The interwebs are aflame with the news that the NBA has canceled the first two weeks of the season. In a rare moment since the lockout began, my inbox is actually bursting to capacity with reactions. I'm working my way through reading them, so be patient if I don't get to reply right away.
As for my response, it's mostly a shoulder shrug. Who didn't expect this? I understand the indignation after the official announcement face-slap. It's one thing to suspect your girlfriend is getting ready to dump you. It's quite another to hear her say, "I think we should see other people." But really, we've been in a bad relationship with this girl from the start. We know she never listens to us. We've even suspected her of cheating before. The main reason we're still going out with her, maybe even obsessing, is that she's so damn hot. This is the price you pay for dating on that basis. If we wanted a more intimate relationship, one in which we felt we mattered more, we all should have swarmed the Portland Lumberjax games when they were in town. We didn't because, face it, this girl has our number. We'll swear up and down that this is the last time but for the vast majority of us as soon as she winks at us again (either in the form of the Blazers playing or the Blazers contending) we'll be hooked. Why deny it? We use each other. We use her for entertainment and the rub we get having her on our arm as we go out. And hey, when things are going well she is a lot of fun. She uses us to reinforce her self-assessment as the Hottest Thang Ever and to buy her enough drinks and goodies to support her lifestyle. It is what it is.
Given that, frustration is fairly futile. I look at a couple of truths here:
1. At some point there will be a live NBA schedule. Two weeks late, two months late, not until next season...any way you slice it you know these guys aren't just going to walk away and never play again.
2. We have less than zero control over when that season starts. NBA folks don't care about the fans as much as about their own prerogatives. That stinks, but 95% of us would probably see things in the same light were we in their shoes. They should be wiser but they're not. They should be more considerate or altruistic but they're not. Nothing we do can change that.
The only reasonable response I can see is simply to ignore the powers that be, let them have their little fight, and enjoy doing what we do in the meantime. There's a couple of levels to that statement. First, it's probably time to catch up on some movies, stream a TV series that you missed once upon a time, take a hike, enjoy eating out, say hello to your family, or take your pick of other favorite activities. Hopefully you do these things anyway but without a game every other night you have more time to enjoy them. Bank that time and relax until the chaos starts again. Second, get your NBA fix in places like this. You know we'll keep you abreast of the latest lockout news but I don't intend to obsess about it any more than I have been. There are tons of non-lockout topics that smart basketball fans can chew over together. We know now we'll definitely have room for that "Most Pleasantly Surprising Blazers Acquisitions" list after the disappointment one runs its course. We'll have plenty of other topics too...at least one a day for you to debate over while the sides struggle. That's one thing they can't take away from us. The discussion may involve their sport but in the end this isn't their place or their conversation, it's ours.
Go ahead, hot chick. Pout in front of your mirror because your personal shopper didn't get you the right shade of lipstick. Start screeching fights with your siblings over the right to hold the Pomeranian on the divan. We'll wait until you're presentable again, when you're ready to shut your mouth and just look good...really the only thing you're good at. Until then we have a life and a family and other things to talk about. Text us when your hissy fit is done.
--Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com)
P.S. Go ahead and turn this into an officially unofficial "What you like to do during the lockout" thread if you wish. Me? I'm catching up on movies and getting extra time to play some video games I've not completed. I've gotten to read a little bit, spend more time with friends, and I actually consider it a challenge to come up with good stuff for Blazersedge in a relative vacuum of stimulus. You?