Paragraph 1: What law is there again requiring Allen to fire him on the spot? The places I've worked didn't know about this law. If Allen felt it was less risk to keep him than to let him consult with another team, what's it to you? I don't get your 2nd paragraph. You say Blazer employees couldn't have known the reason, so...I don't see the conclusion. Who cares if they didn't/don't know?
This. Firing KP is perfectly within Mr. Allen's rights. Considering the stories going around I completely understand why KP was fired. But of all the fucking stupid moves to pull, firing your GM before the draft, then asking them to participate in the draft ranks pretty high. It's even worse because they knew they were going to fire KP for some time before they actually did. It's worse still because now Portland doesn't have a GM to lead the team during free agency or the heavy trading period. It's even worse then that because whatever GM they bring in won't be able to make their mark on the team for almost a full year. Had they fired KP in March, hired a dude by the end of April and had a plan in place by June I wouldn't be all that pissed. But they didn't and it pisses me off to no end.
It was intelligent and unemotional, unlike your flammable instincts. Next time Allen fires a janitor, he better ask you or you'll be mad, right? If you guys want to run the team, pony up your $300M.
I've never seen it. Then again, I work in an industry where trust is paramount. Once that trust is violated, you're shown the door. Believe me, I've seen it done to my peers and I've terminated people on the spot. The organization is always bigger than the individual. I understand why they kept him, because they were afraid of losing his draft intelligence, but that's the price you pay. You have to find a way to make it up. It's not like this is a one-off blunder by PA; I've never seen an owner so tone-deaf and I'm a Redskins' fan.
Yep that is what pissed me off about the whole thing. The timing. If KP was going to get let go, they should have done it right after the trade deadline. The part of the season you can afford to not have a GM, is the part of the season where no trade or signing activity is happening.
This is very true. KP could have been a real killer to let loose mid season. Heck one of our Western Conference competitors (I'm looking at you Denver) could have hired him as a consultant. As it is KP could do some damage when he goes elsewhere unless he has some serious stuff in his contract (I would hope so).
Not a clue. It's been played close to the vest. I do think it will be someone who currently has a job with another team, however. I don't buy the Danny Ferry news. Of course, I've been wrong before.
This isn't financial analysis. This is outdoing the other team, many times per year. Pure competition, the opposite of making the other guy feel comfortable and secure. If you want Allen to be like other owners, then an average owner will create an average team. We drop to .500 and we drop attendance. If the Portland economy is like Seattle's, and it is, the average owner makes no profit and has to sell the team to an outsider. The only thing preventing a move is Allen's generosity (you guys would call it incompetence) in signing a contract binding him to Portland with heavy financial penalties. No other owner (remember, you want an average owner) has signed on to anything remotely close. They are all in this for profit, unlike Allen. Even Cuban wouldn't be willing to touch the contract we have. Thank you, Paul. Just hire another inexperienced scrub like Pritchard was and with your $3M injections the team will work fine. But get someone this time who isn't a shill of the Oregonian. I like to see them pissed off.
I'm just going by what Larry said Thursday night. The search begins today! Also, the company that is doing the search has already hired one former Blazer GM. His name? Steve Patterson
You said that through his silence, PA was protecting KP. The obvious implication, is that KP was fired over some kind of misconduct/wrongdoing, rather than job performance. If that were the case, it wouldn't be a secret in the Blazer front office.(and somebody would have leaked it) Furthermore, once PA became aware that KP was engaged in something "bad" - be it sexual harasment or whatever - keeping him around would open the company up to all sorts of additional legal liability. If they were truly terrified he would take his knowledge and go elsewhere, they would have kept him under contract, but relieved him of his duties. In the alternative, they would have forced him into a severance package that included a "no compete" clause. Now, if you believe he was fired over job performance, or the dread "philosophical differences", then the timeline makes sense - but the secrecy does not. Now do you see what I am getting at?
It's unlikely that our analysis in March would have been of massive value to another team. If PA would have followed the strategy of cutting people that fell out of line, however, we would be viewed as a disciplined outfit that has our shit together, not Dysfunction Junction. At that point, we would have been in play for every top GM candidate available.
Taking Larry Miller at his word is never a good idea. He would look you in the eye and assure you that on opening night the musical act will not be a 70's era washed up R&B group.
Of course, this is 100% pure speculation. But to let him go the way he did was the very definition of classlessness. And that isn't speculation.
You assume the offense was illegal. What if the offense was against Allen himself, so that Allen need not worry about anyone complaining? We know that Pritchard has a big mouth. What if he yapped about what goes on on the yacht? More likely, what if Pritchard and Penn complained to other teams about Allen's personal habits or how much he pays them, giving away secrets? I would have handled it just like Allen did. You guys have never seen a firing delayed? Man, thousands happen every day across this country.
Why don't you guys admit it. What bothers you is that your hero was fired. You can't contest Allen's right to do that, so you're nitpicking about the timing. And admit that if the Oregonian didn't have a 15-year war going with Allen, and had just reported this firing as routine like any other daily would, you wouldn't have fallen in love with your easily replaced hero and wouldn't have to fall out now.
One way of redemption: Package a lot of the players/prospects KP and Co. collected over the years for an All-star caliber PG.
