PATTERSON BIG SHOW INTERVIEW

Not sure if this has been posted elsewhere, but thought it deserved its own post and surprised there isnt one. Patterson was on the Suke/Ropp show. He was on for about 2 hours today and it was FASCINATING commentary, and that's not meant to be sarcastic. They might as well have been in a bar sharing beers and listening to his war stories. Super compelling and I was surprised at his candor. He digressed on a number of juicy topics-- notably Vulcan's very real influence and the Pritchard saga-- and the only unfortunate part of the conversation was Ropp constantly interrupting Patterson to give us unnecessary punctual updates on the picks. I've never really minded Ropp before, but man he was doing his best to fuck up some killer inside info and annoying the piss out of me.

I started listening mid-interview and from what I gather, he suspects or has heard through the grapevine that it ultimately came down to Allen's perception that Pritchard and Penn were conspiring to usurp the President and GM titles. This allegedly took place last summer, when Penn was being mentioned for the T-Wolves GM position. I think Patterson said the plot was devised by the agent and he has no knowledge of Penn or Pritchard being aware of it. Basically the agent posturing behind the scenes to get his two guys those titles. It may have came to light in the succeeding months as Vulcan starting making inquiries with the T-Wolves.

So, Patterson didnt denigrate Pritchard and even said he has done a great job of acquiring talent and he would like to still see Pritchard running the team. He basically didnt come across as guy with a bone to pick with Pritchard. I think he gave a pretty honest assessment of KP, acknowledging he may have made some PR mistakes, but his basketball assessment was very good.

He also acknowledged that Vulcan is heavily involved in Blazer operations, and that the key for a GM is to maintain one-on-one repoire with Allen. The problems start when certain Vulcan players get between management and Allen. I mean, this has always been the suspicion, but very interesting to hear from the horse's mouth.

Patterson, also, defended his involvement in the 06 draft. The moves were basically his making, but he shared credit with everyone down to the admin people shuffling the paperwork. Interesting that Gabriel was the point-man for the second round, which Patterson said was critical to allow him full attention to pull the first round deals. A team effort basically.

I think he came off very well and he really changed my opinion of him. He has sort of a slick, unctous look and came off callous in his tenure, but after listening to him, I can maybe see his perspective. I'm leaving out a lot, and hopefully someone has a better summary. Fascinating stuff though, really offset the ho-hum day as it was.

I would love to hear more about that 2006 draft. This draft was the focal point in the Blazer turn around. Was it Patterson or was it KP orchestrating the moves?

Pinwheel1 said:

I would love to hear more about that 2006 draft. This draft was the focal point in the Blazer turn around. Was it Patterson or was it KP orchestrating the moves?

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I have heard before from the Oregonian that Patterson was the guy who made those moves in 2006, and now he's saying it again on 1080. If it's true, it really changes my perception of KP. If you remove Aldridge and Roy from his resume, what do you have left?

Natebishop3 said:

I have heard before from the Oregonian that Patterson was the guy who made those moves in 2006, and now he's saying it again on 1080. If it's true, it really changes my perception of KP. If you remove Aldridge and Roy from his resume, what do you have left?

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That and the fact Patterson was fired shortly after that. I assumed that Paul liked what he saw in the War room from KP that night and that is why he promoted him.

Natebishop3 said:

I have heard before from the Oregonian that Patterson was the guy who made those moves in 2006, and now he's saying it again on 1080. If it's true, it really changes my perception of KP. If you remove Aldridge and Roy from his resume, what do you have left?

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Batum, Cunningham, Fernandez, Pendergraph, Bayless, Outlaw+Blake for Camby.

Natebishop3 said:

I have heard before from the Oregonian that Patterson was the guy who made those moves in 2006, and now he's saying it again on 1080. If it's true, it really changes my perception of KP. If you remove Aldridge and Roy from his resume, what do you have left?

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Pinwheel1 said:

That and the fact Patterson was fired shortly after that. I assumed that Paul liked what he saw in the War room from KP that night and that is why he promoted him.

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Was Patterson actually fired?

Drttimmy said:

I started listening mid-interview and from what I gather, he suspects or has heard through the grapevine that it ultimately came down to Allen's perception that Pritchard and Penn were conspiring to usurp the President and GM titles.

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This makes sense to me and is something I've been thinking of. Larry Miller looks weak and it isn't surprising the wolves would want to take him out. I kind of think Paul would have been better off if he'd let them win, since I don't see what Larry adds to the organization, but obviously trying to get your boss ousted is an excellent way to get yourself fired.

barfo

barfo said:

This makes sense to me and is something I've been thinking of. Larry Miller looks weak and it isn't surprising the wolves would want to take him out. I kind of think Paul would have been better off if he'd let them win, since I don't see what Larry adds to the organization, but obviously trying to get your boss ousted is an excellent way to get yourself fired.

barfo

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It looks fun in the movies and on TV though, but in the real world it tends not to work so well. BTW I think Larry Miller is an under valued asset to the organization. He understand business, he understands how to organize people, and I know about 10 people that have worked for him either at Nike or back in the day at Jantzen and they have all said that he is a standup guy. Keep in mind that he was in sports apparel before he got to Nike, and found his way to the top of the MJ line somehow someway. I think sometimes people think Larry Miller reached his level because he was an educated black man, but the truth is that the dude worked his way to the top from what I understand. BTW I was not implying that you feel the race card was in play, simply that I get the feeling that many people do view Larry as a token hire.

Sug said:

Was Patterson actually fired?

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I think so. i don't remember him resigning. I am too tired or I would Google it.

From Isaac's blog on 1080thefan.com, saying something similar to the OP.

Steve Patterson, former Blazer President and the man who hired Pritchard, was in-studio for two hours during our coverage. He confirmed a large part of KP’s firing was due to the “phantom nature” of the Tom Penn offer from Minnesota drummed up by KP/Penn agent Warren Legarie. If you remember, reports leaked that the offer for Penn to become T-Wolves GM was entirely made up in order to get Penn more money and in better standing in the organization. It appears Legarie was trying to get Penn promoted to GM and Pritchard to President behind Larry Miller’s back. This got back to Paul Allen via one of Allen’s cronies who has a long history with LeGarie. Whether or not Pritchard knew the offer was false remains to be seen. However, I’m sure he was advocating they should do what it takes to keep Penn, thus implicating himself as a part of the deception. That’s at the very least. He and Penn may have known what was going on which by any standards is a fireable offense. Remember Legarie spinning Pritchard as a sacrificial lamb via the Oregonian?

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http://www.1080thefan.com/pages/2901506.php

barfo said:

This makes sense to me and is something I've been thinking of. Larry Miller looks weak and it isn't surprising the wolves would want to take him out. I kind of think Paul would have been better off if he'd let them win, since I don't see what Larry adds to the organization, but obviously trying to get your boss ousted is an excellent way to get yourself fired.

barfo

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It was the first time I'd ever heard or considered it, and my initial gut reaction was to sympathize with Allen/Miller--which would be a first for me since this ordeal began. Any such conspiracy might make Allen much more sympathetic and protective of Miller, and may have indirectly solidified his status with Allen. And if true, I'm sure Miller would be aware, so how could he stomach saying things like he considers Pritchard a friend? Unless he respects Pritchard's defense that he knew nothing of Legarie's duplicitous maneuverings. I dont know, interesting nonetheless.

Wow, I can totally see this as the truth. Also a part of me feels that the reason KP acted so noble the whole time was because he knew that if the truth got out his future would be fucked.

Sug said:

It looks fun in the movies and on TV though, but in the real world it tends not to work so well. BTW I think Larry Miller is an under valued asset to the organization. He understand business, he understands how to organize people, and I know about 10 people that have worked for him either at Nike or back in the day at Jantzen and they have all said that he is a standup guy. Keep in mind that he was in sports apparel before he got to Nike, and found his way to the top of the MJ line somehow someway. I think sometimes people think Larry Miller reached his level because he was an educated black man, but the truth is that the dude worked his way to the top from what I understand. BTW I was not implying that you feel the race card was in play, simply that I get the feeling that many people do view Larry as a token hire.

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I am not sure I can fairly judge Larry's impact on the organization, because a lot of what I presume to be his job is invisible to those outside of the organization. What I can see doesn't inspire me - he's not very good at talking to the press, for example. That's not great for the president of a big organization, but not absolutely fatal either. It's clear from his resume that he knows how to succeed in business, whatever my impressions from a distance might be.

If KP thought he could take a run at Larry, though, that suggests that KP didn't think Larry was in such a great position. Obviously (if this is true), KP fatally misjudged the situation. KP isn't an idiot, but KP is probably much less skilled in corporate infighting than Larry.

barfo

So basically Tom Penn and his agent fucked everything up! Bastards!

barfo said:

I am not sure I can fairly judge Larry's impact on the organization, because a lot of what I presume to be his job is invisible to those outside of the organization. What I can see doesn't inspire me - he's not very good at talking to the press, for example. That's not great for the president of a big organization, but not absolutely fatal either. It's clear from his resume that he knows how to succeed in business, whatever my impressions from a distance might be.

If KP thought he could take a run at Larry, though, that suggests that KP didn't think Larry was in such a great position. Obviously (if this is true), KP fatally misjudged the situation. KP isn't an idiot, but KP is probably much less skilled in corporate infighting than Larry.

barfo

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My bet is that PA was none to pleased to find out that an agent he already disliked was up to no good once again. Regardless I think that Larry Miller clearly has a direct line to PA, and when it appeared that someone was trying to cut that line PA was not a happy camper.

Natebishop3 said:

I have heard before from the Oregonian that Patterson was the guy who made those moves in 2006, and now he's saying it again on 1080. If it's true, it really changes my perception of KP. If you remove Aldridge and Roy from his resume, what do you have left?

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There was a Patterson interview on the MSP right after the Penn firing and it was one of the most fascinating things I've ever listened too (so good in fact that I downloaded it and still listen to it occassionally). He didn't come across at all like he was trying to take all the credit for the Roy - Aldridge deals, but at Jaynes prompting about him not receiving the credit he was due he rapped off the things he'd done for the team that he felt good about in hindsight ... curiously, he cited "bringing in KP to handle the PR side of things" It was an off-hand comment that shocked me a little bit.

I will say this, Patterson sounds like he's more relieved than anything not to have to put up with the organization and the way they do things. I suspect he was hired to be a hatchet man; given a mandate to slash salary and payroll with no regard for competitiveness in the short run, but due to communication issues with Vulcan, some poor performance in a couple of drafts and a hostile relationship with Quick and Canzano it ultimately cost him his job (probably deservedly so).

I wonder if we're not seeing a similar pattern repeated here? KP sold allen on spending a lot of money on Euros that may never come over (Petteri, Freeland, Claver, etc.), possibly sold Allen on the Darius Miles retirement as a means to tons of cap room that backfired, stubbed his toe in his pursuit of Hedo, bungled the Roy contract negotiations (which he was removed from) and at some point his agent maybe tried to maneuver KP and Penn into positions of greater power, but over-reached and finally ran out of Paul Allen trust and patience. Just my hunch.

Fender said:

So basically Tom Penn and his agent fucked everything up! Bastards!

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KP + TP - (LM + PA)/WL = Fucking Chaos

If this were true, we could actually say that Paul Allen would be the stand up guy for not telling the media the truth because otherwise KP and TP would be the laughing stock of the league.

An interesting take that's worth the read.

http://ripcityproject.com/2010/06/2...kp/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Nikolokolus said:

An interesting take that's worth the read.

http://ripcityproject.com/2010/06/2...kp/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

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I find the logic somewhat lacking. For example:

If character issues were the reason you got fired, leaking your firing an hour before the draft isn’t the smartest thing.

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Why? What difference does it make? You are still fired, for the same reasons. And what does it say that the Blazers back up the 'leak', saying that the decision was made an hour before the draft?

barfo

Nikolokolus said:

An interesting take that's worth the read.

http://ripcityproject.com/2010/06/2...kp/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

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That was perfect, thanks for the link.

barfo said:

I find the logic somewhat lacking. For example:



Why? What difference does it make? You are still fired, for the same reasons. And what does it say that the Blazers back up the 'leak', saying that the decision was made an hour before the draft?

barfo

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I'd call that somewhat unprofessional (on both sides) ... you're right though, I'm not sure it really says anything about character.

Nikolokolus said:

An interesting take that's worth the read.

http://ripcityproject.com/2010/06/2...kp/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

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Good read. I think with time, there will be some understanding from PA's side on this whole debacle as more of the story gets out. But right now.. Allen would probably not want to show his face in Portland.

Nikolokolus said:

I will say this, Patterson sounds like he's more relieved than anything not to have to put up with the organization and the way they do things. I suspect he was hired to be a hatchet man; given a mandate to slash salary and payroll with no regard for competitiveness in the short run, but due to communication issues with Vulcan, some poor performance in a couple of drafts and a hostile relationship with Quick and Canzano it ultimately cost him his job (probably deservedly so).

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The media angle was another piece of the interview that was interesting. Basically, he implies LeGarrie made nice with Quick and fed him a lot of information. Quick, naturally, then writes his stories with a bias toward Pritchard and his views. Helps explain why the perception is the 06 draft was largely Pritchard's doing. Patterson then says his agent doesnt work the media that way, and as a consequence, his true involvement and impact was never accurately portrayed.

I agree, he did sound somewhat happily detached from the team. Didnt come across bitter or harboring anything personal. Basically said his piece and we can choose to take it or leave it. Kind of refreshing actually.

Nikolokolus said:

An interesting take that's worth the read.

http://ripcityproject.com/2010/06/2...kp/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

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Hmm. He does seem to make some judgements, rather than just offering a different perspective I think. "KP had his chance to make this team right." What does that mean? What's wrong with them that needs to be righted? They have potential championship caliber pillars and he actively tried tweaking with the supporting cast. They are improving year to year(albeit not as fast as I and many would like) and are a dangerous respectable team. None of this could be said at the start of his shift. Just seems a thoughtless statement in my opinion.

In hindsight, he probably didnt capitalize the most of his assets...but the thing is, he created those assets. Those would-be blown opportunities were opportunities to begin with largely to his doing. I'm not super hopeful the next guy will be able to manufacture so many options for himself...to blow or capitalize on.

Also, I think when he was hired, he was the youngest GM in the league. Like a young coach or player, Allen had to have known Pritchard was going to slip every now and then while maturing in the role. He was likely to continuing improving and become better at trading, etc.

Agree with his last paragraph though. This is a bad time of the year to be without a GM.

Drttimmy said:

This is a bad time of the year to be without a GM.

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Yes. JQuick suggested tonight that a new guy will be in place by July 4. I hope so. It would be bad news if the search stretches out for several weeks.

barfo

He will be on 95.5 in the 8 o'clock hour today.

Listening to the show for the first time in a while. CP is ridiculous. "Babbitt is a slow white guys who can't shoot". I hate radio guys who says shit they don't really believe just to get a rise out of people. Other than that the show is pretty good this morning.

I agree. I always thought Patterson was a decent fellow, but was sked to do some specific thangs by Vulcan, did them, and then was abandonded. Vulcan doesn't like people that can be a threat to their power.