Merged: 2pm KP and Larry Miller Press Conference

Re: 2pm KP and Larry Miller Press Conference

When did he get a rep as a choker? I must have missed that day.

 

Re: 2pm KP and Larry Miller Press Conference

Unfortunately we have been caught up in this mess before and seemingly have not learned our lesson. Randolph, Miles, Roy, Aldridge

Players who deserve big contracts and teh treat of them getting big money elsewhere ahs led us to over pay for their services to make them happy and stay. It has ended up handcuffing us in the coming years.

PA is to blame too... no contract gets done unless he signs off on it. Its his money and his team. He is too much a hands on owner to not be in the loop. He is also a fan and love his Blazers, and is very passionate about them. He wants his players he enjoys. Miles was a big example of that. Darius was getting better and got a huge raise at the right time, mostly due to PA liking him so much. Zach was all about timing in the FA market.

Roy shoud be a max player, LMA maybe 90-95% of it IMHO.

The new CBA will hamper many teams if it comes close to any of its desires by the owners. The owners need to have some leverage IMHO. The players should not always be willing to take the money when its good, and not give it u when its bad. Aka Mr Deeks movie when he is dealing with his star QB.

Simple business... you want a raise when its good? Are you willing to take a pay cut when its bad? Noooo you just want the raise...

 

Just finished my morning cup of coffee. It's time for what will be my daily shout out to the suits up north.

Fuck you Paul Allen and the Vulcans. You've found yet another bright way to fuck up this team. Bravo, bravo.

 

Playing devil's advocate.......If Penn was actively searching for another job with another franchise while the Blazers were in the stretch run of the season, then he deserved to be canned immediately. (IF THIS WAS THE CASE) Again the Agent made this about KP, not the Blazers. Sure they should have handled it better, but if the guy deserved to fired now, you don't wait. And even though we want to know why he was fired, it is the right thing to do to not to tell the world. For respect to Penn (And for lawsuite purposes)

 

Do you think this tension started the minute Penn was fired? I don't. I think Pritchard has been getting more and more frustrated as the season has progressed. His agent finally went public with the situation, and Pritchard not firing him means that Pritchard supports what his agent said.

Pritchard won't be coming back. I just don't see how it is possible at this point.

 

But is it really that sinister, what Penn supposedly did? I can't say I wouldn't be keeping an open ear for other advancement/money-making opportunities as well. Business is business. As long as he was doing his job and not revealing any damaging team secrets, I'm not certain management handled this correctly. And then, to allow it to escalate to this point, is beyond fucked up.

 

No I don't but that is not the point. People are wondering "why now". And the answer is tied to what Penn was fired for. KP's issues should not be public right now. But it was.... due to his agent. Not the Blazers. The Blazer may or may not be at fault for KP's unhappiness, but the timing is the agents fault. (IF and only IF Penn was fired for just cause)

 

As I've previously posted, though, if Pritchard didn't like his agent pulling him into it, he would have distanced himself from the agent and the agent's comments. Since he has not, I can only assume that Penn's firing was some sort of Vulcan message to Pritchard, and that Pritchard and his agent know it, so they played the only card they had; Pritchard's popularity in the Blazer fanbase vs. a Vulcan organization that has already ruined the franchise once.

I have literally no trust for Vulcan Inc., so I have to admit that my opinion is going to be pro-Pritchard in its origin. From there, the available information seems to say that Pritchard is not long for Portland, and that we'll have a new GM by the draft.

 

If I were running the show and what you described happened, I'd "transition Penn to a new opportunity in the organization" being vice president of negotiating soda contracts with the Rose Garden or some other bullshit job. Fire him after the season is over.

When they tried to whack the Don, did Michael run out and immediately escalate a gang war when the Corleones were at their weakest? Or did he negotiate a truce, let people let their guard down, and then eliminate all of his enemies in one fell swoop at the time of his choosing?

You don't make moves that might undermine the GM's authority and distract the team in the middle of a playoff push. You put on your business face, let the players take the headlines (as they should), and wait for a week after the season's over to make your transition.

Even if you have to absolutely fire Penn (I can't see it, but I'll play along) you immediately come out fully endorsing Pritchard. Even if you plan on canning his ass in two months. That's just how it's done.

 

But if you are PA (one of the wealthest people in the US and fighting cancer), do you really have to play by corporate rules?

There are so many rumors out there . . . but if the rumor that Penn got into a yelling match with Miller and called PA a liar to his face is true, I would think PA is in a position to fire Penn and not have to explain himself to anyone.

In fact if I was the boss cutting the checks, and I was pissed at Penn, I would expect the GM to come and back me up with "I like Penn, he is a good friend, but this was an organizational decision and I support the organization"

I wonder if PA will come out and publically support KP . . . but I have had my run in with big egos and the more PA feels like he is forced to do this, the less likely he will do it.

This had nothing to do with KP. The agent makes a mess of the Penn firing by dragging in KP and now PA has to go in and clean up the agent's mess to make KP feel good?

 

You're assuming, though, that it has nothing to do with KP. It seems like there's two sides to this. And the side that makes more sense to me is that there is a connection, and not just a random incident from Penn. And if that's the case, why would KP come out and say I stand behind them firing my assistant, when I know it's a conceived threat to me.

 

I have no idea if there is a connection ( I want to believe there is not because I have come out so strongly against the agent since the day he made the statement . . . so I know I'm bias).

But what makes you say it si more likely there is a connection? Or have you already explained it multiple times . . . if that is the case sorry, I can't keep up with all the threads and actually avoid the topic at times.

As far as what KP should say, I think we got a taste of that yesterday. Even if he feel he will be fired, he needs to fall on the side of the organization if he wants a chance at all to save his job.

I wonder if he came out the next day after the Penn firing and supported the organization if taht would have saved his job. I know the organization would know where his loyalty lies. Right now his loyalties sound a little half hearted.

 

Well, no. Allen is wealthy enough he gets to make up any rule he wants.

But some corporate rules exist for a really good reason. I assume that at his heart PA wants to see the team do well, not just this year but for many years to come.

I think the way this was handled has undermined that possibility. If it was done to "get even" for being called a liar, well, that seems pretty short-sighted and silly.

 

I agree it would be short-sighted and silly, but that was my point . . . isn't PA in a position he can do and act like that and really not be overly concerned with the turmoil.

It may possibly hurt the organization in the future, but something I'm guessing isn't a huge concern with Allen . . . hell he can just buy a few more lottery picks and make amends with the fans.

 

have you ever been in a negotiation? A well established technique is to ask for far more then you hope for and then settle for what you really want. You threw out this ridiculous red herring as if it's a real possibility so I addressed it.

I "waste" a lot of my time here responding to nonsense. There is so much of it around here the casual reader would start to think that it's reality. It's not.

You want a fully maxed out Roy and nearly maxed out LA even if it eventually costs you Batum and other possibilities? Okay, good for you. Personally as a Blazer fan I want the best team that the club's budget can afford. I don't think it's unreasonable for PA (through Vulcan) to insist on not hemorrhaging cash to run the Blazers. Hardlining the stars to set precedence and not empty the cupboards of $$$ for the supporting cast makes sense to me, not you... oh well.

Hopefully someone else reading has more prospective

STOMP

 

I don't give a shit about the Penn firing. But the clear message sent by Miller and the Vulcans and even by KP that KP's job is in jeopardy is so bizarre I can't even believe it's happening. Why do the Vulcan's hate success? Fuck those bastards. I can't describe how much this pisses me off.

 

PTI just talked about this issue, and was basically on the side of KP's

Kornheiser and Wilbon agreed:
- Wondering what the hell is going on in Portland
- It's stupid, KP has done a great job and you can't project injuries.
- You can't project Joel getting injured at the same time as Greg.
- This team is still most likely to make the playoffs and still is as big of a threat to the Lakers as any other team in the West because LA hasn't had too much success in Portland
- As far as drafting G.O. over Durant, it's too easy to look back on it in hindsight.
- Wilbon ends it, "This is dumb."