I'm pretty certain I know why these injuries are happening

by hurryup09 on Dec 23, 2009 11:54 AM PST

During the offseason, I announced loudly and repeatedly that the Celtics had zero chance of even contending because their decrepit old geezer bodies were certain to break down. Apparently, the basketball gods interpreted those pronouncements as an invitation to decimate the youngest playing rotation in the NBA--that of my beloved Portland Trailblazers.

OK, I'm withholding final judgement on this for now. But if the Celtics end up winning the championship this season--sans a single serious injury--all doubt will be eliminated. I will fully accept blame for this brutal injury parade of a season.

Of course, if it turns out that the Blazers have now used up their quota of serious injuries for the decade, I might end up taking a bow. How ideal it would be to have used 'em all up at once--and before the championship window opened.

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That's my hope too

That this is all our injury karma til Roy retires and gets his HOF speech ready.

"Good evening Blazer fans, wherever you may be!"-Bill Schonely

by skywaker9 on Dec 23, 2009 11:55 AM PST reply actions

We just practice too hard and treat this game like a job that's all....

The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
Head Czar of Amerika <--- Mortimer said so so there!!!

by faith on Dec 23, 2009 12:30 PM PST reply actions

I'm pretty certain I know, too

There are too many injuries to be considered coincidence or bad luck. I think that trainer Jay Jensen is to blame, at least partially, and he needs to be fired.

When a team loses too many games, even with bad players, usually the coach will be fired. Sometimes this is just a token for the fans to make it look like the organization is trying to do something to win.

In the same way, the Blazers need to fire Jay Jensen. Even if it’s not exactly his fault, doesn’t his job description involve maintaining the health of the players? Can you argue that he’s doing his job well?
If any of these injuries were preventable, shouldn’t Jay be held responsible for his negligence? If any player aggravated his injury by coming back too soon (Webster), that should be the trainer’s fault. If a player could have had a problem fixed sooner (Rudy), that should be the trainer’s fault. If a style of training creates too much muscle weight that strains the knees (Oden), that should be the trainers fault. I could go on.

Ask yourself, “how many more players have to get hurt before I can blame the trainer?” Last week, I told myself “one more”. And then that happened last night. If 7 players are lost for the season, would that be enough for you? 10?

I’ll be the guy booing Jay Jensen when his name is announced before the game.

by unblindloyalty on Dec 23, 2009 12:36 PM PST reply actions

I dunno

Maybe—MAYBE—you have a point re/ Martell and GO’s injuries. Maybe not (I’ve argued both ways). Rudy? No way was that the Blazers’ trainer’s fault. Most likely, Jensen’s not to blame for any of these injuries.

Having said that, at this point I hope the Blazers brass is looking at any and every possible contributing factor to this unbelievable string of injuries—no matter how far fetched.

I was born in '52, and I believe in #52. Hang in there, GO.

by hurryup09 on Dec 23, 2009 12:45 PM PST up reply actions

I should elaborate...

It’s not the trainer’s job to convince players (e.g., Batum & Rudy) that they should have surgery. Guys have to come to that on their own. And as long as they’re able to play thru the pain, they’re generally going to be resistant to going under the knife.

Remember Roy’s foot? Many of us BE’ers (including yours truly) were angry that the Blazers hadn’t bit the bullet and gotten Roy to undergo surgery. The idiots! Well, it looks like Roy & the Blazers had that one right, doesn’t it?

I was born in '52, and I believe in #52. Hang in there, GO.

by hurryup09 on Dec 23, 2009 12:49 PM PST up reply actions

So, what's your number?

How many more Blazers have to suffer significant injuries before you blame the trainer?

I am using the trainer as the symbol of the common element of the Blazer players health. Other things like duration/intensity of practice, diet, jersey fabric (ha ha), are harder to blame. Is Jay Jensen giving all the players the same dietary supplement / multi-vitamin that has the side-effect of weakening players’ bones and tendons? I’m wildly speculating, but that’s our job as BEdgers, right?

by unblindloyalty on Dec 23, 2009 12:59 PM PST up reply actions

If Joel Przybilla had titanium tendons, he still would have torn his patellar tendon last night

Did you see how he fell??

Now you COULD make an argument that Joel moved awkwardly on that play because he was dog tired. But that wasn’t due to anything the Blazers’ staff did. It was due to the fact that, with GO out, Joel had been heroically trying to do the job of two men. Poor Joel was like the little Dutch boy with his finger in the dike, holding back the flood waters.

Blame KP for not signing another center during the offseason. Blame cruel fate. But don’t blame Jay Jensen for that one.

I was born in '52, and I believe in #52. Hang in there, GO.

by hurryup09 on Dec 23, 2009 2:15 PM PST up reply actions

Or just blame hurryup09, as I suggested in the fanpost

But you won’t have “hurryup09” to kick around for long. Beginning January 1st, I’ll be reborn as “goodriddance’09.”

Apologies in advance to anyone who has to type out that handle…

I was born in '52, and I believe in #52. Hang in there, GO.

by hurryup09 on Dec 23, 2009 6:20 PM PST up reply actions

I KNEW it was your fault.

This whole time I’ve been saying I bet hurryup09 has something to do with this…

by Bskey on Dec 23, 2009 12:53 PM PST reply actions

Its time to break out the nano paint

by Kaanyr Vhok on Dec 23, 2009 1:27 PM PST reply actions

What's nano paint?

I was born in '52, and I believe in #52. Hang in there, GO.

by hurryup09 on Dec 23, 2009 2:16 PM PST up reply actions

No no no...It is Andre Millers fault

Before Andre Miller got here we were a healthy, vibrant, young team with lots of promise, and then Andre came to Portland and sucked the life force out of our players and team (rumor has it this is what he does in order to keep his Iron Man status). Our only answer to heal ourselves and get back a championship caliber team is to trade Andre Miller preferably to a team far far away where he can no longer harm the trailblazers any more.

Draft Cole Aldrich 2010

by jlarose78 on Dec 23, 2009 2:22 PM PST reply actions

The post might be working...

It was announced today that Paul Pierce will be out a couple weeks with an infected knee. Now if we can just rebuild our players like the million dollar man…

by Rip City Renegade on Dec 23, 2009 3:37 PM PST reply actions

BT Smith is to blame

I said it before, Smith is the new beat writer…there were no injury concerns before he came to town.

I say we make him walk the plank…

When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!

by two4larue on Dec 23, 2009 4:45 PM PST reply actions

I thought it was because I used the MUTE button on commercials during games

ignacio

by ignacio on Dec 23, 2009 7:32 PM PST reply actions

It's because I wait until 15 min after tipoff and fastforward through commercials til halftime

by samuelleejackson on Dec 23, 2009 9:33 PM PST up reply actions

No, no: AGAIN it is I who must shoulder the blame

I learned how to program a 30-second-forward skip button into my Coincast remote. So I wait until close to an hour after game time to start my viewing. I not only skip ALL the commercials, but all the Blazer promos and half-time filler as well. (There’s a handy 5-minute skip button for the latter purpose.)

All of Blazer Nation is now paying for my selfish viewing habits. I’m truly sorry. Not that I’m gonna change one iota…

I was born in '52, and I believe in #52. Hang in there, GO.
You too, Przy: everyone knows you're the heart & soul of the Blazers.

by hurryup09 on Dec 24, 2009 11:29 AM PST up reply actions