable in leading our team.

Thanks Again and keep up the hard work, we are all counting on you.

What’s up? Love what you have done with the Blazers, keep it up.

I sometimes worry that you will not get GM ot Y because all of your moves have taken a while to come to fruition, stunning moves on draft day to acquire talent and hours of study to figure out which players were the best. It makes me wonder if voters will look back over the past few years and take notice.

I suppose either way, it is noththing but icing on the cake and the true accomplishment is this team that you have assembled.

The best players in each draft have been your picks:

’06: Roy, LMA, Gay are the head of class and you got 66% of them
’07: Oden (probably), Durant, Horford, and Fernandez you got half of them
’08: TBD but Bayless was my first choice since Dec

http://www.blazersedge.com/2007/12/19/181434/04

and I think that he will end up as a top 5 rookie, maybe not in stats due to our deep team, but I will bet dollars to donuts that Bayless will be a starter and high scorer in the rookie/soph game.

Great job and let us hope that your vision and hardwork will lead us to the promised land in the next decade+

Thank you for giving us back our team.

but it can’t be him. KP woudn’t have nearly the time to spend on the word creations we see coming from Morty.

Thankyou Thankyou Thankyou! Thankyou for helping to build a team we can be proud to root for again!
P.S. In case you’ve been reading, sorry about that whole “Pritchslap” thing. I don’t use it anymore and encourage others to do the same. But, you get the idea right? You have almost gained mythological status around here. You might need to cut yourself (or tear off your clothes like Paul the Apostle) at the next home game to prove to us you’re human.

Many thanks from this blazer fan. We all really appreciate the hard work you have put in turning this franchise around.

I sometimes wonder that you don’t exhibit a “brain sprain” setting up some of the draft day deals you have become famous for!!

Keep up the good work !

- he would only be an infrequent poster ’cuz of time constraints

- he likely would not be promoting over the top expectations, perhaps even discouraging them.

- his posts would be well reasoned and sound

- he may comment in the negative on ridiculous but persistent trade rumors

- he would come to the defense of a Blazer related figure that was being chastised

- he of course would defend actions that were already taken by the team if they were being unduly criticized

- he would try to throw us off in some way, perhaps by posing as a female or a poster from Spain : )

- he would be compelled to post if he saw a need to dispel absurd and crazy notions, but probably only if they were becoming persistent

If I were a professional pro filer, which I’m of course not, I could probably come up with enough more to zero in on him. Actually, Dave fits my profile in most aspects except of course for the infrequent poster factor. So who else is out there that is kind of “Dave like”?

Anyone else have any thoughts along this line?

for cleaning up the jailblazers.

for being a genius

for making Portland Rip City again

and for positioning us to be THE dominant team in the west

for years to come.

Actually thanks isn’t enough.

but it’s the best I can do.

especially for the hard work and professionalism you bring to the organization. blazers fans are proud to have you running the show, and we’ll support you through thick and thin

You’ve done an awesome job, and I cant wait to see all these moves come to fruition with a Blazers title.
This team is on the right track there is no denying that.

and personality. Roy, Oden, and Aldridge can all get injured on the court. KP will have a much longer career than them. The Blazers are very lucky to have him and I appreciate the job he has done. He is the MVP of the franchise.

Do you remember when my friend and I interviewed you in the spring of 2007? It was the year before the fateful “Oden Draft”. We were doing a project for school about the image of the NBA, and thought it was worth asking the Blazers organization for an interview. I spoke to some one at the front desk and was expecting to get an interview with a Rose Garden employee or a salesman, but when the kind lady I spoke with offered an interview with the “all-mighty” Kevin Pritchard I flipped out! I thought it was a joke. Well turns out, it wasn’t. We had a real appointment and came to the practice facility in dress shirts and ties and held a 30 min interview with you. On top of that, your secretary showed us all around the facility including the very pool that Greg Oden rehabilitated his knee in. I understand that you will probably never see this message, but in the chance that you do, I wanted to thank you deeply for you time. It was one and a half years ago, but I still remember it so well, I will always remember it! Thanks so much for your display of leadership in bringing our beloved Blazers out of the deep hole that they had dug themselves into!

Thanks,

Alex

P.S. Yes, the beloved Kevin Pritchard takes time out of his busy day to hold an interview with just some 8th graders. It was an awesome thing to do. Fellow BEdgers, let the drooling begin

Hey Kevin do you remember your basketball dreams at that age? Well for me and my friends it was our beloved Portland TrailBlazers, and Geoff Petrie was my hero. Now aged to 52 we are all remain best of friends. We still carry the same hopes and dreams for our home team today. Believe me when I say that you are the second coming of one Mr Stu Inman. And for that we are equal parts thrilled and grateful. Our time and pleasure money both feel this team is deserving.

You have rebuilt the foundation, set solid like stone, Now may the good health Karma bless this team for years to come.

A loyal season ticket holder family 1981-2003, and active once again 2006-07 – ……

Thanks for bringing the joy back.

But he is just using this site to keep an eye on the lunatic fringe.If the shoe fits wear it

I am really, really thankful for everything you have done for both this team and Portland. I lived and grew up in Portland for all 18 years of my life, and now I’m here attending college in San Diego. Its nice to be able to say “I am a Trail Blazer fan” and be meet with amazement at how good everyone thinks we are going to be. It is also nice to know we have a legitimate shot at beating nearly anyone on any given night. We won’t, and I understand that; but I can argue with my friends that the Blazers will win opening night in LA with a straight face. Thank you for everything you have done for the team and the city. It is even felt all the down here in San Diego.

Now can you get us on National TV more? I’m gonna miss going to games enough this year, no reason to miss all of these other games.

We are still waiting for these tie-dyed shirts of your reggae jam band with Paul Allen on guitar. We love you man, thanks for the future memories. But really, where else would you go to get the pulse of the fan-base? These are the most hardcore, savvy, intelligent fans around. And then there’s some guy who sends fake letters in a bottle.

You could beat Sarah Palin in a debate!

I was 17 years old when the Blazers won the championship back in ’77. I remained a proud fan until the “Jailblazers” made that impossible. This amazing team of high quality players has once again made me proud to call myself a Blazer fan and while I know that you did not do it all by yourself, your leadership and vision has certainly been a large part of what has made it happen.

May you lead this organization forever!

I am a grateful Blazer fan whose first name is…..Kevin.

For making my childhood team so exciting.

A tiny request: for the first time in my life I don’t live in Portland. I live in NYC. Teams here suck. They think they’re getting Lebron, but they’re just going to get hosed. Please move team to NYC. Please. And if that’s too much to ask, more than two games per year in NY area? Thank you in advance.

Yours,
NBF

i will work for Greg Oden’s shorts if i have to

I’m the guy who asked you about possible extensions for Martell, Channing and Ike and also about leadership and a couple of other things today. Your willingness to meet with fans such as myself and be so candid in your responses is just awesome!

Thanks, too, for all your hard work over the last few years. Because of your work – you and your staff – plus a little bit of good fortune, Blazer fans such as myself have a lot of hope for this franchise for the years to come. We appreciate it!

- Storyteller

For all the time and effort you have put into making the Blazers a team that we can be proud of again. I missed the first Blazers championship by one year but am looking forward to the next one.

im not sure i’ve posted anything before but ive been following dave’s blog since before he took over here at blazers edge. i just wanted to give a shout out to KP, and also mention that im as big of a KP fan as anyone we have on the team, and yes, hes reaching god-like status in my book. long live KP!

Love what you have done with the team!

I find the “who is KP?” question, very intriguing, but worry we will never know.

I’ll be there sporting my blazersedge shirt with my lovely wife and two little future blazer fans

The day it was reported that you were hired from San Antonio I knew and said to those around me that finally the Blazers had gotten some class. You have more than fulfilled that prophesy and the above testimonials appropriately reflect your effect on our fan base.

How did I know? You are a KU graduate of course. That school broke through with a championship this year, following many of the principles and standards you have brought to the Blazers and now the Blazers are poised to begin a long run of realistic hope for more championships here as well.

Thank you. MVP of the league belongs to you. In KP we trust indeed.

Lee B’67

KP – FTW

I’mma sposed to be in bed, but here it is nigh on midnight and I’m just diggin’ on the KP and Blazedogs love. This is too much fun. Thanks to all ya’ll. KP, tell our boys that I’d like to buy them a round of tacos, and I ain’t talkin’ bout dem 41 chalupas they’re about to dish out.

thank you kp. thank you sooo much. i am so proud to be a blazermaniac.

The revolution is HERE!!!

Anyway, I have been a blazer fan as long as I can remember. Some of my earliest memories are watching Clyde and the gang in the early 90’s. The term “broken financial model” literally broke my heart. I thought the blazers were done, and if it wasn’t for you KP, our team would probably be in OKC right now. You drafted Brandon Roy, and everything changed, immediately. Fans got excited again, they got behind you, and you absolutely deserved it. The best part is, you have accomplished soooooooooooooo much more than simply bringing in Roy. You also snagged a guy named Aldridge, a superhuman named Oden, and litterally stole a couple guys by the name of Rudy and Jerryd. I truly believe you, Roy, and Mr Allen are the saviors of our beloved blazers after the “broken financial model” era. Roy captured our hearts as a rookie, and you knew all along that he would. Now Aldridge is poised to explode, Oden is finally healthy, and our other rookies are ready to make you into even more of a genius than you already were. Thank you KP, you saved my blazers…

Glad to know you read BE. This is as extraordinary of a sports blog as you are a GM, much as the team you have assembled as well as the fan base and the city itself. You are the cornerstone of it all though, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Thanks KP for making our team so good. Your the man

OK, OK, get it together here man …

Dear Kevin Pritch … no no, Mr. Pritchar… start again:

Dear Mr. General Manager Sir;

It is with greatest joy that I congratulate you on the hard-work-turned-to success you have had, and will no doubt continue to have, rebuilding the glorious and much-loved Portland Trail Blazers. Thank you for not being a flashy jerk that attracts flashy jerk players; thank you for putting team over stardom; and thank you for getting us back into the playoff (if not Finals) hunt in such a short time frame. You truly reap what you sew.

If I may make just one suggestions: Please, at the end of this season, when the banner hangs from the Rose Garden declaring our WORLD CHAMPION status, please use your powers to end global hunger, warfare, man-made climate change and all the rest of society’s ills. I’m not saying take the whole off-season doing this. Yes, there is a 2009 Draft to think about, but I bet if you used just a pinky-finger-bit of your powers, you could get Earth back on the right track in a few weeks.

Again, many thanks and best wishes.
-Mat (AKA on BlazersEdge Y5k)

PS.
Hi Paul!

I was a diehard fan who was 13 when the Blazers won the championship. Imitated Bill Walton’s weird looking shot, Twardzik’s corkscrew layups, Lloyd Neal’s elbow jumper, etc…Lived and died with the 90’s teams as I grew older, going to sports bars once I moved to Dallas to watch the playoff games (since I couldn’t afford a big Satellite dish back then, much less a house to put it in!). Bought the NBA league pass once I moved to St. Louis to enjoy the late 90’s teams. But then something happened….

Did I grow older? Was I more cynical? Did my family get in the way? I stopped getting NBA League Pass, I stopped watching games even on free TV. I still read about the team (and all the bad things that the players did) but not much else. Of course the losing didn’t help either.

Then the tide started to turn a bit. Drafting Roy and Aldridge peaked my interest. I started reading a bit more about the Blazers. Started looking out for the nationally televised games. Then I moved to Atlanta. Thought about the NBA league pass again, but decided against it. Saw how Roy carried himself. Saw how Aldridge could make an impact. Saw that we had a lottery pick. Won the Lottery! Took my son to the Omni to watch the Blazers take Oden (we were the only two in the whole arena with Blazer gear). Saw that we traded Randolph. Made the plunge back into NBA League pass. Stayed up and watched every game some ending well past 1:00 on the East Coast. Went home for Christmas with the family. Wife bought me tickets for the Christmas Day game. Took my Dad and my son. Roy for Three! Lucked into the Philadephia game and the unbelievable 3rd quarter! Started reading Blazersedge. My son now wears Blazer gear to his Atlanta school. Went to the Blazer game in Atlanta, Travis and Sergio! The Mikes autographs for my son. The love is back. The love is back. And now my son has the love.

For that and all you do to make Portland a proud franchise again, I thank you.

Simply, Thank You.

I know it’s not easy to change the public perception of an organization, and to do so while winning. So thank you, Kevin. Good work.

So I have to say I love you in a song..

on not making your first mistake and signing Livingston. When true hoops announced that we’d signed him, I found out I was not an “In KP we trust” believer. You have simply made decisions over the years that I agree with 100% and I can generally see where you’re going with them, or the potential behind them. I felt strongly about Livingston and wanted to thank you for not signing him. It’s my belief that we now have our team and it’s a matter of thinning it down a little. We don’t need more uncertainty.

I appreciate that you keep yourself open to the fans.
I appreciate the culture that you, and others, have helped put into place.
I appreciate the awesomeness of the coaches we have. Mendina is a GREAT guy and Nate is an incredible coach. You have people there who really care. It’s business, but I think it’s personal too.

I live in SLC and broke the bank to purchase season tickets for the blazers before I move back in a few years. I did it because I don’t believe they’ll be available when i do move back and because I want to see games when i visit. I believe in this team. While we probably won’t see a finals run this year… I will not discount this team and I want to make sure I have the tickets to go when they finally reach the finals. I will be there.

Keep Nate. I’m sure you already know that though.

Frye rocks, and if you’re swaying one way or the other, please sway towards Frye. Frankly I think he’s underrated right now in the eyes of the media and public. I’m sure you know better than I do though.

This Cable situation… I understand the business behind it, but there are a lot of angry blazer fans that can’t watch the team they love. Could you please kick Comcast in the seat cushion on this one? I’ve already boycotted them for life (as long as I can get internet elsewhere), but little things like that aren’t really felt by large companies.

There may come a time when this team looks at troubled players in the desire to win. I’d like to speak up and say that the temptation should be handled very carefully. Can our culture change the person, or will the person change the culture? I prefer the route of good character. When you get good people and set a good foundation, everything else falls into place.

Lastly. Thank you for turning this team around. I’ve been a blazer fan since Drexler, and it’s rough to watch the team you love turn into something you can’t love but still watch because you bleed the black, red, and white. I know you might leave some day for a new challenge, but I really hope you don’t unless you can’t give it your all anymore. You mean a lot to us, the fans, and we wanted to thank you.

Also, shout out to Paul Allen who let you do this and gave you the reigns as well as NOT selling the rose garden.

OH… so, not lastly apparently…

This Rose Garden name that’s up for sale. Convince these buyers to keep it the Rose Garden. If they feel the need to add their name to it “Intel’s Rose Garden” then fine. Just ask these people to not change the name. Thanks.

I have nothing original to say, so many people above me have stated how much we love you and the reasons why. You are a serious stud. We love you to no end. Thank you for helping turn the Blazers in to a team we can be proud of again, and for never ceasing to amaze us, along with the rest of the league, on how much of a stud you are. Keep it coming KP.

We heart you…

Way to go, KP! Your combination of intelligence, innovation, diligence, and love for NBA hoops make you unique. We may second-guess individual decisions you make, but NONE of us have any illusions that we could do better. Come on: you’ve already lapped the real NBA GM’s, let alone the armchair variety!

If this team doesn’t make it to the Promised Land it won’t be for lack of effort and brilliant planning on the part of its braintrust—led by you. You da Man!

Hi KP, I park outside your house sometimes at night. But don’t worry I’m harmless.

(oh wait – that was from a few summers ago – sorry, force of habit)
Thanks for all you’ve done – see you at the Fan Fest Tonite
And hopefully we will hear from you soon on the Quick Chat at O-Live
Thank You!!! – btph

For this Blazer Team we can all love. You have Grand Mastermind status to most of us BEdgers.

I’ve been telling folks that with Oden, Rudy and Bayless, it’s like we have the #-1, #0 and #3 draft picks. Oden and Rudy are clearly better than anybody in this year’s draft.

They say good is lucky.

See you in the Finals for years to come!

I truly have to commend the job that KP and his staff has done over the past few years. I’m not sure that anyone would have predicted such a meteoric rise in both the talent level of this team and the quality of the individual on the team. It’s been fun to watch this team grow and I’m excited for this season’s march into the post season this year.

Keep up the great work!

For many years this organization had declined without regard for the fans who filled the seats or watched at home. The brand which was created by your predecessors scarred many years of success and left a putrid residue upon the basketball community. The focus on winning through a Steinbrenner doctrine had turned a class act into a clown act for NBA fans, and the general public, to laugh at.
It must have taken courage to tell an entire organization that the philosophy which had festered for several years was devoid of any soul. You showed wisdom by staying true to your direction through criticism and injury. Your generosity towards the community, and not just the fans, is an inspiration for the management of other organizations.
The team you have assembled is one that any Portland fan is proud of and any other team’s fan is jealous of. The vibrance of hope resonates in discussion of the team, and anticipation runs rampant. You have rallied the troops for an upcoming season that will be the tip of iceberg for a cherished Portland Trailblazer legacy.
My hat is off to you, sir. Trust is the most difficult commodity to earn, and reading through comments on this page one can see that you are a rich man.

It was bleak there for a while — I wondered if the city could ever love the team again.

It’s hard to say thanks without using the “C” word, but thanks for setting the tone and bringing in quality guys and a terrific staff.

You are an absolute G.

But most especially, thank you for signing Nic Batum. Oh and Rudy. Oh and Brandon. Oh and LaMarcus. Oh and Greg and being cautious and careful with his legs knee. Oh and #25.

Seriously Thank you for being a true leader. You have shown strength and offered optimism during rough times. I am almost certain you are the most gifted GM EVER because your debth of basketball knowledge is unmatched and your keen business intelect is sooo progressive and thus far yielding high dividends. Which means you fit perfectly into the culture of Portland .

Thank you,

Sophia

Most Important Blazer – most definitely. Because without KP, we still have Zach, Telfair, the Jail Blazers nickname, and a paranoid front office that engages in open warfare with the local media and the fans. WHo knows….we’d probably have a different owner….and possibly the franshise might be in OK City or something like that.

There were several years when it was painful and difficult to be a Blazer fan. But those of us who stuck it out have been rewarded by KP’s truly excellent performance as a franchise-saving GM.

We all owe you a huge debt of gratitude KP!

Thanks for making it fun to be a Trailblazer fan again.

Hey, could you please tilt the pinwheel the right way?

I think I can speak for all of us when I say we’re extremely excited about this season and the future of the team. Thanks for putting in the time and care it’s taken to bring this team back from the brink.

Heizer, aka – Kyle Art

Great news about KP reading the blog!

But, I need to warn everyone: Do not let this change the environment around here!

In the early 90’s, I was part of a Van Halen Fan Club user group, which was my generation’s version of a blogging community. Valerie Bertinelli (Eddie Van Halen’s wife) briefly joined the group, and mentioned it in an interview so we knew it was for real. Unfortunately, it almost ruined the group, because every third post became “Hi Valerie, tell Eddie hi for me”. It sucked.

Don’t let that happen here. During the season, KP won’t have time for this blog. After this thread, don’t address him in the first person, it’s annoying to read and wastes everybody’s time. And other people pretending to be KP will get really old really fast.

Sorry to be a downer, but I needed to go on the record and say you’ve been warned.

With that said, Let’s Go Blazers!

I would like to offer my second kindney, if called upon (and if there is a match), to the greatest General Manager a fan could hope for. I can now hold my head high as a fan of the Portland Trailblazers. I mean I have two and i only need the one.

KP, thank you!

Thanks for what you did for the team.

I still hope that one day I run into you—not necessarily to get your autograph (though I’ll ask)—but merely to shake your hand and thank you in person. I reall y can’t express what it means to me to have a team I can legitmately cheer for as I make my own way in a foreign land (Illinois—not that foreign I guess).

You made a team that our community is VERY proud of.

you have supporters. Nice job. I really am proud of and excited about this group you’ve helped assemble. I’m also more likely to spend my dollars on my team now.

Kevin Pritchard you Animal you!
Quick KP Story: You probably don’t remember me, I was that guy who came up and sat next to you during a pre-season game 3 or four years ago, the season after you were interim head coach. I was so nervous and had a few cerveca’s in me and I introduced myself as “Hi, I’m Kevin Pritchard”. Anyway, I’m a little more mature now and next time I will be sure to introduce myself, as myself. The point of that story is that even though I was just another drunken super-fan he took the time to talk to me before my breath scared him away. As in directly across the lower bowl is where he walked from me. He’s a normal guy making exceptionally good choices and he’s about to be rewarded for it. I remember reading something way back that you liked to get on the message boards and such, but Kevin you must be tickled pink to be “living on the BEdge” and seeing the kind of support this team is generating amongst it’s fan base. And not JUST amongst your “already” fans, your fan base is growing exponentially as anticipation for this season reaches terminal velocity. For example, my desk is adorned with Blazer’s posters and such, clippings from the newspapers, a picture of Greg Oden from last year sitting on the bench with the caption wrote over it “I feel like a cheerleader or fan because I can’t Play”, “Pick-Up game anyone?”. Almost daily someone will start asking me about Greg’s Knee, or more recently Greg’s Ankle, (both great band names is anyone is looking), I can’t tell you how anxious this city is to see this young team play together, and having to wait a full year to see Greg was like having to actually date a girl for a year before you can, ahem, play your fist game together. I know it was worth the wait.

Thanks again Kevin for believing in your fans and knowing they were just waiting for a team to be proud of again.

The time is now, as in a few hours from now, I will be gracing the hallowed halls of my precious Rose Garden for the first time of many this season.

Let’s take her out on this first date. We’ll take it slow, then ramp it up.

In KP we trust, to treat her like a lady.

(this means I have to put more thought into my post’s, here I thought I was just going for a laugh like TiH)

P.S. KP the only 1 thing that I wish your organization would of have done this year that you did not was extend the Blazermaniac Section Captains contest. When I won it last year it was the highlight of my Blazer Existence so far and enjoyed going to every home game and getting my section pumped up for defensive stops or some 4th quarter heroics from thee Ootlaw. I understand though that business is business, cheers to fixing your “financial model”!

If you get a few spare seconds can you fix the Comcast deal so I can enjoy what you have created?

I’m not a big “thank you” type of person. But KP if you’re reading this, it sure does seem like you were the GM this franchise needed at the time it most needed it. For a team that get’s as much microscopic attention as The Blazers you are a great communicator. That’s a huge plus. Without pointing fingers, without accessing blame on your predecessors it was clear that this franchise was in serious trouble just a few years back. I’m sure you would defer credit to your staff and Paul Allen, and that’s fair. Everything good is a team effort right? But your arrival was the start of the “Culture” change and that was the medicine this franchise needed the most. Now we are looking pretty healthy and as a long time fan, I would like to say thank you, and thank Paul Allen and your entire staff. I’ve been a fan since I was a little kid and it’s so nice to have a Blazer team that I really think I can enjoy again. I rest a little easier now knowing that whatever happens with players, coaches and with the unpredictable nature of physical existence I think Ownership, Management, Coaching and Player/Personel are all on the right track and commited to excellence. That’s a nice safety net to have as a fan, makes me think we can weather any storm that might come our way. ……so now that I’ve said all that make the check out to…..

He makes new accounts all the time from multiple computers and then posts those crazy trade suggestions, like getting Melo or KG something. Then he awaits the BE slew of comments to see how popular the idea is. That’s why he always makes the right move in the end. I figured it out. He’s even more genius than I thought he was. Everybody with me?

KP:

I’ve been a Blazer fan my entire life. I was born five years after our only championship, but my Dad was at that final game and he raised me to be a true Blazer fan. But life has pulled me away from Portland. Unfortunately, I’ve moved to hostile territory down in L*ker Land. Because of the work you’ve done KP I am proud to represent our team down here! So, thanks!

BE:

It broke my heart to leave Portland just before the Blazers got good again, but thanks to this awesome site and the fans who post on it, I’ve never felt more connected to the Blazers fan base. I look forward to getting to know you all better over the years (as we – the Blazers – dominate the league)!

working for KP on his beautiful remodel as an architectural designer and have to say that he’s just as gracious and down-to-earth in person as he is on TV. Obviously, it’s not just KP that turned this franchise around (there are many very good guys in the management, coaching, and scouting team, including Chad Buchanen whom I have also met and who is a very nice guy). But it is a huge blessing to have someone who will take the time to do it right and to foster good relationships with fans and the local media. Portland is proud of the Blazers again.

Thanks Kevin and I’m hoping you are liking your remodel design!

so much for what you have done already and you are more than appreciated. Have the patience to see this team through, you’ve assembled quite the squad.
    If you ever want my advice, you just let me know ; > )

Since I am a petty, small person, and being considered in the same sentence as KP butters my toast in a major way. The only thing I can honorably do is act coy and try to play up the comparisons whenever they occur, both to boost my own ego and reveal how unhappy I am with my own life.

KEVIN PRITCHARD is the best thing to happy to the Blazers franchise in many a moon, even if Oden becomes the best center of all time. What can never be forgotten, is that the Oden pick was the only element of sheer luck that has built the team we got now, the team we all feel could be destined for special things.

The trades, the draft picks, the stockpiling of assets; those were all skill. The front office culture changed just as much, and probably a lot MORE, than the on-court culture, and that is perhaps the biggest reason we are in such a good position for the future. No more two faced lying, paranoid executives, war with the media, and squandering of Paul Allen’s vast assets. Kevin Pritchard changed all of that, and didn’t just give these problems lip service like the old regime.

Plus, KP and his Friends weren’t afraid to try new and bold things in how to evaluate players, how to make deals, and aren’t scared to be convinced they are wrong by each other.

Our players are amazing, our front office made it happen, and I think we got a great situation on both fronts. We couldn’t have done it without Kevin Pritchard, and the team he has put together off the court and on.

Mortimer

PS: I’m not KP… or am I? (smile coyly and winking)

“So collect your thoughts, log on and see the doings of the day
Read of Kevin Pritchard’s exploits, everybody gets a say
All you have to do is show up, then compliments of Blazer Dave
Be educated at the Blazers Edge”
It’s a Blog’s Life (Living on the Blazer’s Edge)

I want to say thank you for turning this team around and morphing it into a team that my generation of Portland (the younger generation) can be proud of. You have steered us through some tough times and the rewards should be soon to follow, enjoy this with us. You and The City of Portland deserve this team after all the hard work you have put in and the loyalty we have shown. Again, I want to say thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!! You will always have a special place in blazers history no matter what happens. Go blazers!!!

-ZZ

These posts only begin to touch on how thankful we are to have you Mr. Pritchard. Thanks for the devotion, and amazing turnaround of this organization. I can only hope that the rest of your life is as wonderful as all the things you have been able to do with the Trailblazers, as I am sure this position sucks the life right out of you on every other area. Best wishes outside the workplace, and thank you for making Portland a great place to be a basketball fan again.

Thank you for providing us with the most terrific group of players and coaches imaginable.
I can honestly say that I have never had more fun watching sports than following this Blazers team. You have a very tough job but it must also be a dream job because you do it so well. Please remember that there are fans everywhere who love these guys – not just in Portland. I know of quite a few crazy Blazer fans right here in Eugene!! Thanks so much!!