I will add the oden minutes to my running regimen.

To blazer fans: You guys truly are awesome fans.. your support for players is inspiring. I wish Detroit fans could be more like you. Your loyalness and support is awesome.

Gonna be pounding out 12 reps instead of 10 in the weight room all year

New York City has the longest and proudest sports tradition in the country.  You think their teams' fans "forget their own"?  When was the last time you talked to a Giants or Jets fan, a Yankees or Mets fan, about their teams histories?  When was the last time you talked to a Knicks fan for that matter?  New York's teams reek of history -- names and faces both famous and trivial -- and that history is kept alive by the fans.

Say whatever you want about L.A., but don't you dare lump New York in with them as a place where people don't care about their teams and the players on them.

Take care of yourself now.  The game will still be there next year.

Thanks for this post Dave.

I have to admit that it is pretty dorky, but in a year, I'll be stronger for it. I hope that Oden comes through all the stronger for his struggles as well. We're all here with you, man.

the one year at ohio state, and then the ten-fifteen years years as a professional athlete, and then the rest of a long life....this is what looms.

good luck.

I'm 29 now, and walk like I'm 80.  I pounded my knees through my tibia's.  My back never stops hurting, every joint in my body cracks and snaps when I move.  I wake up stiff every morning and ask myself if it was worth.  It was.  I knew I wouldn't live forever.  I knew I'd push myself until I couldn't go any further.  That was the fun in it.

There's no tragedy in getting hurt.  There's tragedy in not trying, in letting things slide, in not pushing harder and further, in being scared, in regretting.  Getting hurt will happen.  It's inevitable.  Be happy you got hurt doing something you love, look at it as a sign of accomplishment, devotion and tenacity, of sign of qualities possessed by a champion.  Losers don't get hurt; they don't try hard enough.  When you're done with your career, you'll feel the pain in the knee, the pain in the back, in the joints and in the kneck, and it's gonna make you smile.  Those pains become your friends, and you'll associate them with the most perfect accomplishment of your life: that accomplishment will be going as far as your body will let you, never relenting.  Eliot said it best"

Though much is taken, much abides
and though we are not now that strength
which in old days moved earth and heaven
That which we are, we are
One equal temper of heroic hearts
made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find and not to yield.

That's it.  That's all that's going to matter to a champ.

I'm not worried about you in the least.  You'll be much the better person for this, stronger, more tenacious, hungrier, and tougher.

You're going to have a lot of time, so you might want to read "Red Hot and Rollin'" to get a sense of this city's passion and love for the Blazers and what you are going to experience here over the next year, and many more to come.

I can't wait til you get better and we'll all support your recovery along the way.

Stay in town, stay in public, come to games.

We'll help you stay focused and then it'll be cool to see you, Petteri, Rudy and another draft pick supercharge the program next summer.

ROY 2008-2009!

Be strong.

Lean on us.

As for me, I'm going to take Dave's advice to the extreme.  I'm going to double my exercise regime.

That's right, for the next six to twelve months I'm going to climb over my treadmill twice a day instead of once a day.

Besides, I've been a Blazer fan since the beginning.  I'm sure you've heard a lot of stories, but the bottom line here is that this is not about WHAT YOU ARE AS A PLAYER, IT IS ABOUT WHO YOU ARE AS A PERSON.  You, Brandon and the other fine young men on OUR team are people I want to root for.  For a long time it has been hard to support this team because there were so many people on the team I didn't respect as human beings.  You haven't had the chance yet to really show us the player you are, but you have certainly showed us Blazer fans what kind of PERSON you are.        You are STILL OUR NUMBER ONE PICK.  Get healthy, come to the games when you can, (or we will miss you...you are still a part of the team and the community)  and get ready to enjoy a great career and a wonderful life in your new hometown....THE CITY OF ROSES.

Take care of yourself mentally as well as physically. Enjoy some of what this beautiful city and surroundings have to offer. Get healthy for you, not for us. We love you dude, no matter if you ever play again. Welcome to Portland!

As for us, Portland was already getting back into this team and I, for one, was excited about the year before we became insanely lucky.  And I still wouldn't change our pick.

While you fight to get back on the court, we'll be backing you up against the naysayers.  No worries.

pffbt. I don't care. after pouring out my guts and feelings and thinking about this a lot - then seeing this post - it's time to get steel in your eyes and cut some fools down. it's time to work harder, longer, and prepare more than everyone else. it's time to show that a year off proved worth while.

it's time to make me regret going overseas for your rookie season, following the NBA through only the Internet in a weird time zone.

because god help me if I'm in Japan when you return, I'll buy the online League Pass and stay up to watch your first game, and hope it's the first of many.

I bought your jersey earlier this summer, G.O. I still plan on wearing it, proudly, possibly even while balling myself. I figure wearing that will act as a reminder to drive that little bit harder, go up for the boards with a bit more explosiveness, and play with a little more heart. It certainly can't hurt.

So this is for you, Greg. the inspiration to make that last push when my energy's almost gone. the reason you'll make me regret ever leaving Portland, especially for such a weird time zone change. And a reason for you to wear that smile more often.

I swear to god I'm going to use this as motivation to do something positive. Something. I promise.

As with your "Oden minutes" before I even heard about them I was going to do my high school football season for him, since I wear his number 52 (which when I found that out made me the happiest person on earth). I hope he recovers well and helps your team.

The advances in the science and knowledge of your type of surgery are huge plusses.  Look at everyone who didn't make it: they had problems with coming back too quick, or weren't up to the task of completing the grueling rehab.  Microfracture is not a dirty word anymore.  I'm not a doctor (I don't even play one on TV), but I'm going to go out on a limb and say that microfracture surgery is the new Tommy John surgery.  That sound when the word escapes peoples lips?  That's the sound of a career getting a second chance.

I worked out for the first time since you had your surgery.  5 Oden minutes, a few Oden reps here, and a couple of Oden pull downs there.  We're going to get as many people as we can on this train, so that we can tell you that at any given moment, you can know that someone somewhere is running that mile you can't yet run, doing those extra reps, pushups, etc., that we will keep doing this until you take the floor in an NBA game, and that, most importantly, you will never have to be alone in this.  Someone somewhere will taking will have picked up the baton and been beside you for even just a few moments, until he hands it off to the next Blazermanic (or the occasional Bulls fan).

Oh, and Greg, welcome to Blazermania.  It's not just downtown celebrations, it's passionate, supportive people in tough times.

God bless, Big Fella

Supremepuntiff