Are we the Green Bay Packers of the NBA?
by Norsktroll on Apr 30, 2009 9:29 AM PDT
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PrintBefore especially opposing fans ridicule this statement as premature grandeur of a team that hasn't won anything lately and is just nearing the end of a rebuilding phase, hear me out. I don't mean to compare our franchise histories and successes. The Packers are probably the most storied franchise in NFL history winning 12 championships, the last one in 1996. The Blazers are clearly not.
While fans hope (even expect if we are honest) this Blazers team wins at least one championship if the core stays together, this likely won't even become true going forward. Although tominhawaii did make a post way back in 2007 asking if our young team was comparable to their young team (of course still lead by a veteran Brad Favre at the time). Why not? And while Kevin Pritchard and Larry Miller seem to model the organization more after the San Antonio Spurs as the blueprint, I think the Packers would be an apt comparison for a solid franchise built for the long term, too.
But I mostly mean this comparison to Green Bay as a similarity of fan bases, the one-sport city (and state), the deep connection of the current organization to the community otherwise maybe only found in college sports.
I first got back to that idea in January, when the Darius Miles e-mail hit and I and other posters went scrambling to explain why the Blazers might have acted like that - with mixed success. One of the editors of Timberwolves blog Canis Hoopus wrote this, which I had to agree with:
I think Portland...
….is like the Green Bay Packers of the NBA. They seem to have a similar crowd makeup. - by Stop-n-Pop on Jan 12, 2009
Now that feeling got back to me again when discussing our franchise and fan behavior with Rockets fans as a pretty good term to describe who the Blazers and their fans are comparable to. Are we like Packer Backers?
You have seen people here on Blazer's Edge post pictures of elaborate posters they made. Fan videos. Customized shirts and jerseys. Blazers-themed cakes and cookies. Of pinwheels shaved in the back of their head. Of pinwheel logos tattooed on their arms or legs. Blazer hobby rooms ("man caves"). Roaring Rose Garden crowds. Darth Blazer. Fans vocally defending the team against inside and outside critique.
It's not quite as fanatic bordering on religious as in Green Bay, Wisconsin especially when looking at the average fan, but I feel like Portland, Oregon is getting there (again?) with Blazermania. I guess my question is, are we that different from Cheeseheads - minus the cheese? Beerheads? Pinwheel heads?
Searching around a bit, former Blazers COO Mike Gollub described my sentiments very good in an interview with Ben last summer:
[...] People who love the Blazers, LOVE the Blazers, dearly. We have a place in people's hearts and minds here, when we are doing our job right, that is unusual. People have this intense, personal, emotional relationship with the team and we are so grateful for that.
I think it's a different set of decisions for people. It's not, "do I get my oil changed?" It's a personal, emotional decision that's different from how people spend their money on other things because the marriage between Portland and Oregon for that matter is pretty unique. The franchise and the city and the state grew up together, came of age together. We are the only team in town.
We are perceived, for better or worse, as a representation of Portland. People's perception of Portland around the country is affected disproportionately, one might say, by the Blazers and we take that pretty seriously. I do think that's a special relationship that is more akin to the Green Bay Packers than perhaps any other team. We are the city and the state's team. if we do our job right and continue to connect with the fans I'm hoping we can weather any economic forces.
Would you agree?
Go Blazers, win or loss tonight.
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Oh yeah???
Well so is your face!!!! Oooooh, sick burn.
Yes! Yes! In the face!
by LeafHawk on Apr 30, 2009 9:38 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
you did
you totally did.
OH! IT'S A LOB TO RUDY!! And he Jams it!
From Sergio; the Spanish Armada hooks up again!
And as a Vikings fan
I hate both the Packers and da Bears
If Favre signs with Minnesota this summer…will a brick get chucked through that stained-glass window?
I have always thought the similarity existed, for sure....
One team town, rabid fanbase, etc….although the Whitsitt Jailblazers almost screwed that up. Nice post.
It's spelled "PRZYBILLA."
vanillathrillagorillaprzybilla
agreed
similarities in fan base… not in terms of success… maybe one day… how do you like them ellipses???
The comparisons to Green Bay was always in context of the fanbase
also before the Jail Blazers there was a time when people were calling the team the Trail Babies. Something Bryant Gumbel popularized on the Today show.
"Kobe you empty headed animal food trough wiper! I fart in your general direction! Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries!" - Nicolas Batum
by Sexual Tyrannosaurus on Apr 30, 2009 9:42 AM PDT up reply actions
I hate hate Bryant Gumbel
It's spelled "PRZYBILLA."
vanillathrillagorillaprzybilla
by RenoBlazerFan on Apr 30, 2009 2:03 PM PDT up reply actions
The Green Bay of the NBA
That’s what the sportscasters used to call Portland back when CBS was carrying the NBA.
"Kobe you empty headed animal food trough wiper! I fart in your general direction! Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries!" - Nicolas Batum
by Sexual Tyrannosaurus on Apr 30, 2009 9:38 AM PDT reply actions
i don't know...our playoff beards got nothing on them guys up in Green Bay
seriously, RoodiePhirnandizz, who has one of the most epic beard’s I’ve seen in Oregon, would look like a twelve year old kid with peach fuzz up in Packerville.
Goodbye Deke. The NBA will miss Mt. Mutombo.
by prezofdeath on Apr 30, 2009 10:20 AM PDT up reply actions
Would it be wrong to say that even the women up here have better playoff beards than you guys?
Even if the women here took that as a compliment? I have never lived in a place where love for a sports team transcended gender as much as it does here in Wisconsin for the Packers.
Of all the things that can be expressed in the printed word – love, hate, fear, joy – true humor is the one that is the most difficult of all. Sarcasm, for example, is an art of delicate subtlety. Yet too many people wield it as a bulldozer – loud, smelly, ugly, and destructive – and think they are being funny.
For the longest time I took that comment as offensive
But as I’ve gotten older (I’m an old 23), I’ve realized just how true of a statement it is. I think when the Sonics left is when I really started to think about the connection the city and the state and the fans have with this team, and how truly special it is. Watching other teams struggle to get fans in the seats, winning teams, has always confused me, because I could never understand why people wouldn’t be flocking to support their team. And then I figured out that it’s because they just don’t care the way we care. They don’t love their team the way we love our team. I’ve felt a buzz in this city the last few months that hasn’t been here in a while, and it’s because of the success of this franchise and what it means to everyone. And you don’t see that in a lot of other cities. Green Bay is a perfect example, because they are in the same situation we are in. For us, it’s the Blazers and nothing else, and in GB it’s the Pack. We put our hearts and souls into these teams because it’s the one thing we have. So I’m ok with Green Bay of the NBA. And yes, we are much better looking.
I want Greg Oden to tuck me in at night and tell me stories about the old times
No
I’m a Packers fan as well.
A typical lead 5 o’clock news story when I lived in Madison would be:
“Exclusive Interview with Deanna Favre!, oh and man convicted in chainsaw slayings”
Green Bay is 300,000 people. Lambeau Field seats 73,000.
Blazers had a great run with the sellouts, but GB has sold out every home game for 40 straight years.
I love the Blazers, but we seem to love them conditionally. Packers fans carry the devotion to illogical extremes.
cheesehead
dinasour type of guys choir boys
If 35 players on the Packers squad sucker punched teammates in practice.....
……and were caught driving down a Wisconsin freeway while hotboxing AND talked about lynchings happening within 100 miles of Green Bay AND engaged in dog fighting and using their Topps card as their identification, I bet you’d see how conditional their love is for the Packers as well. But you’re probably right that they would still sell out their playoff games.
Yes! Yes! In the face!
good point...hard to imagine how such a small town is so big in the sports world.
Goodbye Deke. The NBA will miss Mt. Mutombo.
by prezofdeath on Apr 30, 2009 10:21 AM PDT up reply actions
dude
we are so much more than the Packers and Wisconsin. those guys aren’t called cheeseheads for nothin’.
Goldman Sachs is the # 1 donor to $enator Evan Bayh, who serves on the $enate committee that overseas the Treasury Department. In a totally unrelated coincidence, after the Government enacted a bailout program that funnels huge amounts of taxpayer $$$$ to Goldman Sachs, this is what happened: Goldman Sachs earned $1.81 billion, or $3.39 a share, for the quarter ended March 31, 2009. Goldman Sachs shares, which have surged more than 70% during the past month, continued rising late Monday, gaining about 4.7% for the day.
Nobody even tries to hide this any longer. The only way they could make it more blatant is if they hung a huge Goldman Sachs logo on the Capitol dome and then branded it onto the foreheads of leading members of Congress and executive branch officials.
Living in Wisconsin and in Portland,
I’ve got to give the edge to Packer fans. They make even the Blazermania of ’77 look like tame.
Of all the things that can be expressed in the printed word – love, hate, fear, joy – true humor is the one that is the most difficult of all. Sarcasm, for example, is an art of delicate subtlety. Yet too many people wield it as a bulldozer – loud, smelly, ugly, and destructive – and think they are being funny.
Not quite
For one thing, GB is a tiny tiny tiny city, nowhere near the metropolis that is Portland. The fan support IS similar to many places across the Midwest though (Midwest fans are insane)…
Proud member of Duck nation!
by skywaker9 on Apr 30, 2009 10:16 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs
That Darth Blazer fanshot is funny
I especially like this part.
Goodbye Deke. The NBA will miss Mt. Mutombo.
I think the blazers are more like Tampa Bay Bucs
Because both teams are very young and very talented, depending on what you think of oden, you can also say the same then about the Bucs new QB Josh freeman, he will be a future hall of fame QB or just a Starter at best. they have a coach that loves defense just like Nate.
by Daddygr33nJeans on Apr 30, 2009 10:39 AM PDT reply actions
freeman
could be worse then a starter easily
"Howard, he know me" Rudy
by phillyduck23 on Apr 30, 2009 11:22 AM PDT up reply actions
No
No because we do not own our team Paul Allen Does however if he were to sell shares Im sure they would be bought. I Think we are more like the Baltimore Ravens a Team that tries to Draft quality guys with an amazing GM and a Coach that stresses D
You should probably give some of the context -
it’s some time ago now, but if I recall correctly I think much of the discussion on Canis Hoopus focused not as much on fanaticism as on loutishness.
It can be seen in a positive and negative way. I didn't intend bring it up as a compliment, just as a comparison that was made.
The defensive attitude towards critique is mentioned later, which likely applies to the Miles situation.
fair enough
by the way looking at my comment again it sounds a bit snarky, I didn’t mean it that way. You’re right, too, I was thinking mostly of the conversation that occurred during the Miles situation, there may have been other conversations more recently, I haven’t been checking Hoopus much lately. ;)
by plinytheelder on Apr 30, 2009 11:44 AM PDT up reply actions
The comparisons of fan devotion are accurate.
Many of the differences are due to the nature of the NBA and NFL. As someone mentioned above, the Packers have sold out every home game for 40 years. But they have never played more than 8 regular season home pages in a season. That’s less than 320 games (because the seasons were shorter a couple of decades ago). The Blazers had a home sellout streak that went well beyond 320 games, but far fewer than 40 years.
The Blazers made the playoffs 22 years in a row….GB can’t come close to that…..but for most seasons, more NBA teams make the playoffs than in the NFL.
The one fan difference is that Packer fans stay truly engaged through thich and thin. I have a co-worker that we call Cheesehead Ruth who lives in The Dalles, OR. She wears her cheesehead when watching all Packer games, wear’s one of her many Favre jerseys regularly, decorates her desk at Christmas with green and yellow lights, and pretty much just tries to live a green and yellow life. She loves her team when they are doing well, but equally loves them when they suck……because they are the Packers.
that could have been the blazers
if it weren’t for the jail blazer years. Not sure though.
"Fernandez, to my eyes, is the Blazer who walks that walk most comfortably. A lot of Portland's fans (egged on, dare I say, by their local broadcasters) lament things like how Ron Artest or Yao Ming get to hit Brandon Roy's arms.
But I suspect Fernandez sees all that and thinks: We get to hit arms! Cool!"
http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-39-135/On-Playoff-Experience.html
For real?
I’m not used to you not getting lots of recs. And it’s still way better than lots of other stuff.
OK--recced for the fancy stained glass packer window thingy
It's spelled "PRZYBILLA."
vanillathrillagorillaprzybilla
I've heard people compare us to Steelers fans
Based on the number of people outside of Pittsburgh identifying as fans and the recent success of that particular team, I’ll take take that comparison happily. They also said we can be irrationally defensive our teams and that many find us both extremely annoying. Whatevs.
by OnSinkingGround on Apr 30, 2009 5:04 PM PDT reply actions
I was just thinking of this today, and I think you’re mostly right (except for the publicly-owned thing).
I’d change your title to “Are we the Packers fans of the NBA?” though, and thus avoid the whole disambiguation at the beginning.
"Well, Travis just showed us that we can go to Travis Outlaw." - Nate McMillan
I hope so.
And hopefully the trophy won’t elude us for 50 years. I’d hate for us to be compared to Red Sox fans.
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