THE Question
by Dave on Sep 7, 2010 11:05 PM PDT
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PrintIn the context of general mailbaggery I get asked certain questions over and over. Sometimes I skip over the repeats, sometimes I answer them anyway, sometimes I send a link to the last time I answered them. One of the deeper, more personal questions I get asked--a question that's worth re-visiting often--is for my most significant memories as a near-lifelong Blazer fan. I was asked this again recently. Since it's a bigger philosophical/historical subject for me than can fit in the context of a normal mailbag (as I'm sure it is for you and your memories) I'll answer here.
Note that while the question is often couched in terms of "favorite" Blazer memories I'm going to take the liberty of using the "significant" modifier instead, as I believe that says more about me and maybe about the team's history as well.
Most people expect that I'd put the Blazers' sole championship at the top of my personal significance list. It would certainly be on top of that "favorite" list. But while the title was the glorious beginning of my fan formation as well as being my favorite single memory, it probably wasn't the most significant in informing my fandom. The truth is, I was just a kid at the time. The championship kindled my heart, but being a fan is much more than emotion for me. I suppose you could say the title provided all of the raw material for my fan sculpture but very little of that sculpture's final form was shaped in that moment...perhaps a base, not much more. Certainly the fan I was then and the fan I have now have little outward correlation to each other. I do expect that another title will tap that innocent childhood memory in me, probably leading to tears and unbridled joy and feeling just once more than everything is completely right with the world, but that hasn't happened yet. (Please, please, please? At least once before I die?) As it is, meeting and getting to shake the hands of Bill Walton and Maurice Lucas probably left as big of an imprint (and gave me as big of a thrill) as the championship itself.
The loss to Detroit in the 1990 Finals and to L.A. in the 1991 Conference Finals were much more significant to my fan growth. At that time I was on the cusp of adulthood and followed the team pretty closely. Some rationality became coupled with the raw emotion, although rational thought did tend to disappear once the ball was tipped. I was sure we were going to win both series after significant comeback victories. I was in massive denial after the resulting losses but gradually that denial gave way to a desire to figure out what the heck happened. The multi-layered answers to that question, coupled with the memory of what it took to actually win way back when, provided the bulk of the definition to that fan sculpture. Those series, comprising my virginal encounter with Massive Disappointment, also softened the later blows of losing to Chicago in '92 and losing in the Western Conference Finals to the L*kers in 2000. The latter loss has since become a defining moment to a generation but the wounds it caused to me were the removal of old scabs more than the creation of new cuts. Plus by then I could already smell some of the toxins brewing in the Portland Punch and already knew that even with a title, that squad would have been my second-favorite championship team.
Trading away Clyde Drexler was another significant moment in my fanhood. I couldn't believe my ears when I heard Clyde say on the radio that maybe a trade wouldn't be the worst thing. I once again went into fetal denial when the move went down. It was the loss of my greatest, and probably last, pure sports hero. Afterwards I had to deal with the reality of Otis Thorpe not filling Clyde's shoes and then J.R. Rider taking a massive dump in them. I began to understand that you couldn't just replace superstars. I began to understand rebuilding (and then building again and again) and what it took to actually form a good team. I began to understand that not every guy who looked good was good and not every guy who was good would actually fit on your squad. I found that this was a game of choices and it was nearly impossible to find one that was wholly right. I also found it possible to be happy for Clyde when he did win his championship with the Rockets, though it rightfully should have been ours...or so my heart says to this day. Most of all, I discovered that all of this was difficult and far more complex than it seemed.
So far all of the significant memories save the championship have been depressing. But the education learned in relative darkness and heartache after that early, brilliant success brings definition to the whole. I found this out the first time I saw Brandon Roy play in person at the 2006 Summer League. Those hard-earned lessons informed me that I was seeing something special...someone whose play and stature might hearken back to the championship season or the glory of the Drexler years. Roy was nothing like Walton or Clyde but I knew he didn't have to be. What I was already seeing on the court told me that one day he might be capable of becoming a third entrant in that pantheon. I looked at LaMarcus Aldridge beside him and understood that while LMA probably wasn't in that same circle, he could maybe be the Lucas-Porter-esque wingman that was essential to success. At that point my heart started to beat a little faster.
Winning the 2007 NBA Draft Lottery was a surreal experience more than a formative one but even so that past experience spoke of how important such a talent could be. My fast-beating heart went into overdrive at that point! That night, even more than the draft itself or anything that's happened to Oden since, also remains indelibly imprinted on my mind.
I've also had some moments of personal significance...the first time sitting down with Kevin Pritchard or Nate McMillan one-on-one, for instance. My first real at-length interview with a player, who happened to be Taurean Green, also sticks out. Those were less significant than amazing, I'd say, but I suppose they still count.
Those are the ones I can think of off-hand. There are a thousand more, of course, but I'll make room for you and yours. What are your most significant memories? Keep in mind the following:
- We're sticking with "significant" and not just "favorite", so they can be uplifting, tragic, or anything in between as long as they formed your fan faith.
- We're talking about significance to you here, not anybody else. Among your most significant moments may be mundane occurrences that others would barely blink at or even some that only you experienced.
If you have some idea of how those moments shaped your fandom and what that final shape looks like (what kind of fan you are) go ahead and share that too.
--Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com)
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I worked at GI Joes's in the late 90's
During the ‘97 year, they had a tie-in celebration with the 20 year anniversary of the ’77 championship. As part of that celebration, the championship trophy was shipped to each Joe’s store for one week . I happened to be working at the Beaverton store when it came by. I never expected to be the one to accept the trophy in the back storeroom from the delivery guy. I was psyched! But then I actually held it. It felt cheap and light-weight, like some trophy you get for winning a high school track meet. In my mind, I couldn’t imagine millionaire athletes dedicating their entire lives for this trophy. I don’t know if I became less of a fan after that, but I never felt the burning devotion for the Blazers after that, until years later K.P. was hired, we drafted Roy and won the ’07 lottery.
The trophy is just the symbol...
of the great achievement, which millionaire athletes can conjure up in their mind decades after they were special…
That's a letdown. Seems like the trophy should be substantial and expensive.
Maybe it was just a replica. It’s hard to believe they would actually let a bunch of retail sales people handle the real thing.
If it was a replica, it was pretty tarnished and not well cared for
by odenator69 on Sep 8, 2010 1:37 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Too many events to pick just one...
Strangely, as a boy growing up in Boston in the 60’s, the Celtics incredible domination never held any appeal for me… Plus, they were never on TV… I was a junior in college when Larry Legend led the Celts to a championship in ‘81, including a defining battle against Dr J’s Sixers, mostly listened to while at work.
I really appreciated the ’84 team, due to great seats at the Garden, and including some incredible games by Larry, and of course an epic 4-3 victory against the hated Fakers..
And then, what I consider the ultimate basketball T-E-A-M, the 1986 Boston Celtics… Bird, McHale, Parish, Ainge, DJ, Walton, Wedman and Sichting… Incredible passing, stout team D, awesome fast break, and the best white guy to ever lace up sneakers…
Oh, this is supposed to be about Blazer events? Oh. OK. Well, I liked it when they hired me s a consultant in 1989… Loved the #1 pick fiesta… Love beating the Fakers… Love playoff game crowds… But in short, I haven’t had my favorite Blazer memory yet…
Love the question
I could pick a lot of memories from the Drexler years. I first regularly started watching the Blazers during the 89-90 season, so there is Danny Young’s shot (the first time my fan heart was broken)… or Magic’s full court pass to the opposite sideline the following year (we can still make a full court shot with .01 left… right?)… and of course there is the 2000 WCF (my first truly devastating fan experience)… but instead I’m going to focus on a more recent story.
In the fall of 2007, I nearly gave up on sports completely. The three teams I have a real dedication to in sports are the (in order) the Blazers, the Detroit Lions, and Oregon Ducks football. With the exception of the 2005 Ducks, all those teams had been a mix of disappointingly mediocre (Ducks), fantastically crappy (Lions), and crappy with a bad attitude (Blazers)… and even that 2005 Ducks team left a bitter taste in my mouth because of the BCS snub and subsequent disappointed-to-be-here loss in their bowl… but things looked like they may be turning around.
The Blazers had the reigning ROY and was about to draft the best big man prospect since Duncan and there were early reports from both Ducks and Lions camps that they may finally be about to put it together. Then Oden went down for the season. We could always hope for the future, but we all knew even then that your star rookie going down for the season with micro fracture surgery before the season even started was really bad. We were talking about the next Bill Russell… and now we were hoping he’d at least recover to still have a great career. The Lions and Ducks had compensated though. By the end of October, the Ducks were on the short list of national title contenders and Dennis Dixon was by many accounts the Heisman front runner… and then Dixon’s ACL went out and took all of that hope with it. The Lions seemed to have finally shook off almost a decade of losing were rolling at 6-2… and then they remembered that they’re the Lions and only won a single game the rest of the season.
Meanwhile, the Blazers were 5-12 and seemed to be floundering. I seriously had at least a dozen times when I sat myself down and thought “Why? Why do I bother? Why do I put myself through this? When have I ever gotten anything but heartbreak from sports? What if I spend all this misery on sports and die without ever getting to experience cheering for a great team that ends up coming through in the end?”
…and then this happened…
It didn’t seem like much at the time, but it sparked that glorious 13 game win streak. There was out first win AT Utah (seriously? how the heck did that happen?)… then a few days later we beat the again at home without Brandon Roy… but surely the streak would end the next night at Denver. Wrong again. The streak lives!!
The defining moment for me came during our home game against the Nuggets almost a week later. I couldn’t find a youtube video of it, but Portland had a small lead for most of the fourth, but Denver had managed to close the gap and tie the game in the closing minutes. Portland went up by 1 on a free throw, but Denver managed to get the ball down low to Carmelo Anthony as was looking to take their first lead in almost 10 minutes with only 22 seconds to go. Roy had been rotated on to him and it wasn’t looking good for the home team… but when Carmelo released his shot, Roy jumped, stretched his arm up as far as it could go, and then seemingly just kept going up until he was able to completely block his shot. The game wasn’t officially over until Jarret sank a couple icing free throws and Outlaw blocked Linas Kleiza’s three point shot at the buzzer (Outlaw’s block was even the play of the day on NBA.com), but to me, Roy’s block was when the game was won.
It was also when I knew Roy was going to be special. He’d been having a poor game offensively (4-15 shooting… although 10-12 at the line), wasn’t known as a great defender, and was up against one of the top few offensive players in the game. It was one of those times when everything said we should have been sunk, but Roy willed himself in to making that stop, and I remember even as I watched it happen, I just knew that he would.
That’s still my favorite memory of the Roy Blazers. More so than when we clinched the playoffs. More so than the Houston shot. More so than even when I found out we had won the first pick and the right to pick between Oden and Durant, because that moment (along with the rest of that 13 game win streak) reminded me why I stick to being a fan.
by Gargen on Sep 8, 2010 1:27 AM PDT reply actions 2 recs
I remember that Outlaw shot
I didn’t have tv at the time, and rare was my chance to watch the Blazers, but I stumbled in to a friend’s house with 2 minutes left in that game. Every win I read about during the streak brought a smile to my face, and it really did signal the turning of the Blazer franchise
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Like You
There are thousands of favorite moments and even significant games, but that block on Carmelo was the turning point of the game or the Stop to Denver’s comeback. I remember that play every time I read how bad of a defender BRoy is.
I have always felt, the 3pointer that was given to SAS when it was clear that “O-What’s his name” was out of bounds was the most significant play of that whole tournament—-It took the sole clear out of the Blazers. It was then that I realized that anything the Blazers accomplished there after would have to be to beat the NBA bias plus the team at the moment.
Do you remember when the refs let MJ step in front of the free throw shooter in the game before the ball hit the rim to ice that game? Do you remember the fouling out of Pippin in the 2000 championship to give Kobe a free reign to score? And further back, do you remember fouling Clyde out of the game, in the finals, and Duckworth taking over to foul the NBA’s bias? Do you remember Cliff fumbling the pass out of bounds to let the Fakkers win the WCF’s. All these things could have easily changed the history of the Blazers because we were so close yet so far away from being in with the “elite” teams of the NBA.
All these things that
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by BBK on Sep 8, 2010 6:48 AM PDT up reply actions
I remember that play every time I read how bad of a defender BRoy is.
That play, and the possession where he smothered Joe Johnson for 15-20 seconds and gave him nothing. These little teases of Brandon as commited defender gives me hope that if he can only stay healthy (and not have to carry quite so much of the offensive load) then he can hitch up his shorts and improve his individual and team defense, especially in big games. This is THE next stage re: the Blazers going from just another contender to a finals-caliber ballclub. If Roy and LMA don’t commit to defend better, it really doesn’t matter if Oden stays healthy, who the PGotF is, if Nic Batum ever becomes the next Scottie Pippen or if Paul Allen decides that he needs a new head coach at the end of the season
The players need to hold each other accountable; Bayno said as much the other day. If the stars with their big contracts settle for a certain acceptable level of effort, the rest of the team will follow suit. And eventually they’ll become content with being just good enough to lose every May, rather than break through and win it all in June
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Favorite memories are easy - The championship in 1977 and then the magical season of 1977-78
when the Blazers were 50-10 before Walton went down. The 77-78 team played the best and most dominant basketball I’ve ever seen. And it was certainly the most fun I’ve ever had watching basketball.
My most significant memories come from the end of that 1978 season and its aftermath. When the Blazers reached 50-10 Bill Walton broke his foot and the team managed to win only 8 more games without him. It was an absolutely devastating end to what would have almost certainly been a 2nd consecutive NBA championship. (Walton returned to play the first 2 games of the playoffs but re-injured his foot.) Walton was nevertheless named NBA MVP for the season. But it was significant to me in realizing just how quickly a season so fantastic could come to an end from an injury.
The aftermath from Walton’s injury was just as devastating. He demanded to be traded because he felt the team had botched his medical treatment. When the team wouldn’t trade him he held out in protest for the 78-79 season and then left as a free agent the following year.
I couldn’t believe it when I heard Walton was leaving. Walton was one of the greatest players I had ever seen, and I expected the Blazer Dynasty to run off a string of championships behind the Jack Ramsay basketball machine that was Walton, Lucus, Hollins, Gross, Twardzik, Johnny Davis, Larry Steele, and Lloyd Neal.
I consider Walton’s injury and then his subsequently leaving the Blazers as my most significant memories because it taught me that a single championship season can be such a rare occurrence. Even when you have a combination of players that could or should win multiple championships it can all be destroyed in an instant by an injury to a franchise player. And don’t expect a franchise player to be married to your team until death do they part. If they feel they have been done wrong – whether its medical treatment or anything else they don’t like (re: Drexler) – they will seek and receive a divorce.
So when you are in a position to go for a championship you must realize it and go for it. Don’t let an opportunity pass by waiting for role players to mature into better role players. That won’t win you a championship. Superstars and all-stars win championships. Move out pieces that don’t fit even when they are good players (Sidney Wicks) and acquire additional pieces (Twardzik, Davis) that fit around your superstars to go with the pieces you already have that do fit (Hollins, Gross, Steele, Neal). The Blazers won in 1977 because their previously injured superstar was finally healthy for a season (sound like anyone we know now?), and because they acquired an all-star – Mo Lucas – and a coach that knew what to do with them (Jack Ramsay). And their supporting cast (Hollins, Gross, Twardzik, Davis, Steele, and Neal) fit like a glove.
(For Blazer history buffs – Geoff Petrie, who needed knee surgery was traded along with Steve Hawes to Atlanta in the summer of 1976 for the 2nd pick in the ABA dispersal draft, which became Mo Lucas. After being traded Petrie had 3 knee surgeries, and never played another NBA game for Atlanta or anyone else.)
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Sep 8, 2010 2:15 AM PDT reply actions
When the team wouldn’t trade him he held out in protest for the 78-79 season and then left as a free agent the following year
But (as you probably remember) the NBA gave teams compensation for FAs signed back then. So the Blazers received Kermit Washington and Kevin Kunnert from the San Diego Clippers in exchange for Walton. (Imagine what the Cavs would receive for LBJ this year, if those old rules were still in place?) Kunnert broke his foot and barely played but Kermit played well as a Blazer until he completely lost his jumping ability and had to retire
Move out pieces that don’t fit even when they are good players (Sidney Wicks) and acquire additional pieces (Twardzik, Davis) that fit around your superstars
Is LMA the 2010-2011 version of Wicks? Not personality-wise, of course. But functionality-wise. Think about that one…Sidney required X amount of shots and once he was “replaced” by Lucas the team gained a whole new dimension of toughness that came in real handy the next spring against Dawkins, etc
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Is LMA the 2010-2011 version of Wicks?
Not at all, I think LMA will be a great fit with Oden. I had someone else in mind.
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Sep 8, 2010 5:32 PM PDT up reply actions
I knew you did
but Miller is closer to Twardzik, in your scenario. (Would you want to start the 1976 season off with Johnny Davis at PG?) OTOH, the 1975 version of Wicks and LMA are similar in age and NBA experience, now if only LMA could rebound like Sidney used to…
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Miller is closer to Twardzik, in your scenario
or even Herman Gilliam. Experience matters
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
I wasn't thinking of physical characteristics or players that played similar positions.
I was thinking of two very talented players, that both need(ed) the ball to contribute, and how well they would fit with the team’s super-stars/all-stars to win a championship. But I purposely omitted current names to avoid starting any specific “fit debate” in this thread.
Anyway, the more important point from “my significant memories” was to try to strike (make a move for another star or key player) when the iron is hot, and not wait around trying to mature yourself into a championship team, else the window can close as injuries cut the legs out from under your star player(s).
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Sep 9, 2010 12:05 AM PDT up reply actions
no ABA dispersal draft, this time around
so it’s not going to be as easy to flip a Petrie for a Lucas, or grab a FA like Twardzik to start at PG
not to mention hire a coach like Jack, who incidentally came onboard and had the gravitas to tell Larry Weinberg that Wicks had to go (after Wilkens was fired for making the same request the year earlier…)
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
My parents weren't sports fans
I first learned about the NBA when my friend showed me his basketball card collection, when I was 7 or 8 (1992-93 or so). I discovered then that Portland had a guy on a card who was almost as good as the ubiquitous Michael Jordan or Charles Barkley, but it took years of NBA On NBC (best theme song EVER?) and Space Jam and Rod Strickland dishing to Sabas for me to really earn a respect/understanding of the game. The Sheed-Pippen-Stoudamire-Steve Smith Blazers were the first team I followed closely, and also my first experience of the “fan favorite” bench player or rookie (STACEY AUGMON FTW! Jermaine O’Neal!).
That was an exciting time, and it happened to be as I entered high school. Though obviously that team fell apart at the last second and the latter day Shawn Kemp/Strickland 2.0/Dale Davis/Bonzi Wells teams were going nowhere fast. We had Nick Van Exel, Steve Kerr, Sharif Abdur-Rahim, Zach Randolph, Arvydas, all guys having their worst career years. Not a pretty sight. Yet, as ticket prices fell I found myself going to more and more Blazer games in person, and rooting on Sebastian Telfair and Viktor Kryhapa and Joel Przybilla. Even when we were losing 50 games a season, those were entertaining games. So, I might be the only person here to say that the highlight of my Blazers fandom was after Rasheed was traded and before the 06 draft. I went to a half-empty stadium, more than I ever have before or since, to watch a team full of scrubs come up short against the Kings and Spurs every god damn time, and it was fun because there were no consequences. Miss the playoffs? No biggie! At least we played hard! Or… attempted to! That was the stretch where I went to the most games I imagine myself ever going to, and it was kind of nice to be the underdog constantly. We could literally do no wrong. Obviously a championship is the ultimate goal, but there’s something to be said for those 20-win seasons where all we had left was the skeleton crew of a team and even a win against the Clippers was cause for celebration.
made em jump like Rod Strickland
the last game of that season
The baby Blazers beat the L*kers at home. I can still remember the kids (Kryapa, Ha, etc) celebrating afterwards
I’d rather have higher expectations heading into a season. But when you pick a team, you stick with ‘em. That way when the cream finally rises to the top, you’ve already got the best seat reserved on the bandwagon
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
I'm old enough that my original memory of the Blazers
was simply finding out that we were getting a team. There was a contest for choosing a name. I remember thinking Trailblazers (or it may have been Trail Blazers) was a dumb name, but I was 8 or 9, so what did I know?
The two things that cemented my fandom with the Blazers were:
1) The first win over an established team. I believe it was either Boston or NY — the details are less important. The game ended after my bedtime, so I had the radio on real low in my room. It was a close game that wasn’t decided until the final seconds. I remember leaping out of bed and jumping around trying to stifle my shouts of joy.
2) I was in the third or fourth grade, and my grade school had a Father-Son dinner. The guests of honor were none other than Geoff Petrie and Leroy Ellis. They spoke, and we all got to line up to get autographs. I was in line for Leroy Ellis, and a couple kids in front of me didn’t have pens. So he reached out to another kid to borrow a pencil — the kid didn’t know what he was doing, and pulled the pencil away, and Ellis busted out laughing. And to see such a human moment out of such a large man was fascinating.
Those are my earliest memories.
Obviously, the big memories are the championship, the trips to the finals, the horrible loss to the Lakers in 2000. I wasn’t overly deflated by the loss to the Bulls because deep down, I know they were better. However, the loss to Detroit still bothers me. The Blazers should have won that — they were better, but Adelman was grossly outcoached.
I remember thinking Trailblazers (or it may have been Trail Blazers) was a dumb name, but I was 8 or 9, so what did I know?
The Knick’s owner at the time derisively asked the league office “how can I put the name Portland Trail Blazers on the marqee at Madison Square Garden?!”
Portland 114, (world champion) New York 96. My first live NBA game at the MC.
Scoreboard, baybee.
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
OK, maybe it wasn't so close
but my excitement was real. We had beaten the Cavs and Buffalo already (I don’t remember Buffalo’s nickname), but beating the Knicks proved that we belonged in the league.
my lastin impressions
are pretty much in line with the Dave’s post so i’m either in the same age bracket (41) or came on around the same time. i didn’t really achieve passion til i startin playin as a junior higher tho (81-82.) one event that i would add is the coin flip. always has stuck with me. still remember how much debate there was over the call and how the franchise even polled the fans as to what to call, heads or tails? and Akeem the Dream, man o man, what could of been. proof again that God doesn’t concern himself with the sport of Basketball. if he did the Lakes would never win another championship….
kObe iS thE aNtiChRiSt
by Brendan Holladay on Sep 8, 2010 6:45 AM PDT reply actions
I wasn't much of a sports fan till I went to college - Penn State 68 - 72
It was the beginning of JoPas run and the team featured Franco Harris, Jack Ham… I went on to follow both of those guys when they played for the Steelers, even though I grew up close to Philly. Before then I had causally followed the 76ers (who I was rooting for when they lost to Portland) and the Flyers. The Phillies were perennial heart breakers and the Eagles to awful to contemplate. There was really good college basketball on TV out of Philly when I was a kid, Jimmy Lynam, the ex Blazers assistant coach, was one of the stars at that time.
Most of my sport fandom is really defined by following teams who have players that I like. I followed the Seahawks for a few years when they had Kurt Warner, the Penn State running back.
When a team that I like, gets a player that I like or am really familiar with, my interest goes up.
That’s why the current edition of the Blazers is so much fun. Good players, people worth watching, good community guys, This is really important to me, more, I think than a championship. Don’t get me wrong, I have no desire to watch a bunch of lovable losers, but I’m ok if these guys never quite reach the promised land, the journey is the thing anyway.
I followed the Seahawks for a few years when they had Kurt Warner,
I had a dual loyalty with the Vikings-Seahawks during the Largent years, but by the time the late ’80s rolled around and I saw a game in the Kingdome between the two teams, I realized I had to drop the Sea-Chickens like a bad habit and stick with my original choice: the purple
this was about the same time as I married a girl from Tacoma, BTW ;^)
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
The Knowing
Dave, my mania is on a paralell path to yours. The memories and players are all (some bitter) sweet to recall. The major losses are still painful. I disagree with you in that most of it has been joyful and not disappointing. One of the biggest joys for me was KNOWING that we were the best basketball team in the world back around ‘90. It didn’t matter who you were or where you were from. The smart odds were that Portland is going to beat you (up) and we generally did. That in itself was special. It didn’t really matter what the media thought. Sure, missed champoinships are sad, but 97% of the league has this same problem. Get over it. Our day will come.
Started for me in the early 80's
as a youngster living in a deep, narrow valley – we had a television but no reception. Rainy day and after dark entertainment was radio and reading – and at 12 or 13, I wasn’t into music. I played sports, watched sports whenever I could (biggest treat was going to a friend’s house after church to watch Seahawks), and naturally I listened to local radio broadcasts as much as I could. Our two local radio stations (Kelso, WA) carried Blazers, Mariners, Seahawks and high school football.
Being in the deep valley, I had to run a wire up the tree growing outside my bedroom window for an antenna – especially at night. I remember blaming the radio stations for cutting power at night – because as soon as the sun went down – reception became crap. The wire up the tree helped solve that problem, and I began to catch every Blazer radio broadcast that would come through. By far my most significant memory was learning all the Blazer names and developing acrimony for their opponents. Schonz helped a lot with that. The one moment in time that stands out the most, however, was a postgame show hosted by Jones, where he would ask who the player of the game was and you could win a Sony Walkman. I called in, got to answer the question (I was 14) – nailed it (Jerome Kersey, that night) – and never got my Walkman.
I watched my first Blazer game after joining the Navy at 18. My training was a year and a half long, and I was privileged to follow the Blazers the 89/90 and early 91 seasons. I have a very clear image of sitting on my bed in my barracks room at Goodfellow AFB watching Thomas go crazy. I never liked Thomas.
I was overseas after that – but Armed Forces television carried the playoffs in 91/92 – and I was able to watch every game – a huge privilege for a boy a long way from home. It would be almost 10 years before I could follow the Blazers outside of box scores in USA Today. Once I returned home in 1998, the Blazers were again a force and I enjoyed every moment up until the fourth quarter – catching a few live games for the first time and everything else I could on radio or TV.
Fortunately, I married a girl who loved the Blazers as much as I did (we listened to that fourth quarter on the radio while crossing the Sound on a ferry), and it has been even more of a joy to share Blazermania with my wife and kids.
Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
Seeing Brandon Roy in a regular season game the first time
was a pretty good moment. Everyone looked slow-footed compared to him and I thought wow, what a nice breezy game. There’s a kid you can root for. Meanwhile Zach Randolph put up his typical 20 and 10 but I couldn’t even applaud that guy.
It was the turning point for this team.
My best memory is 1970-71
My parents successfully kept me away from sports until I went off to first grade, where all the other boys were into sports and I found I was too. Coincidentally, Portland got a brand-new basketball team the next year, and my dad took me to four games at the Memorial Coliseum — Warriors, Lakers*, Sonics and Suns. I believe we were 4-0, the Blazers and me. We couldn’t lose.
Through a 7-year-old’s eyes, the whole place shimmered with light and anticipation. Even during the shootaround, I was thinking, “Wow, I’m really here!” The starting lineups would be announced and these beautiful giants — ours and theirs — would step out onto the floor. By the time they were ready to tip off, I was already on the edge of my seat.
Our Blazers — they really were “ours” from year one — played over their heads. Geoff Petrie was an instant hero, and the whole team, in their white uniforms with modernist “Blazers” and swoosh across the chest, had a kind of style. The team finished only 29-53, but they had a lot of wins at home and there was already a lot of love in the place.
The next year, my dad took me to one more game (Lakers, loss), and then my parents got divorced and there were no more Blazer games after that. I listened to almost every game on the radio, though, and cheered along with my best friend, whose window faced mine in the new house. When Bill Schonely called out a big basket, sometimes we held up signs in our windows that said “SWISH” or “RIP CITY.”
There have obviously been other high points in Blazer history, but for me it started with a time of innocence and wonder in ‘70-’71. The championship in ’77 was amazing, but it was just the last chapter of a story that started when I was a little, wide-eyed boy.
.
. * That’s how we spelled it then.
Mine had to be my first live game.
Two things stand out to me 1 Geoff Petrie shooting from the downtown Time after time it seemed as if the ball never even touched the rim once just swish. The 2nd was a guy about 3 seats down yelling at Sydney Wicks to pass the damn ball something that rarely happened. The other thing that shaped my love for the Blazers was any game on the radio, we were truly lucky to have the Schonz he made every game seem magical.
Somebody step up! - Mike Rice
Significant seems to equal odd in my case
An interesting question ; I like the idea of how small memories go into building something much bigger. The championship is for me, just a little memory. I was an adult, but real life demanded much of my energy at the time. (My marriage had ended and I was learning to cope with being an economically challenged single parent.) I remember the championship, but it wasn’t one of the biggest things in my life. I’m sure I watched the televised games, but wasn’t involved in any of the post events. The championship did teach me that underdogs can win – and winning as an underdog still brings me more pleasure than winning when expected. (That’s why when the national media ignores us I may complain but inside I’m grinning and thinking – just you wait.)
I was crushed when Rick Adelman was fired, followed not too long after by Geoff Petrie resigning and Terry Porter being released. 3 of my favorites gone in a flash, or so it seemed (I’m pretty sure it was over several months.) I guess that is when I realized that sentiment has no place in building a roster. However, I became less interested in the team in the following years and I nearly closed it down completely when Brian Grant was traded. (I still remain sentimental in spite of it being unrealistic.) I stopped watching games on tv although I usually read the newpaper recaps. I didn’t even watch playoff games. I need to be somehow attached to the the players and it just wasn’t happening. I remember when Telfair was drafted but I didn’t return to being really actively interested until McMillan was hired. I suppose it was the hype surrounding both of those events that lured me back in. I was totally involved once I found Dave’s "Blazer Thoughts" – wow, people actually intelligently discussing the Blazers and no flaming!!
For unknown reasons I remember the occasions when someone totally loses it, yells at everyone, and the team comes together to win. Rick Adelman overturning a locker room table at halftime of a L*k*r game, Steve Blake throwing a chair, Juwan Howard throwing a tantrum. Someone caring when it seems like others do not; making them realize that they aren’t giving the effort necessary to win, reminding them of the task at hand. I’m always sorry when this has to happen, but it impresses me that someone steps up – and is listened to.
Significant moments
Blowing that game 7 vs. the L*kers in 2000. I was living in Santa Cruz, watching that game, getting very, very excited then it all imploded. I was in shock and started getting calls from faker fans to taunt me mercilessly.
Winning the “Greg Oden Lottery” of 2007. I was at work, following online and let out a victory yell that raised my co-workers’ eyebrows.
"I come to you now, at the turn of the tide." -- Brandon "Gandalf" Roy, April 24th, 2010
yes, I have not been a fan as long as Dave (Cal import 1987)
so, hands down is the game 7 loss to LA which probably was the championship, and started LA on the road to preeminence and Portland to decline. I was really excited about that team, loved Sabonis, who was the one guy who could actually play Shaq. It was such a great rivalry, and so crushing and frustrating. LA AGAIN. Ug.
The Oden pick was another low for me, as I was sold on Durant, courstesy of Mr. Ben, who made a compelling case.
"You be realistic," Oden said. "I’m going to stay happy. All right?"
I don't really have THE Answer
Every season that I’ve been a fan has ended in disappointment. The Oden draft lottery was cool but it was before I joined Blazersedge and even then, I refused to get excited about a dumb rookie.
I guess my answer would be the day Andre Miller cried to Marc Spears and I hated a Blazer for the first time. KP getting fired was a milestone for me as well. He had it coming for lying to the fans about getting a trade for LaFrenz, then it was “valuable” cap space, and in the end it was just Andre Miller.
#52
Brandon Roy making that final shot against Houston with 0.8
seconds left on the shot clock.. to WIN the game.
I said to my friend “this is when I wish Michael Jordan was taking the shot” AND THEN IT WENT IN…..I was a relatively new fan to basketball and was just THRILLED.
Was hoarse the entire next day.
Significant..Favorite?
When you have as many Blazer memories as I have the line between significant and favorite or any other term you wish to apply- get’s pretty blurred. In other posts I think we’ve shared “favorite” Blazers moments and quite frankly unless I happened to be watching a particular Blazer game as I donated a kidney…or rescued orphans from a burning bus…favorite…significant becomes pretty interchangable. I could share another “favorite” moment, or painful moment or memorable moment…and my reasons why, but I’ve already done that.
So I’m not going to share a particular benchmark moment or game. I can tell you why The Blazers are significant in my history. They are significant because growing up my father worked two jobs…he was busy..but one thing he made time for and we shared…were Blazer games. The players came and went, the enviroment and reality changed…but I can still remember a time when you could actually park near a little place called The Memorial Coliseum. As a young kid, it was exciting to walk through the winter evening to a glowing lighted coliseum, to the energy of a game that would last into the night. My dad and I would often let the crowd and traffic clear out, and stay after the game to listen to and watch Schonelys post game interviews at center court.
Sure I have all the same specific memories, but with time the significance becomes the collage of all the experiences good and bad. Detractors criticize my fandom and often The Blazers themselves for only having one championship in their history. Well my feeling is that one championship was magical, and even though I’d love to see us win another I’ve enjoyed the never ending journey. I’ve enjoyed the highs…and even the drama of the lows….my most significant memory? Being 11 years old and knowing that you were going to see the big game live that upcoming friday night….I’ll never be 11 again, and casual walks from free parking spaces near a Blazer venue are things of the distant past….
"Mother Nature started this fight, I think it's about time we ended it!"
One significant moment for me was when the Blazers released
their 25 Point Pledge.
Yeah, it didn’t last long, but at least they were trying, and eventually got it right, more or less.
Unfortunately it has to be a L@ker moment that affects my Blazers' memories
I was around for the Championship and over the years i would run into our and other teams players out on the town. I always thought I could tell who the good guys in sport were – until the Kobe trial. He always presented himself as above all the shennanigans that went on with the NBA culture. Turns out he wasn’t and forced me to finally believe you only cheer for (or against) the player, not the man.
by LicketyBrindleDowntheMiddle on Sep 8, 2010 11:30 AM PDT reply actions
TP and Natt autographs
When I was in high school my dad won a pair of autographed Terry Porter Nike high tops at a United Way auction and then gave them to me for Christmas. I passed them on to my younger sister when I went outn of state to college. What made the shoes extra special was that Porter (“Terry Baby” as my 8-yr-old sister called him) move into our neighborhood in Tualatin when he first came to Portland as a rookie from Wisc Stevens-Point. I took my sister down one day and he autographed a basketball card for her.
I also remember very well convincing my Dad at the Tualatin Shell station, “…that really is Calvin Natt. Will you let me go get his autograph? Do you have a pen and something to write on? Hurry up; he’s about to leave.” Sure enough, it was Mr. Natt—gnarly nose and all—and he kindly gave me, his 13-yr-old fan, an autograph on the Shell gas receipt.
Finally, during the lockout season, when I was working as a 20-something in Beaverton near the big THPRD sports complex at 173rd & Walker, I was thrilled each day at lunch to have Jerome Kersey, Damon Stoudamire, Rasheed Wallace, and Cliff Robinson show up to play pick-up ball with all us scrubs. There was about a month-long period where these guys and others—John Crotty was my favorite—showed up and ran on the 7 courts with all us locals just to stay in shape. The private conversations among us locals in between games for about the first week or so were funny—electric with excitement and awe of the talent we were playing with. After about a week we all wised up, picked our jaws up off the floor and started trying to actually play decent against them. Of course the NBA players were never giving more than 60-70% and would rarely step foot in the paint for fear of injury. The best day was when Cliff and Rasheed went at it on opposite sides, making more three-pointers than I thought possible. Great memories!
by lanier22 on Sep 8, 2010 11:31 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Most Significant
Without a doubt, it was the building of the Rose Garden. I went from lingering on the long waiting list for season tickets as well as clawing and scratching for lousy tickets at the MCC to 44 games a year. Finally, I was in the building and I was watching this game live.
Buck Williams donning the goggles
for some reason, stands out as a major moment in my fandom. I think I was around 11 at the time, right before the playoff run in 1990.
"Sasha? That's a sissy name." -Mike Rice
I'm a relatively new fan
I’ve been a casual fan of the team for a few years now (mostly for the sake of a family member). It was never really anything particularly special, more “Oh, the Blazers won last night? That’s nice”. This season, that changed. The most significant moment for me is when Oden went down. Rather strange, isn’t it? The moment that broke so many fans’ hearts made a new fan, because I don’t give my allegiance easily, it has to be earned. When Oden was wheeled off court, they could have given up. They didn’t. They fought on, and won the game, and kept winning. The injuries that followed just cemented my fanhood, and now I’m hooked. No matter where this team goes, I’m going to be behind them.
Not my favorite moment, by any means, but certainly the most significant.
by ictoagsn on Sep 8, 2010 1:41 PM PDT reply actions 3 recs
1991 WC Semis. Terry Porter from downtown...
1991. Hanging at my grandparents house. We were watching the Blazers play the Jazz in the playoffs and Terry was draining 3’s like it was nobody’s business. Here I was this little six year old girl and I couldn’t tear my eyes from the TV. Every time TP nailed another shot I got tingles. I had TP t-shirts, the DQ glasses and I even had his face on my birthday cake when I turned seven. I loved the guy, and I still do.
2008-2009. Watching Rudy nail the long-ball. I got tingles again for the first time since TP. Loved every shot, especially 159.
The tingle-factor. That’s why I have been and always will be a BLAZER.
Hey Amar'e! I've got an elbow for you!
last October, retro night at the MC
during halftime at the preseason game against Phoenix, TP was still draining those long shots during the game of horse
some things never change
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
it was a cool night
listening to the Schonz again on the transistor radio, from across the court
taking in a game with my son at the place where my dad first took me, back in ’70 (sniff)
sure, the ol’ MC ain’t what she used to be, but it was nice to watch one more game in the house where all the magic happened, back in the day
Too bad the Suns had to go and spoil it
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
I really hated moving from the intimate confines of the MC into the Rose Barn,
but alas, it’s time to knock the Glass Palace down (or at least gut it for some better use).
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Sep 9, 2010 12:10 AM PDT up reply actions
I also took the boys to a Beavers game at PGE park last month, for old time's sake
Exhibition games against the Pirates and the Phillies in the early ‘80s. Looks like that’s about as close as Portland will get to the big leagues during my lifetime
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Meeting Kevin Duckworth
I was in Pet Smart walking my dog inside to get her some food, all of a sudden I hear this super deep voice behind me say “hey, that’s a beautiful pit ya got there, is she a red nose?” I turned around and in front of me is a giant of a man. I couldn’t believe it, it was Duck. The funny thing though was that I had no idea what to say….what came out of my mouth was this “I have you on a dairy queen glass at home”. He looked at me a chuckled then we had a discussion about dogs. He had a few rottweilers and was pushing two carts full of food. I asked him for his autograph and he said no problem little man. I still have the signed dog food bag at home. That was a great moment.
Also...
I saw Darius Miles downtown coming off the max and my brother said “Hey Darius, you’re a punk, go back to MTV jerk”. My brother was about 10 at the time. I laughed so hard. My brother was so mad at him for the way he acted as a Blazer.
Meeting Paul Allen, Kevin Pritchard and Nate McMillian at Summer League
All of Dave’s observations and memories are in my Blazers moments. But my personal favorite was getting my 11 year old daughter to walk up to Nate, Kevin and Paul while they sat court side durign summer league and get thier autographs on our Blazer banner. My kid actually said “Hey Coach McMillian could you sign our banner?” After he signed it, she said thank you sir. Coach McMillian smiled and said thank you to her. Then he shook my hand and told me what a great girl I had. Mr. Pritchard then took the banner and signed it and thanked us for being fans. Paul Allen signed it also. Not a very talkative guy. But I thanked him for buying back the Rose Garden and keeping the Blazers exactly where they should be. It was a classy thing for them to take time out from the game and talk to us.
by Marty Grimes on Sep 8, 2010 4:13 PM PDT reply actions
that banner will be a rare Blazer artifact
signed by KP and PA? That could be a one-of-a-kind item
I’d keep it out of direct sunlight so the ink doesn’t fade
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Most recently, driving home from Seattle from a Mariners season opener game with my Dad this past April
We turned on the radio for the Blazers game and as we started getting close to Portland…
MARCUS CAMBY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! CLAP-CLAP, CLAP CLAP CLAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
that's been my ringtone all summer
When reached 40 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!
Three significant memories for me
My first live Blazer game ever, at the tender age of 7. June 12, 1990: Game 4 of the 1990 NBA Finals. Danny Young hits a bomb from around half court to tie the game, but it’s waved off. It was tragic for me, but I was instantly hooked on the Blazers. I followed them through the rest of the Drexler years, wallowed through the mediocre mid-90’s, the Whitsitt years, then the rebuilding in the early to mid 2000’s.
My second significant moment came when I was at a gym in California, watching the 2007 draft lottery. I remember the Bucks card being pulled meaning the Blazers had moved up, then confirming that we had moved into the top 3, then dancing around like a fool in front of several non-Blazer fans (and earning a few quizzical looks) when I realized the Blazers had won the lottery.
The emotion I felt from my first NBA game was never again matched in a live game situation though, until I bought season tickets for the 2008-2009 season and watched the miraculous turn of events when Roy seemed to have won the game against Houston, then cost us the game by fouling Yao, then won the game a second time with a bomb which, from my stellar seats in the 316 section, looked well short. When it went right down the middle, my cousin and I jumped around in our seats screaming nonsense, just speechless. I have never since that moment felt such highs and lows in a short span of time and it really just cemented my fandom in this team.
1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21... I know...
"'Five Dollar Foot-long' is one of the best songs. That's a hot song. You've got the FreeCreditReport.com, and then 'Five Dollar Foot-long' comes on. When 'Five Dollar Foot-long' comes on, they should play that in the club. They should play all those in the club."
~ Ron Artest (link: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/dailydime?page=dime-090515)
by FibonacciSequence on Sep 9, 2010 11:45 AM PDT reply actions
My biggest memories were many of the ones already mentioned by Dave, but I have a few more, including the 24 point comeback to win in the second half of a game on the road with Seattle, played in Tacoma because of Key Arena construction stuff, if I recall, that I believe was played in 1991 or 1992. If I recall the game went to three or four overtimes, and Terry Porter was the man who just kept making critical three pointers to keep us in it. We also followed that up with a 21 point comeback on the road against the Los Angeles Lakers that was memorable, because it felt like we were showing the “Showtime” Lakers how showtime was actually played.
One of the most painful memories for me was not so much the loss of game seven in the 2000 Western Conference finals, but rather an image of Scottie Pippen that etched itself forever upon my memory. We knew how competitive he was, and he gave everything he had in those closing moments of the seventh game, but his competitive fire was made so clear for me during a moment that he had in the tunnel on the way back to the locker room after the game. There was a cart in the tunnel that was filled with spare clean towels and such, and in a brief moment, Pippen stopped at this cart. He physically shuddered from frustration and grief, and the he gripped these towels in his hands as tightly as he could and looked like he was going to breakdown into tears, before he somehow found a way to compose himself and head onward to the locker room with his head held high. I knew right then and there that Pippen had known that he had just played in the last game that would ever give him an opportunity to win another championship as a player.
Another had to do with Buck Williams. He always seemed to be Mr. level headed. The cool headed veteran that knew all tricks and didn’t wear his emotions on his sleeve while on the court. He would play with intensity, but it always seemed that he never wore his emotions clearly on his face, until we saw a crack in that facade during the very last second of the series win against Phoenix in the Western Conference Finals of 1990 when he came down with the rebound after the last attempt by the Suns to extend the game. It was the rebound that would send us to the NBA Finals and I have never seen so much joy and emotion as was on his face at that moment before or since. Truly amazing.
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