Going back through nearly two hours of tape today it's clear that one man stole the show. That man is Travis Outlaw.
I started typing up the quotable portions of Travis's interview tonight and quickly realized the entire thing was quotable. The following might make you laugh, it might make you cry, it might cause you to scratch your head.
Click through for some Classic Catfish.
-- Ben (benjamin.golliver@gmail.com)
The questions are paraphrased and in bold; Travis's answers are in grey blockquote. My favorite quotes are underlined.
Your hair is longer.
Juss forgot to cut it... Trying to look my age.
How are you looking at your situation coming into the season?
It's a great situation for me. I'm on a team that's developing. Me coming in on my [contract year] everybody wants to be on a winning team and I feel like everybody wants somebody off a winning team.
What's your role on the team?
Pretty much think the same thing. Being the spark off the bench. Whatever he needs. Just be the guy.
Are you in the running for the starting small forward job?
Yeah, most definitely.
How glad are you that you're still here?
I'm glad to be here. Don't get me wrong. I understand it's a business. I look at it as I can only control what I can do. They gonna do what they have to do. I look at it as just a great opportunity, I feel like I've got God in my path so it really don't matter where I go, I feel like I'll succeed.
Is this the best roster since you've been on the Blazers?
We got a lot more veterans on the team. That means a lot more people are going to speak up so much Nate yelling at us so much. You feel better with your teammate yelling at you than the coach yelling at you. I don't know why. I feel like I've gotta go if he's mad.
What are your personal expectations?
I know it's my contract year. That's not my biggest focus. My biggest focus is I want to win. I want to get back to the playoffs. I want to have that same feeling again. Try to overcome last year's playoffs. I want to get back to that same situation.
You've had some slow starts in the past.
It's a long season. It's 82 strong. Preseason I feel like that's when you're trying to find your thing. By the time the season starts I feel like I'm ready.
Did you work harder this summer than previous summers?
Last year I worked hard but I came down with a Staph infection, so I had to sit out for 3 weeks. This year I didn't catch no Staph infection so I was able to work out full.
Are you more prepared coming into this season?
I'm kind of nervous. I've been working on a lot of new things. It's kind of like I really need to try them against players of my caliber to see if they still work. That's what I'm kinda hoping to see. I added more than my 1 dribble pull-up. I got a 1 dribble, 2 dribbles, you know 3 dribbles, pass.
How about the defensive end?
Yeah, I mean, that's always been my focus. I feel like I can always improve my game. I don't feel Nate would put me on great players if he thought worse of my defense. That's how I look at it. But I can always improve. I do work on it still.
Are you comfortable playing the four?
I mean, it's an advantage for me. It's an advantage for coach to make the sub to put a small forward on me then it's kind of becoming a 3 again. But it's definitely an advantage for me.
How do you feel having Martell back?
I support him. Last year I wanted him to come back just as much. He's a great asset to this team. He's a knockdown 3 point shooter. Imagine just seeing him this summer, working hard. I'm really looking forward to seeing him on the court.
-- Ben (benjamin.golliver@gmail.com)