101 reasons to be Thankful
In no particular order:
1. The Blazers are staying in Portland
2. Brandon Roy’s leadership, heart, and championship mettle
3. The $5 “super” nachos (w/jalapenos) at the Rose Garden
4. Theo (the guy who plays guitar and sings outside the arena)
5. Red, black, and white are a manly combination
6. $10 tan section seats
7. The biggest Blazers fan there ever was or ever will be: The guy in the aisle seat in section 329 with the headband and Rip City jacket.
8. Being able to honestly say you watched a lot of games during the “bad years”
9. The national media murmuring about the rumbling Blazer freight train off in the distance
10. The “out of frustration” once a game leveling of a pick-n-roll defender by Joel
11. Steven A. Smith’s “total waste of my time” comments during the 2006 draft
12. The “dead tree” media’s fascination with the Blazers
13. Being guaranteed playoff seats with a half-season package
14. The moment when #6 came up Milwaukee
15. Rudy’s ability to maintain a beard length of exactly 45 hours at all times
16. Roy’s ability to break ankles at will
17. The glimpses we’re seeing of why Greg was touted as a “once-in-a-generation” center
18. The fact that we don’t have Ricky Davis, Larry Hughes, or Antoine Walker on our team.
19. The fact that the Blazers picked fresh blood over a retread when looking for a GM
20. Batum, for allowing us to spot the phony that pronounces it “bay-tumm”
21. The lack of “stat hogs” on the team
22. LaMarcus’ scary accuracy (until late) from 18’
23. The air of dignity Larry Miller lends to the franchise
24. The fact that we never really found out what was wrong with Joel’s groin
25. The Shonz
26. The loose change to be found in Greg’s furrowed brow
27. Antonio Harvey getting a little bit better each year
28. HDTV
29. The knowledge that we’re on the way up, we have a long ways to go, and that “up” could be plenty high.
30. “Rudy does more than score. He assists. He passes. He steals.”
31. We don’t have the frilly uniforms some teams have adopted
32. The MAX ride home after a big win
33. The fact that Pritch doesn’t seem to have the DNA to get fat and happy
34. Microsoft Windows and Office Suite, but only because they’re paying Blazer salaries
35. Nate, for his astonishing lack of smarminess
36. The stories of team camaraderie on the road
37. The spending power we’ll get in the summer of 2009
38. Jay Jenson, who probably didn’t plan for this much overtime
39. The guy who invented microfracture
40. The awkwardness it feels when a national announcer refers to Rudy as “Fernandez”
41. Wheels’ ability to make the game easy to visualize
42. Watching penetrating guards say, “uh, maybe not” when Greg’s in the game
43. Phoenix, for selling us a worthless #24 pick
44. Kevin McHale and Danny Ainge for providing us with Brandon Roy
45. Brandon, isolated against his defender, with 6 seconds on the clock
46. Players who you don’t cringe when they’re interviewed
47. Knowing you’re probably going to win a close game
48. Roy being so good that he can get you an “invisible” 20/5/5
49. Blake, for running Nate’s system to perfection
50. Sergio to Rudy for the “what the hell was that?!?!”
51. The guy who designed the backboard and stanchion, who’s watching Greg play and wondering if he’s going to be getting a phone call
52. The way the net swishes, unlike any other player, when Rudy hits a three
53. Knowing that a wide open Blake means 3 points more often than not
54. Greg, for teasing us with an “almost afro”, before shaving it down
55. Jerryd for demonstrating the angry passion of youth
56. 82 televised games (for some of us)
57. Sergio, for not allowing himself to be completely broken by Nate’s system
58. Watching Martell’s stoke and being surprised that they don’t all go in
59. Greg’s surprising free throw shooting
60. Trout, for not realizing that only stars are supposed to hit the pressure shots
61. Ma and pa Batum, for stretching their childs limbs from birth, even if it must’ve been painful
62. Ike, for continuing to hold on to the hope that he’ll be an NBA contributor
63. Amphetamines, the ten cups of coffee, or whatever Rudy takes before the game
64. LaMarcus’ ability to draw charges
65. Channing Frye, who, despite not responding to an invitation to be a pie judge this summer, remains quintessentially Portland.
66. The ESPN announcer’s inappropriate, somewhat scary, teen idol fascination with Rudy
67. Channing’s ever-so-slightly unhinged blog
68. Joel, every grandma’s favorite player
69. Sergio, for the surprising jumper this season
70. Raef, who’s about to take the largest pay-cut in NBA history
71. Greg coming to town in a Ford Taurus
72. The mercifully short period of time we had to deal with the Faux-hawk
73. Being 2” taller at every position
74. Wondering how Brandon could possibly get better
75. The fact that all of our star players have 2-syllable names that can be easily chanted
76. Steve Blake’s wife, for giving hope to surly looking guys everywhere
77. The way Greg keeps the ball in play after blocking a shot
78. Quick and Freeman, for reasonably objective reporting and thinly veiled enthusiasm
79. Dwight Jaynes, who somehow found the cure for curmudgeon-ism
80. The knowledge that we’re not going to make a rush move to lengthen our “window”
81. Aldridge beating the opposing PG down the court
82. Ben, because he’ll eventually be forced to admit that drafting Oden #1 was the obvious and correct move.
83. Frye, for the occasionally surprising rebounding forays
84. The new jumbotron
85. Draft day during the Pritchard era
86. The fact that we don’t need a 25-point pledge anymore
87. Nic, for reminding us how much good defense at the three can impact a game
88. The fact that Larry Miller will never need “Smile Bigger” to appear on his teleprompter
89. fatty, and the urge of the all the English teachers we hated to gouge out their own eyeballs
90. That our key players aren’t “if onlys”. If only he had a jumper, played D, would pass, would put the bong down, etc.
91. Martell, who’s lost that “doughy” feeling
92. The knowledge that the number of games we’re going to win doesn’t depend on politicians, the stock market, or your boss
93. The well maintained Nike courts around the city where you can pretend to play while trying not to blow your knee out
94. Greg, for the ridiculous amount of work to triumph over cartilage damage
95. The fact that none of our players have ever been in serious off-the-court trouble
96. Outlaw, for bringing some of the deep south to Portland
97. Pritch, for having the guts to trade our leading scorer and rebounder
98. Trout, for being too modest to enter, and inevitably win, the dunk contest
99. Dave, for reminding us that “long term” means 5 years, not 5 games
100. The thoughtful analysis of BlazersEdge posters
101. The ridiculous amount of food we’re going to eat tomorrow
19 recs |
21 comments
Comments
tru
45. Brandon, isolated against his defender, with 6 seconds on the clock
by maid tu rek on Nov 26, 2008 4:21 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
Very nice
I may have a slight quibble with some of them, but it’s such a small percentage and you included some cool things like Theo, Rudy’s beard, and Greg’s Taurus that I’ll forgive them. (Except I don’t look terribly manly – I hope – when I’m wearing red and black and white to the games.)
I’ll add
101. Fans starting their own cheers in the Rose Garden. Lose the canned cheerleading!!
by jorga on Nov 26, 2008 4:58 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
Such a good list.
Much to be thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving.
by CanadianBlazerfan on Nov 26, 2008 5:01 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
You should title this
The thankful manifesto,really good
by southern oregon on Nov 26, 2008 5:17 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
WOW
I thought 101 was going to be a metaphor.
Thanks
GO
THE TEACHER ......come into my classroom "THE PAINT" for some tutelage.
by Blazer1342 on Nov 26, 2008 5:39 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
It was
actually really easy to come up with the list. Decided to stop at 101. We’re a lucky bunch…
by Engineering Problem on Nov 26, 2008 5:49 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
This journey is going to be amazing….
The PTB rocket ship has left the launch pad, LET’S RIDE.
GO
THE TEACHER ......come into my classroom "THE PAINT" for some tutelage.
by Blazer1342 on Nov 26, 2008 6:01 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Thanks!
That brought a tear to my eye. I am thankful for the Portland Trail Blazers. :-)
by RipCityRoyCity on Nov 26, 2008 6:14 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
this seems like a repeat
of an earlier post i did, but i like it
by hotstuffdb22 on Nov 26, 2008 8:23 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
#102 a 38 point beat down
"I saw him in the face" Sergio's quote on the latest alley-oop to Rudy.
by blazermaniac32 on Nov 26, 2008 9:42 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
Awesome
I love it
"I believe in [Joel]. I just love the way he plays." - Nate McMillan
by jamon51 on Nov 26, 2008 9:48 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
#103 Random grainy internet feeds
"I believe in [Joel]. I just love the way he plays." - Nate McMillan
by jamon51 on Nov 26, 2008 9:52 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
#104 making hollinger stats get all bobbleheaded
GO
THE TEACHER ......come into my classroom "THE PAINT" for some tutelage.
by Blazer1342 on Nov 26, 2008 9:53 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
Really well done
Can’t believe you actually held a 101 reason list together and it never got remotely boring. I expected to make it through 25 tops. Then I was at 95 thinking, wait, it’s over already?
Q: Is Greg favoring his knee?
Frye: He favors dunking on your head, that's what he favors.
by KP Corleone on Nov 26, 2008 9:54 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
Theo is awesome
I didn’t know his name before.
Also very fond of the MAX ride home after a big win.
Good list.
And you don't eat crackers in the bed of your future, otherwise you might get....all scratchy.
by shenanigans on Nov 26, 2008 10:06 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
EXUSE ME?????
7. The biggest Blazers fan there ever was or ever will be: The guy in the aisle seat in section 329 with the headband and Rip City jacket.
THIS BETTER BE BLOODY SARCASM! BECAUSE I DON’T SIT IN THAT SEAT.
12@#$$$##&**&((&&&%
Now to read 8 through 101
by Blazersaurus on Nov 27, 2008 8:06 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

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