That's because the people that go to Bridgeport Village are the ones that sit in the front row of games and text the whole time.
Love the article and Rudy's attitude on all this. I can easily see why he is a fan favorite . . . but I'm wondering if anyone else thinks he has been off his game lately. Rudy must be a fan favorite because if Oden played like Rudy the last fewgames, posters would be talking about Oden all day. Does Rudy get a free pass because he is a fan favorite, becuase of lower expectations . . . or maybe Rudy's game hasn't dropped off lately.
Because Rudy doesn't walk around like a wussy, pouting and not hanging out with the team like Oden does.
complaints about overzealous fans seems to be a repeating theme from Blazers. I wonder how many of us would think interrupting him (or other Blazers) if they were eating a meal with their girl/families was perfectly OK... STOMP
I sat in the same waiting room as Steve Johnson once - just the two of us in a small space - and I didn't even say anything to him. I can't understand people that don't respect other people's space.
I thinkn it is more the way you make contact and what you say. Anytime I see a Blazer (ocasionally) I usually say hi, briefly let them know I go to the games and I really enjoy watching them play and where this team is heading. Everytime I get a smile and hand shake and a thank you . . . but maybe they roll their eyes after I leave. I figure they are public figures and it goes with the territory (and their millions in salary).
I agree. I don't tend to go up to celebrities, but I'm also not sympathetic to the "they don't respect my privacy" complaint. The derive their huge salaries from their fame. If nobody much cared about them, they might still be able to perform for money, but unlikely for such huge salaries. The fame and aura drives a lot of the marketing that drives up demands and prices. It goes with the job. They always have the choice, like any other person, to weigh the costs against the benefits and choose another vocation.
I don't think he's been playing that poorly. He could go 3-8 in every game and still have a good game because he is a playmaker -- he makes plays and contributes in other ways with key rebounds or steals or taking a charge or making a pass. He's always valuable on the court because of his court awareness and IQ. And as for his shooting -- he is a bit of a streak shooter. Streaky shooters need to take enough shots to get on a run. He doesn't get enough shots, consistently, IMO. I was at the Toronto game and he passed up a couple of shots early that he could have taken (after a couple went in and out), looking to set up teammates; then in the second half, he was wide open a few times with teammates looking right at him but not passing him the ball.
The other difference with Rudy is that you can see he is hustling. With Oden, it isn't always easy to tell if he is lost, or just coasting.
No, it's not. In the article it says she is 26 years old and the girl you posted, according to her profile, is 18 years old. The search is still on.
What other players have said similar things? Oden might get a lot of attention, but Portland by far is not the overzealous type city with the Blazer players. I have came across Blazers many times in social settings and have been pretty impressed with how the Blazers fans seem to not hound the players. A little gawking and looking sure, but nothing over the top at all. In fact a lot of players fall in love with the city and live here after their playing days. I'd think that your going to get hounded a little bit in every city, it comes with the territory of being in the spotlight. But, I'd have to say Portland is actually pretty good in this regard. I'd like to know why you think its a repeating theme?
I usually use this rule of thumb when I've run into a Blazer in public... if they're in the middle of something (like eating at a restaurant, watching a movie, etc.) I don't approach or interupt. If I'm passing by and make eye contact I say hi. However, celebrity comes with being in the NBA and the players know this coming in. It's part of the job and I seriously doubt any Portland fan is making Rudy's life (or any other player) unbearable. Portland fans are nice and that's why a lot of retired ex-Blazers come back to live here... try dealing with Knicks fans and media!
