I've been following the discussion in the Retire Kersey's Number thread with interest. It's be great and the points, ideas and suggestions that most of you have been making are why I love this forum. In a sad and eerie coincidence for the last two months I have been talking to the Blazers about starting a Ring of Honor. One of the players I continually used as an example of deserving such an honor was Jerome Kersey. There has been much talk back and forth. Some in the Blazer front office don't see a difference between retirement of a number and a ring of honor. From the beginning I have asked for the Ring of Honor to be fan based. While the franchise retires numbers it would be the fans voting to induct players into the Ring of Honor. I feel this would be very unique and very Portland. It would also fit nicely with the Seahawk's 12th Man mantra. Paul Allen knows what a franchise can mean to fans and what fans can mean to a franchise. The idea is simple, once a year fans thru social media and the Blazers website nominate, debate then vote for that year's inductee into the Ring of Honor. I thing the time is long overdue that Blazer fans have a chance to show our love and appreciation for the players that have meant so much to us over the years on court and in the community. I ask that we all come together and encourage the Blazers to make this happen. Thanks
Oh, a couple of things, I really liked the idea of naming the Ring of Honor after Kersey. I think a player can both be in the Ring of Honor and have his number retired. In some cases I could see being voted into the ROH first helping to strengthen the argument that the player should have his number retired. And in other cases voting a player in the ROH after their number was retired based on how they continued to give to the community.
I'd love a ring of honor! It would definitely be a good way of getting guys like Roy, Wes, maybe even Sheed up there without sacrificing the numbers.
Yikes. Don't admit you watched that crap. Back to the point.... It's not a bad idea at all, and I'd be all for it. As long as something like this isn't the ceiling for honoring Kersey. I, and I know I'm not alone, will be terribly disappointed in the organization if they don't retire Kersey's number, and I'm typically against retiring numbers. Dude's Mr. Blazer and it's not even debatable.
I'm in favor of a ring of honor, but I still think Kersey should have his number retired. The way that I differentiate between the two is simple: do you ever want to see another guy wear #25? Yes? Put him in the ring of honor. No? Retire the number. Someone like Brandon Roy, who did great things during his four seasons with the Blazers, has become a fucking ghost since retiring. By contrast, Jerome Kersey has been a huge member of the community and has been extremely involved with the team since retiring. Put Roy in the ring of honor, put Kersey in the fucking rafters. That's my opinion.
To be fair, Roy is still really young and it has to kill him inside to be around Blazer basketball, maybe in a few more years that'll change.
I'm not here to win a popularity contest bub... hence the amount of likes. You can read my stuff or look on by
All good, bro. All good. I've seen 10 minutes before I wanted to kill myself. I talked myself down by reminding myself how much mags would miss me.
I like the idea of a "Blaze(rs) of Glory"sorta thing. To me, that'd be where the majority of the #'s retired go. The only #'s kept up there, to me, are Walton, Drexler, Petrie and Porter, with a possibility for Lucas. The "Ring of honor/Blaze(rs) of glory" would include: Twardzik, Steele, Hollins, Gross, Neal, Sabonis, Paxson, Kersey, Grant, Duckworth and Roy. I'm sure there are others that I'm forgetting. But the list above, outside of Sabonis being in it, aren't making it into the Hall of Fame so I'm not so sure they deserve to have the #'s retired.
Sounds dumb to me. How long until we have a Blazers "participation award"? If they do it every year, you're going to start running out of candidates and guys like Jermaine O'Neal and whatever come into the mix. Just leave it to having a Jersey in the rafters. That's the goal of every player, win a 'ship and have your number in the rafters forever. Fan popularity contest? blah. Who the fuck does that? Sounds like some shit the Seahawk bandwagons would think of.
Let me get this straight. Blazer management didn't call the cops when you entered the parking lot. Okay, but then you say you got into the waiting room and started giving them advice. Look, if they keep you around for anything other than in case the mascot calls in sick, it's to use your advice as a guide to what not to do. So your idea is to start a minor league of retired numbers, a Gladiator tryout queue for the big league of Blazer retired numbers. For example, put Roy in the Ring of Fire for a few years, and if he survives above the rest, award him Caesar's thumb's up and his very own retired number. So Blazer management chuckled at your Retired Number D-League idea. You better stick with us here in the poor side of town, the wrong side of the tracks.
They should start a Moda Center walk of fame and give Jerome a star. I think he should get a civic award through the Blazers organization and I'd have no problem retiring his jersey but Sabonis and Sheed should have theirs retired as well.
Guys who made the conference finals or championship finals should get first consideration for these awards
