At this point...

by Krang on Dec 2, 2011 10:56 AM PST

At this point... How worried should I be about the potential for Paul Allen to sell The Blazers?

Like almost everyone, I've been mostly caught up in the excitement of the return of The N.B.A.. The whole lock-out, I mostly paused my fandom. I knew the upcoming season whenever it would manifest, would be a period that began a dynamic period in so far as The Blazers answering crucial questions about their immediate and long term future.

But I thought those questions would be "Oden", "Brandon"...and a host of other discoveries about the line-up and the team. What I hadn't counted on was the specter of Paul Allen and his status or desire to remain Blazer Owner.

I heard a few rumors, reported here, That Paul Allen was going to sell both the Seahawks and The Blazers...well, I chose to ignore them, as only rumors.

But what has nagged and bothered me since it's happening is Larry Millers answer to whether Paul Allen intends to sell the team...his choice of the phrase "At this point" the team was not for sale.

Come on? As a fan? That answer is worse than a Yes Allen wants to sell...At this point? Suggests there is knowledge of a point that could be coming where the team WOULD be for sale.

Come on Larry? I don't want spin on this. I want to know. Is Allen thinking about selling The Blazers? Should we expect upcoming moves and philosophy applied to the franchise to be aimed more at making The Blazers a more enticing product to be purchased? Or is Paul Allen STILL committed and involved in BEING the owner...not just for a 66 game season...but significantly beyond?

This has grown to bother me more and more. In the past? When Allen loses interest in The Blazers, The Blazers have suffered.

The more I think about it, the more Larry Millers response bothers me. We aren't idiots Larry. We know that the team isn't currently for sale. And I think you know that isn't what the media was REALLY asking. I think as fans we deserve to know where Paul Allen is as far as his mind set about the franchise. Does he still have goals he is trying to achieve as Blazer Owner....or is his primary goal simply to become NOT THE OWNER?

I've defended Paul Allens' ownership in the past. A sans Allen ownership is an unknown future, and that usually makes people nervous. I realistically also have realized that like him or dislike him, Paul Allen wasn't going to be Blazer Owner forever.

But I'd like some statement, some feedback as to where Paul Allen is "at this point" in his approach and commitment to The Blazers. Because at this point as a Blazer fan? I have no idea.

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I don't really see Allen selling the team

He’s been here for over 20 years, he’s a die hard fan, he’s got more money than Jehova. Why sell now?
And if he were to sell, what is the likelihood the team stays in Portland? It seems to me that there may be bigger markets out there but they are not going to find a more devoted fan base no matter where they go. It wouldn’t be the Sonics leaving for OKC. It would be the opposite. That doesn’t make much sense to me as an investor to move the team.

"Sasha? That's a sissy name." -Mike Rice

by koyote on Dec 2, 2011 11:13 AM PST reply actions

consider this;

Paul’s not getting any younger and from the looks of it, seeing him sitting courtside when he had cancer, he nearly died. While he obviously loves the Blazers, he also doesn’t like to be in the spotlight and with the Blazers, any move he makes is thoroughly criticized and bashed by everyone from the speculative media (eg. Canzano), to the casual and/or diehard fan.
While I’m sure he’d love to follow it through to the end and see his team win a title before he dies, I’m sure he also grows extremely tired and finds stress in the endless storm that surrounds his ownership.
I guess with that in mind I could easily see him deciding to drift off to some warm island that he owns and live the rest of his days out in peace.

At which point, I’d love to see the reaction of fans who spent years hating on the guy when the Blazers slowly sink away into the moneyless abyss

by blazerblaze on Dec 2, 2011 11:31 AM PST reply actions

Like I said...

I’ve appreciated and defended Paul Allen ownership over the years. And I’ve always realized that his ownership for whatever reason wasn’t perpetually guaranteed. Yes, he can move on…if he chooses…

But I’d just like to know what his intentions are, because I think that is easily the greatest factor as to ultimate direction of the franchise.

"Mother Nature started this fight, I think it's about time we ended it!"

by Krang on Dec 2, 2011 11:38 AM PST up reply actions

yes, but...

what would you do if you knew?

by blazerblaze on Dec 2, 2011 11:40 AM PST up reply actions

I think then....

…you adjust your expectations as a fan. You don’t expect draft day investments into buying draft picks. And you start to get yourself ready for the next incarnation.

You can stop worrying as much about whether The Blazers find a GM, and start worrying more about whether they can find an owner.

What worries me? Is last time Paul Allen reportedly was looking at selling The Blazers, The Blazers were a total mess. Operations went into almost a total budget mode. Khrayappa, Ha-Seung Jin, Telfair…Blazer operations became all smoke and mirrors.

No I realize Paul Allen has a right to sell the team if he wishes. I realize there might be numerous reasons he would want to…BUT…I think the fanbase should be informed of his intentions, or he should share his long term intentions.

It’s really a simple question that Larry Miller did NOT answer. Does Paul Allen want to remain Blazer Owner?…not just “At this Point” but also moving forward…

and really? I just like answers….

"Mother Nature started this fight, I think it's about time we ended it!"

by Krang on Dec 2, 2011 11:48 AM PST up reply actions

You may be looking for answers that don't exist

Larry Miller’s remark was aimed at squashing the recent rumors and speculation. Maybe because he’s spent so much time with lawyers lately, he opted for being precise: the team was on the market in the past and he’s not ruling out that it could be in the future, but it’s not for sale right now.

It’s possible that Paul Allen hisself doesn’t know what his intentions are. Obviously he’s been uncomfortable being an owner at times in the past (mostly with the financial burdens), but until he sees how the new CBA works out in reality, there’s insufficient data about the financial end of things. In any case, he makes his decisions in private; it’s not fair to expect Larry Miller to drop us any tidbits.

by Corvid on Dec 2, 2011 12:14 PM PST up reply actions

You will have an answer by the time the season starts.

But I’d like some statement, some feedback as to where Paul Allen is “at this point” in his approach and commitment to The Blazers.

The answer will come in what Paul does with Oden. Will he offer him a big contract to sign a long term deal? If so, then he is still committed to winning and isn’t selling now. Will he match a big offer if Oden gets one (but I don’t think Oden will get one). If so, then he isn’t selling. If he passively watches Oden take the QO, then it’s a definite sign Paul’s quit trying to get a championship and is ready to sell.

Also if he does anything to increase his luxury tax, such as keep Roy or do some sort of sign-and-trade that substantially increases his future luxury taxes, that’s an indicator he is still in a win it all mode, and isn’t ready to sell yet.

I’ll bet by Xmas will we have a very good idea of where Paul is going with the Blazers.

"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)

by BlazerFanSince1970 on Dec 2, 2011 12:37 PM PST reply actions

Good thoughts,

but I think it’s less about Paul making up his mind and more about the health of Roy/Oden. If Paul has a reason to hope, I think he’ll stick with it. If the gamble Pritchard set up years ago looks like a loosing hand, I think Paul will fold. That doesn’t mean selling the team necessarily, but it’s possible.

by Kevlar Rocket on Dec 2, 2011 12:57 PM PST up reply actions

I agree that if Paul has reason to hope he can still get a championship he will stick with it.

But that depends on Oden (I don’t see another way to get there in the next 2-3 years – other than some extremely unlikely huge sign-and-trade deal for a super-star quality player), and then a useable Roy may be the difference to put us over the top. But he will have to commit to both of them now (Roy only for a year) to see how those cards play out. (Yes, there’s a slight chance Oden could take the QO and still re-sign with the Blazers next summer as a UFA. But I think that is doubtful to happen if they don’t get it done now.)

"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)

by BlazerFanSince1970 on Dec 2, 2011 1:14 PM PST up reply actions

Allen spending big on Blazers >bad decisions...but

if he goes into save $ mode, the bad decisions trump his ownership.
What if we could get an owner who would hire the right people and then just sit back, lead the cheers and enjoy watching?
I’m not panicking if he puts the team up for sale.

by Iluvdisteam on Dec 2, 2011 1:10 PM PST reply actions

Worry about the team moving

once the Rose Garden & Blazers relationship falters.

Basketball Never Stops- Your BlazersEdge European & NCAA Basketball Discussion thread.

by 420Phenom on Dec 2, 2011 2:32 PM PST reply actions

This isn't something I see any sense in worrying about.

I don’t want to speculate about off-court hypotheticals.

I’m more interested in who exactly will end up on the Blazers and how they will play. I’ve watched a couple of very college basketball games this week, and it took a while before some gear slid into place in my brain and I thought, “Oh yeah… basketball.”

I kind of enjoyed it.

ignacio

by ignacio on Dec 2, 2011 3:56 PM PST reply actions

Since PA does this Blazer thing for fun,

I expect a big factor will be how successful the team is, including the emergence (or not) of Greg Oden.

Wake me when the game is on.

by Berkeley on Dec 2, 2011 5:39 PM PST reply actions

I doubt Paul Allen wants to see the only NBA team in the Pacific NW leave for greener pastures...

…so I’m not too worried about it. I think if he does sell, it will be to a group or individual that will keep the team in Portland. So long as that’s the case, I’m cool with whatever. He’s not a Maloof after all.

Doers & Makers > Movers & Shakers

by Adam Randall on Dec 2, 2011 9:50 PM PST reply actions

It's what you do, not necessarily what you say.

We signed Camby when Oden and Pryz went down, played hardball to get Matthews, and then went out and picked up Wallace. Then, we swapped Miller for Felton, and are now working to keep Oden, as well as looking to sign new players to give us more front line depth. And, if we keep Roy we’ll be paying luxury taxes on Oden’s contract of $9 million a year, and if we don’t, we’ll still have one of the highest payrolls in the league. If Allen were looking to sell, then given Portland is one of the smallest market teams, I would think he’d be getting the payroll in line with profits, as very few buyers are likely to want to buy a team where only a man like Allen can afford to pay the salaries the Blazers are obligated for. But he’s not – he’s continuing to spend and working to keep and build a contender.

From where I sit, his actions are not those of someone looking to sell.

by ebenc on Dec 3, 2011 6:27 AM PST reply actions