O, say, can you see...

Granted, this aint no "Star Spangled Banner" we're singing here, but we should certainly be treating it as such. And by "we" ,I mean we Oregonians.

The success of U of O football this season has made them competitiors on the national level. Everywhere you go, and everything you watch, they're there. Aside from all the national exposure , and from the mere fact that U of O is now the team to beat in all college football throughout the country, this is something Oregonians have waited for, for a very long time. Yes, U of O is quickly becoming a household name throughout the country. And yes, I'm sure people everywhere feel they know all about the Ducks now. And maybe to some degree they do, but not the way we do.

Now before I get too ahead of myself, let me clear the air on what I mean by "Oregonians". The term means ALL people who grew up and/or are living in Oregon. That being said, this obviously includes OSU fans as well. Although there is a deep, cold-blooded (so bloody, we call it "The Civil War") rivalry between the two universities, this is truly a victory for everyone. Oregon football (UofO & OSU) has always been heard, but not really seen. Obviously, schools have had on and off success in football since the schools' inceptions. Even so, neither school has really gone to the top and stayed there. Because of this, Oregon football, as a whole, has contantly been looked over. Even as OSU and UofO made bowl games, nobody really gave them a fighting chance in comparison to other teams in the nation.

U of O even made it to the Rose Bowl last year, having finished a very promising regular season, only to get dismantled by Ohio State. Now while the score didn't look all that terrible, you could see the obvious differences in overall competitiveness. Nonetheless, it was a step up from the typical M.O. of the Ducks. It's fair to speculate, at this point, that this recent success be attributed to the promotion of Head coach Chip Kelly.

Originally the offensive coordinator for the team, He became head coach when Mike Bellotti stepped down on March 30th, 2009. As much as the nation has quickly come to know the football team, they've quickly come to know this team's coach as well. Vocal. Passionate. Disciplined. This man knows what he wants, and he knows how he wants it. As a team that, in the past, would have almost fallen through the cracks by the end of the season, is now in charge of their own destiny. Perhaps one of the greatest advantages in having Kelly as the coach of this young team, is that he believes in playing "your game". Living and dying by the motto "Win the Day"; it's a reminder to all players and coaches to never forget what YOU learned, never forget how YOU play, and never forget YOUR style.

The idea of keeping a grip on your own style, is especially crucial in the Ducks' case. For example, I'm sure evryone has seen those call signs on the sideline with all kinds of random pictures plastered on it. Very confusing, and extremely frustrating for other teams to see and de-code, it's a simple stint of U of O's style. Most noteably, you've probably heard every single opposing team talk about "slowing this team down". These Ducks play fast, and they move very, very quickly. This is partly to throw teams off-guard, and partly to just make them really tired really fast.

Details aside, the University of Oregon is officially ranked #1 in the BCS.

.....

Let me repeat that: the University of Oregon is officially ranked #1 in the BCS.

It's been a long time since any of us Oregonian's have been able to hear those words for either of our football teams. I don't want anyone to jump on any badnwagon at all, because I think we've all been watching enough of that from the rest of the nation to be honest. All I'm saying is whether you're OSU Beaver fan, PSU Vikings fan, U of O Ducks fan, or a fan of "could care less either way", this time, this moment, is a victory for not just one school, but for one entire state.

Most of you know that I am a Ducks fan, so there's on obvious bias. Knowing that, you might be saying "It's easy for you to say Harguth, you already like the Ducks!". Point taken, however irrelevent. As a Duck fan, I can honestly say that I can appreciate what every other football team has done in this state. Admittedly, I was watching when OSU was hitting it big in the past couple years. You'd have to be kind of stupid to not be watching Jacquizz Rodgers. Mike Riley is an extremely underrated coach, and have the utmost respect for that man's coaching philosophies.

The point is, I have biases, you have biases, we all have biases. Especially when it comes to our sports teams, this is understandably very tough to get past. But the reality is that at the end of the day, it's football, and it's Oregon's football. This is a special treat for all of us to winess, and it's in our best interest to relish in it while it's here. As proud as weare of our Oregon football teams, we can all admit that this doesn't happen very often. When was the last time you heard ESPN actually highlighting an Oregon footbal team? So today I submit a temporary truse to all Oregon football team fans. This is now bigger than any Civil War game or any other bug matchup we may have had.

You say "Go Vikings!"
Dude across the way says "Go Beavers!"
Some random over there says "Go Bruins!"
Another guy says "Go Ducks!"

...I say "Go Oregon!"

Decisions, decisions...

...So what should we do?

We should go ahead and bypass the obvious today, because the fact of the matter is that if you're reading this right now, you already had an opinion before you even opened this. This is okay, because this particular post is specifically for you guys.

As much as we all may say we hate it, the drama of sports is half of sports. How boring would they be if there was no story, no hype? We all know full well that fans and analysts alike absolutely love adding fuel to the fire whenever possible. But these days, the athletes themselves, have become the ultimate fuel .

Personally, I absolutely love conflict. I love it because no matter what anyone says, everyone ALWAYS pays more attention when there is. Conflict creates motivation. Motivation in turn, creates stiffer competition. Stiffer competition ultimately brings out the best in all athletes. However, my love for conflict in sports ends when the conflict overwhelms the sport. And that, my Nosebleeders, is what we have here.

It's been a little over a week since LeBron and Nike aired their very blunt, and quite frankly very ballsy ad titled "What Should I do?" on national television. After airing "The Decision" in July, we all found it hard to believe that he could out-do himslef anymore. We were obviously mistaken.

I hate writers who take advantage of these situations just fill space in their columns. It's cheap writing, and it's cheap commentary. Writers like that, are what keep athletes like LeBron James famous. I'm not writing this post to add more fuel to fire, the way "King James" would like it; I speak about this now, because it has gotten to the point where we now need to question priorities. Question priorities not just of LeBron, but of ourselves as well. In order to do this analysis properly, I suppose it's only fair that we take a page out of the "Nike-LeBron Romance", and ask ourselves retorical questions...

Are we mad? Should we be mad? Is this a problem? Who's problem is it? How much is for show? How much is real? Who's playing who? Is it worth the attention? Is money talking more than a ring? Why do we watch? Why does he listen? Do we and LeBron look forward more to the press conferences more than the game?

You, personally, might of been able to answer those questions pretty quickly. They may of even seemed absured to you. But if most of us answered those honestly, I don't think it'd be so easy.

The ad was obviously straight-forward and possibly even offensive to some. But just days later, he publicly stated that he would of done "The Decision" differently. What do we make of that? Saying, not necessarily that the choice to leave Cleveland would be different, but how he went about making it. Does that mean he's excused? Apparantly not, because within days of the ad being launched, there were already spoofs going off right behind it. It started with ESPN's Michelle Beadle's light-hearted interpretation http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksR2M0afC5c . Then Comedy Central's South Park just had to dip their hands in, using it as a platform to shoot at BP (quite a comparison) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xoLB1d47O0 . The clincher came earlier today when an actual "Cleveland Answer" was created in accordance with the ad. This one's not so light-hearted, and they actually respond to his questions. See for yourself... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8eFNcEFWSw .

While this is all entertaining, and honestly quite amusing, that's all it is anymore. This is nothing more than entertainment. To put it in perspective, I'm a fan of WWE wrestling. While they are athletes, they are primarily entertainers. LeBron James is turning the face of the NBA into entertainment. He no longer looks like the reigning MVP of the NBA, but more like the Don King of the NBA. I no longer think about basketball when I think about LeBron. He has now become better at hype and promotion than actual basketball. Everyone always questions my personal dislike for LeBron James, and this is precisely why. I'm absolutely tired of it. I understand business and I understand marketing, and advertsing as well. But when you go beyond publicly deciding to leave your hometown, to publicly calling out and antagonizing every critic and negative thought that's been made towards you, you dig your own grave.

I don't excuse Clevelands actions "post-decision", but this one is on LeBron, and I no longer have sympathy towards him in anyway whatsoever. He has now made it perfectly clear that he wants nothing more than to be the villain. Why? because we will all pay to watch the villain. Some actually swallowed the idea that he would do it differently now if he could go back; well that's cute, but it would mean a whole lot more if he hadn't already recieved his eight-digit check for doing the ad.

He wants to know what he should do?

...Shut up and play ball.

Day One Chills...

Extraordinary? No.
Intense? No.
Thrilling? No, that's not it.
Electric? No, that's not it either.

Sitting here two and a half hours removed from the end of game one of the Trailblazers '10-'11 win against the Phoenix Suns, I simply don't know what to say.

Tonight felt different.

Admittedly I got to the arena significantly late, as in "right before introductions" late (Parking in Portland blows!!!). Flying solo on this fall night, I was on my own agenda. I rushed through the Garden doors, and didn't even have time to take my annual stop to smell "the roses". Grabbed whatever souvenir they were bombing at my stomach. No circling around the concourse to enjoy the festivities. Paced frantically through the crowd to find an escalator up to...where else? The Nosebleed!!! Sec. 311 Row F Seat 3. Everything seemed to be going 100 mph. Never really stopped. Sat down, but quickly was brought back up to my feet by the emerging color guard. Lights dimmed, our nation's colors flourished, and in entered a man Blazer fans know all too well: Mike Phillips. With his glowing saxaphone in-hand, and a silent sold out crowd of 20,630, He began to belt our National Anthem. Suddenly everything slowed, and that 100 mph seemed like 5.

My Blazers hat over my heart, my eyes marveled at the court, and my ears humbled by those miraculous notes, I was moved.

When our announcer told everyone to finish the sentence: "This is..." And the arena of 20,630 bellowed "OUR HOUSE!!!" , I was anxious.

When they dropped those white sheets from the scoreboard, and displayed a Blazers highlight reel to Eminem's "I'm Not Afraid", I was speechless.

But thinking about it all now, more than anything else it simply gave me chills.

These moments seem so basic to most who are reading this, but to those who have actually experienced it, you know exactly what I'm talking about. The game, itself, was the same way. These new-look Blazers have a style like we've never seen. They are absolutely thriving off of energy. They don't seem to be the silent, strategic, "waiting to strike" kind of team. Granted it's game one, but to me they looked like the starving aggressors. They were fearless. Tonight they carried themselves with immense enthusiasm and focus. They're officially the "go-getters". They get it now. They understand they're responsibility and the weight that they all now carry in Portland. This atmosphere tonight was like a fever, extremely contagious. It's intangible.

The indescribable excitement of tonight brings me back to those chills. What I didn't previously explain in the beginning, was why exactly I was late tonight. While this may seem entirely irrelevent to you at this given time, it's actually the later cause of those chills I mentioned. You see, I actually arrived at the Rose Garden at about 6:50p; 10 minutes before tipoff. Before then, I had been in class most of the day. After that, I came home and cooked some quick top ramen. After that, I sped down to the gym. After that, I took a shower at home and had to stop by the bank for cash before I finally got downtown to the game. Okay? Cool? Maybe. But not to me.

By the time I got to the arena, I didn't even really care that I was actually at the arena. When I walked in, it just seemed like something else I had to do today. As you start to get busier and busier in your everyday routines, this becomes more common. And it's okay, because we know that as long as we get done what we need to get done, then what we know about what we did is doesn't matter, right? ...Why? See, I can't speak for all of you, but personally, a Blazer game is one of the last places I have left that I can go to and won't have to worry about anything else whatsoever. It was a wake up call to be rushing through the garden like that, running totally late, just hasseling to find my seat, to suddenly being overwhelmed with chills from the atmosphere of everything around me. Tonight I was reminded of why I love Blazer games, and why I go to Blazer games, and hopefuly why you go to Blazer games. Because for an hour and a half, we can forget the job, the homework, the sickness, the relationships, the money, the gym, or whatever you may have going on in your life to simply be fulfilled with chills from something amazing.

...I'll never be late again.

The 10 Days of Blazers

~On the 10th day before game one my Blazers gave to me, Przybilla is back from a bad knee.

On the 9th day before game one my Blazers gave to me, Oden's on his way, and Przybilla is back from a bad knee.

On the 8th day before game one my Blazers gave to me, Lamarcus is a beast, Oden's on his way, and Przybilla is back from a bad knee.

On the 7th day before game one my Blazers gave to me, Jerryd's growing up, Lamarcus is a beast, Oden's on his way, and Przybilla is back from a bad knee.

On the 6th day before game one my Blazers gave to me, Batum has much improved, Jerryd's growing up, Lamarcus is a beast, Oden's on his way, and Przybilla is back from a bad knee.

On the 5th day before game one my Blazers gave to me, #5 STAYED IN PORTLAAAND!!! Batum has much improved, Jerryd's growing up, Lamarcus is a beast, Oden's on his way, and Przybilla is back from a bad knee.

On the 4th day before game one my Blazers gave to me, Camby is still healthy, #5 STAYED IN PORTLAAAND!!! Batum has much improved, Jerryd's growing up, Lamarcus is a beast, Oden's on his way, and Przybilla is back from a bad knee.

On the 3rd day before game one my Blazers gave to me, Andre gets it now, Camby is still healthy, #5 STAYED IN PORTLAAAND!!! Batum has much improved, Jerryd's growing up, Lamarcus is a beast, Oden's on his way, and Przybilla is back from a bad knee.

On the 2nd day before game one my Blazers gave to me, Matthews is surprising, Andre gets it now, Camby is still healthy, #5 STAYED IN PORTLAAAND!!! Batum has much improved, Jerryd's growing up, Lamarcus is a beast, Oden's on his way, and Przybilla is back from a bad knee.

On the last day before game one my Blazers gave to me, B.Roy wants the ball more, Matthews is surprising, Andre gets it now, Camby is still healthy, #5 STAYED IN PORTLAAAND!!! Batum has much improved, Jerryd's growing up, Lamarcus is a beast, Oden's on his way, and Przybilla is back from a bad knee.~

For those of you who have not recently looked at your calendars, the Trailblazers 2010-2011 season begins in exactly 10 days now. Most of you are ecstatic, a few of you are anxious, and some of you could care less either way. But ecstatic, anxious, and careless are the same feelings the Blazers have right now going into this season. Ecstatic to do what they've set themselves up to do for years now. Anxious to find out exactly how good they are now. And careless, because whether you watch, show up, and cheer for them or not, they'll be walking through that dark tunnel on October 26 to play game one of the 2010-2011 season against The Phoenix Suns. You hear that name, and shriek, knowing what they did to the Blazers in the playoffs, the very thought of Phoenix is daunting. But because the Blazers are careless of what anyone else thinks, that also makes them fearless. Whether you're ready or not, they are.

...And on the day of game one my Blazers gave to me, a win that made everyone see.

The only L.A. we need to worry about this year, is the one in Portland...

Brutal isn't it?

For those of us who have ever tried driving the lane on a bohemeth Like Amare Stoudemire, it's difficult to land without without a bruise or a bloody nose. However, here it looks like Lamarcus Aldridge is experiencing both. But you know what else is brutal about this picture? That ball is still getting pounded through the hoop.

Growing up in a basketball family, it was inevitable that I started playing at an early age with my older brother already turning heads, and my dad as a coach. When it was finally time to play on an actual team, dad decided he wanted to start coaching me for awhile. It never ended. Even during seasons where he wasn't actually my coach, he was. I was never the largest kid on the court, but always enjoyed mixing it up with centers in the pit. But as much as I loved it, for a long time it wasn't effective. This is why my dad remained my coach for my entire basketball life. He discovered that when I got hit by larger guys, that I would get really irritated, frustrated, and more than anything, extremely pissed off. He made it his personal mission to force me to use that anger. Aggressive is the easiest way to describe it, but honestly it wasn't that nice. There were countless games where my dad would yell at me, whether he was on the bench or in the stands, to purposely make me mad. When I got mad, the caution was out the window, and I would almost become a different player. Not quite hulk status, but you get the idea. Whether I was good or not is a different sory, but the point is that I learned to use everything I have, to make everyone else use everything they have.

Now I told you that story because it's essential knowledge for the real story.

Since the year Lamarcus Aldridge got drafted to Portland, he looked like he could seriously be one of the missing links to The Blazers' success. Tall, athletic, lean, light on his feet, great shot. He looked like the ideal power forward. But he LOOKED like the ideal power forward. We all know that he still has yet to BE the ideal power forward. So when are we going to get him? I was reading Mike Barrett 's blog, a Trailblazers TV analyst, and he seems to believe that the time is now. He reported that Lamarcus had a trainer from the Blazers go to his hometown in Texas to work with him on what else? his aggressiveness. I wasn't sure if it was true, but it has been confirmed that Lamarcus has put on about 20 lbs. this offseason, mainly of pure muscle.

But why now? It's pretty rare for an athlete to simply decide he's going to make such a drastic change. Re-committments of this calibur don't normally happen overnight; it's typically something that eats away at you for awhile, before you lash out.

People always told me that I didn't belong trying to play against larger guys, because of my size. Constantly told I needed to be more aggressive, and to loosen up. My dad chewed my ass whenever I wasn't playing the way he had coached me, and the way I was capable of playing.

I don't believe Lamarcus' dad has been constantly on him to play up to parr and to get aggressive. But I do believe the people have. Coaches, family, friends can give all the suggestions they want to Lamarcus. But at the end of the day, the only thing he hears is the people. You, Portland, have finally pissed off Lamarcus Aldridge. The one thing that will always get to an athlete's head, is when their hometown fans begin to question their talent, their committment, and their heart. I think we've hit the spot. We saw a glimpse of it in last years playoffs against the Phoenix Suns. Lamarcus was, for the most part, timid in his quest to contain and out-play Amare Stoudemire. But in the game pictured above, Lamarcus had clearly had enough. It's the moment when a normal athlete is getting drilled by everyone around them, but still scores, that makes them an abnormal athlete.

This blog is noticeably late for a reason. I didn't want to post this until I was sure, for myself, that what was being said was true. Last night, I headed into Portland to watch the Blazer's annual Fan Fest. Not to necessarily enjoy the festivities, or autographs, or even to watch a good scrimmage. Personally, I was more interested to observe the players and their development after this last offseason. Specifically, I wanted to watch Lamarcus. I walked into the arena, took one look to the court, and spotted the guy in a second. He's huge. He will no longer be considered "Stretch" Aldridge. He has the size of a center. But again, couldn't be sold yet because as we've seen with him, looks just haven't proven anything. Obviously, this was just a scrimmage, but every Blazer out there was out to prove a point to everyone there. Aldridge has a big chip on his shoulder, and he showed it. He was everywhere on the court yesterday; did not-stop-moving!!! He was constantly shifting his weight on defenders, and attacking the hoop. What was most pleasing, was seeing him not only go inside, but mix it up with his shooting outside.

Portland, for what it's worth coming from me, Lamarcus Aldridge is hungry. Lamarcus aldridge is pissed off. And most of all, Lamarcus Aldridge is ready.

Well done, Portland.

...Uhh Did What?

"Ladies and gentlemen,I'm extremely honored to be presenting this trophy tonight, and to be standing among such talent as these young men. That being said, it gives me great pleasure to introduce to you your 2010-2011 NBA World Champions, THE MIAMI HEAT!!!"

You got to watch David Stern present the trophy the other night, right? I mean you couldn't miss it, it was a groundbreaking moment in NBA history. Well hopefully you at least got to watch them in the playoffs, they were unbelievable! They swept every-single-series they played! Every game was a lop-sided blowout, and it got to the point where teams were just bowing out after awhile. There's no other way around it, The Miami Heat of '10-'11 are the greatest team in NBA history, hands down. Boston and the "Big three" mere shells of what they used to be. Kobe and The Lakers are all missing a step. And Dwight's Magic can't even pull a rabbit out of the hat.

Sound familiar? If it doesn't, it certainly should. I mean the way conversations have been going in these past several months, I'd think that this would fit right in, does it not? Too premature? Well my bad, but I just thought that since everyone wanted to play "fortune teller", then I might as well throw on my wizard hat and twiddle my fingers around a cute little crystal ball, too! So there's mine! Hopefully it's not too extreme, because I did a lot of research and put a lot of analytical thought into this one. How can you seriously bet against these guys? Here's a team that has three of the most dominant basketball players in the world, including the reigning MVP. All three have played together for who knows how many years now. The other nine guys create an unrivaled supporting cast, as well as an unbelievable franchi...okay for the love of God, can someone please stop me before i hurl on this computer screen?

I don't like rants because it just sounds like random thought that makes no sense, so I try extremely hard to defend any opinion or anything I say with some kind of backing. But every once and awhile, the raw "fan-ness" kind of overwhelms any astute, well-constructed, or professional thought I may have had. As you might be able to tell by now, this is one of those moments.

I'll make this very short and sweet: Obviously, this team has never played a season together in their entire careers. Specifically, the new "Big Three" have only played together on the U.S.A. team, and other than that, have spent their careers struggling for championships. The only one who does have one is Dwyane Wade. But wait, isn't that the point of bringing the three of them together then, to have a greater opportunity at a ring? Yeah that's definitely the point. In fact, the idea that they could even think to pull off such a move, is pretty scary. So now you have these three incredible athletes on the same team; now what? At the time that LeBron James decided to team up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, there were only seven players on the Heat's roster (three of which were rookies). Right now, they currently have 20 that they'll need to shrink down to about 12. Let's take a gander at the talent, shall we?

Miami Heat Roster
Joel Anthony
Carlos Arroyo
Patrick Beverley
Chris Bosh
Da'sean Butler
Mario Chalmers
Yakhouba Diawara
Kenny Hasbrouck
Udonis Haslem
Eddie House
Juwan Howard
Zydrunas Ilgauskas
LeBron James
James Jones
Jamaal Magloire
Mike Miller
Dexter Pittman
Shavlik Randolph
Jarvis Varnado
Dwyane Wade

Now, in all honesty, does that sound like an NBA Championship team to you at all? I recognize about 12 of those names. Three are all-stars, three or four have been respectable role-players, and the other five were even fill-ins on their other teams. I don't want to take away anything from The Miami Heat, because they have certainly thrown their name in the hat this off-season. But while I don't want to take away anything, I also don't want to give them more then they've earned. So what have they earned then? ..my point exactly. Here lies my problem.

All it took was one "decision" for people to start engraving "The Miami Heat" into the championship rings for this up-coming season. It's been almost four months since that day, and now you can't even watch ESPN or listen to any NBA analyst speak, without hearing about the Heat. It's pretty sad when Dwyane Wade, himself, has to come out and tell the press that "The Lakers are still the team to beat". He's absolutely right. This team has done NOTHING to be called "The team to beat" yet.

I've watched sports for far too long to believe that in one fell swoop, you can create a championship team. It doesn't work like that. Now when I say that, I'm sure you immediately start thinking about The Celtic's "Big Three" or the couple moves made by The Lakers in order for those teams to win championships. It's not rocket science people, there's a huge difference between those teams and this one. It's the fact that they were actually teams, and this is three guys who just picked up a couple others to try making a team.

On any given day, I will bet on a great team over a few great players.

The day after LeBron decided to join The Heat, my brother came flying into the room yelling "Okay, who thinks The Heat aren't taking it this year?!?! 100 bucks right now!!! It's over!!!"

...Umm me?

We've done this for the past two years now. The first year, I bet on the Boston Celtics while he bet on The Cleveland Cavaliers. Boston won. Last year, I bet on the Los Angeles Lakers while he bet on The Cleveland Cavaliers. Los Angeles won.

Are you catching on to the pattern? The Cavaliers had LeBron, Shaq, Mo Williams, and a team of spot-fillers. Boston and L.A. have great teams. They win and lose as a team. If you do not balance out the load and find a unique chemistry, you will lose every single time.

Team will always beat talent.

America's Koach

Need I say more?

To see the face of such a man, causes one's mind to fill with millions of thoughts. Sports fan or not, you dont even need a name to know who he is. I say this only because it's people like the one here, that sports become relevent to the world. Tournaments, championships, and medals become secondary. Our reasoning to play sports is suddenly for more than the hardware we are rewarded with. We can all attest to the unfortunate reality that the coaches of today, in any sport, are not always the coaches they truly should be. But for all of the negative encounters we may have had, the select few of postives far outweigh it. This is one of those positives. But don't get me wrong, this is not, in any way, casting a shadow over all of the incredible experiences we've all had in sports, because we all know those live forever. What I'm referring to is the few positive encounters in our lives, where sports has been responsible for changing us. A moment, or in this case, a person.

No coach in history has been more influential in the lives of his athletes and the people around him, than Coach Mike Krzyzewski. Object if you will, but it will all be for not. This is not a knock to any other great coach in history, it just means that he's the leader of the pack. "Coach K" has become the icon of what it means to be a coach. He has taken the role of a coach at Duke University, and turned it into the role of a mentor for people all over the world.

As the son of two Catholic polish immigrants, Krzyzewski quickly learned the value of pride and respect towards your fellow man and country. This upbringing then laid the groundwork for the man who would become "Coach K". He was once quoted saying "My ambition in high school was to be a high school coach and teacher, and that's still what I do: teach". From day one he made it very clear that he did not want to preach to anyone, he simply wanted to teach. But before being given the opportunity to coach at Duke in later years, he was living out his earlier ambitions of experiencing basketball for himself. He was fortunate enough to bond his love for basketball with his love for his country, as he attended the United States Military Academy to train to be an officer in the Army. He was then recruited by Army's basketball coach at the time, the legendary Bob Knight. After much success there, he graduated to serve three years in the military. Following his service, he began his coaching career for a military prep school in Fort Belvoir, Virginia. After a short stint there, "Coach K" started his storied journey at Duke University in 1980. From there, the rest is history. He has led Duke to postseason appearances in 27 of the 30 years he has coached there. Countless Coach of the Year awards, 12 ACC championships, 11 Final Four appearances, four NCAA national championships, and on February 13, 2010 coached his 1,000th game at Duke University. Believe me, there's plenty more where that came from. But like I said, it's never been about the hardware for "Coach K".

You would think that a man of his stature would strive only for the greatest of opportunities in his life. He has. We don't see this only because our definition of "great opportunity" and that of his, are extremely different. Through all of his incredible accomplishments, he remains walking with humble feet. He has been approached by the NBA four times now for a coaching position, all with a hefty contract to motivate. All four have been turned down. Krzyzewski has said for years and years that he would never leave Duke until he was absolutely done coaching. The latest and largest offer from the NBA came in the summer of '09 when New Jersey Nets' billionaire owner offered "Coach K" between $12-$15 million a year. K still walked away. It's commonly said that he's one coach who actually practices what he preaches. He believes heavily in loyalty, honor, and trust. Time and time again, he has proved this by showing it in his love for Duke. For 30 years he has bled royal blue during the greatest times, but especially during the worst. However, during this long relationship, he has commonly stepped off campus to offer his assistance in matters that only he could fix.

Now just because he hasn't coached in the NBA, does not mean he hasn't coached their players. Most notably, he was recently called upon to coach the Men's 2008 U.S. Olympic basketball team. Understand that before his arrival, their team had been droughting for several Olympics. Once known as the "Dream Team", they became known merely as just another team. After many years of frustration and disappointment, it was time to set things straight again. Basketball is America's sport. But when other countries start playing it too, it's kind of hard to continuously "walk to the podium". The team that had apparantly lost their way, were found by "Coach K". From this point it was no longer about being the "Dream Team" again; it was simply about being the "Redeem Team". As per his record, "Coach K" quickly made this about more than getting gold again. He was hired right after their 2004 Olympic embarrassment, and decided to start the 2008 Olympics right then. Before making a team, he made it very clear that anyone who was going to play for team U.S.A. was going to commit to a four-year preparation. This caught the attention of the most elite players in the NBA. The most dominant, athletic, and independent players became a team about their country. Through those four years, "Coach K" made these players not only bond together, but gain a sense of liberty and pride in what exactly it was that they were playing for. At a team photoshoot, Krzyzewski recalled seeing Kobe Bryant in the dressing room putting his jersey on, and seeing him break in to tears staring at his jersey. By the time the 2008 Olympic games came around, it was simply about fixing the reputation of the Unites States, on a basketball level, but on an internationally social level as well. They won the gold that year. And because of Coach Krzyzewski, won the respect and admiration of the world as well.

Through everything "Coach K" has done in his life, he has continued to constantly give grace and love to everyone around him. His biggest goal has never been to win countless championships, and countless medals, and countless Coach of the Year awards. The biggest goal in the life of Coach Mike Krzyzewski has simply been to teach.

...We're listening, coach.

Favre the Favor

Fa-vor [fay-ver] . Noun. (1): Friendly regard shown toward another especially by a superior.

I have complete confidence that you already knew what a favor was. But I'll bet you had no idea that it's typically only considered a favor, when it's given by someone superior to yourself, did you? Minor detail, but it's a handy piece of information when discussing Brett Favre's "last season".
Some of you are die-hard fans of his. Most of you can't wait for his ankles to shatter. Personally? I'm no die-hard by any means, but I do have eternal respect for any athlete who loves a game as much as Brett Favre does. Frustrating as it may be to watch him pull an NFL "Jordan", you must understand why people like him simply can't stay away.

When you play professional football for 19 (about to be 20) years, you become accustomed to a certain way of living. When you have expectations and requirements of you for that long, it's impossible to try functioning without them. You always need somebody to depend on you. As a quarterback, you are the architect and executioner of every play in every game. You are responsible for knowing how to use the football and everyone around it. And when you start 309 consecutive games at this position, you don't stop, ever. On top of the fact that this has man has never missed a game in his 19 year career. You can hate his team, his style, or even him in general; but you may never hate his passion.

You might hate to admit it, but Brett Favre is one of the last few remaining football players in the NFL with the fierce passion that he does. People like Brett dont have "other plans". To Brett, football is life, and it's his only plan. Questionable as his methods may have been, his inability to walk away is a very rare quality. It's not about the fame, not about the money, it's not even about championships. It's simply about the game. Anyone who's ever played with Brett can tell you this. At 40 years old, he is still one of the best quarterbacks in the game, today; without question, of all time. So knowing this about Brett, why the constant hesitation to return? While we can all sit back and say that Favre can still get it done, it's far more important that he knows that he can get it done.

The two (ALMOST three) times he has retired, it has been due to doubt of his own abilities. You might be thinking "Why would he doubt himself? He's Brett Favre". Like I mentioned before, he needs to remember that he's Brett Favre. This process is what sets Brett apart from every other player in the NFL, because he would never disrespect the game of football by playing when he no longer can. He loves football this much. He would never disrespect the NFL, The Minnesota Vikings, or all of you fans by giving anything less than above average. This year, it took his Minnesota teammates to remind him.

"...it's not about the touchdown passes and the wins and losses and stuff:'could you do it just for the guys?' 'It elevates the whole locker room, the whole community, the whole state, you just being there. Would you do it for the guys?'"
-Ryan Longwell

This question, alone, is all it took for Brett to snap out of it. His impact is not just on the gridiron or in the huddle, but in the locker room and all the way up to your psyche. He knows this. After announcing his decision for this year, he said that he believed he owed it to his teammates to give it one more shot. Finishing out the season one win away from the superbowl, The Vikings went home hungry. They tasted it right before the "bowl" was pulled away from the table. But does Brett really owe anything? Maybe. However, it seems to be common belief of his teammates that Favre would honestly be doing them a huge favor. And they're absolutely right.

Fa-ver [fay-ver]. Noun. (1): Friendly
regard shown toward another
especially by a superior.

O Boy...

We all wonder. We all think. We all hope.

The forbidden fruit must be tasted, again. Somebody had to say it, right? Don't act like these statements are anything new to you by now. I mean I, along with everyone else, have had all of these thoughts in my head going into the Portland Trailblazers' upcoming '10-'11 season. It's time we put it all out on the table, and call this upcoming season what it really is: Greg Oden's "make or break" year.

For those of you who were lucky enough to watch Greg before he came here, and before he was even being talked about in Portland, there's an even bigger reason for you to grind your teeth this year. The man is unbelievably talented. I got to be one of those people who watched him at Ohio State, and I'll never forget the first time I watched him. I didn't even know who this big kid was when I turned the game on, but as it progressed I kept seeing his name running down the court after every play. Dunks, blocks, aggressive, hooks, free throws, athleticism...in other words, he was the whole damn show. From that point on, I started seeing his name pop up everywhere in sports. I started thinking, what if he came to Portland?!?! Later that year the Trailblazers earned the rights to the 2007 #1 draft pick with a 5.3% chance. I was giggly. After a long and "hard" thought process deciding between Oden and Texas' Kevin Durant, Greg was drafted to Portland on June 28th, 2007. All eyes were on Portland, and the stage was set. Greg was going to be our last ingredient to becoming a championship contender. But as life would have it, that's not exactly what happened.

It was determined that Greg needed microfracture surgery on his right knee. The surgery put him out of work for his entire first season in the NBA. He returned for the '08-'09 season, only to sit back out again a couple games into the season from a foot injury. After returning 2 weeks later, Greg started looking like the Oden of old. Averaging a double-double, people started talking again. But a month later, he collided knees with Corey Maggette and he his kneecap was chipped, taking him out for another three weeks. Relentlessly returning again, He came back even stronger. Points in the twenties on a regular basis, and even setting a career-high of 20 rebounds in a game. On December 5th of '09, the axe came down again. Going up for a block, Greg's patella tendon in his left knee split in half. Again, he was forced to have season-ending surgery. As you can tell, injuries follow Mr. Oden like a shadow.

After reading that, you understand that any logical person would unload Oden right now. In fact, most logical people would have probably done it awhile ago. It's no secret that a lot of people around the country, in the NBA, and even in Portland, have given up on Greg Oden. By now, everyone who lives in Portland has heard "should of picked Durant!" or "should of seen that one coming!". But no we really shouldn't of. Nor should we continue to.

The Trailblazers' '10-'11 season begins on October 26. Going into this season, when you look at the current roster, you'll see that there is a 7'-0'', 285 pound center who is itching to prove all doubters wrong. I can guarantee you right now, that while you're reading this, Oden is in the gym drenched in his own sweat, thriving in pain, making his body and his knees even stronger than yours. In this last offseason, we all waited for the Blazer's front office to make one more blockbuster move. Everyday a new name was being thrown around, but always seemed to fade in a day or so. In an interview with Blazer great Clyde Drexler, he said that the Trailblazers were "one move away" from being an NBA title contender. I agree. But maybe we've been looking in all of the wrong places.

...Maybe all we need to do is peak our head into the gym.

The Voodoozela

I believe the saying goes "a picture is worth a thousand words". As I'm sure we can all agree that this picture is no different, we can also agree that it's also worth a thousand sounds. You haven't forgotten have you? Did you need another sound bite to refresh your memory? Yeah, didn't think so...but in case you did, I believe it went something like this:

"BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!! BZZZZZZ!!!!!!! BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!! BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!! BZZZZZZZZZ!!!!! BZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!! BZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!! BZZZZ!!!!!!! BZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!! BZZZ!!!! BZZZ!!!!! BZZZZZ!!!!!!!!!! BZZZ!!!! BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!! BZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!! BZZZZZ!!!!"

You get the idea. I'm sure you really haven't forgotten, because quite frankly it's impossible to forget. The sound of this now infamous vuvuzela is forever engrained into the eardrums of anyone who watched 2010 World Cup this year. But for those of you who have been longtime soccer supporters, this sound is as normal as your heartbeat at this point. Could it even be considered "The Heartbeat of the Game"?!?! ...mmkay maybe not. But we'd all be naive not to acnowledge the value of the vuvuzela in soccer, or even in sports as a whole. The only problem is that it was never really acnowledged from the beginning.

From the moment the first game of the 2010 World Cup began this year, viewers, broadcasters,and produces were immediately red in the face by the annoyance created by the bellowing vuvuzela. Viewers were irritated from having to hear the sound through each game. Broadcasters were fired up because their commentary couldn't be heard through the sound. And producers were upset because their viewers started changing the channel because of, well you know. I mean obviously it's easy to get pissed off at anything that distracts you from a game, or potentially costs you money from loss of ratings, right? If I was one of those viewers that had to sit there all game and listen to thousands upon thousands of those things the whole time, I'd probably be changing the channel too. But you know what? I was one of those viewers. I did sit and watch those games. And like everyone else, I also had to listen to that swarm of horns the whole time. But you know what else? I watched soccer, and so did you. Whether you want to admit it or not, everything you heard and saw was soccer.

Like all other sports, soccer is a culture. As perhaps the most culturally-rich sport in the world, it's quite impossible to ignore. Whether it's a chant, a flag, a jersey, or even a vuvuzela, this is soccer my friends. We have to remember this. Specifically for the United States, being the newest integration into FIFA, we need to understand soccer to appreciate soccer. Especially if we're going to call it soccer!! The worst thing you can do is ask for something you didn't make, and once you get it, try to change it. The vuvuzela is specific to the culure of South African soccer. It's their staple in the games. The world was completely taken aback when this meter-long horn was seen on the big stage at the Confederations Cup last year. Players, above all else, have been torn in their opinions of the instrument. Some think it's a cultural icon , and most say it irritates their play. Luckily for the dignity of the sport, the President of FIFA, Sepp Blatter, has stood by the vuvuzela every step of the way. While others have denied it, he insisted of this last World Cup "we should not attempt to europeanize the African tournament". He's absolutely right.

One of the most miraculous things about soccer is it's ability to act as an international safety net. No matter what else is going on in the world between countries, we can always depend on soccer to clarify things for us. It's a pretty basic message: Embrace diversity. Don't shy away from what's different from you. Annoying and irritating or not, we must walk towards and with diversity. While that's a pretty general statement, it's essential that we do this with our sports for if we don't, then the point of sports is lost. Whether it's with soccer, basketball, baseball, tennis, or whatever else, we can't ever forget how they got here. Because at some point throughout time, each sport was created by a different mind with thoughts and ideas. From that, their idea spread to the entire world, creating thousands of interpretations of these sports. From the style of play in the athletes, all way to the style of support in the fans.

The funniest thing about the vuvuzela is that while it's a huge thorn in everyone's ears, it's also a huge reminder in everyone's ears as well. Appreciating and respecting diversity is a lesson that falls by the wayside far to often in this world, and sometimes it even takes an obnoxious horn to teach it...

Stern Notice

So this guy walks into a really nice restaurant, right? He gets a warm welcome walking in, great service, and an incredible meal. He's awestruck. When he's done eating he sees that he owes the bill, and roughly $15 for tip. He loved it so much that he was feeling generous enough to leave $20. After leaving the $20 on the table and walking toward the door, he stops in his tracks. He remembers that his kids actually need lunch money for school tomorrow. He walks back to the table, picks his $20 up, and leaves $8 and some change. As he turns around to leave, the waitress can't help but stare in disbelief. Getting more flustered by the second, the man finally utters "umm...forgot I needed this...". He quickly leaves the restaurant.


...You get it? I mean obviously it's a rude thing to do anytime you under-tip great service, but for God's sake the man needed the money to get his kids fed at school the next day. If you had kids in school who needed money for things like lunch and for other supplies, etc., isn't this what you would do? As appauled as that waitress was, if you actually explained the purpose of what you were doin, she'd be heartless not to understand. However, I wish we were talking about a restaurant. I wish we were talking about a regular waitress. And I really wish we were talking about a forgetful dad, who simply needed tip money for his children's lunch. Unfortunately, as the "The Nosebleed" would have it, we're not. Instead, it's actually an issue a lot like this, only with more people, more power, and more money.

"According to the NBA Commissioner David Stern, the NBA lost about $370 million in the 2009-2010 NBA season. This reported loss was good news to the NBA's ears seeing that they expected to lose more money this season. Stern was expecting to lose $400 million this year, and has stated that the NBA has lost at least $200 million a year for the four previous years."
-David Nelson
(Seattle City Brights)

You get it now? No? Good, 'cause you're not really supposed to. I trust that it didn't take you long to realize that what you just read isn't actually a good thing. In fact it's quite the opposite. But I also trust that many of you read that, and had no idea why it had to do with anything; and that's precisely why it's so important. As many of you know, 2011 is a dark cloud over the NBA universe right now. This is the year that the NBA will likely see yet another player lockout. For those of you who dont know, we also know this simply as a boycott. A boycott of all basketball games. But as I said, this is yet another NBA lockout. As in this has happened before in the '98-'99 NBA season, in which the standoff between owners and players caused an 82 game season to be cut down to 50 (191 days). It's widely understood that that lockout was simply the result of player and owner greed. Niether party would take less money, pretty cut 'n dry situation. Today's issue with the potential 2011 lockout is significantly different, even if it may not seem like it.

Although it's been said that NBA Commissioner David Stern's numbers are somewhat exaggurated, the issue is not in the numbers. The issue, rather, is in the tactical (or lack thereof) use of the numbers. Fan or not, we're all fully aware that when you enter the NBA you're almost guaranteed to be a millionaire, correct? How many of us have spited NBA players for whining about a missed call or a petty injury? Basically all of us. And our biggest argument is usually that they have no right to be upset with anything if they're making the kinds of money they do. While that would seem like the most logical target to aim at, it's not the correct one. Do you know why the league lost hundreds of millions of dollars last year? Because the league has allowed teams to spend money that goes way beyond their salary cap. In fact, to cover the excess money owed to players, the NBA has had to take out loans just to make good on their contract obligations. To be specific, the NBA's Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is what is currently allowing team GM's to sign blank checks to whichever player they want. The ultimate downfall has been the large contracts signed to average players for more than enough seasons. This is a problem for several reasons. These max contracts hold about 10-10.5% interest rate per season, which won't exactly make things any easier on the wallet. But mainly because the players that are getting these contracts typically don't show any promise, so when you go to get another star to come help, you can't because you simply can't afford it with your dead-beat still on the team. It's predicted that the league will drop it's salary cap by up to $3 million next season to help decrease the league's careless spending. They actually plan to drop it even more the following season as well. Now while that's all fine and good, I can't buy it. How else do you think their going to cut careless spending? You guessed it, by forcing the majority of players to take a hefty paycut. While that doesn't sound like a huge deal considering the money we all know they make, it's actually a very big deal.

Remember that guy who walked into the restaurant earlier? There was another problem other than the obvious one. Once he gave that fancy $20 tip to the waitress, he gave her the impression that he could afford to do so and that it was hers to take. While the money he went back for was understandably for his kids, he had already neglected his obligation to them in the first place. He forgot about what was important. The Commissioner of the NBA is allowing very generous tips to be given to these players. While we may hate the players for making so much, understand that they very rarely ask for such contracts. For example, Wesley Matthews who was recently aquired from the Utah Jazz to the Portland Trailblazers is in his second year in the NBA, and was given a $34 million contract for 5 years. He is what we would consider an average player. This is my point people. When asked if he thought he was overpaid, he said "I might be, you never know. But I'll be in gym" .These players don't even know if they deserve this kind of money, but it's given to them anyway.

Because of this kind of spending, Mr. Stern is now having to go back to the table and take his tip back, so to speak. That's the worst thing you can do as the Commissioner of any billion dollar organization. When you tell players that they can have a certain amount of money, they put a level of confidence in you and the league that you can support that, as well as fullfilling all other obligations at the same time. Oddly enough, players have willingly showed up at negotiation meeting with owners and other league officials to sort out this financial mess.

I don't know about you, but personally I would feel pretty dumb if the waitress I tipped was openly coming to me to find a way for everyone to benefit.

...isn't that the commissioner's job?

Sending the Beavers Downstream

If you ever have the chance to make it down to a local river bank, you might be lucky enough to spot a beaver chomping away at an old pine tree. It's quite interesting actually, because you'll notice two things: They are absolutely relentless, and they always finish the job. Not too far from there, you might even be lucky enough to see one of those beavers taking their wood down to build their dam. Absolutely fascinating to watch. And as hard as it may be to imagine, you've actually been watching this happen for several years now. The only difference is that the ones you've been watching are your very own Portland Beavers...and that these beavers haven't exactly been chomping their trees down.

For many of you, the time you started hearing the most about the Portland Beavers , has likely been in these past two years. Why? Because it hasn't been until quite recently that Portlanders have actually had any reason to know about them, nor has the press had any reason to report on them. Sure we all knew they existed; but at this point, 9/10 people probably can't tell you the name of any player on their team. It's gotten that bad. Today, the only reason you hear their name so often now, is due to notion of them not just leaving the city, but the state. Now before you sigh and start thinking "FINALLY!!", know that moving this team doesn't come without a price. Believe it or not, the Portland Beavers have a very rich history with the city of Portland. As a team originally established in 1903, they've sustained countless new owners, eight name changes, and all kinds of switches to their league and class-level. For years and years they rebranded and recreated their image so they'd be able to continuously fill Portland's nitche for baseball. Wow!! Hold up!! We have a nitche for baseball in Portland?!?! It's a small one, but we actually do. Hard to believe now though isn't it? With all the excitement surrounding Portland's NBA basketball team and soon-to-be MLS soccer team in The Trailblazers and The Timbers, it's difficult to consider that people in Portland are actually thinking about baseball. It's not as common to hear about now as it was in the late 90's and early 2000's when it was actually a growing campaign to bring MLB baseball here to Portland. You have to remember the logo they used; you know the one where they used the official MLB logo, only they made the hitter's bat into an umbrella? Well as it turns out, bringing an MLB team here is quite a pretty penny and Portland was honestly not as hyped about MLB baseball like we all thought. So how did the city answer those calls? We continued on with our own Portland Beavers to take care of the job. Obviously, they haven't been fullfilling their purpose as planned.

More than three years after purchasing the team, own Merritt Paulson has thrown his hands up with what to do with this failing team. You might be thinking "wait, he's seriously giving up on this team after only three years?". But I can tell you with no doubt, that those three years have been quite painful for Paulson. The man has literally tried everything to keep this team here, with an understanding that you don't have a team since 1903 for no reason. He even pushed so hard as to get the 2009 AAA All-Star game awarded to Portland; not an easy task mind you. When the idea of moving this team first came up, he never wanted it to leave Oregon. He hasn't forgotten why he loves The Portland Beavers, which is why he constantly attempted to take the burger AND the bun. He's tried countless locations from The Memorial Coliseum, to Lents Park, to Delta Park, to The Portland Expo Center, to Portland Meadows, all the way down to just random locations in Beaverton and Clackamas. So if you're ever going to criticise Paulson for giving up on baseball in Oregon, you should know that you're dead wrong. He's an avid sports fan, with an undeniable passion for sports. To say that he just gave up, would be a disservice to his love for what he does. For these rough three years, he has been The Beavers biggest advocate, and loyalist fan. But at the same time, there's a very big difference between being loyal and being foolish.

PGE park can seat 19,566 people. At one time The Portland Beavers attracted average audiences of over 5,000. However, they've also attracted audiences as low as 250 people. There's no way they can be profitable right? Well oddly enough they still remain profitable due to the attraction of The Portland Timbers, their PGE roommate. However, even though they stay afloat, it's only by one breath. The Portland Timbers are coming into their first year as an official MLS team this next 2011 season, so there will be little room for such an unnecessary commodity anymore.

After trying and trying again, it has finally been announced that there is no location in Portland or Oregon that will be acceptable to host the Portland Beavers. Bitter of a pill as it was to swallow, Merritt announced last month that the team was up for sale and relocation. As it stands right now, there are three locations in San Diego that look to be the front-runners. Owner of the San Diego Padre's, Jeff Moorad, has now formed a group of investors to make the move possible.

Listening to it now, it actually sounds really sad to be honest. Doesn't matter whether you watched The Portland Beavers or not, it's bittersweet to know that your baseball team of over 100 years is now leaving for good. But as I briefly mentioned earlier, these beavers haven't exactly been chomping their trees down. Do you know why? Because throughout their entire existence in Portland, they've tried to please the itch for baseball with this team, and many times it worked. But truth be told, these beavers chomped away and chomped away at their tree for over 100 years, and it still hasn't fallen. And when you can't chomp your tree down, you certainly can't make a dam...

That's Mr. King James to you...

You ever watch LeBron James play, watch him in an interview, or see him in a commercial, and realize you just don't like him? Can you explain why?

Maybe it's the talent. Hate those "team photo-ops" before a game. Maybe it's that smirk. Can't look at a magazine without seeing his face on the front. Might as well be ESPN's mascot. Hate driving past those "Witness" billboards. Or maybe it's because you hate the reality that he's just that smart.


As an 18 year old kid coming straight out of high school, he had the world waiting on their knees by the time he entered the NBA. Criticised constantly for not even attempting a college career, the young star quickly began to divide the people into fans and foes. The icing on the cake came with the 90 million dollar Nike endorcement waiting for him when he made the jump. From his entrance in 2003 to now, he has become one of the main faces of Nike, the embodiment of the NBA, and an icon in the world of sports.


Seven years later, he is no longer "that kid". At 25, he has become the epitemy of an entrepeneur and dissected the limelight of the NBA for all it's worth. He has slowly begun to realize that he is no longer living in the era of "The player", but living more in the era of "The player-business man". Make no mistake about it, success in the NBA today means not only having success on the hardwood, but off of it as well. This may be the very reason some resent him as being someone who has taken the focus off of basketball, and used it simply as a stepping stone. Having now started his own marketing agency in LRMR Innovative Marketing & Branding, LeBron has been enabled to have a front row seat to the direction of his brand. Partnering up with long time friends from Akron as well as with other corporate partners, he's managed to keep a certain "best of both worlds" mentality. Beginning as the first and only client of LRMR, he has now helped to guide both Chris Paul and the #1 pick of the 2010 NBA draft, John Wall, to LRMR representation. Now while that's all well and good, you and I both know that this has just been the tip of the iceburg.

In 2009, LeBron earned roughly 15 million on the court. Off of it? The man earned 28 million in endorsements alone, behind only Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. Not too shabby for a 25 year old with no college education. Anything from Nike, to Bubblicious, to State Farm, you name it, he's endorsing it. shall we run down the list? No, because it's too long to even fit on here! But here are just a few of his off-the court achievements, just to give you a preview:

-Ranked #1 in Forbes Top 20 earners under 25 (2007)
-Influential figure on the committee to elect President Barrack Obama (2008)
-Became the first black male to appear on the cover of Vogue (2008)
-Starred in Lions Gate film "More Than a Game" (2009)
-Teams with ESPN to produce "The Decision" (2010)

And speaking of "The Decision", quick question: did you watch? Because I'll guarantee that you did. I know I did. Like the man or not, we all know we tuned in to see it because we know who LeBron James is, and we know how influential he is. Frustrating as that may seem, it's the God-forbidden truth. Putting personal opinion aside, you'd be foolish not to acknowledge the genius behind it. He single-handedly took over "The Worldwide Leader in Sports"(ESPN) for an entire hour to reveal an eight second decision. While some of you spited ESPN for allowing such a thing, it's what you have to do when you're the first resource in the world for sports. If it wasn't ESPN, it would of been some other network. But it goes to show exactly how self-aware LeBron James really is. He understands his value and he understands the clout that he's gained with that value.

But before you decide to label him as "the corporate puppet", you must remember that from the very start, Plymouth Rock landed on LeBron. No matter what we say or hear, his first passion has always been basketball. It would be unfair to say that he's not a special athlete, because he truly is a phenomenal talent. MVP's, scoring titles, youngest to do this, youngest to do that, the list can go on and on. But know that it's only from these accolades on the court, that has led him to his accolades off the court. Because of his work, he's been given other opportunities to round out his legacy as a superstar. This is something that many athletes get, but few choose to take. LeBron has taken it, and now he's running with it. So run with him, or run against him, doesn't matter to him either way.

But the next time you drive past that billboard or see another commercial, before you roll your eyes, consider the possibility that even though he's an older, more intelligent business man now, that maybe there's a part of him that still holds that "18 year old kid" mentality. You know what I'm talking about. Living out realities that used to only be dreams. Making a career out of what you love, working with the president, getting endorsements from everybody and their mother, starting a business with your best friends, and laughing all the way to the bank while you do it.

Guess it's pretty good to be king.

...oh excuse me, Mr. King.

Act As If...

Didn't your teacher ever tell you that? Act as if?

When You go up to do a speech in front of the class with a trickle of sweat rolling down your face. Whole class waits for you to utter something. Nothing comes our at first, until you remember what your teacher told you: "Act as if". That, alone, is enough for you to believe that maybe, just maybe, you really can. Maybe you really are ready.

Sound familiar? Throughout the 2010 World Cup that recently ended on July 11th, and in the days following the early exit of the United States, the talk continued to jostle around. You don't need me to tell you that what came from that was unexpected. Quite frankly, the rest of the world had them leaving right after they got there in day 2 against England. The head-turning started there. After a heart-wrenching run, the U.S. was finally eliminated by Ghana (again). While this tournament was essential in letting the world know about where we stand now, the action among the MLS has made us all look.

We had heard the talk, but didn't want to hold our breath. Suddenly, it doesn't look like we needed to. World renowned Thierry Henry has made the jump, and is now playing for the New York Red Bulls. And as I'm sure it's no secret to any of you by now, the talk has also stirred up again in the possibilty of Mr. "Joga Bonita" himself, Ronaldinho is likely to be moved to the L.A. Galaxy. Now before you start rolling your eyes (which I know you are), just know that in our case, the athleticism of these players is irrelevent right now. While it may sound like I just dug myself deeper, don't call me an idiot just yet. When I said "our case", I meant in the case of Soccer in the United States. Believe it or not, MLS is actually playing this one right. We all know that Henry, Ronaldinho, and probably even Becham are pretty much all past their prime now. But at this stage of growth in MLS, we need figures like these more than the rest of the world does. These guys are not done with soccer, their just disposable to the rest of the world right now. Other countries can afford to lose players like these (probably better), and still stay on top. What I'm basically getting at,is that not only do we need to act as if, but we need to look as if as well. Taking this league seriously, starts with landing serious players. Prime or not, if you recognize players like Henry and Ronaldinho, then you recognize U.S. soccer. Simple as that.

However, as ground-breaking as that was, that wasn't even the biggest news in the MLS this week. For the first time in a very long time, the world is reaching out to the MLS. Manchester City has made it publicly known that they want Landon Donovan, and they want him bad. Now while this isn't the first time Donovan has played internationally, having a good run with

club Everton, this is the most impressive invitation. How do we respond? Don Garber nips that in the bud without any hesitation. But why is that relevant? Because it means we're now forcing the other countries to find value in our product. The easiest thing would be to tell Man. City yes. Get MLS some exposure, make Landon look good, and the list could go on and on. But at the end of the day, we need to look like we value our product as well. We need to have something that they want.

So what do we do next then? Continue to act is if. Act as if we have that much talent. Act as if we are that great. Act as if we're ready to play with the best countries.

Even when it feels like they're not looking, act as if they are.


...because they are.

Mission: Don't Forget the Mission

Slump? Neh. Confused? Mmm possibly. Unfocused? You tell me.

Let's go back to the era of "Ready or Not, Here We Come", A.K.A. the "Jail-Blazer Aftermath" era. Slowly, but surely, we began the rebuilding process back to what we knew was true Trailblazer basketball. Tried employing young players like Sebastian Telfair and Zach Randolph to lead this new team. But as the saying goes: "Old habits die hard". Telfair also fell subject to the curse of the "Jail-Blazers", after being charged for bringing a gun onto the team plane. But this is not a history lesson, it's not about Sebastian Telfair, it's not even about the Blazers. It's simply about us.

Since the 2006 draft when Portland recieved Brandon Roy, our future began looking brighter with a new work ethic, new style, and new attitude. We had finally found the man we would build this new team around. The energy and excitement created from this notion of hope, pushed the Blazers back into the hunt for playoffs. As a team now being recognized for their heart and fundamentally-sound basketball, the Trailblazers are no longer a secret.

But more than anything else, this team has created a buzz in the NBA and in the city like no other. During '08-'09 season, 15,000 fans showed up at Pioneer Square to celebrate the Blazers first playoff berth in several years. I was there that day, and I could feel it. This was something special. The team has even asked, no, demanded, that we rise with them. However, today in the midst of an organization disoriented and indecisive, that old buzz is sounding like no more than a bee who just lost it's stinger.

With a new headline for the Blazer's shortcomings showing up in headlines everyday, The city is beginning to forget. Make no mistake about it, we do not look good to the rest of the league right now. Quite frankly, we're being mocked. We don't look like the team who acts in unison on all fronts anymore. My point in these statements is this: Dont forget the mission. Do not forget why or how we got here. We can be as pissed off as long as we want at the decisions being made by team management, but at the end of the day, the only thing that matters is the 16 guys that suit up for us every night. The 16 guys who will play with or without a GM. The 16 guys who will play with or without any assistant coaches. The 16 guys who will play only for you, not the front office. Every night, we count on them to show up for us, so why shouldn't we be showing up for them?

So in this very unclear and unfocused time in the Blazers organization, I ask that you remember not why you care now, but why you started caring in the first place. Stop worrying about how much the management decisions make you question your beliefs in this team, remember why you started believing. Forget the talk, not the team.

And if you ever need a reminder of what the mission is, go outside the Rose Garden before you walk into the game and look across the Rose Quarter. Look up at the at the old woodmill that stands alone in the middle of the city...

Mission: Rise With Them

To Win in Limbo, We Must Raise the bar...

Raise the bar to win? Since when? Aren't we all used to bending over backwards to make it under that bar? Aren't we used to trying to stay up on our feet, without falling, as that bar gets lower and lower? It's an old game we remember, and it's a game we're playing now; only the strategy has changed a bit.
As an organization, it's easy to say that the Trailblazers are "in limbo". That may be. But don't confuse limbo with the absence of direction. Don't be so quick to bail them out with terms like "in limbo", "strategic", "dark horse", etc. As people who truly love our team, we also have the obligation to call it like we see it, and not just as we want to see it. Let's not kid ourselves, the current direction of this organization is currently poor, simply because there in't one.
Dont get me wrong, I'm not telling you to lose faith in the Blazers, because anyone who knows this team and this city, knows better than to be so foolish. But you know as well as I do, that the front office and the team as a whole, can be a whole lot better right now. I want Chris Paul, you want Chris Paul, the team wants Chris Paul, so why can't we have Chris Paul? In a statement released by an agent close to the situation, it was made perfectly clear that agents aren't exactly encouraging their clients to make moves to Portland, due to the current turmoil of the organiztion. But with this "free agent frenzy", and players wanting to leave to be with more promising teams, you'd think we'd be doing more than putting our name in the hat. The Blazers I know would put their name in the hat, and then sneak nine more in, to ensure their chances of success. We're not cheaters, we're not unethical, we're just very, very creative. I dont know about all of you, but the firing of Kevin Pritchard was the beginning of the end to me...

Monty Williams: Gone
Dean Demopoulos: Gone
Tom Penn: Gone
Martel Webster: Gone

And in return, we recieve three draft picks (one waved), and probably Wesley Matthews from the Utah Jazz. In all fairness, Armon Johnson and Luke Babbit really do have a bright future. Wesley Matthews has all the potential in the world. That being said, that's all they have. From day 1, that's all the organization ever looked for. It was valuable to have that mindset 2-3 years ago. The guys we got then have now grown together. So why are we still building? We have already bread the potential into an army. It's now time to fill in the blank areas with raw, solid talent; not more potential.
No more lowering the bar just to see how far backwards we can bend without finally falling. Raise the bar. Stand up. Shoulders back. Head up. Eyes forward. Get back in line...

The Nosebleed Narrator

On this day, the birth of "The Nosebleed", I feel compelled to begin with a brief introduction, although overrated, of who this writer is. As a reader of a lot of other sports writers' work, I know that a big part of the attention they get, is from the readers knowing who they are. So we'll try it, if it's lame, well then we'll just skip it and get right to sports...

Name's Derek Harguth, I'm a marketing major at PSU with a focus of sports. It's universally known that I love coffee, but what most people don't know is that I like it a whole lot more with the sports page. Just a heads up, I'm not going to be that guy that tries to say they're a bigger fan than everyone else and blah-blah-blah-blah. But I will say that I am a very big sports fan. I will watch all sports (doesn't mean i like all of them) ,at all times. My soft-spot it basketball. Wanna make small talk? dont bring up basketball!! you'll be sitting with me a for a very, very long time. Football, soccer/futbol, track, baseball, tennis....all the way down to curling and rowing!! Forewarning: I do not believe NASCAAR is a sport, you will not sell me on it (please try). I will get updates on it simply because ESPN has them; other than that, it's a no.

So there it is. Post 1 of "The Nosebleed". Any questions?!?!

...GOOD!!! Time to get down to the good stuff...