Blazers President Larry Miller admitted to team broadcasters Mike Barrett and Mike Rice on Blazers Courtside (preview here) that he found out news of Kevin Pritchard's firing had been made public on draft night during an idle chat with a security guard outside the Blazers Practice Facility.
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"I get to the Practice Facility, I got there at 12:30 or 1 o'clock. [Blazers General Manager] Kevin [Pritchard] pulls me aside and said, 'Hey, [Blazers Owner] Paul [Allen] and I had a conversation and we kind of agreed that we're going to part ways. I want to still do the draft, we're going to get through the draft and then you and I can sit down tomorrow and figure out what the process is.'""Later, Paul pulls me aside and kind of says the same thing. Like, 'Hey, I got here. Kevin approached me, things seem to be where they are, things haven't been good, let's talk about how we're going to resolve this.' And I guess they sat down, the two of them had a conversation. Coming out of that conversation was an agreement. It looks like it's time to part ways. But Kevin wanted to continue to do the draft. Paul wanted Kevin to continue to do the draft. So they agreed that they would do the draft and on Friday he and I would sit down and figure out the next steps.
"So that's what I was told. That's what I was thinking. We're still waiting for the draft to start... so I walk outside to get some fresh air. I walk outside and I see one of the security guys out there and we're kind of shooting the breeze, talking about the nice weather, and he says, "I just heard on Courtside that Kevin Pritchard [got fired]..."
"And then I look at my phone and it starts to blow up."
---------------------------------That is the absolute definition of dysfunction. PR people talk about controlling the story. The technique demonstrated above is what's known as being eaten alive by the story like a pack of rabid sharks.
It's astounding that Miller believes this narrative should be made public.
-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter
almost 2 years ago
Ben Golliver
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10/10 for honesty
about minus 10 million for good sense (to roughly paraphrase Zaphod Beeblebrox)
but there's only
a 50% chance of that.
Honor Alaa Abdelnaby.
First in the NBA. At least alphabetically
And falling.
I know less than half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.
Banning "chat speak" is like banning apostrophes. There would be no "you're" if some punk kid in the 1700s hadn't been a rebel.
by haildablazer on Jun 28, 2010 10:00 PM PDT up reply actions
In this case, isn't looking incompetent better than looking evil?
Seems like this story is better than the alternative theory that the Blazers intentionally tried to humiliate KP by publicly firing him before the draft.
"...it was like he brought his own personal cross-wind to the arena." - Dave
by DC Blazer on Jun 29, 2010 3:43 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Well, what exactly is Larry Miller's history of good decision-making and leadership?
I mean, his main claim to fame was the Jordan brand in the late 90s-early 2000s. That’s like selling water in a desert.
I’ve heard him speak numerous times on behalf of the Blazers, and I don’t believe any content has actually crossed his lips. Milquetoast yes-man of the highest order.
by superfly05 on Jun 28, 2010 9:45 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Wait a minute...
a pack of rabid sharks was eaten alive by the story?
Haha seriously though, it’s not like you were gonna be able to keep this story quiet, if someone on Kevin’s side wanted it to leak (which they apparently did). I’m not sure where PR comes into it, the owner and the GM had a private conversation, came to a decision and then someone jumped the gun with the news. Am I the only one that’s not buying into the big conspiracy? Lol.
if someone on Kevin’s side wanted it to leak (which they apparently did). I’m not sure where PR comes into it, the owner and the GM had a private conversation, came to a decision and then someone jumped the gun
I think it’s pretty clear that neither Paul Allen, Larry Miller or the security guard leaked the story to the media. I suppose the Blazers owner or president could be blamed for not “controlling” the story, but what were they suppsed to do, exactly. Confiscate Kevin’s blackberry and quarantine him until Friday?
New gets out, if somebody wants the news to get out. Once LeGarie caught wind of it, he went about making sure that KP was cast in the best-possible light (nationally, and world-wide) and that Paul and Larry came off looking like malevolent scoundrels.
This is a characterization that Ben appears to have bought into, I might add. All I can say is, enjoy covering the team wihout KP as GM, Mr. Golliver. (Just like you’ve enjoyed watching Kevin Durant burn the nets in OKC for the past 3 years.) Life’s tough, but you’ve got a pretty nice gig—and the sun has even been coming up these past few days without KP being in charge at Blazer’s HQ, imagine that?
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
by two4larue on Jun 28, 2010 11:35 PM PDT up reply actions 9 recs
The reaction to this story is amazing to me.
As a fan I am subject to this as well, but before KP was fired, the general thought amoung fans is that Paul Allen and Larry Miller were horrible people, how could they do this to KP! Now that Kp has been fired, and is no longer a Blazer, there seems to be a shift in the polls. KP is now taking alot of heat about how he handled the situation, while Paul Allen and Larry Miller are just poor saps who were “run over” by the KP/LeGarie PR machine.
Does this change have anything to do with KP no longer being a part of the Blazers organization, so fans turn on him, just like a player who was traded away? I am facinated by it, like a large pile up on the freeway, I just can’t help but watch.
Ben II Blazersedge.com || New to Blazers' Edge?
No, it doesn't have anything to do with that.
Not for me at least. I don’t really know what to believe about the whole situation. I definately don’t side with either of them because it takes 2 to tango, and this is just one side of the story. What people are reacting to is that this side will try and be cast in as dark of light as possible here on BE by our writer.
I personally think KP still trumps everyone in how he is handling himself in this matter. The person who is handling himself in the exact opposite is the guy who wrote:
That is the absolute definition of dysfunction. PR people talk about controlling the story. The technique demonstrated above is what’s known as being eaten alive by the story like a pack of rabid sharks.
It’s astounding that Miller believes this narrative should be made public.
It turns out I overestimated my apathy, but not enough to matter.
by einman77 on Jun 29, 2010 5:56 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
I don't agree with you about how Ben has handled it
I think his feelings are known on the issue, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t right in the part you quoted. This franchise is obviously dysfuctional right now, everyone on the planet can agree to that. PR is all about controlling the story so the public can see you in the best possible light. The Blazers have done some things good in this regard, but for the most part during this saga about KP they have failed miserably.
Ben II Blazersedge.com || New to Blazers' Edge?
I completely agree with that
This whole thing has been a PR nightmare. I found myself saying “No” and “why” for the last I don’t know how many months. This one was actually the first one that made me think “Really? That’s telling. Maybe there are other factors that are coming into play.” Honestly, if I were into jumping to conclusions I would think that there was an attempt to make the organization look incompotent during this whole process and there wasn’t a lot they could do about it. It paints a bit of a different picture than what I had been getting recently. However, lumping this in with everything else and raising the red flag over it is just trying to divert it from what it really is; The other side of the story. That’s not fair, but at least it’s an easy ploy to see through.
It turns out I overestimated my apathy, but not enough to matter.
Remember, I've hated on both Paul Allen and Kevin Prtichard for a long, long time.
There’s no flip-flopping at all with me, for y’all know where I stand on things at all times.
I was not trying to call anyone out.
I only responded to your post, because it was easy to interject into this reply chain vs adding another comment at the end. It was a generalized comment about what I had observed.
Ben II Blazersedge.com || New to Blazers' Edge?
And this explains why Miller tells the story he does, too.
Assuming the story is true, KP and LeGarrie threw Allen under the PR bus by doing something like that. How do you fight the public perception of that? The only way I can think of is exactly what they’re doing, which is letting it all out in the open. And here’s the thing… isn’t that what we’ve asked for all along?
IMHO the editorializing on this post is exhibiting a double standard.
Like the Whos down in Whoville they did it without boxes or ribbons or bows, they did without centers or posting down low. They won without All-Stars and Spaniards and Frenchmen. They won with old geezers and sub-par defense-men. They won playing rookies from deep off the benches. They won with their grit and their guts in the trenches. And some who observed them have been known to say that their hearts grew three sizes (at least!) on the way. One hopes with their poise and their passion now proven that once they are healthy their game will be groovin'.
by conspirator5 on Jun 29, 2010 1:21 AM PDT up reply actions 4 recs
Exactly
rec for you, too.
Of course the Blazers were going to let it be known that they weren’t the ones who leaked the story.
Ben wants the Blazers to be portrayed as totally classless in this whole affair, and if they had been the ones to leak the story, there might be something to that line. But they didn’t.
It’s astounding that Miller believes this narrative should be made public.
It would be incredible if they didn’t make it public, after the games LeGarie is playing.
Give Blake the MLE in 2010!
Farewell to #2 and #25, good luck to you!
#10 #52 -- #5 #7 & #88 are back!
by jscot on Jun 29, 2010 1:46 AM PDT up reply actions 2 recs
Very well stated
and rec.
Ben, you’re posting a load of rubbish on this again.
It was in the Blazers’ interest to defer release of this info to the public until after the draft. LeGarie released it to make them look bad, and you’ve bought into it, and are propagating it.
There was nothing they could have done about it, except possibly given KP a huge bonus if he kept his mouth shut and the news didn’t come out until the next day. But it really wouldn’t have been worth it. KP’s friends in the press were going to pile on PA, LM, and the Vulcans anyway.
Give Blake the MLE in 2010!
Farewell to #2 and #25, good luck to you!
#10 #52 -- #5 #7 & #88 are back!
by jscot on Jun 29, 2010 1:43 AM PDT up reply actions 3 recs
I agree....this is rubbish
I’m beginning to wonder if Ben once applied for a job with the Blazers and didn’t get it. The ongoing bashing of PA, the Vulcans, and the Blazer organization in general is way out of proportion to what happened with KP. Ben and Dave have been referred to as nothing more than “fans” which is an attempt to tell readers not to expect objectivity in reporting. My problem is that I expect BEdgers to be the fans-all crazy and emotional-and Dave and Ben to be the ones who dig for the true story and sort out fact from fiction, not the other way around.
Maybe the “legend of KP” would never have begun to form in the first place if the local media (including BE) had been less lazy and more objective. about KP and the Blazers in general. Hero worship has no place in objective reporting.
except for jscot
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
by two4larue on Jun 29, 2010 11:33 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
It doesn't really bother me that much.
People really wanted to know, didn’t they? I don’t see how this makes Miller look that bad. Not great, sure. Not in control, yeah. But when things go south like they did, what can one really do?
Maybe if I was a big KP fan, or a big Paul Allen fan, I’d get more excited about this. But it’s politics playing out like politics always play out.
"[S]ince men enjoyed very great leisure, they used it to pursue many kinds of commodities unknown to their fathers, and that was that first yoke they placed upon themselves without thinking about it, and the first source of evils the prepared for their descendants. For, besides continuing thus to soften body and mind, as these commodities had lost almost all their pleasantness through habit, and as they had at the same time degenerated into true needs, being deprived of them became much more cruel than possessing them was sweet; and people were unhappy to lose them without being happy to have them." -Jean-Jacques Rousseau
by T Darkstar on Jun 28, 2010 9:46 PM PDT reply actions 8 recs
i'm with you on this
Michael Jordan is the Nicolas Batum of America
marty>babbitt
by thomasikehara on Jun 28, 2010 9:47 PM PDT up reply actions
totally agree
Whatever, they’re just people. Seems like something that could happen at any workplace.
Doesnt' bother me either -- Life is messy sometimes. It gets out of control.
That doesn’t mean things are dysfunctional; it just means that it’s an emotional situation. I don’t really see the sharks here, and if anything, I like Larry Miller a little bit more for being honest.
by Corvid on Jun 28, 2010 9:57 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
I agree.
Maybe we should hold a rally.
"[S]ince men enjoyed very great leisure, they used it to pursue many kinds of commodities unknown to their fathers, and that was that first yoke they placed upon themselves without thinking about it, and the first source of evils the prepared for their descendants. For, besides continuing thus to soften body and mind, as these commodities had lost almost all their pleasantness through habit, and as they had at the same time degenerated into true needs, being deprived of them became much more cruel than possessing them was sweet; and people were unhappy to lose them without being happy to have them." -Jean-Jacques Rousseau
by T Darkstar on Jun 28, 2010 9:59 PM PDT up reply actions 5 recs
Seemed like the popular thing to do.
"[S]ince men enjoyed very great leisure, they used it to pursue many kinds of commodities unknown to their fathers, and that was that first yoke they placed upon themselves without thinking about it, and the first source of evils the prepared for their descendants. For, besides continuing thus to soften body and mind, as these commodities had lost almost all their pleasantness through habit, and as they had at the same time degenerated into true needs, being deprived of them became much more cruel than possessing them was sweet; and people were unhappy to lose them without being happy to have them." -Jean-Jacques Rousseau
by T Darkstar on Jun 28, 2010 10:03 PM PDT up reply actions 2 recs
Don't joke about that.
If you decide later that holding the rally really isn’t in your best interest, you will get called weak on the front page of Blazers edge.
It turns out I overestimated my apathy, but not enough to matter.
I'm getting numb to it
By all the “apocalypse” talk. Geez, overreact much Ben? I loved KP, but does every tiny thing have to be a huge deal now? I feel like we are naive if we continue to be surprised that Paul Allen behaves like an eccentric billionaire.
Me neither.
Not sure why Ben is making a big deal out of this. Actually, it really makes PA and Miller look good as confirming “See? It’s KP’s side that likely leaked it even though he approached PA (and bypassing me, BTW) and both agreed to keep quiet”
"I think he’s been doing some good things. I think he’s been doing some good things. He’s had to play a lot of minutes lately with Blake being out. I think he’s been doing some good things." -Nate McMillan
This brought to you by the team
that thought threatening the league over Darius Miles was a fine idea.
Honor Alaa Abdelnaby.
First in the NBA. At least alphabetically
by OhOhOden on Jun 28, 2010 9:46 PM PDT reply actions 6 recs
That was the first indication, for me, that something was rotten in Denmark (or Blazers headquarters)
The Darius Miles letter was kind of the tip of the iceberg. From the inexplicable decision to send that letter, we knew (or should have) that there must be a whole lot of dysfunction that we didn’t see. Unfortunately, a lot of the iceberg is showing now.
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.
Here's a crazy nugget from this interview:
in this interview Larry Miller admitted that Paul’s advisers (probably Vulcan) was telling him to sell the Blazers or move it when they had the lease issues but Paul went against their advice.
Lets hope Paul stays healthy for a REALLY LONG time and his sister/Vulcans don’t take over…
fiftytwo
by broyposse on Jun 28, 2010 9:48 PM PDT reply actions 3 recs
PR is not going to leak this. Sounds like Miller was caught by surprised that people knew about the firing. Most likely someone in KP’s camp leaked the firing. Either his agent or close confidant. Remember, KP is the one who asked Allen to have a conversation about his future.
"I'm at the thingamajig talking the yakety-yak" - Kenny Smith
Dood.
This IS Larry Miller leaking the story, now. This is really currently happening here in the world today at this precise moment. Larry Miller so can’t believe KP got fired the way he did, he’s not leaking: he is spilling all over the floor. He is so astounded that he astounded Ben.
Honor Alaa Abdelnaby.
First in the NBA. At least alphabetically
There's nothing new in the interview.
Other than news travels fast.
"I'm at the thingamajig talking the yakety-yak" - Kenny Smith
This is getting so tired..
Hopefully we can all just move onto basketball now..
Wait, wait, wait.
Bas-ket-ball? What is this bas-ket-ball thing you speak of. I don’t think I’ve heard of it before.
"[S]ince men enjoyed very great leisure, they used it to pursue many kinds of commodities unknown to their fathers, and that was that first yoke they placed upon themselves without thinking about it, and the first source of evils the prepared for their descendants. For, besides continuing thus to soften body and mind, as these commodities had lost almost all their pleasantness through habit, and as they had at the same time degenerated into true needs, being deprived of them became much more cruel than possessing them was sweet; and people were unhappy to lose them without being happy to have them." -Jean-Jacques Rousseau
I take this orange sphere?
And I try to throw it into that circle up there?
I’m so confused.
I know less than half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.
Banning "chat speak" is like banning apostrophes. There would be no "you're" if some punk kid in the 1700s hadn't been a rebel.
by haildablazer on Jun 28, 2010 10:04 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
I don't see how Larry looks bad in this, other than that he is basically impotent.
He seemed to have no role to play whatsoever in this decision. Might as well have been Ben or Dave recounting that story.
by premthegrem on Jun 28, 2010 10:00 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
i don't think this makes miller look bad at all
he’s simply admitting that the organization didn’t expect the story to leak and it did. everyone already knew that happened. quick admitted that he broke the news and that the source was “close to pritchard” or “from his inner circle” or something similar.
“That is the absolute definition of dysfunction. PR people talk about controlling the story. The technique demonstrated above is what’s known as being eaten alive by the story like a pack of rabid sharks.
It’s absolutely astounding that Miller believes this narrative should be made public."
i don’t see how this story makes the blazers look any worse than they did before. the blazers were eaten alive by the story on draft day; that damage is done. miller had nothing to do with that. he’s just confirming what everyone already knew.
this just reads like another in a continuing series of attempts to paint larry miller as the villain of the kevin pritchard firing.
by colinmarsh on Jun 28, 2010 10:01 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
He's sort of admitting
that he’s the president of nothing. The fact that he has that title and is always the last guy to know what’s going on and has the least to say about it doesn’t speak very well to organizational functionality. I’ve never seen him as an evil participant in all of this, but in some ways that would be better than the complete uninvolvement he seems to display.
I don't recall him saying that he was no part of it
In fact, I think he probably was asked by Paul Allen for his opinion of Kevn Pritchard, and thoughts on whether they should keep him. That conversation probably happened quite some time ago. I have a feeling Nate was asked the same.
Heck, maybe even Tom Penn was asked this same question. And maybe Penn said, “No, get rid of him. Make me the GM. And for that matter, get rid of Miller too. Make me GM AND PRESIDENT!!! Then… I continue my plan… To take over THE WORLD!!!!!” To which Mr. Allen said, “uhhh, Tom… You’re fired.”
lol
by Rodney Gustafson on Jun 29, 2010 10:20 AM PDT up reply actions
Tom had too much coffee that day
bad time to slip into meglomaniac mode
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Larry Miller was candid and seemed quite genuine.
I think this is a good thing, and I’m glad we have Larry as our team President.
Also, I find it pretty hilarious that the rabid sharks are blaming the bleeding fish for their appetite.
Enjoy the Ride
by DigitalDaggers on Jun 28, 2010 10:08 PM PDT reply actions
Fish are friends, not food
I loved the shark “AA” meeting in Finding Nemo
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Oh snap.
Like the Whos down in Whoville they did it without boxes or ribbons or bows, they did without centers or posting down low. They won without All-Stars and Spaniards and Frenchmen. They won with old geezers and sub-par defense-men. They won playing rookies from deep off the benches. They won with their grit and their guts in the trenches. And some who observed them have been known to say that their hearts grew three sizes (at least!) on the way. One hopes with their poise and their passion now proven that once they are healthy their game will be groovin'.
by conspirator5 on Jun 29, 2010 1:26 AM PDT up reply actions
Three things:
1. If it really went down this way, wow. What a complete and total failure of office politics/protocol.
2. If it really went down this way, I respect Miller coming forward in this manner — ill advised as it may be. At least he’s showing his cards, even if they aren’t great.
3. I don’t totally buy that it went down this way. I have to believe this has been decided since Penn was catapulted from the Rose Garden.
facebook.com/year5000
I'm with Ben on this one
something about this interview with Miller that really bugs me. I was watching it on tv tonight and he came off too much like a used car salesman to me. The whole conversation just seemed way to rehearsed.
But this is only an opinion so I’m sure different people will have different takes on it.
Logical descriptions of complex worlds contain within themselves the seeds of their own limitation. A world that was simple enough to be fully known would be too simple to contain conscious observers who might know it.
by Sexual Tyrannosaurus on Jun 28, 2010 10:26 PM PDT up reply actions
Larry Miller looks pretty good here.
Honest man doing his job, just needs to pressure some people, maybe people not under his control, to keep their mouths’ shut.
Good honesty, good story, not a lot of speculation involved.
This interview reminds me a bit of Batum’s blog posts. Honest & without corporate bullfeces.
In Bayless I trust.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
These last few weeks have really freaked Ben out.
From what I can tell, being around it all has made it all seem really emotional and intense. It’s like being backstage at a community college play, it seems like they all just set the world on fire with drama. But if you just saw the whole play on video a few days later its just like, whatever. Life goes on.
I am most likely speaking on things I know nothing about, but all this really seems overblown. Did the Blazers have a flowchart for all these events that they could have easily followed? Is it posted by the water cooler?
The only thing that "shocks" me is that this is posted here...
This is entirely too Quick / Clownzano-ish for me.
C’mon Ben I think you’re better than this. Give us some real journalism. I can read the National Enquirer if I want this kind of stuff.
KP wrote the letter… It’s over… Let it die!.. Continuing to feed the drama mongers is a weak way to stir up readers if you ask me.
by Ilikeemall on Jun 28, 2010 10:21 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
So he found out they agreed to part ways, and then later found out KP had been fired from a security guard. Aren't those the same thing?
Don’t buy this story by the way.
no, he found out from the security guard that the story had gotten out
he was under the impression that both sides had agree to keep it quiet until Friday, then announce something together.
"I want to be traded to a contender" is almost always code-speak for "I'm a loser."
-Dave, 2/5/2010: http://www.blazersedge.com/2010/2/5/1297509/no-amore-for-amare
I don't get your beef Ben
I have to say, I do think your man crush on KP is getting in the way of your perspective here. I don’t see how Larry being surprised that the story broke when they were going tosit down the following day to discuss the details exhibits his incompetence. It only proves that he couldn’t believe that it was leaked before the organization had a chance to make a statement. KP wad no saint, that’s becoming obvious. Nor is PA or LM, I’m just saying the thought that KP was somehow a sacrificial lamb and the whole organization is going to hell in a handbasket without KP is ludicrous.
myspace.com/marktwainindians
by mark twain on Jun 28, 2010 10:50 PM PDT via mobile reply actions
"was no saint"
myspace.com/marktwainindians
by mark twain on Jun 28, 2010 10:51 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Ben, time to give it a rest. Seriously. For better or worse it's over. KP is gone, done finished.
Floating more turds in the punchbowl won’t change that, and it won’t change the Blazers.
Hahaha
Turds in the punch bowl. Classic.
I'm just not crazy about player nick names...
by Hipster Olympic Team! on Jun 28, 2010 11:20 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Are you guys kidding? Don't you see, Larry Miller is a genius!
Obviously, the Blazer management team knows that things are a little raw with the fans right now, and by indirectly “retelling” the story like this it comes off as “it was one of those things”… Paul and Kevin made an agreement, sometimes things don’t work out and they were going to part amicably., blah blah blah… this is Miller’s way of telling their side of the story, without really telling their side of the story… No one is a villian in this scenario, and maybe that’s what they all want us to think…
Um, judging by some of the comments I may be missing something
but I think it’s a pretty big deal/bad sign when the team president has no idea the GM was fired and he’s hearing about it from a security guard. What it says to me is Al Davis North and Kolde are completely off the reservation. We are two velour tracksuits away from becoming the damn Raiders of the NBA.
Speaking of cruel, Portland fired GM Kevin Pritchard an hour before the draft. Hey, he's only a top-seven GM -- there are plenty of those. Does anyone else think Al Davis died a year ago and took over Paul Allen's body? - Bill Simmons
Can't get over the fact that Pritchard -- fired earlier in the day -- is still running Portland's draft. If I were him, I'd be in Portland's war room loudly calling other GMs and saying things like, "I have an offer for you: I'll trade you our No. 23 pick, and in return, YOU HELP ME PULL THE F****** KNIFE OUT OF MY BACK!!!!! Do we have a deal????" - Bill Simmons
Read it again
He knew Kevin was “fired”, but it wasn’t supposed to have been announced yet. He found out from the security guard that it was announced publicly.
myspace.com/marktwainindians
by mark twain on Jun 28, 2010 11:06 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
How about you take your own advice?
Coming out of that conversation was an agreement. It looks like it’s time to part ways. But Kevin wanted to continue to do the draft. Paul wanted Kevin to continue to do the draft. So they agreed that they would do the draft and on Friday he and I would sit down and figure out the next steps.
Riddle me this: Where does it say KP was gone draft day, based on Miller’s understanding of what was going on? If Miller is the team president, he should know when the hammer is dropping on key personnel.
Speaking of cruel, Portland fired GM Kevin Pritchard an hour before the draft. Hey, he's only a top-seven GM -- there are plenty of those. Does anyone else think Al Davis died a year ago and took over Paul Allen's body? - Bill Simmons
Can't get over the fact that Pritchard -- fired earlier in the day -- is still running Portland's draft. If I were him, I'd be in Portland's war room loudly calling other GMs and saying things like, "I have an offer for you: I'll trade you our No. 23 pick, and in return, YOU HELP ME PULL THE F****** KNIFE OUT OF MY BACK!!!!! Do we have a deal????" - Bill Simmons
by blazeraddict on Jun 28, 2010 11:10 PM PDT up reply actions
And how exactly is this going to affect our W-L record?..
Chasing blame and picking at scabs is getting old in my book and deteriorating the quality of this blog…
…can’t we all just go back to hating the l@kers instead of disecting every sentence out of the front offices mouths?
I'm not trying to flame you here
I just don’t get what you’re not seeing. He says he talked to both Paul and Kevin, they both said they agreed it was time for Kevin to move on but he would handle the draft as his last duty to the franchise. He was going to meet with Kevin the following day to discuss the details and Kevins camp leaked the story. I guess we’re both seeing this from two different perspectives.
myspace.com/marktwainindians
by mark twain on Jun 28, 2010 11:16 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions 1 recs
Okay...
This part we agree on:
He says he talked to both Paul and Kevin, they both said they agreed it was time for Kevin to move on but he would handle the draft as his last duty to the franchise.
But where you lose me, and where I think at the very least the lines of communication broke down between owner and president is the firing being announced prior to the draft, Miller being unaware. Perhaps KPs camp leaked the story, perhaps Allen walked out to his car, got ticked, and decided to can KP on the spot. No matter how you slice it, I find this whole mess to be indicative that the owner is over involved in an area where he is out of his depth, the day to day personnel decisions of a team on the verge of doing something good.
Speaking of cruel, Portland fired GM Kevin Pritchard an hour before the draft. Hey, he's only a top-seven GM -- there are plenty of those. Does anyone else think Al Davis died a year ago and took over Paul Allen's body? - Bill Simmons
Can't get over the fact that Pritchard -- fired earlier in the day -- is still running Portland's draft. If I were him, I'd be in Portland's war room loudly calling other GMs and saying things like, "I have an offer for you: I'll trade you our No. 23 pick, and in return, YOU HELP ME PULL THE F****** KNIFE OUT OF MY BACK!!!!! Do we have a deal????" - Bill Simmons
by blazeraddict on Jun 28, 2010 11:23 PM PDT up reply actions
Except it's a fact that KP's people leaked it
Jason Quick said that’s where he got it, an he leaked the story. Anyway, it’s yesterdays papers. It’s time to move on, and I just don’t agree with Ben’s perspective any longer that KP is a victim. It’s become fairly obvious that everything we thought we knew about KP an the org wasn’t what it seemed.
myspace.com/marktwainindians
by mark twain on Jun 28, 2010 11:26 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Yes. This hysteria from Ben and those he has whipped up has become extremely tiresome.
This blog has really changed in character in the last two years. It’s sad to see.
ignacio
My understanding of the roles
is that Miller and Pritchard both worked for Paul Allen. Miller was not Pritchard’s boss. They were parallel. Much like if there is an Administrative Coordinator that oversees two managers. Each manager manages a different department. They are equal in position, neither one is the other’s boss.
If that is in fact the way the power structure is, then Miller should not have been in that meeting, and should not have known FOR CERTAIN that KP was going to be let go prior to it happening.
by Rodney Gustafson on Jun 29, 2010 10:31 AM PDT up reply actions
Dysfunction?
It’s called living in the 21st century.
Ben needs to be a Raiders fan.
And then?
Hey, I got an idea. Let’s get behind what we got and move forward. Enough is enough. We all know the Blazer brass could have more class and they could probably use a workshop in PR and manners, but I think the horse is done dead. I’m over it and I can’t wait until this site gets back to what it does best…argue and discuss the important things in life. Like, I dunno, basketball?
by PTBob on Jun 28, 2010 11:32 PM PDT reply actions 3 recs
I wanna know who's running around reccing Darkstar's comments.
Stop being a Darkstar.fanboy!
Now you are being deliberately obtuse
by Mortimer on May 3, 2010 4:39 PM PDT
Is it you?
In Bayless I trust.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
heck no! I'm a flagger, not a reccer.
Now you are being deliberately obtuse
by Mortimer on May 3, 2010 4:39 PM PDT
yeah, I was looking for a rec "listing" for all recs...
where you click on the rec number, and a little rec window pops up with a listing of the names of the people who reced…
That would be a cool feature easy to code.
Some posters, I am pretty sure, if you just used their name, you could get 5 recs with anything at all. They have their “supporters”.
"You be realistic," Oden said. "I’m going to stay happy. All right?"
Put my mind to rest
I truly believe this story. I knew it had to be something like this. There is always more than one way to look at a situation. The Blazer organization is a great one, and this is the explanation to support this!
New travels fast.
If the security guard knew it before Miller, then there was already a leak. At that point, any reporter could have picked it up. Think about it. The guard told Miller, and how many others? That information had already flown through any number of people to get to the guard. And then he passed it on – just like all of the others were passing it on. Quick could just as easily have gotten it from the guard, as from the Blazers, or KP’s agent, or anyone else. News travels fast. The whole idea that anyone released it may be a little suspect. The Blazers are a small organization. The moment someone told someone else – it was over. It was – in sum – released the instant that first person was told. It was the news of the day – and within an hour – any reporter – let alone Miller, would’ve had 100 sources.
I assume Miller has swimming experience. He was once the President of swimwear company Jantzen before joining Nike.
Though maybe not with sharks circling him.
The “calm waters” mantra was replaced by a tempest making big waves. Has someone checked on the cake?
If nothing else, I'm glad that asinine cake analogy is dead.
by AK1984 on Jun 29, 2010 9:18 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
I prefer custard pie
but it’s so hard to find a restaurant with a confectionary oven, these days
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
underwhelmed myself ha ha hah aha
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!!!
Why do we care about Larry Miller?
Look, folks, this guy is a run-of-the-mill middle management type. Miller is neither good nor bad, but rather just a dude doing his job to earn a paycheck. In the grand scheme of things, Miller means nada, zero, zilch.
People should focus their attention — or ire — elsewhere.
hey, he brought in JUWAN HOWARD last fall
don’t make me list LM’s other accomplishments, we could be here all … well, for a few minutes at least
the RG is green, baby, didn’t you see the award?
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Why is everyone except Ben allowed to have a strong opinion about all of this?
I’ve enjoyed reading Ben’s posts on this and other subjects. I like that he’s a bit over-the-top sometimes. He likes KP — that’s not a crime. He cares about the team and how it’s run and how it looks in the public eye. He’s concerned that the team could become Jail Blazers Part Deux. Aren’t we all?
I don’t keep score on who-posted-what on Blazersedge, but I’m pretty sure that some of the folks critical of Ben have engaged in occasional hyperbole themselves on KP and other topics. That’s fine, I like hyperbole, if done well, but let’s let Ben be Ben.
Ben: you go, guy.
by MiledAnimal on Jun 29, 2010 8:46 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Who said Ben's not allowed to have an opinion? He's getting criticized for his opinion. This is a risk that
people who make their opinions public take.
Rats, I forgot the rule about using only absolutely precise language on Blazersedge.
by MiledAnimal on Jun 29, 2010 10:25 AM PDT up reply actions
I hate it when that happens
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
common phenomena of humans…They always tend to run with the winner. This is a ‘discarding" society by nature, but Ben has chosen to take a look into the garbage can and assess why this particular item got tossed. When you don’t find out any qualifying reason, you tend to fill in the gaps.
I do not have a problem with people’s opinions as long as it gets it’s content from heartfelt beliefs and not arrogant appraisals. When people tend to cut off someone’s thoughts or dismiss them as rants it diminishes their counter opinion and confines freedom of expression. (You can disagree without trying to humiliate someone)
Some of these are just bandwagon people who want an association, but others just refuse to live and let live. Ben has taken an emotional stand and has picked a side that fits his belief. Most of the negative counter comments come from hindsight…and we all have plenty of that.
[Good defense "releases" your offense]
I think
I think the reason Larry Miller is making this public is that everyone is saying Kevin Pritchard was fired right before the draft, on draft day. Which admittedly sounds horrible and vindictive.
It “sounds” a lot more kinder and gentler to define it as a mutually reached “agreement” which supposedly wasn’t to become public until after the draft.
It’s spin. But I think that’s the psychology behind it. Degree of truth? Who knows?
Even if 100% true as presented, one has to wonder as to why a franchise that presented this whole process as being “normal” and something just carefully being considered and evaluated “like any and all off-seasons” would end up with a big decision like this happening, hours before The Draft and born out of a private conversation between Paul Allen and Kevin Pritchard.
Really, couldn’t the conversation of been held off until after the draft? Who’s idea was it for Kevin and Paul to sit down hours before the draft and discuss his status? Plus if Larry Miller is team president, shouldn’t he have direct input into the decision, instead of it being presented to him through off-hand comments of the principals and ultimately through a security guard with a transistor radio?
Mutual agreement and maybe it wasn’t suppose to be made public until after the draft. But call it a mutual agreement…..it was a firing…and either way Kevin Pritchard was a dead man walking into the Blazers War Room.
"Mother Nature started this fight, I think it's about time we ended it!"
everyone is saying Kevin Pritchard was fired right before the draft, on draft day.
Which was essentially true, and the real question shouldn’t be why the news leaked out (that’s pretty obvious) but why couldn’t they have waited to hold “the face to face” with Paul on Friday morning?
My best guess is that PA had urgent business elsewhere. He was just in PDX for 24 hours to oversee the war room and give KP his pink slip (and not necessarily in that order, unfortunately)
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Our new motto: “moving on”
also: can sharks indeed contract rabies? How would you know if they’re foaming at the mouth?
Good night, Blazer fans, whereEVER you may be.... DAA-daddle-a-DA-da-da-DA-da-da-DAA
by jerome glide porterworth on Jun 29, 2010 10:23 AM PDT reply actions
nope
Heh heh. As far as I can tell, only mammals are susceptible to rabies. Not to say that sharks couldn’t have similar kinds of diseases, but I’ve not seen anything about that.
Back to the original post: Seems like much ado about nothing—like Miller is playing a bit out of his league in terms of managing PR, but I see nothing sinister here. When Pritchard stayed on to do draft night, there were two possibilities: He was looking to sabotage the Blazers, or he genuinely wanted to do well by them. Even if he was being fired, the former option is unattractive if only because he probably still wants to be hired by some organization, an organization that would likely look unkindly on that kind of sabotage. At any rate, by all accounts, he seems to have done all right by the Blazers.
meh
just means miller is selling legarie out publicly. wants to make sure the blazers look better in the media while crotchpunching legarie while he can.
OJ Mayo is the Blazers' PG of the Future
by GreatOden'sRaven on Jun 29, 2010 12:38 PM PDT reply actions
one good crotch punch deserves another
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Ok
So if Miller’s account is basically true….
On perhaps the most important day of the offseason he wanders in barely four hours before the draft begins. Why should he be there early,it’s not like trades might be discussed,other teams may make deals that changes things or the owner and GM have been there for apparently quite some time.(Quick,anybody who works for a major corporation,when there’s a big meeting how smart is it to arrive after your boss has been there a while?)
The owner and the team GM decide before he wanders in that they need to part ways. He’s not shocked,suprised,upset,doesn’t ask what went wrong,doesn’t try to talk them into reconsidering,no it’s just whatever dude,thanks for letting me know. It’s not like it’s a big deal or nothing,losing my GM,hey I’ll just sit down later and figure something out.
Then just before the draft he goes outside,shoots the breeze w/a guard and doesn’t bother to check his phone! Not like just before the draft starts anybody would want to ask him anything.
(BTW,love how the guard talks to one of his bosses-great weather,eh? So I hear you fired KP.)
And we’re supposed to believe the Blazers paid broadcast team didn’t bother checking w/anybody in the Organization before reporting KP was fired.
This is the part that everybody seems to be ignoring.
Blazers employees are supposed to have gone on the air and reported KP’s firing w/out making any attempt to get permission,verify it w/the team,ask the team if they had a statement on it and w/out telling their boss. Riiiight.
Think of how incompetent this makes the Blazers. They had launched a search for KP’s replacement,had the local media go into a frenzy w/speculation on when KP would be fired,had seen numerous suggestions that KP should resign and NEVER PREPARED A STATEMENT for when he quit/was fired/whatever. There were over 4 hours from when PA and KP met and the news became public and they couldn’t get a response ready in that time?
FWIW,
NBA.com, “The Official Site of the Portland Trail Blazers” has the Blazers Front Office Executive Staff:
President Larry Miller
General Manager Kevin Pritchard(so it takes them awhile :) )
and so on
In an Organizational Chart,if your job is listed after someone else,they’re your boss,not your co-equal.
Who's the shark?
Larry Miller is an ok guy and is President for his connections, not for running the draft. Ben this adds to the Talking Ball night overreaction!
"That is the absolute definition of dysfunction"
I guess I simply disagree. When you back PA and not KP, most of this media frenzy looks like cryin’.
The businessmans way
The moment Mr Allen made the decision to get a new GM, he should have called KP, set up a meeting, and finalized their agreement, including details of the publicity. Instead,
he waffled about in a lengthy soap opera, that now severely inflates the price he will have to pay, to find a good replacement. Meaning less money for great players. But it may be that utilizing current bulcan employees, augmented by a cheap Yeah Baby! GM trainee, is actually the team owners business plan. And since its his business, I at least hope his doctors are better at serving up bad news, than he is. Not cool to hear about a relapse from a hospital security guy.
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