Today's Poll - Hug A Coach Edition

what kind of hug was it? was it from the front or behind? was it a man-hug with one hand shake then the pull in? was it a hug then eye to eye stare? was it a hug with two hands firmly on the waste? or on the waste then moving down before out? was it a Stevie Williams v. Tiger Woods hug where Stevie is pushing him away while Tiger is crying?

the ethical answer is in the details of the hug

Man hug or daps would be good… lol.

It’s not like its happening every day. This really isn’t a question of journalism, I don’t think McMillan’s trying to “buy good press” here.

An example of how Webster adds to the locker room experience came last night as he was sitting next to Bayless. By now, I think most Blazers fans have come to notice Bayless’ huge legs. His whole body is sculpted, but his legs are especially thick and very well defined.

Sophia

but who says a journalist HAS to be all separated from the team? If he was working for ESPN, a NATIONAL corporation then I would like to see him stay separated. And obviously, if he was working for the LEAGUE, this would be a big no-no.

But as a Portland journalist…come on! I have no problem with a great big bear hug. After all this team has been through…no problem whatsoever.

We’ve got something seriously special going here. I can’t say I know how it works in other teams locker rooms. I don’t know what’s going to happen in the playoffs. But if this team plays like it has nothing to lose and everything to gain there could be some confetti on Portland’s streets very soon. Great read.

This team is portland’s team and JQ is a portland writer. Frankly, I take more issue with John NOT being a fan of this team. I say that not just because it’s portland team, but because this team gives ANY fan of the game REASONS to be a fan of the blazers. What’s not to like about team work, how the team is growing, what they’re doing?

Correct me if I’m wrong, but when the team was going in a bad direction, didn’t JQ and the team clash? Wasn’t JQ honest about what the issues were and the blazers in denial and argumentative about it? (I honestly wasn’t paying attention to who was criticizing the blazers. I know Canzano was, but I believe there were others speaking out as well and it created a rift for a while. I also firmly believe the blazers were 100% in the wrong.) As long as JQ doesn’t fail to speak truth about issues and stays honest, then I have no issue with him being a fan and sometimes celebrating when the blazers hit huge mile stones. In a way we’re all in this together and when we hit milestones i’d HOPE we could all express our joy together.

Otherwise kinda awkward

You finally broke Nate down. It took all season. Good job.

I really enjoyed Quick’s characterization of their relationship as it has evolved over the years. He says he’s lucky to have Nate. I say we’re lucky to have them both. – Elgin

is so 2008.

if Sarge had been seen hugging babe Rebecca Haarlow instead of Quick

JQ says:

For all our moments when we irritate each other, I still couldn’t imagine a better working relationship. As lucky as I am to have a star in Roy who is so accessible and quotable, I am just as fortunate to have Nate as head coach, who is as patient and accommodating as any head coach in the league. Beyond that, he is a good man, a more tender and sensitive man than people realize. And he works harder than any coach I’ve been around. I can’t imagine a better man for this job.

Before I leave, McMillan wants to again talk about our hug. He says in the Houston locker room, he felt like Jim Valvano, his college coach at North Carolina State, who famously ran around the court looking for someone to hug after the Wolfpack won the NCAA title.

Then he got serious and said some very nice comments, some very touching comments … after which he broke into another smile.

“So, can I get a hug?’’

We hugged again.

Freeman mock complains that he felt left out, and McMillan said it was because he wasn’t in the locker room at the time.

As I leave, Nate gives Joe a hug.

Nate, Quick and Joe hug triangle?

Because he and Quick kind of went through the transition from the Jail Blazers to what we have now together. The Jail Blazers made both those guy’s jobs harder.

Haptic medicine is a field of research. Touch was shown to be a physical need almost like exercise and most important sleep are. A study done in a hospital showed that premature babies who were kept in a ward where they were touched more grow more both mentally and physically. Tiffany Field did a study where premature babies who were touched for 45 minutes a day put on more weight than those who weren’t. These babies were also more developed cognitively months later. A tragic case took place under the dictator in Romania – he took children away from dissidents and raised them in group homes where they did not get any touch. Touch deprivation resulted in stunted physical and cognitive growth and cognitive development.

Hug research done by Clipman et. al. had a group of participants give 5 hugs a day and found that their level of happiness improved while the control groups’ happiness level stayed the same. According to Virginia Satir, her studies found 12 hugs a day necessary for psychological growth and 4 hugs as the bare minimum for “survival” (which I would call a bit too extreme).

To recap: the wonder drug for happiness is 30 minutes of exercise at least 3 times a week, at least 5 deep breaths a day, 8 hours of sleep a day and 5 but ideally 12 hugs a day. Hugs are a win-win situation for both huggers. But of course be sure to respect people’s boundaries.

- Dr. Norsktroll

had Quick refused the hug…..trying to remain impartial and unbiased.

Let us not quickly forget Joel’s soft, tender salutation to someone in Memphis last night.

“good game, MFer.”

Poetry, Joel.

Sweet. Soothing. Poetry.

I love this team. All of it. The media, the coaches, every single player. And the fans. All of it is simply incredible and one huge, family experience.

Alright, I was going to vote “Yes, I am jealous, I want to hug Nate McMillan.” because it is both funny and true (it’s so funny because it’s true!) But I was compelled to go with the sincere “No, I thought it was an endearing and symbolic gesture that encapsulated the path that this team has travelled.” This statement so perfectly captured my emotions on reading Quick’s writing. And let us throw out our own dap for Jason Quick: (maybe I was slow to the party on this but still), he is one of the very NBA best beat writers out there, and is starting to gain some national recognition for that fact. This was a great accomplishment by the team, a great moment between a coach and a reporter, and a wonderful story: what a trifecta for Portland fans.

Especially spontaneous expressions of hugging…

Good for Nate.. and good for Quick for accepting the gesture despite the minor moral implications..

Hugs all the way around!!!

.-*

Where is the gameday discussion thread?

or are the “Behind the Locker Room Door” articles becoming less about the Blazers and more about Jason Quick?
There seems to be less stories about the Blazers themselves and more of Quick talking about himself and his own experiences with the team.
I don’t care that Quick lost a bunch of weight by not eating fried foods! I want to hear more about the Blazers!