First off, a tip of the hat to the Blazersedge crew. I'm a big fan. So much so that I've actually started to wonder whether I am still a fan of Blazersedge because I love the Blazers, or if I'm now a fan of the Blazers because I love Blazersedge...I'm not sure any more which is the source, and which the by-product....paradox. So let's all just relax and realize that this post is not a criticism, it's an exploration of my response to seeing Dave and Ben on video.

Premise #1: Ben and Dave are excellent writers.

Yes, Blazersedge is the site I'm tuned to in advance of the trade deadline for the latest Blazers info. But mostly, I read Blazersedge for the writing. Consider the following samples from recent games...

Excerpt from Dave's preview for the game against the Heat:

"When I was a kid we used to joke about the dreaded SBD, a Silent But Deadly nasal encroachment caused by stealthy emission of gas by an unknown offender. The Miami Heat are nothing like that. They're a loud burst of flatulence wafting across the elevator of the NBA, incapacitating or clearing out everyone in their path without so much as an 'Excuse me'. When they come to your town, you'll know it. And unless you're a real sicko, it won't be a pleasant experience. "

Or this from Dave's media report after the Charlotte game:

"The Bobcats are the most depressing "choose your own adventure" book ever. Page one reads: "You're dead. Turn to page two." Page two reads: "Do you care how or why? If yes, turn to page 26 where we will begin to tell you in excruciating detail how and why you are dead. If no, skip to page 83 where we explain that this book is now holding you hostage and you no longer have the free will to decide whether you care. Turn to page 26."

I mean...that's gold.

So you can imagine my surprise, and even scepticism, at the recent addition of video clips. Before video, Dave and Ben could be whoever I wanted them to be (this is beginning to sound really sketchy...better clarify). These guys, this "Ben" and this "Dave", were the world's most foremost Blazers experts. They were like ESPN analysts, but ones who focused their entire life/career on the Blazers. They wore suits, they hung out with sports celebrities and GM's, they regularly exchanged witty, barbed text messages with the likes of Magic Johnson, Barry Melrose and Boomer Esiason. But then I saw them on video and all of that came crashing down. It turns out Dave and Ben are...*gulp*...regular guys. Not once, in any of my readings, have I ever thought of Dave wearing a fedora or of being a fan of Robert Jordan books. This distresses me. I'VE read Robert Jordan books and I'VE worn a fedora before...if he's like me, how can his opinion mean so much more than mine? I've seen behind the curtain and I'm not sure where to go from here. I feel adrift. True, Dave's crack on Arizona State during his video trade discussion with Bright Side of the Sun gave me hope...but it's just not the same.

Thoughts?