The Vig

Portland Beavers: I feel terrible. I didn’t make it to a single game this home stand. Between two Blazer games, more on that in a sec, and the rain, I just didn’t make the time. I’ll do better this week. I promise. As for the week past, the Beavs went 2-1 against the Fresno Grizzlies, getting strong pitching performances from Josh Geer (1-0 / 7 IP / 1 hit / 4 strikeouts) and Shawn Estes (1-0 / 6 IP / 4 strikeouts / 0.00 ERA) and solid offense from outfielder Chip Ambres (2 HR) and Matt Antonelli (3-for-9 with 2 triples).

Trail Blazers: I went to the Houston game on Thursday night. I only made it to halftime. The Blazers seemed to be sleepwalking and I was a little tired myself. I guess it turned into the T-Mac show in the second half. Kind of wish I’d stuck around. Yesterday’s game against the Spurs was another snoozefest. They should institute a San Antonio rule. Require the Spurs to get a shot up within say 15-seconds. Watching them plod their way through the Rose Garden yesterday was…well, boring. At the end of the third quarter, I figured the Blazers would need 75 points to win the game. At that point they had 52. It wasn’t meant to be. Nice to see Ime Udoka back in the building. And it was nice to see Damon Stoudamire get booed when he got into the game. Blzaer fans haven’t forgotten. I like that.

Whacky Idea of the Day: How cool would it be if the Blazers activated Oden for the last game of the year and stuck him in with say 5 minutes left in the Memphis game? Just long enough to see him in uniform and have him run around a little bit. I bet that would sell a few ticket packages for next year. I wonder if that’s crossed either Larry Miller or Kevin Pritchard’s minds.

Man City: Like they were going to beat Chelsea. Even at home. The Blues have managed three goals since the middle of February. A streak reminiscent of the end of last season. What’s different? The new owner seems willing to spend whatever it takes to become a top-four club. I just wonder if they’ll ever be able to draw the talent required to do it. They are the Clippers to Man U’s Lakers. And always will be.

Twitter: Sitting in the office on Saturday afternoon, I took a moment to check in on my Twitter account to see what was happening. Everyone and their daughter was headed to Fire on the Mountain for a meet-up. Being just up the street, I decided to join in. I’m so glad I did. Hockley was there, as was Banana Lee Fishbones. I made a few new friends as well. It was worth it to just listen to Aaron and friend discuss Twitter philosophy. The more I use it, the more I enjoy it. Twittering is definitely a participation sport. I don’t think wall flowers get nearly as much out of it.

Oregon State Beavers: Craig Robinson? Well, OK. Corvallis Gazette-Times beat writer Brooks Hatch has an interesting take on the reality of the Beavers gig.

The last three coaches at OSU were Ritchie McKay, Eddie Payne and Jay John. McKay went directly to New Mexico of his own volition, and thence to Liberty. Eddie has since been the head coach at Greensboro College and is now head coach at South Carolina Upstate. John did some scouting for the Denver Nuggets, and will undoubtedly find another position in basketball someplace in the not-to-distant future. My point is, all three (Jimmy Anderson retired, so he doesn’t count) found quick employment. Perhaps not at BCS-level schools, but they quickly found jobs that provided a comfortable income, even though they couldn’t get OSU turned around. For them, it was hardly a graveyard job.

Now, ask yourself, where are Washington’s last three coaches (Bob Bender, Andy Russo, Lynbn Nance)? Where are Kevin Eastman and Paul Graham of WSU, or Dick Kutchen, Lou Campanelli, or Todd Bozeman from Cal, or Rob Evans, Bill Frieder and whomever else has been at ASU before Herb Sendek (I’m drawing a blank here; Steve Patterson?)?

(Kevin Eastman, who I knew in college, is with the Boston Celtics. But the question is partly rhetorical).

Point is, there’s perception, and reality.

Thats something I hadn’t considered. I wonder if Bill Grier had considered that before leaving the Beavers at the altar last week.

Did you get the chance to see Blazer GM Kevin Pritchard on ESPN’s Pardon the Interruption yesterday?  It wasn’t especially enlightening.  He ruled out any chance of Greg Oden suiting up this season.  He talked a lot about “the plan”.  And he wore a pink necktie.  Someone in the media department needs to get him down to LensCrafters for some anti-reflective lenses too.  He looked pretty disheveled.  Maybe he wants to portray the mad genius.  Whatever it is, I suspect in a few years when we’re in the post-Pritchard era, anonymous insiders will smack him around a bit for his lack of style.  Just a hunch.

Why do I speak of the post-Pritchard era while the Blazers are in the middle of the 10-game winning streak?  It’s because yesterday the boy genius was talking about a “10-year plan” involving Oden.  In that moment, he looked and sounded like a Silicon Valley CEO appearing on CNBC in the Fall of 1999.  There is no way to know what the team will look like in a decade.  There just isn’t.  And should Pritchard stumble, it could end quickly and badly.  How could he stumble?  Well, the Knicks, with any kind of competent management, could have some cap room available right as Roy and/or Oden become free agents.  That could be a problem.  The Nets are opening a new building and will have some room too.

I guess it makes us all feel good to believe Oden, Roy, and Aldridge will all still be here in 2017.  They won’t.  There’s too many drafts and too many variables between now and then.  Just look at the current list of longest tenured players in the NBA today.  How many have been in one spot for a decade?  ‘Nuff said.

I’m not saying I’m not going to enjoy the ride.  I am.  And I hope the Blazers raise some banners in the next few years.  But to talk about an entire decade is just a little much.

John  Canzano, lifting a line from a John Carpenter movie, has a little note in his blog this morning about the progress of one Channing Frye.  You may remember Frye as the “who ‘dat?” portion of the deal that sent Z-Bo to the Knicks for Steve Francis’ salary.  Rest assured, Kevin Pritchard knew who he was when he brought him into town.

With the departure of Luke Schenscher (a guy who, by the way, may find a home in Minnesota with Garnett now gone), Frye is now my favorite Blazer.  Why?  Because he’s self-entertaining.

I deliver take-out a couple of nights a week and most weekends.  It’s a pretty sweet gig.  No stress.  Decent bucks.  So very Portland.  Anyway, a few weeks back now, I got to take food to Channing’s place.  He was new to town, and had just bought his new place.  How could I tell?  There wasn’t a stick of furniture in the entire place.  Actually, I take that back.  He had a small card table and a folding chair.  And he mentioned he had a bed in the back.  Besides that?  Empty.  Not even silverware.  Seems all his stuff was on a truck from NYC and wasn’t due in for a few days.

But there he was.  Home sweet home.  A man who needed nothing more than a table and a chair.  And a restaurant menu.

As we exchanged small talk, I mentioned how happy we fans were to have him in town and asked how he liked Portland.

“Oh man,” he said, “I love it.”

And he meant it.  I so badly wanted to say “just work hard for us and we’ll love you forever”, but I kept my mouth shut.  I just handed him his chopsticks (I was out of silverware and he said he knew how to use the sticks) and wished him well.

Channing Frye, folks.  My new favorite Blazer.