If Quick would just stick to sports journalism, he'd be fine. It's when he personalizes his opinions that I become irritated. I give a shit what he personally thinks. It's not his opinion we all are clamoring for. This is why I don't listen to his podcasts are interviews on The Fan anymore.
Quick has been the Blazer beat guy for too long. He needs to move up to features or columns or he needs to move out. Let Joe Freeman take the reigns. Better yet, hire Brian Hendrickson from the Columbian--he's the best local writer on Blazers.
I get the point you are making and somewhat agree . . . although I don't think it is as easy as you say. Oden has the weight of the world on him, everywhere he goes cameras are in his face. some of the media is calling him medicore and over hyped (I dread to hear the questions he is being asked on each roadtrip), each game by ESPN or TNT identifies the Blazers through Oden, his body is probably not responding the way he is used to (guessing), and then this 20 year old kid has to take the floor on national TV against a Shaq or Howard or Yao (all beasts who know about Oden and are ready to take it to him), and show the world what he can do. How do you push all that aside?
No kidding. The Columbian is supposedly on life support anyway right now. I'd love to have Hendrickson with the Oregonian and have an opportunity to actually travel with the team instead of having to do road game recaps from a TV feed (which he does a damn fine job of regardless). I don't hate Quick, but what has it been 9 years covering the team now? I think anybody could get burned out after that much time.
Actually, I disagree with your last sentence. To my eye, it seems fairly obvious, that in some games, at some times, he is NOT trying very hard. Not his stats, not his accomplishments, but his consistency of effort and focus is what has me concerned about his play at times. If it looked like he was "into" each game, yet some games struggled with scoring or fouls or turnovers, I wouldn't have much if any concern. It seems a fairly easy leap to make to guess that his "sensitivity", his emotions, or whatever IS IN FACT affecting his game on the floor, as at times during a few games he has looked very lethargic, shell-shocked, bummed or god know's what - but something going on in his head other than just ballin' hard. Greg needs Zen Ball. Clear your mind of all distraction. Focus on the one. "Greg push guy away" "Greg get ball" "Greg dunk ball in hoop"
Yeah, Hendrickson is underrated definitely. I'd definitely like to see him in a better setting with more resources than the crappy Columbian, and see what he can do in a Quick-type role. You couldn't get two more different writers than Quick and Hendrickson... Quick being more the looking for the emotion-type articles, and Hendrickson being the stat geek. Anyway as for Greg... I think if you combine Greg's body with Jerryd's mental makeup and personality, you'd get a monster right now.
Odd how Quick claiming Oden seems depressed, which many here have noted, now leads to calls for him to lose his job. Perhaps Blaze the Cat should be the sole beat writer for the team? He could even wear poms poms while he is writing and talking about the team!
Funny. I happened to catch Jason Quick on "The Fan" with Isaac "Big Suck" Sukaniak, and he basically said he wished he would have thought a little more before he spoke; he really seemed to regret his choice of words when he said: "I can't stand to be around him." I'd recommend getting the podcast from 1080thefan.com when it becomes available.
