ESPN Columnist Gymnastics

by Ben Golliver on May 8, 2008 5:16 PM PDT

Check this out. ESPN's basketball braintrust debate: Which team will join the West elite?

Who can bend the furthest backwards in praise of the Blazers? The early, smart money in these situations is normally on our BlogFather Henry Abbott (by default) but he's got strong challenges on all flanks from Adande, Hollinger, and Stein.

This one is too close to call. Photo finish really.

And silly Sheridan.... still hoping for that breakout season from Yao Ming. How many seasons does an athlete need to break down in a row before the "They'll be back next year!" argument goes into the dumpster rather than the recycling bin. Maybe this was simply his effort to "go green?"

Portland will have a better record next year than Houston.

Book that.

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Comments

First!

Oh wait….those threads don’t come back until next November :-(

And wow! Great analysis on the Houston vs. Portland record…I haven’t been able to sleep at night knowing that Houston might be better than us, but you’ve put my mind at ease.

It's a WAR, and we're bringin' the BOOM!

by prezofdeath on May 8, 2008 5:24 PM PDT reply actions

In a Way

The Blazers are a lot like Houston.

"Show some respect to this living legend, this hall of famer...Arvydas Sabonis." - Bill Walton

by tominhawaii on May 8, 2008 5:29 PM PDT reply actions

oh haha

injured centers

I used to play sports, then I realized you can buy trophies, now I'm good at everything, even checkers - Demetri Martin

by Zaron5551 on May 8, 2008 5:59 PM PDT up reply actions

Old, washed up shooting guard that never recovered from playing in his cousin's shadow? Nope

Soft center that clogs up the paint, limiting the development of other players around him? Nope
A point guard who has a history of making trouble? Nope
A general manager dumb enough to take Steve Francis and actually keep him on the roster? Nope

Yeah, we’re similar.

It's a WAR, and we're bringin' the BOOM!

by prezofdeath on May 8, 2008 6:16 PM PDT up reply actions

The Coaches

Are so similar that it is eerie.

What do we have to do to boost Ben’s comment production?

"Reality is for people who can't handle Blazers Edge." - MiledAnimal

by tominhawaii on May 8, 2008 6:17 PM PDT up reply actions

I'm working on it

I’m working on it!

Here's to being hated. Come on #1 pick!

by ratbastird on May 8, 2008 6:54 PM PDT up reply actions

Thanks

I have Ben on my fantasy team.

"Reality is for people who can't handle Blazers Edge." - MiledAnimal

by tominhawaii on May 8, 2008 6:57 PM PDT up reply actions

We still need more comments

More comments!

"Reality is for people who can't handle Blazers Edge." - MiledAnimal

by tominhawaii on May 9, 2008 12:06 PM PDT up reply actions

comments

by Sabonis4Ever on May 9, 2008 12:11 PM PDT up reply actions

Yes

I had a meeting with Ben to discuss his comment production. Together we set forth a plan for his comment production to increase by five comments per post per week. It is a lofty goal but I know he can do it.

"Reality is for people who can't handle Blazers Edge." - MiledAnimal

by tominhawaii on May 9, 2008 12:42 PM PDT up reply actions

Next time you guys have a meeting

You need to bring up the point that I had already put that link on a fanshot, and I credited my sources. You even commented on it. I had to delete it because Ben came and front paged it like he was the first one. You lost a comment stat cause of it. So, by trying to get comments for Ben, you lost one. This madness has to stop.

by Sabonis4Ever on May 9, 2008 1:01 PM PDT up reply actions

Yeah

I feel ya. I don’t think people are used to the fanshots yet. I often forget to look at them because I have my fanposts set to 50. Fanshots are way down on the bottom.

"Reality is for people who can't handle Blazers Edge." - MiledAnimal

by tominhawaii on May 9, 2008 1:03 PM PDT up reply actions

It's strange

Sometimes youtube videos work; sometimes they just show the address. I miss the old site :(

by Sabonis4Ever on May 9, 2008 1:06 PM PDT up reply actions

My Problem

Is that I Bedge at work and YouTube is blocked. Embedded links are just an empty space. I always say I’ll check it when I get home, then forget what post I need to look in to find the link.

"Reality is for people who can't handle Blazers Edge." - MiledAnimal

by tominhawaii on May 9, 2008 1:22 PM PDT up reply actions

sorry about that

i check the fanposts regularly… i haven’t toyed with the fanshots too much and don’t check those… i will start doing so.

if i first see the link because of a fanpost/fanshot, i will always credit it.

"Honor Terry Porter." Email me with your TP stories and memories.

by Ben Golliver on May 9, 2008 1:58 PM PDT up reply actions

We all still love you

I don’t care if I have to stay up until midnight. I’m getting this post to 100 comments.

"Reality is for people who can't handle Blazers Edge." - MiledAnimal

by tominhawaii on May 9, 2008 2:12 PM PDT up reply actions

I's just playin Ben

At least you found it on your own. MiledAnimal linked it and I just put it in a fanshot.

by Sabonis4Ever on May 9, 2008 2:16 PM PDT up reply actions

I love you too

"Reality is for people who can't handle Blazers Edge." - MiledAnimal

by tominhawaii on May 9, 2008 2:17 PM PDT up reply actions

You just said that to boost the comments

Can’t get anything past me. I’m a fart smeller….......

I mean smart feller.

by Sabonis4Ever on May 9, 2008 2:22 PM PDT up reply actions

It's True, It's True

I’m all like Kurt Angle. Do you know how hard it was for me to not touch Dave’s pornography reference in the post above this one? Not that I have any cool insight, just a cute little story. My favorite story regarding the pornography is actually from my wife. She watched a movie in college that was a naughty ripoff of Edward Scissorhands. She has to tell you the story, it sure cracks me up.

"Reality is for people who can't handle Blazers Edge." - MiledAnimal

by tominhawaii on May 9, 2008 2:48 PM PDT up reply actions

I have it on dvd and vhs

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101799/

by Sabonis4Ever on May 9, 2008 2:54 PM PDT up reply actions

I disagree with this

Utah is young, but they’re weak. I don’ t see the killer in their eyes and what was with that slacking at the beginning of the season? I’m not impressed by them at all.

LA has that killer instinct with Kobe. Dangerous. Blazers will need to learn to kill and I think Oden will add that.

New Orleans… i was amused that one of the critics agreed with me in that NO is one bad back away from plummeting down. I don’t trust Peja to stay healthy.

And the blazers… I believe we’re going to arrive next year and make everyone one of those guys eat those trifecta words. I see 48 wins in our future and two deep in the play-offs… and by future I mean next year. LA will bump us.

The year after that, the blazers will come back with a vegence and go on a 60 plus and the lakers will win only one game against us where we have an injury. The others we’ll win by a large margin. We’ll face the lakers in the play-offs and we’ll stomp them in five games. The season will end with a championship.

After that, as long as we can get oden ticked at the other teams, we’ll forget what losing a single game feels like.

So… triffecta? heck no. Ladies and gentlemen, there can be only one, and that one will be the blazers. Two years and counting. Mark your calendars.

Here's to being hated. Come on #1 pick!

by ratbastird on May 8, 2008 6:51 PM PDT reply actions

oh and 48 will do it

because we’ll be winning more causing other teams to lose more.

Here's to being hated. Come on #1 pick!

by ratbastird on May 8, 2008 6:52 PM PDT up reply actions

ooh...

and next year we’ll win more at the END of the season than at the beginning, unlike this year (my prediction was right there as well… i guess that’s two things I’m right about).

Year after that we’ll be strong ALL season.

Here's to being hated. Come on #1 pick!

by ratbastird on May 8, 2008 6:54 PM PDT up reply actions

re: Stein's comment

about Oden being the leading contender for ROY. Anyone know the rules on that? Oden was officially on the roster, despite never playing a minute. Will he be eligible?

by grimc on May 8, 2008 7:06 PM PDT reply actions

Since he never played a minute,

He has not officially started his rookie season. Until he does, he’s not a rookie yet.

Man, that’s two years of hazing! Dang!

One of Two Official Blazer's Edge Poets Laureate for the 2008-2009 Season

"Scholars have long known that fishing eventually turns men into philosophers. Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to buy decent tackle on a philosopher's salary." - Patrick McManus

by T Darkstar on May 8, 2008 7:23 PM PDT up reply actions

Some previous posts about it

http://www.blazersedge.com/2008/4/30/470563/avery-johnson-out-as-dalla

It still seems up in the air to me. The one thing he seems to have against him is that he was under contract last year. I see a lot of pontificating, but no real hardy answers that come from the nba or the cba.

Oh well

Life is exhausting when you are this stupid.

by jonestr on May 8, 2008 10:19 PM PDT up reply actions

Is that a fatty troll I see?

One wonders if his fatness is lurking about (and his self-imposed exile is only on contribution), or if he’s ignoring BE completely.

Oh well… supporting the Rockets, I guess, is an easy call. Whenever the inevitible T-Mac and Yao breakdowns do occur, you can write it off due to injury.

It isn’t like picking the Bulls to win the East (like yours truly did prior to the season’s start, I must confess) and watching them simply and utterly suck.

by EngineerScotty on May 8, 2008 8:27 PM PDT reply actions

I'm still working on this

Dear Ben,

Do you take interview requests?

I’m not joking, I always wanted to know about those guys who sit under the basket and wipe up sweat. Where do they come from? How did they apply? How do they get themselves ready on game day?

If you know those kids who pick up the balls at tennis matches, I’m interested in them too. Can you interview KP’s personal assistant?

I saw a guy on FSN who’s job was to rub mud all over the baseballs for the pitchers before the game. I also saw a guy who used a buffer on footballs to make the soft for the NFL. Is there anyone like that in the NBA?

"Reality is for people who can't handle Blazers Edge." - MiledAnimal

by tominhawaii on May 10, 2008 2:56 PM PDT reply actions

The guy sitting under the baskets?

I hear that our sweat wiper guy got caught at 24 Hour Fitness wiping sweat at a pickup game. He got in a bunch of trouble even though (he claims) he was wiping the sweat at half speed and with his “off hand”. I don’t know….with the amount of money the Blazers have invested in this guy he should be showing a lot better judgement. What if he injured his sweat wiping elbow?? What then?

"Be wary of strong drink. It can make you shoot at tax collectors... and miss" Robert A. Heinlein

by 92wastheyear on May 10, 2008 5:00 PM PDT up reply actions