The fans. People around here discuss everything Blazers related and I don't see why they wouldn't talk about Oden's temperament and personality. The same way people have being discussing the way Bryant handle himself throughout his career. Sorry for not getting it, but where is the "witch hunt"?
Canzano, not fans. It's not terribly important that he keeps to himself. It's par for the course for Canzano to bring up something thats minor, and make it into a bigger deal than necessary (and then some fans act like it matters).
That's why I don't really care if Canzano's piece is trash but we can't deny the fact that Oden has a loner nature and IMO similar to a young Kobe. The OP is not about Canzano's article, it's about Oden's personality and that's what I think is worth talking about. I am not saying that this is the most relevant thing to discuss, but definitely has it's importance and it will find room in any active message-board among Blazers fans.
Only because he's making it out to be something more than just someone who likes to be alone. Whats next, Brandon Roy likes giving his girlfriend dutch-ovens?
Let me tell you one more time. I don't care about Canzano, I don't read his stuff and no NBA fan should accept a sports writer opinion as the truth. Now having an important cog in your team that has a personality to be a loner is pretty interesting and should be put in the picture when you are trying to build a team to win it all. Knowing how to handle him and his relationship with the teammates and help building bridges should be a top priority to the Blazers staff. I think Rick Fox put it in a pretty good way in the article I just posted: "But we forget he's just a kid. We just sort of left him hanging this season, an island by himself, and that's going to stop. He wants to win as much as anyone else, and he deserves our support."
The same goes to any poster around here. Even if you don't agree with the opinion of the OP this is a relevant topic and worth the discussion.
I'm kind of a loner by nature and from my perspective it might not mean a thing. Maybe he just likes to clear his head and analyze how he feels he did before he wants to talk about it. It doesn't mean he dislikes anybody. He's had so much pressure from the hype and has felt like he was disappointing people. He had one of his best games against Toronto and looked like he was having fun. Obviously I don't know Greg but he seems to be a pretty upbeat guy by nature and it's not like he's on a team with a bunch of party animals who want to go out all the time. I think he's just working through his own expectations of himself and finding his role on the team.
What Spud said. I think it is an interesting glimpse into Greg's personality. So, the guy needs a little privacy, or a little quiet time to unwind, or whatever. The described behavior in no way indicates anything negative. Just yesterday, my wife was giving me a hard time for not being sociable enough (by her standards) at parties -- and there is no question what a great human being I am, so there ya go.
Like I said before, Canzano is a jerkoff! So Greg likes a little privacy. I won't go into this too much, but lets just say there aren't a lot of extra seats on the plane. Maybe some vets have the big captains chairs and he can't fit on the couches with the little Euros. Maybe he has respect for the vets and would never ask a player who has put his time into the league to move just so he can sit in a big chair. This is the kind of crap that bugs me. These guys have no idea what they are talking about! This is the kind of crap that will make Greg leave in 4 years. (Big fish in a little pond kinda shit) Fuck Canzano!!!!!!!!
Bite your tongue (or in this case, your fingers) HCP! Greg's not going anywhere! Trade Canzano! Good post, btw.
Excellent point HCP. He does seem like the kind of guy who would respect what his team mates have already been doing and want to "earn his spot" in a captain's chair. I really wish Quick and Canzano would quit assuming things about his personality when they don't even know him on a personal level.
Man, extroverts are fucking annoying. There are some people who really enjoy being left the fuck alone for a few hours a day. We're not mad. We're not sulking. We aren't judging you harshly or thinking ourselves better than you. We are just fucking introverted, and being alone sometimes just makes us fucking happy. Christ. My entire family think it's their mission in life to bring me, my wife, my two kids, and my inlaws "out of our shells." Show up any god damn time they want. Call us incessantly on the phone. Give us weird looks for frequently letting the answering machine pick up. Fuck. Just leave me the fuck alone sometimes. There's not a god damned thing wrong in the world with just not being terribly sociable. And if Oden's that way too, well, fucking let him. He's paid to put an orange ball through a metal hoop, not be your fucking best friend. *wow* Where'd that come? I guess hosting Christmas dinner this year for 17 people kind of wore me out.
Nice post, mook. I am also an introverted fellow and I don't think it's OK to judge anyone for that. But see, your family does it, my family does it, some of my friends and co-workers keep trying to cheer me up as well and I am not even a bit sad. If Oden really is not a "terribly sociable" guy, as some people have being pointing out in recent time, why should we think that the other players, management, fans, journalists and so on would not react the same way as our family, friends and co-workers? Looking happy is almost like an obligation in todays society. He will have to deal with this type of thing, that's why I brought up Kobe, he passed for a similar process during his career.
That has nothing to do with the TEAM though. Greg not wanting to be with the TEAM on road trips, while the rest of them hang out and socialize together just seems a little odd to me. But then after reading Kobe did that too when he was younger, made me not think it was so weird. I am not a pro athlete. So some things I don't understand. When I played sports and we were on road trips, I loved talking to my team mates and getting pumped up together before games. But again, I was never a pro athlete.
If I had to host a Christmas dinner for 17 people - there would have been a trail of bloody corpses in snowbanks from Salem to the Canadian border! I admire your restraint.
I don't think the issue is about Greg not being social as much as it is that Oden is the only player on the team (if not only player in team history) who has been allowed to crash on Allen's bed during flights. That is a lot different than not wanting to be social . . . that is preferred treatment for a player and I don't think that creates good team chemistry. But as HCP points out, we aren't there and maybe it doesn't bother any other players . . . but the issue is should Oden get special treatment above other players?
Sorry, man....the fact is he still looks old as hell for his age...that hasn't and won't change....so until he gets serious botox treatments, lighten up and just keep expecting more...lol...
Great post. I agree, there is nothing wrong with him if he wants to keep to himself. I don't think it bothers the players, and there probably are reasons for it anyway. I think a lot of us just want to see Greg happy more than anything, but pointing out that he is not happy and noting his every move isn't going to change anything.
