Numbers

by JohnZ on Aug 7, 2008 6:18 PM PDT Comment 12 comments

Hello everyone, this is my first post. I have been a Blazers fan since before I can remember, I was born and raised in Portland, and have been a season ticket holder for the last two seasons. With that said, I am very excited about the paradigm shift that has happened with out team and am looking forward to a wonderful season.

I have only one concern with the team: Jersey Numbers.

Our new young center Greg Oden #52 is wearing the number of the great Buck Williams #52. I'm not doubting that Greg is going to be exactly what we need, but does giving him this number and leaning the franchise on him for years to come ensure that Buck will never gain his rightful, and deserved, place in the rafters at the Garden?

Others that particularly offend me,

Travis Outlaw #25, Jerome Kersey #25

Sergio Rodriguez #11, Arvydis Sabonis #11.

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I think we can count Sergio out of the running for jersey retirement, no?

"Well, Travis just showed us that we can go to Travis Outlaw." - Nate McMillan

by 12sharks on Aug 7, 2008 6:23 PM PDT reply actions

Sorry Buck

It is now Oden’s number… Buck Williams was a important piece during the Blazers’ runs from 1990 to 1993, but he was not the face of the franchise or statistical leader. The only play from that era that deserves to have his number retired, other than Drexler, is Terry Porter.

Had Sabonis played for the Blazers before the age of 30, he might have been a candidate for that honor as well.

by david1978pdx on Aug 7, 2008 6:39 PM PDT reply actions

yeah

If we make every number off limits for any player or sentimental fan favorite all our players will need to wear like 59 or 81 or some crazy thing like that in a few years.

Kersey, Sabonis, Buck, they were all great and I enjoyed rooting for them, but that shouldn’t keep anyone else from wearing the number. I don’t think a number should be off limits until it’s already up there in the rafters. Which means when we trade for Rasheed Wallace to bring us over the championship hump in a few years, he won’t be able to wear #30 because Terry Porter’s 30 will already be retired by then.

by kickbrass on Aug 7, 2008 6:55 PM PDT reply actions

In a few years

Sheed will be in a rocking chair on the front porch of a retirement home. He can wear a Porter jersey to remember his glory years.

Winning is everything.

by MT Suit on Aug 7, 2008 7:48 PM PDT up reply actions

'Sheed's got his ring

Let’s hope Oden will, too.

'77

by LaoTzu on Aug 7, 2008 9:39 PM PDT up reply actions

Frye's got Petrovic's #44.

I likes them both.

Blazers have a five-on-three...and they pull it back and wait for help.

by QualityPie on Aug 7, 2008 7:37 PM PDT reply actions

I see what your saying

but it would be hard to feild different numbers for every blazer, eventually, they would have prison lenght numbers asssigned, and we dont want that again. you know what would be interesting, well at least to me, a history of every blazer, number, and tenure.

"If I was in anyway unclear, I am implying that Dave is a serial murderer."
---jonestr on Aug 3, 2008 12:25 AM PDT

Email Dave,
--- Mortimer --- for Blazers Edge Ambassador to the SBNations

by ptwnblzr on Aug 7, 2008 8:10 PM PDT reply actions

I like Numb3rs

Good Show

"There something going on with that Skipper. No one gets that fat eating coconuts"

by 92wastheyear on Aug 7, 2008 8:25 PM PDT reply actions

I love Buck, but...he doesn't deserve to have his # retired.

I agree with some of the posters up above. Buck played for the Nets as long if not longer than he did for the Blazers, and he was just a role player. He was a good role player, but not retire your # good. Quite frankly, about 1/3 of our retired #’s in the rafters don’t belong up there. Jerome Kersey will always have a special place in our hearts as fans, but again, he is on the fence at best. Had Sabonis been here during the run where we made the finals 2 out of 3 years, I’d say put him up there.

I just have a hard time retiring the jerseys of people who never even made it to a single all-star game.

Can I buy you a fish sandwich?

by silkybrown on Aug 7, 2008 9:04 PM PDT reply actions

welcome!

"You'd rather say 'whoa' than 'giddyup.'" ~ Dean Demopoulos

by Ben Golliver on Aug 7, 2008 9:31 PM PDT reply actions

Retiring numbers is a sin

A guy should get his favorite number if no one currently playing isn’t already dawning that number.

Rafters yes. The best players should be in the rafters but taking away all the numbers from players who are playing is stupid. The only numbers that should maybe, maybe be retired are the ones where you just can’t not think of the previous player. You know like 23 in Chicago or 33 in Boston. .

But since we do retire numbers, and lots of em, Terry Porter should be one of em. He was number one hundred and eighty one right?

by Blazersaurus on Aug 7, 2008 10:27 PM PDT reply actions

Rules on Retiring numbers by me

1. Had to make an all-star game-if you weren’t good enough to be an all-star we still may love you but you don’t belong in the rafters

2. Had to lead the team to the playoffs-if you couldn’t lead the team to the playoffs thats not entirely your fault but if you want in the rafters you need to figure out a way to get your team in

3. Had to be a good person in the community-players with retired numbers are looked at as leaders and faces of the team, if you went to jail your disqualified

by jbiermann88 on Aug 8, 2008 4:31 AM PDT reply actions