Let me point you to this article by Kerry Eggers at the Tribune, which sheds some light on the end-of-the-year exit interviews that the team goes through. The article features the following priceless line...
“I’ve had guys in the past who didn’t even show up,” [McMillan] says. “That sends you a message right there.”
Wow... just... wow. Can anyone picture a player on this roster blowing off an exit interview?
This year's exit interviews were probably unlike any Nate can remember. I picture somebody like Channing Frye bringing in pencil and paper, taking meticulous notes so that the team realizes he wants to stick around here in Portland. I picture Travis Outlaw giggly as he reviews the progess he's made this year. I picture Brandon and Coach sitting at a table, scratching each other's heads, trying to figure out how they managed to pull all of this off without Oden.
Eggers also has this one-liner, "McMillan enjoys a good relationship with all of his players and never expects any adversarial discussions, but you never know."
With that said, in your imagination, who do you think had the most contententious exit interview? Jack, with that ejection in Phoenix still fresh in his coach's mind? Wafer, with an impending departure from the team lurking around the dark corners of the players' parking garage? LaFrentz, because of all the zeroes on his checks? McRoberts, for the questionable facial hair?
Put another way: which Blazer would you least like to be walking into an exit interview with Coach McMillan and Kevin Pritchard?
-- Ben (benjamin.golliver@gmail.com)