TV reporter wants your perspective

The people here, for the most part, are intelligent basketball fans. Oregon Live consists of someone making a comment and then 50 replies insulting each other. It’s counter productive as fans. Very, VERY rarely are there ever people that attack each other here, which makes it far less hostile and more enjoyable to read about my favorite team.

it is amazing how much work they put in, from Dave’s 1000 word write ups before and after every game, to Ben’s annoying yet very informative charts, it really is something we take for granted.

All the people here also make it a one stop place for not just blazer-related material, but the NBA in general, as the side bar will always show the latest news almost as soon as it breaks.

And lastly, it is a place for everyone to share their mad love for Nicolas Batum.

provide the best in-depth basketball analysis you can find. I believe they are simply the best at what they do. After a Blazers game, here are my stops in order:

1. BlazersEdge
2. ESPN
3. Behind the Beat

I lot of people come here for many reasons.

Hardcore fans can talk stats, more casual fans can talk some ball and people even come here just to socialize.

Myself I fall in the middle. I don’t socialize all that much here but always come here first for Blazer talk. I’m a very hardcore fan that does not miss a game but when talking about the Blazers prefer to keep it somewhat laid back. This site really is the place to go.

Funny enough if I here any news on the Blazers I come HERE to verify it. That’s how much I respect Dave and Ben and the work they do.

As good of work as Dave and Ben do though it’s the people that make the site what it is. Or rather a combination of those who run and those who use it.

so you should go to here

I come here for the ladies…and Tom comes for ’Dre Miller

Mr. Smith, go into the Junk Drawer post that gets created everyday and you can catch a sense of the community here;)

blazersedge is a great community and place to voice your blazer opinions without getting crucified or having to read any more canzano garbage. Shout-out also to Jscot for his informative, in-depth “road ahead” posts, which i appreciate greatly.

P.S. if you work for Fox 12, you should know my cousin Mark Ross? Tell him hi from Nick….ha.

its where diehard blazer fans can get together and discuss whatever. The junk drawer is the best of course cause it’s always active and its just blazer fans having fun and discussing life. The rest of the site is devoted pretty much to the best team ever. Dave and Ben give us great perspectives (even though Ben has a weird obsession with Kevin Durant) and they keep the site family friendly which is a big plus. Gotta give love to my boy prezofdeath for being the greatest mod ever (sorry jorga, -ken, t darkstar, usmcr, and geoffm).

Really though. If you want Blazer stats, news, opinions and views, and an all around good experience, Blazersedge is the only place for Blazer fans to get it.

in that I found the Bedge a few years ago as an alternative to the rapidly deteriorating civilization that is the Oregonlive.com message board. I found the site to have great writing from Dave (and then Ben when he came on board) and a lot of intelligent fans who had a lot of insight to contribute.

Now, I can’t recall the last time I went online for something and didn’t check Blazersedge. Your observation about it being a virtual living room is spot on, though when the games aren’t on I’d characterize it more like a virtual break room, especially the Junk Drawers, where we discuss just about anything.

In many ways the site has gone beyond being just a Blazers blog; it’s become kind of like Cheers, where everybody knows your name, and they’re always glad you came.

It’s too good (and hot and sweet and yummy). I spend more time here than I should, but I cannot help myself. I have used many different sport forums and this one is by far the best. It’s in a league of its own. Most internet sites are overrun with thoughtless emotional reaction—anger when the team loses, gloating following a loss, and personal attacks in arguments. All of that is here too, but it does not overshadow all of the insightful and playful conversations. My theory about what makes it so good is that Dave and Ben set a superb example of thoughtful yet passionate discussion and there happen to be a lot of intelligent Blazer fans that can follow their lead.

this site should absolutely be bookmarked

SInce I live in the Bay Area where it is full of Warriors, Kings, Lakers, and even Spurs (no idea how that happened) fans, it’s amazing that I can go on a website and be able to interact with other fans who support the same time. Like the the first post said, everybody is really friendly and don’t insult each other like on OregonLive.

I would like to thank Ben and Dave for all that they’ve done with this website. I couldn’t have asked for better people to be running it.

GO BLAZERS!

P.S.
Can you post a link to this story when your done? A lot of us probably wont be able to see it so it would be great if you come back and show us your finished project.

One of the amazing things about Blazersedge is that it’s much, more than a place where people can come to “watch” a game together (personally, I stay away from the virtual living room during the game — there are too many people throwing things at the virtual TV).

For many of us, it’s a community. A lot of us first came here for Dave’s wise and witty analysis, or Ben’s access to the team and his insights. But then we got hooked on the basketball knowledge that other posters (Bedgers) provide. Then it moved even beyond that with our daily off-topic thread, the junk drawer. That’s where we can discuss everything (almost) on the planet — music, films, food, humor, and even basketball are common topics. The junk drawer is unique to sports blogs, and that’s where the I get the strongest sense of community.

I have to give major kudos to Dave for providing an environment where civil behavior is the norm. As a woman, Dave (and Ben too, but Dave started it) I’ve always felt very comfortable here. At this point, a lot of other sites just seem like a bunch of macho chimpanzees posturing and pounding their chests.

Blazers Edge is more than just a website where fans get together. We’ve converged at many events, including several organized here on the site. We’ve gathered at playoff rallies, we’ve played basketball it to often hilarious results, and we’ve become a close-knit family, complete with all of the bickering you could ever want. At the end of the day, we’re all fans, and united for a common cause; representing Rip City in all of it’s glory.

Ben provides an educated perspective that allow us, as fans, to be just a little more on the inside than most. Dave has turned this house of a message board into a home for us all. If I had to sum things up with a simple one word description it’d be “comfortable.”

I don’t know why. It’s like a disease and the paranoia that i’m gonna miss out on something.

Serously, My alarm goes off. I get up. Check Blazers edge and facebook. And go to work.

It’s so automatic I don’t even think about it.

they keep a tight ship meaning there is no cussing, no worries i will get attacked, trolls are blocked and legit blazer talk is what i can expect.

funniest people in sports on this site.

so this is the only place I get to interact with other Blazer fans… to bounce my crazy thoughts or ideas off of, or otherwise just enjoy the thrill of victory adn agony of defeat.

Having this site for that has most definitely increased my following of the Blazers.

Blazersedge is the premier site for anything blazers related. Whether it is a gameday chat, fan photos from away games, friendly banter with opposing teams blogs (BE is part of a larger network) or in depth analysis from 2 guys who tend to write the stories /articles in the perspective of actual blazer fans and not what “the organization” hands them. Because of the popularity of the site and fan base, these guys can get breaking blazers news or inside information that the bigger news stations try to obtain.

Having lived with a Blazer for thr last year and a half, we would get and look at the info on BE to see if the opinions of the fans met what the perception of the organization thought fans were thinking. Overall, best site for fans to meet other fans and to get my blazers info.

and everything is either amazing or terrible. there is no middleground.

Yet I’m always here reading since the quality of what Dave and Ben is write is un matched. I also follow on Twitter, Ben does and excellent job at keeping us fans up to date with Blazer information.

In my opinion, Blazersedge is the best Blazer website.

the great media row reports that let you in on the behind the scenes stuff. Overall I can count on this site to update me on the most up to date information with the team. If a player gets traded or hurt, it’s on here faster than Oregon live.

This site is just the ultimate news source for the team.

I love coming on here to view the various opinions of Blazer fans and to voice my own opinion. Sharing in Blazermania is what makes it so great.

When I found Blazersedge a couple years ago it was like an oasis in the desert. Almost immediately I stopped listening to the ridiculous Blazer radio talk shows, and gradually I even stopped paying attention to the “official” media at the Oregonian, Columbian, or Tribune. Dave and Ben provide even-handed analysis of everything Blazers without playing on emotions, stirring up controversy, or blatantly repeating untrue rumors. When (if?) other media sources decide to be as honest I will probably spend more time reading or listening to what they have to say. Of course, I still probably couldn’t take the Edge off of the top of my bookmarks, just because there is so much great fan and user insight to be found here.

SS&R is where it is at, though.

Jokes aside, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Dave and Ben provide the most even-handed analysis of the home team, or at least they try to. It is rather ironic since all the “professional” journalists seem to have an ax to grind but it’s the two bloggers that try to keep it real.

While I contribute more analytical ideas to another Blazer fan site, (being too big also has its disadvantages) this place is a must-stop for all Blazer fans and especially for those that live outside Portland metropolitan area like myself.

That it frequents users from across the country on a daily basis. It has become the preeminent source of Blazers news and opinions for two big reasons.

1. Dave (Deckard) and Ben (Golliver) are absolutely fantastic when it comes to running the website. Both of them put an enormous amount of effort into both being highly analytical on the Blazers and bringing a great deal of news to the forefront of the fan base’s perspective. They provide a good base for the website with their articles and also keep the website, for the most part, family friendly with their rules.

2. The fans. They provide the substance. When it comes down to it, the fans on this website are simply the best. They come from all corners of the world and are always willing to voice their opinion and listen to the opinions of others. They “Keep the Conversation Going” at all times and are, in most cases, the biggest sources of analysis and perspective on the team.

as other people have noted. The community builds on the foundation Dave and Ben provide. We get thorough and insightful analysis that can’t be found elsewhere. We get up to the minute reports on what’s happening with the Blazers and the NBA in general. I suggest logging into Blazers Edge during the draft or the trade deadline to see what I mean when I say up to the minute.

Blazers Edge has everything a fan could want. It’s a repository of Blazer knowledge and basketball in general. We’ve got passion and we’ve got cold hard stats. We’ve got intelligent discussion and rampant homerism (and I mean that in the best way possible).

The greatness of Blazer’s Edge starts with Dave and Ben, but it ends with the amazing members of this community. The following is a list of the most rec’d fanposts. This is the level of discourse that exists on this site.

http://www.blazersedge.com/fanposts/popular/all_time

Everybody has pretty much covered what Ben and Dave bring. Ditto to all the good stuff about them.

I would say I started coming because of Dave’s ability to negotiate jumpers back from the ledge. The jumpers were fans fed up with what had become of their team and Dave just kept feeding us all well reasoned arguments for not giving up on the home team. The blog has transformed a lot over the past two years as the Blazers have seen more success. There have been some annoying periods but I think the vast majority of people who stick with it long term have strong opinions but respect differing ones (excepting tominhawaii of course) and it makes it interesting. You can always find a fresh perspective to go along with the old, stale ones.

BEdge works because it IS a place where fans can come and hang out, watch the game “together” in gameday threads, and keep up on the absolute latest related team news (and pretty darn quick for general NBA news like interesting transactions).

But it really sells short what they’ve accomplished and the solid they’ve done for Markos’ little network of sports blogs, which was a pretty simple idea that took team-specific fandom off the team’s website and into their own organic community. And linking the activity between the team blogs on game days is a neat touch…or would be, if more sites were as gung-ho as the BEdgers.

As the writer from the Suns blog notes above (and his site is also one of the very good ones from what I’ve seen), this is the gold standard. This is the hyper-attenuated fanbase that every team hopes is capturable on the web, and beyond the natural affinity Portland has for its (currently) only major league team, it’s not a case of luck or catching the zeitgeist. The reliability and high ethical standards that permeate what Ben and Dave run here are rarely matched in sites far more professionally backed, or with millions more dollars behind them.

Blazers Edge is why traditional media are losing their grip—given some useful tools, the dedicated, talented and passionate among us can easily hold their own with the largest multinational when it comes to entertaining media content. So I’m thrilled at the attention you, Mr. Writer, will lavish upon them. But PLEASE, PLEASE do not write a story about the cute little jock-nerds on the internet who love their Blazers and trade silly comments on game night. That’s just what we do because we’re so comfortable here, and it’s a friendly place to be. But the impact of Blazers Edge is much larger.

And you cannot write any story on BE without BlazersEdge Night. Lives are being changed.

(sorry, I got on a jag there)

reporting, I would say a key factor in the success of BEdge is the cultivation of a culture of civility and rationality, along with the emotions of being a fan. The enforcement of the “rules of engagement” keep the place from deteriorating into the kind of simplistic barrage of profanity and belligerence that some open forums become. This environment where intelligent, well developed positions are appreciated and respected attracts thoughtful fans and motivates them to put a high level of care into their submissions. It is a place where you can learn, and obtain meaningful feedback on your own opinions. And with the volume of submissions at this site, that is a remarkable level of effective editing that occurs, with the help of willing fans who assist in this task. By keeping the focus on our common interest in the Blazers, contentious outside issues are generally kept from disrupting the sense of community. I have noticed on occasion that as the sophistication and depth of a conversation intensifies, the quality of the comments improves, perhaps drawing in normally silent observers who can not resist the temptation to join in on a conversation where they might have personal expertise.
Particularly for fans “out of town”, it is a great way to share your appreciation for your team and keep up on what’s happening. Personally, I do tend to “check in” daily just to see if there is any news, because if there is, you can count on it being posted, probably with a running commentary in progress, very quickly. Really a nice example of the web being used to create a special kind of community.

But I’ve got goose bumps from reading them all – because they’re all true.

i like blazersedge because the comments are not vulgar or full of swear words

I appreciate that this is a site moderated to keep discourse civil and on topic, and I love the writing and analysis, not only by Dave & Ben, but also by the unnamed contributors.

There have been so many cool stories in the sidebar, and analysis done by true Blazer Junkies that it’s tough to know where to start. My experiences here have enriched my understanding of the inner workings of the Blazers, the personalities involved with the team, and basketball as a whole.

and I’ve been on “chat pages” for pro sport’s team (mostly baseball) since the mid/late ’90s

Blazersedge is the kind of forum that you hope to find, then (when you do) you know you’re “onto” something unique and special. It’s not just the expert analysis and up-to-the-second source of Blazer information. It’s the ability to share your .02 and get intelligent responses in return (at least, a good majority of the time…) After awhile, you’ll develop a familiarity with the hosts and regular posters and “inside jokes” as well as long-running debates can be enjoyed and rehashed, for years. Potential trades can be speculated upon beforehand, and when the Blazers do make a transaction the deal can be immediately critiqued, ad nauseum. Coaching decisions can be anticipated and second-guessed in real time, not the next day by the water cooler at work. It’s like we Bedgers have found a large cyber living room (or bar) and we’re all sitting around, swapping stories or bad puns or perhaps even observations that have some basketball-related content.

What’s not to like? Dave and Ben could leave for a couple of weeks on vacation and this place would run itself, thanks to the moderators and the well-established site-etiquette. It’s a safe haven for Blazer fans, but at the same time it’s never boring—if you get my drift.

Blazersedge to me is an escape from reality. When I first found the site I just stayed on the sideline and absorbed everything that I could. I was stuck in Fort Bragg, NC and would be lucky to see more then 2 games a year on tv. I have been a fan my whole life and when I left to join the military I realized how little attention anyone paid to our team. It was a place I could go to get more information than the box score and a paragraph about the game. I don’t use the site much during the season, a few junk drawers here and there and keeping track of the trade deadline crunch are about it. The offseason is when I am most devoted. now that I am back in Oregon I can watch every game so I don’t miss much (excluding the preseason, and yes I still care about it) but during the offseason there is more information then I could ever imagine, updates on the overseas guys, info on any and everything happening in the junk drawer and the perspective of people from all over the world. To be honest I don’t read half the stuff Dave or Ben write, but if there’s every anything I want to know more about as its happening (the camby trade, Brandon’s hamstring injury, Greg and joels recovery, Andre and nates yelling match at practice) they have it. The best thing here is the community, they always have something to add, it’s not like on other sites like yahoo when something has 2000 comments, and the first 50 aren’t people claiming to be (1st) and the next 1900 advertisements for dating sites, diets and bands. Whenever I am feening, either during a stretch of a few days without a game of the summer, Blazer Sedge is where I get my fix.

As in the class of NBA team blog sites scoring repeatedly at the top of national polls. More members, more participation, more content.

As in the place to come as a fan to learn about the game (class time) and the teams in the NBA each year. Dave and Ben bring such great insight and quality to the site every day. Always gracious to add content from outside contributers and members alike. This is echoed by the members here. No team in any sport has such a diverse and knowledgeable membership as I have encountered here.

As in class for being good sportsmen and controlling language and conduct so that this is a site our kids and grandchildren can come to without concern. This is reflected in the comments as well as the posts.

As in format which fosters great a passionate participation. SB Nation provides a network of team sites that is the class of the Internet: wide and deep with software that is easy to use and steadily improves.

As in people. Dave and Ben are as classy a pair of writers as I have encountered on the web. They consistently avoid sensationalism and are simply nice people.

Check my mail and the schedule[sometimes EC games matter],see what Dave and Ben have to say,look for any thing interesting in the side bar and then hang out with the JD hoodlums,it works for me

I don’t know any other blog that is as frequently updated as blazersedge. I think we all owe it to Dave & Ben for sacrificing their lives for our blazer addiction.

I can’t get enough of your blazersedge.

Being a sports fan is supposed to be fun, and Ben and Dave remind us of that every day. Whether it’s discussing the box score or comparing the last game to a Star Wars movie, this place is always about fun and never takes itself too seriously. Blazer’s Edge is both casual and respectful, but balanced with incredible knowledge and insight offered by the writers. There are other places that have information, or forums where fans can talk, but there isn’t another Blazers website or community as balanced and fun as Blazer’s Edge.

Blazers’ Edge is very active even in the off-season. Sure it slows down some, but not as much as one might expect. But June-September is just as Blazers-oriented as the season. It’s kinda cool to see that.

BE is an unexpected pleasure. Just the responses to this post.

and i have so much fun here that i come here EVERY time a game is on. watching a game and chatting with these guys makes the whole experience awesome and really fulfilling.

Plus the fact that the Blazers rule. Just throwin it out there

Having access to stats that some aren’t, Blazers Edge is a place that I know I can share the data, and readers will understand it. I would say that there are a large cross section of readers that look at the game a little differently and are interested in analyzing the game on a little deeper level. As a Blazer fan there is no other place for me to go with my info and have it appreciated for what it is.

Well Mr. Smith, basketball is the reason we all have come here. Finding a diamond in the rough is the reason we stay. Whatever is your cup of tea you’re sure to find it here. This place is simply the best, bar none. So if you want, sit back, relax, and kick your shoes off.

Extraordinary.

book it.

It’s the perfect combination of two guys running the site who love the NBA and the Blazers especially, a very open policy regarding contribution (it’s rare to see any kind of censorship around here) and the absence of any limits as to what can and can’t be written about. The newspapers and TV stations in the area do an alright job of covering the team, but they’re always going to be limited by outside factors. You don’t have that kind limitation at the BEdge. A number of writers couldn’t handle that level of freedom. They wouldn’t know what to do with it. Ben and Dave don’t come across as having any kind of agenda (outside of Ben’s Kevin Durant mancrush) and it makes the website all the better for that.

How about a half hour show on channel 12 about the Junk Drawer? I know you guys aren’t showing anything at 3 AM….

1. Breaking news
2. Analysis – ranging from team numbers, player numbers, shooting efficiency, anything you can imagine. Most hot topics generally lead to some Bedge member breaking out the data and crunching some numbers to see if the data supports the groupthink.
3. Debate/opinion – enough members, with diverse viewpoints lead to energetic back and forths. There are a few topics that come up way to often, but usually the perspectives are fresh and new.
4. Fun – from Jersey contests to the junk drawer, this is a good way to blow off a little steam in an otherwise busy day…

The evolution of BE is interesting. The blazers were horrible… losing. We’d signed up Zach to some insane deal where I was banging my head against the desk because it was just a dumb move. Miles was out and injured. We ended up the season finally missing the playoffs (I may have my facts jumbled here). Blazers were being busted left and right even if not convicted.

The summer of the Roy/Aldridge draft I discovered Dave’s site. Might have been slightly before that. Casey was running BE at the time and I wasn’t aware of it. I lurked for a bit and then Dave moved over to BE and made it his own. I switched as well and continued lurking until someone said something i HAD to comment on.

Dave’s site was rational. It had intelligent fans discussing the team in many ways that I agreed with. It was an honest and raw look at where the team really stood, and that it was in the crapper. It was done as a fan though. A fan that didn’t bash the team, but was simply just honest.

With blazer fans offline, people weren’t really fans. This was a site where I could connect and get that blazer hunger taken care of. During the draft I was unbelievably excited at acquiring the two players in the draft I had wanted. The smart moves there indicated we had a person in charge who finally knew what they were doing. the next move was the exist of Zach to clear room for Aldridge. Then we won the Oden lottery (find that thread and check it out for some emotion/excitement).

BE was a source of news when there was no blazer news. It was a place for fans when there WAS no place for rational fans. The discussions tend to stay calm and rational. The “U zers sux cause ur bad” posts did’t exist or didn’t last long.

Over the years it’s been flooded and so I’ve pulled back from it a bit. I can look at the side bar and see 25k different posts on why we should trade player X for Y. It’s likely already been posted 35k different times too, but the person is new and thinks it’s a fantastic idea. I stopped reading the side bar and will maybe read the rec’d posts now.

Dave and Ben provide links to other great articles. They supply awesome statistical analysis thanks to others who contribute. The loud minority doesn’t seem to get too loud because rational conversation takes place and helps to quell it a bit.

It’s still my primary source of for blazer news because it tends to be more in depth that most other fluff. Dave gets silly from time to time and Ben goes on his crusades or waxes poetic about shoes, but I really don’t find many better articles elsewhere, and when they do exist… Dave and Ben are kind enough to link us to it.

I suppose one other point that used to be true but not so much now, is that other fans would come to this site and discuss as well so we could get some different perspectives. This was also something I loved. It acted as another reality check. With our size and rabid fan base, it seems that other fans tend to stay away now lest we drown out their own fan site with responses/replies.

One person recently posted “i’d ask blazer fans, but they scare me”. Shortly after that his site was flooded by blazer fans.

All in all good stuff. You have passionate, you have rational, you have knee jerk, you have long term, and you have some pretty smart people who add to what Dave and Ben do.

discuss and argue about the Blazers. Dave and Ben provide some of tee best, most well-thought out commentary on the team. While they may not have the access of Jason Quick, they aren’t THAT far behind.

We also have regular contributions from noted stat-heads (I’m looking at you Kevin Pelton), as well as a variety of points of view.

Everyone is welcome to participate. Anyone can post their thoughts and ideas, but you must be prepared to accept that not everyone will agree with you. And this is where BEdge shines. There are rules that govern those arguments, keeping BEdge from devolving ino the O-live forums (a nasty, nasty place to discuss the Blazers). And the group self-regulates rather well.

In reality this is more than just a place to talk Blazers, but rather a community….a real community of people united by a common bond in our love of the Blazers.

Plus the daily Junk Drawer is a whole lot of fun.

back when you couldn’t find any Blazers story other than the occasional Oregonian article. At the time you could read every single new Blazers article everyday and it wouldn’t take you more than 10 mins. I remember the joys of seeing the team rise up from the bottom of the power rankings, and reading insight from other hardcore and knowledgeable fans that you couldn’t get anywhere else at the time. I loved coming to this site to be around other passionate fans when the bandwagon was relatively empty.

I started frequenting the site and remaining loyal when I started making friends with many of the members. This is a very welcoming site, and one we can have intelligent debates about the team, yet not have to worry about immature personal attacks (like on other sites).

I come here not only because I care about the Blazers, but I’ve grown to care about my fellow BEdgers as well. To me this place feels like an online version of Cheers (where everyone knows your name).

What are the chances this turns into a 7 second bit at the end of the show?

over the last decade and have enjoyed them. But BlazersEdge is unique and where I spend most of my Blazer-surfing time these days (even if I’m not posting). There are many reasons why. First of all, as others have said, the analysis of Dave and Ben is unsurpassed on the web. Secondly, it’s for what I don’t get here – the sniping, swearing and trolling that I’ve experienced on other forums. Thirdly, the camaraderie of Blazer fans here is awesome. Finally, the uniqueness of the posts by other fans – Norsktroll’s list of Blazer transactions, InvisibleNinja’s amazing player comparison, etc. Where else can you get all that?

rupert murdock is a jerk.

I grew up following the Blazers—they won the championship when I was in high school—and continued to follow them as my adult life led me around the country. I’ve been in Vermont for the last ten years and, even without a TV, I’m more tuned in to the Blazers now than at any time in my life—mostly because of Blazersedge. (Of course, back in the day we had to rely on each morning’s Oregonian or the afternoon Oregon Journal for any Blazers news.) Dave’s a remarkable commentator and Ben is a welcome addition.

this site is an outlet for all the writing I want to do on the Blazers. Anything that I’m thinking of that pertains to the Blazers will be shared and discussed in a constructive and mostly respectful manner, or it has already been posted and made available for discussion. Ben and Dave are worlds better than Quick and Canzano. I love the debate and analysis that I find here and I know that we are better fans for it. GO BLAZERS!!!!!!!!

Check out our sitemeter map, especially during a game.
http://www.sitemeter.com/?a=stats&s=s24blazersedge&r=79&d=32&md=1&pg=1&v=500

Another sitemeter page lists the visitors by country
http://www.sitemeter.com/?a=stats&s=s24blazersedge&r=83

During one game last year, I noted visitors from the US, Spain, Japan, China, Philippines, Venezuela, Hong Kong, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Finland, Mexico, Peru, Turkey, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Norway, Palau, Indonesia, and Poland.

But I was born and raised in Oregon and now live is the pit of despondency called California. A place where idiocy of personality is a prerequisite to living here, and the idea of fandom involves showing up 3 minutes into the second quarter and leaving in a tie game with 2 minutes left “to beat traffic”. L*akers fans define travesty.

I am proud to be an Oregonian. I wear it like a badge down here. I miss my home. I miss my Blazers. Dave’s impressive insights and dedication to his team have helped keep me afloat down here. Ben’s commitment to statistics and headache inducing graphs (’Dre’s Shake chart anyone?) have helped me become a student of the game. jscot and TiH have brought enough levity and ridiculousness that I never feel that we ever lose sight of the fact that basketball is still that age old cliche—“just a game”.

Yes, blazersedge is just a website. But the embarrassing amount of time that I spend on it makes some days feel as if I never left home. Thanks to Dave and Ben and all my fellow BEdgers. Except Mortimer. (Just kidding.)

Dave is cool because he is nice and I like Ben because he knows lots of stats and he also falls in love with rookies like many fans. Both guys also know their stuff.

In Blazersedge I found an antidote to my cycle of Blazers-centric mania and depression. Dave — with his level-headed perspective on the latest game or player move — and Ben — with his propensity for stirring things up a bit — are a great team. They have something to say, and they know how to say it.

Some of us here at Blazersedge occasionally exhibit bizarre, even disturbing, behavior. But, hey, even the best medicine has side effects.

is one of the few places that people talk intelligently about their sports teams.

I come for the Blazers, I stay for the friends.

Also please note: we have many foreign fans on our site. Just another reminder that we are awesome. Put that in your report.

for Blazer news. Especially for those of us who don’t have Comcast. We don’t get to see the games but we get to participate in lively game threads and nice recaps.

Thank You, BE.

I lurked while Casey (Lance Uppercut) was the owner of BE and joined shortly after Dave took over the reins. This has been a great resource for Blazers’ fans who aren’t interested in the internet sewer that is O-Live (since Dave and Ben and the supporting cast of moderators try to keep the site family-friendly…although the recent news about Oden pushed the boundaries) and especially Blazers’ fans who aren’t in the Portland-metro area.

On the plus side, since I live outside of Seattle, I get to see all the games on Comcast – suck it, Oregonians!!! ;-)

…I would tell you that this site offers the most comprehensive, fascinating, surprising, and even amusing analysis of the franchise I’ve ever come across. Of course, the fact that this is on the web allows for more immediate and far-reaching communication than was possible all those years ago, but even allowing for that, nothing has ever come close to BE. It starts with the hard work and utter dedication of Dave and Ben, and that in turn greatly inspires the BE community. From the most interesting (and mostly easily understood) coverage of salary-cap issues to questions and answers regarding the long-term implications of Greg Oden’s and Brandon Roy’s recent injuries, I have complete confidence in Blazersedge as the best source for Blazers-related news.

If only congress could function as well the forums here.

I come primarily for the friendly banter, the community Dave has created is outstanding. These days, I only skim Dave’s recaps, even though he’s without question an excellent writer and my favorite front page content are Ben’s play-by-play breakdowns, stat geeky posts and podcasts with Kevin Pelton. Chicken Soup for the basketball nerd’s soul.

BE runs teh interwebs.

Been a BB fan my entire life, well since age 10, and Dave / Ben / the fan-experts at this site have helped me to a whole new level of understanding the game, and encouraged me to find and use my own voice, though a thoughtfully considered one.

Yet, it is more than just that that makes it special. For me, I get a chance to share my love of the game with my 9-year old son and BlazersEdge is the focal point of our fandom.

“Clean” does matter; I can set BE as my home page, I can let the BlazeKing read it without concern. That does matter, and the commentary is much better because of it.

From draft time speculation to salary cap, from free agent signings (or not) to medical retirements (or not), from player development to injury rehad, from pre-game analysis to micro-level recaps, from the exhilaration of a ‘top page’ Jersey Contest score to the humbling “1 point, 197th place” crash & burn (all-in for Blazers v. Lakers),

the best is that BlazersEdge has helped us build a father-son bonding.

BlazersEdge is not just a play place – it has had a direct and positive impact on my family life.

Thank you Dave and Ben.

What is BE saying about …. ? This site even affects the lives and opinions of those who are not able to do more than take it in in bits and pieces. It is that good.

Not only do Dave and Ben do excellent work on their own, but the supplementary work provided by quite a few of the regulars here is extremely in depth and done with very balanced perspectives (jscot comes to mind as a perfect example).

From the first day I logged in here I’ve been a fan of the site as a whole and really, I think that if I wasn’t all that into the team themselves, I’d still be hooked to BE simply because of the quality of the content.

Thanks Mr. Smith for posing the question, I’m learning a lot about my fellow fans!

currently working in Albany, NY. Blazers Edge is my source for all things Blazers which is great because I’m a diehard fan. I also appreciate that fans on the site are knowledgeable and friendly.

live in Portland. I’ve lived outside of Oregon for one extended period (6 year stretch in Idaho) and it near killed me.

When I was stuck in that hell-hole that is Iraq, the Department of Defense saw fit to block, among other things, anything sports-related from being accessed by us. Somehow their filter didn’t include sites like BE…and so by a happy twist of fate (and an assist from Google), I managed to not only find A site to check on the Blazers, but also the BEST site to check on the Blazers…and to converse with the many, many witty and insightful fans that share my team! Thanks everyone!

I wouldn’t know if most blazers fans think …

 that Greg Oden appears to be dangerously depressed .

That Brandon Roy is un-american.

That one of our players having children out of wedlock is a problem.

Blazeredge is where sensationalistic journalism gets crushed under the weight of reason.

But for me this is the best website period. My first and last stop everyday with multiple stops in between. For my money (it’s free!) the quality of the writing, the timeliness of all the Blazer and non Blazer news, great and thoughtful commentary by a majority of the folks make this a basketball fan’s paradise.

Dave brings a heatlhy perspective when I get too up or too down and Ben is top notch in reporting and bringing a whole different perspective than Dave.

I could go on and on but just read the rest of the comments and you will know why this is the best BB site on the net.

I can always count on Blazer’s Edge to bring fresh perspectives and level-headed thinking to their coverage of the Blazers..

While many so-called ‘professional journalists’ try to turn our sports heroes into tabloid fodder, these guys always give the player, and the team, the benefit of the doubt. They never jump to conclusions, or leave relevant details out to further a personal agenda. They write what they see and observe, and although it is a fansite, it is still honest and realistic about the team’s fortunes.

The blogs are fantastic; always imbued with a great sense of humor and heart..

Unlike many NBA arenas, you don’t see a silent crowd only make noise when the big screen tells them to or when the cheerleaders pack around signs that read “NOISE” or “GET LOUD”. We know when to cheer – from the tip off to the final buzzer. We pride ourselves in being an knowledgeable fan base. We don’t boo our team on an off night, we don’t boo the refs – unless they really got it comming, we hardly boo our opponents, and we’ll even make some noise in respect to a great play executed by our opponents – with the exception of the lakers. These are the same reasons I love BE.

You don’t see many posts calling for a player’s head after an off night. You don’t often read someone scream for the whole team to be traded or the coach to be fired after a two game losing “streak”. And, most importantly, you hardly ever read a post based on the argument that _ sucks.

For the most part, the fans on this site are educated when it comes to basketball. There is a lot of thought that goes into 99% of the posts you read and it shows. There are a number of bloggers here that could probably make a living writing about sports if they made it a full time job. Jscot and Timbo come to mind immediately.

This is what I love about BE. Parousing through the site nearly every day, I can find interesting, intellegent and timely posts that you can’t find anywhere else. Sure NBA.COM and ESPN cover the drama and the trainwrecks, but when I’m looking to learn something meaningful I come to BE.

I don’t think we can thank Ben and Dave enough for the work they put into maintaining this site, let alone the countless hours they must spend contributing in their own way. My hat is off to both of them for supplying us a forum to continue our educations as some of the best fans in the NBA. Sort of the Harvard of basketball if you ask me – at least Brown anyways.

Thanks for showing some interest in our niche.

the fun fantasy basketball leagues organized by BEdgers, another outside activity.

I came to BE when my nephew Jeff Pendergraph was drafted and have been a regular since. I find them to be an informed and passionate group. I enjoy the game day threads and can even take it when some rag on JP’s play. I know they love having him as a part of thier community and I hope I can bring them some sense of how much Jeff love being a Blazer. I come by almost everyday and always during games.

And if something is (god forbid) NOT on Bedge, then they link you to it. I’ve gotten my whole family hooked to the front page articles soley based on the witty and in-depth writings of Ben and Dave. If that alone doesn’t satisfy your Blazer appetite, the Fan Posts and Fan Shots show every side to Blazer fandom, from “fire Nate and here’s why” to “If a Blazer were a Beer”. Yes, seriously. Blazersedge has it all.

Not just the web. Anywhere. It is faster. It has more information. The analysis is better. It’s more fun. And the articles are more balanced. If there is an inaccuracy or misperception, someone will be right there to correct it or argue the other side. What more could you want? Dave and Ben and the other contributors and mods set the bar sky high.

Other Blazers media people tend to fall strongly into one of two categories:
1. Haters, e.g. Clownano (and the Oregonian by and large unfortunately, following the logic that everything must stir up controversy and example self-aggrandizement or
2. Yes-men, e.g. the Blazer broadcasters, their website, and a lot of what you hear outside the banned hours of Clownzano on 95.5.

If you want to know what the team will try next, the thinking on BE is often next level. For instance, Ben’s argument that Batum should start soon after he came back. From the Blazer yes men, you heard chuckles and regurgitated Nate quotes that he was better as a spark coming off the bench or playing with the second unit. Guess what? A week later, Batum is starting. And guess what? The second unit has been a myth ever sense we lost our two starting centers, Batum and Rudy at the start of the season. KP does cruise this site. It would not surprise me at all if it is for than taking the pulse of fan interest.

Like any fan-driven site, things can get polarized, like the debate over Nate and Miller that played out here strongly. But even there, posters show a modicum of respect.

And certainly the member base has something much to do with it. It is cool that writers across the US have a healthy respect for the Blazer fan send key, and our ability to sway results in all but all-star balloting.

This is my Blazer home.

Then I started noticing just how awesome some of the posters are on here. There are people that have no affiliation that post really interesting stats, insight, and history of not just the Blazers, but also basketball in general, Portland area sports, and the spirit of sport in general. Posters ( don’t get offended if I omit you awesome posters I’m forgetting ) like Jscot, Timbo, Storyteller, Amimart1 ( with the awesome Spanish news and translations ), and of course the always impressive Norsktroll. These people often create posts on here that I feel rival major sports blogs knowledge of not just the Blazers, but basketball in general. There is stuff here on the sedge that I feel no other sports blogs can compete with.

The other reason I come here is because of the community. You learn posters personalities, favorite teams, and impressions about the team. It’s almost like a friendship. If I go a day or two without logging on to the sedge I start to miss some of these people I have never layed eyes on ( which I would like to change. I think we should meet more often ). This site is also quite funny. There is a general sense of sarcasm that newcomers sometimes don’t catch on to and think we are a bunch of haters. The inside jokes and running jokes in game day threads are always entertaining.

Basically everything about Blazer Sedge makes it pretty much the greatest thing ever to happen to the human race.

I live over in Australia, and over here our coverage of the NBA consists of Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and the Boston Celtics. If you want any kind of coverage on TV or radio of the NBA, it generally only comes through during the Finals.
TV coverage of the NBA mainly consists of Celtics, Lakers, Cavs, Magic and the Suns….so basically coverage of the Blazers is non-existent (The Patty Mills signing didn’t even make the news!).

I guess what I am trying to say is, that as a Blazers fan my first stop is ALWAYS Blazersedge. The Game Previews are a good read and provide a bit of an insight into all the teams, and what the Blazers need to do to win (in Dave’s opinion).
The analysis of the Blazers provided by both Ben and Dave is unparalleled, with topics which range from trade rumors, breakdowns of individual & team efforts on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor.

Long story short, Great discussion, amazing analysis and comprehensive coverage of Blazer related stories and issues makes Blazersedge my first stop for everything Blazers related.