People in Portland also don't want to hear about a multi-billionaire from Seattle screwing over the face of Portland's franchise for 1/1000th of his net worth. The "average fan" wants Brandon Roy in Portland for as long as possible. The "average fan" already knows the Blazers have a bad TV deal and an owner who already seriously considered selling the team in more flush times. At the BBQ I was at last night, not a single person begrudged Roy for wanting every dollar and year possible to stay in Portland. Anectdotal, sure, but not a single person took the Vulcan side, and many of the people there were season ticket holders.
No the average fan wants a player to be happy with what he makes, play great basketball, and not to complain. Everyone loved Paul Allen when he was losing tens of millions of dollars on the Blazers, paying to build the Rose Garden, etc. People started to hate him when he filed for bankruptcy on the arena, started laying people off, and talked about needing to fix the broken business model of the Blazers. People love athletes (and celebrities) when they're entertaining you with their skills, their winning, and playing hard. People stop loving athletes when they start complaining about money, because it reminds the average fan that the players they worship live on a completely different level than them. Athletes can talk about not earning enough a few times, but after that they will be turned on. People will not feel sympathy for athletes who make millions of dollars a year while they're topping out at 50-200k to support a family of three or four.
The "average fan" is a fickle beast. Those who are lambasting KP and Blazers management for not automatically giving Roy a max 5 year contract would most likely be the same ones who would roast the team five years from now for putting the team in cap hell if Roy's knees have betrayed him and turned him into a shadow of the player he is today.
I think that's an unfair statement to make. My posting history suggests nothing like that from me. Plus, if Roy decides to be an RFA and not sign, he's going to get a 5 year max deal from somebody.
I wasn't referring to you, specifically, PapaG. I'm just trying to point out that the "average fan view is different from management's. Fans can respond and be either happy or upset based upon incomplete information. Fans can take the short view. Team management has to consider a player's health, has to look at long term salary and cap implications, changes in the CBA that may be coming down the pike, and a multitude of other factors that "average fans" simply don't generally take into consideration." I've shared message board space with you for a lot of years, PapaG, and I know that you're a thoughtful guy. Frankly, though, you do seem to be a bit more agitated about things recently.
I'm agitated with the Roy contracts talks stalling. I don't think I'm being unreasonable in offering a viewpoint that takes Roy's side. It's tough to relay "mood" on a message board, but I'm only agitated with hearing Roy have to beg and plead in public for a five year deal. Everything else? Who cares. I didn't like Hedo fitting in on this team and am happy Toronto gets to pay that contract.
Added value in this thread from you = zero. I actually expect more from you, but I was wrong. Address the logistics, or don't. Yes, Roy's future as a Blazer is important to me.
