So what would it take (realistically) for PA and Miller to be redeemed? Is Ferry the answer? Rod Thorn? How is Gomes handled? Simply waived, traded individually? Packaged? Is Rudy a Blazer a week from now? Any chance a top 7 free agent signs and/or traded for? Or come this Friday, nothing gets done (but the waiving of Gomes)? This week may go down as the most important week to the Blazer organization in the past 15 years?
Not to me. The classless way KP was let go is unforgivable. I don't care who replaces KP. I don't care how well they may do. Paul "Al Davis" Allen and Vulcan can go hang themselves and their Nazi leasdership skills. With respect to Blazer management, the one & only positive thing PA can do is sell the team.
Can the Oregonian redeem itself this week? It sure has egg on its face after losing this war. Does Oregonian management still feel they own the team? What is their next move to regain control? Can they do it this week?
KP knew his days were numbered so he called a meeting an hour before the draft to ask Paul Allen about his status, it didn't change. His plan worked: Make Paul Allen look horrible, go out a martyr. Quick's source? LaGarie.
Their bumbling over the past few months--regardless of who was to blame--has put them in a pretty deep hole. I'm usually a pretty optimistic guy, but I have a tough time seeing exactly how they're going to re-establish the momentum that had built up over the past few seasons.
I'm still not sure what they did that requires redemption? Quick said the rumor with the most legs is that KP and Penn tried to manipulate PA into more money. PA found out and fired them. He told KP on draft day that it woul dbe his last day and KP's agent leaked it to Quick, so KP would come out smelling like roses. It doesn't sound like they let him go for making bad picks or whatever, but instead let him go for not being honest. I know I'd be fired if I did that to my boss.
Allen sure looks classy for not telling the world what Pritchard did. The Oregonian looks smothered in selfish profit motive, demanding to be in on the secret. Instead of reacting emotionally and firing Pritchard immediately as a moron boss would do, Allen intellectually waited until Pritchard couldn't take his research to consult with another team. Also Allen isn't going to contest paying Pritchard for another year, trying to use some morals clause or disloyalty clause in the contract. Allen looks classy and intelligent all the way, and the Oregonian looks petty and vindictive against him for not giving them the scoop and ruining Pritchard.
To whomever is demanding that Allen tell why Pritchard was fired: Why don't you demand the information from Pritchard, your hero, the one who caused this to-do?
But what you don't do is hang someone out to dry for three months. If you find they betray you, you send them packing immediately. At that point, you've grabbed the high ground. PA seemed to be too interested in teaching KP a lesson than in doing the smart thing.
Poor PA. In all his years of owning the team, KP is the first guy to ever ask for a raise. It will take years of therapy to get over the trauma! Why would they need redemption? For years, I have been typecast as a "hater" because I refused to drink the kool-aid and pretend KP was a superstar. The flip side of the coin, is that KP was not an incompetent yutz either. After 40+ years as an NBA fan, I have seen incompetence (koff-Patternash-koff) - KP never sank to that level. You don't fire competent people without a good reason or a high degree of certainty that somebody better is waiting in the wings. My prediction: there is a 50% chance we get a guy comparable to KP; a 40% we get a loser; and a 10% chance we actually get an upgrade. In other words, this is more likely to have been a cock-up than a good decision.
I know people were disappointed in this past season, but up until the Penn firing it was one of the most inspirational on record. All this back office bullshit that makes us seem bumbling, backstabbing and chaotic has wrecked it. Who would want to come to this clusterfuck?
Come on that's not fair to the High Command. The Nazi's almost took over all of Europe aside from not invading England and trying to invade Russia what did they do wrong? I ask you to name just one thing. I mean the trains ran on time all the movie footage from that era showed smiling people marching together with one vision and goal. I mean really what did the Nazi's do wrong? Oh right...I see your point. Paul Allen is refusing to invade England. Good catch BP.
Sarcastic Nazi post aside time to be serious. Maybe us being perceived as in disarray will work out in our favor and make us less threatening to trade to. Come on Collison!!!!
Cheering for a team that's struggling on the court is one thing. Cheering for a team that's being ran by incompetent people who are jealous is another. It gives me little hope, and isn't really what this organization is proclaimed to be about. I no longer look at them as the good guys.
In all your years of work experience, you haven't seen people being terminated 3 months after management has made the decision, for the reason either to 1) get maximum performance from them, or 2) prevent them from carrying secrets to the competition? Well I've seen it often. You just need to have several employers instead of staying with one all your life. What is so hard to understand here? Why are you petty and vindictive? Why do you come across as mean-spirited? If you don't like the firing, why have you kept it up for 3 months? I think you're just trying to teach Allen a lesson, to punish him. You have lost all the momentum you have gained over the last 5 years with those of us who don't have your 5-year cyclical mood swings.
Has Larry rolled out of bed yet to begin his GM search after taking a long weekend for some R and R? That would be progress.
There are 2 problems with this argument. First, if an employee actually does something *wrong*, you fire or suspend them on the spot and have security escort them out of the building. You don't leave them in a position of trust and responsibility for months. Second, if KP did leave a dead hooker on Miller's couch, there would have been 10 calls to the Oregonian before anybody in the Blazer front office called 911. If people actually knew why KP/Penn were fired, they would be blabbing it all over town. The Blazer FO has always worked that way.
All that aside, and my personal feelings about Allen's incompetence included, I hope that Paul is given a nice ovation at the first game he attends next season. There is no sense booing the guy. If I'm there, I'll sit silent, but I won't boo him.
