Seems like he's the anti-Woj. http://www.nba.com/2010/news/features/david_aldridge/03/29/morning.tip/index.html?ls=iref:nbahpt1
DA is the best in the business. We had friends in common when I lived in DC and he was a beat writer for the Washington Post. He's a tremendously fair guy, going so far as paying up on a bet I had largely forgotten about.
Interestingly enough, they changed from checkers sets to chess sets at the practice facility. KP took credit for that, though. True story.
For whatever it is or isn't worth... Last week during an interview on Wheels at Work, Jason Quick all but said, without outrightly saying, that the guy mentioned is Mark Warkentien. Apparently Aldridge and Quick have spoken to the same people who say that Warkentien has always been trying to undercut KP to Allen behind KPs back and that Warkentien really wants the Portland gig and has been close w/ Allen ever since he left the organization... Quick went on to say that all the "Drummed up" stuff about the Minnesota/Penn issue was almost completely fabricated by this individual - again, he never actually said it was Warkentein outright, but everyone involved -- Quick, Kenny, Jay, etc. all knew who he was talking about, and after the interview the hosts began discussing it using Warkentein's name freely. SO, while I know not everyone around Portland believes Quick, the guys on 95.5 certainly seemed to know it was Warkentein as well... Again, take it fwiw...
Even I have to admit that KP is being done dirty here by Vulcan. I hope there is a fan revolt or something to send a message that we hate non-Basketball guys like Vulcan Inc. making personal decisions with the Blazers.
More opinions by writers on this topic: It’s an odd story, rife with everything from controversy to a conspiracy theory that Warkentien himself has a hand in what might happen to Pritchard. Warkentien denies any involvement, by the way. But that’s not nearly the point of this piece. Portland isn’t the only team interested in Warkentien. He is the single most-wanted free agent in the Nuggets’ organization right now, and the team should take the necessary steps to keep him. As he works on others’ contracts, Warkentien has no contract of his own beyond this season. He is one of the least-paid professionals in the NBA in his position. But he has been the backbone of what the Nuggets are right now — a team among the league’s elite with a shot at winning an NBA title. He is the reigning league executive of the year. He’s proven he can find talent to improve the Nuggets, even with financial constraints in play. When Dahntay Jones left for more money, he traded for Arron Afflalo. The Chauncey Billups trade was the big prize, but the smaller acquisitions (Johan Petro and Renaldo Balkman via trade; Ty Lawson via draft; Chris Andersen and Anthony Carter via signing) are the ones that have helped the team thrive and survive when key players have gone down. Warkentien constantly travels to watch future talent. He was a fixture at NBA Development League games in Broomfield. And he’s fiercely loyal to the organization. The biggest concern for the Nuggets is, without a clear reciprocation of admiration and a real determination to extend his contract, Warkentien has no real ties to Denver and could opt to go at any moment. He has a home in Lake Oswego, Ore., another reason the Portland rumors persist, and he also has a place in Las Vegas. He’ll get a pay raise wherever he goes and, likely, multiple years to go along with it. If the Nuggets are serious about staying among the NBA’s elite, all of that must come from them
Oh we know of Warkentien. This article made it seemed like the guy is possibly new to basketball. And Wark probably isn't qualified to run an NFL team, but the article says this guy is "buzzing around both the Blazers and the Seahawks... "
I get that. Didn't read the article, so I can't say for sure, but in the interview w/ Quick, he mentioned David Aldridge by name and said that Aldridge was going to write the same thing that Quick inevitably did. So I'm just going off the fact that its the same guy writing about the same situation and assuming it's the same "mystery figure".
You mean like Bob Whitsitt, who spent time running the Seahawks as well? Ha ha ha ha ha ha! I had to say it!
David Aldridge is sticking up for KP because KP drafted his cousin with the 2nd overall pick in the 2006 draft.
