Mrs. Elgin is a very involved fan of the Blazers.  She hollers at the TV with the best of them, including me.  After the jump, please enjoy and comment on her letter to the dearly departed Mr. Pritchard.     - Elgin

June 25, 2010

Kevin Pritchard

c/o The Portland Trail Blazers

1 N Center Court St, Ste 200

Portland, OR 97227-2103

Dear Mr. Pritchard:

I am a 55-year-old woman living in Portland for the last 8 years, and I want to express my sympathy, frustration, and outrage at the way you were treated over the last 6 weeks of your Trail Blazer employment, and most particularly on your last day.

I know that I'm not alone in thinking that to fire you, after only 3 years as GM and after the extraordinary results you obtained, is the stupidest, most incompetent executive decision ever heard of. This doesn't begin to address the other aspect of your firing, that is, the disrespectful, unethical and exploitative aspects of letting you hang for over a month, with the entire city knowing you were about to be fired, while using your expertise to enrich the team, then firing you BEFORE the draft, but saying, "Oh, but you have to stay during the draft and DO YOUR BEST FOR US, and then you'll be escorted to your car."

I am angry, you can tell. And you can tell The Vulcans that their behavior toward you has done more to hurt the Blazers' image with the local fans, as well as the nationwide NBA world, than Zach Randolph ever did.

Before I end this rant, I'd also like to thank you for bringing us such a wonderful team. Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, Greg Oden, Rudy Fernandez, and Nic Batum are young men I feel almost motherly toward. I'd be happy to call any one of them my son, and they're WINNERS! We love the Blazers, and we loved you, Mr. Pritchard. Thank you for everything you did for Portland, the city and the team.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Elgin