Elisabeth Kubler-Ross and the Blazers

It's no understatement to say every single Blazer forum in which I post has become pretty unenjoyable over the past few months. I've been struggling to figure out why the change in our fortunes has resulted in so much gnashing of teeth and has brought out the worst in many posters, then the work of Elisabeth Kubler-Ross came to mind.

She was a psychologist who wrote about grief and loss. She developed a five phase model that I've included below:

The vast majority of the people that post on this board are fans that live and die with this team. We've suffered what amounts to a loss and we're grieving. I've found myself going through these five phases and thankfully find myself at acceptance, although I still struggle with being depressed about this team. I know I've been an ass during the past few weeks when I was deep into the anger phase, and for that I apologize.

I think most of us are still at #2, which is anger and another section of us are at #4 which is depression; it's why the forums haven't been much fun. I hope we as a group can move past anger, bargaining and depression and get to a point where we can accept our new reality and make the best of it.

If the post speaks to any of you at all, I'd be interested to know which phase you're in.

 

I have been in stage 5 since the beginning of training camp. Until Nate is gone, and we start getting rid of aging player for a do-over, we aren't going anywhere. I still get angry from time to time, but not nearly as bad as years past.

 

I think I've been in stage 5 for a little while as well. After Oden went down (again), it seems that this once promising season was going to be another dogfight to get a top 5 seed in the playoffs. However, after seeing Roy at about 20% of his former self, we would be lucky to get in at all. I still get angry when we go through one of our typical (this year) second half total collapses, but my expectations are now pretty low so I just accept it. We've lost most of our (perceived) trading chips, so there really won't be any miracle trades that save our season.

 

5. Acceptance. I am in the phase where I am looking for the team to retool and try again, and I don't expect them to win anything but maybe a playoff birth at best. I don't expect for Greg Oden to ever play for the team. I don't expect Lamarcus to play like an All Star anymore, because he isn't, I accept him for the above average role player he is. I really don't expect the team to turn around until maybe the GM after this one, because of the way Cho has started out doesn't give me a lot of confidence in him, and with Roy in his current situation, I expect the team will be hampered with his contract for the next 4 years. I watch the game to enjoy the crazy ass plays that happen, and try to ignore the refs, because they just rain on all but the top teams parades.

 

You're in stage 1 about being in stage 5; you have been in stage 2 for years, though.

 

I guess I don't treat the success or failure of the Blazers as being grief-worthy.

 

You are welcome to look back at post of mine. Most of them say I am not shocked because our team just isn't that good. And I already know who is to blame. It's more anger twoards lemmings on this board that kept thinking Nate was a good coach

 

I'm at acceptance.

I pretty much check on the score sometime between halftime and the end of the third quarter. If the Blazers are competitive, I'll watch the game that's recording on my DVR. If it's a suck-fest, I'll find something better to do.

I kind of got hosed in that Memphis game because they really only quit in the 4th. I wish now I'd just skipped the whole game and watched a good movie instead.

Anyway, I figure it's at the "acceptance" stage because I don't really get worked up anymore. My three favorite players--Oden, Batum and Roy--seem to be done at least for the year. Not much is likely to change with that. So I might as well get over it.

 

That's fair; I mostly wanted to make a lame joke.

It might be the effect your avatar has on how I read your posts.

 

I could always change it to Hermie, the elf that longed to be a dentist? That would sort of tie into Greg Oden as well.



In fact..............

 

Neither for me.

I'm a fan. Win or lose. A fan.

 

Is there a step for bitter laughter because there have been moments in the last 4 weeks where the team was so bad all I could do was laugh.

Like every time Sean "The Payroll Thief" Marks steps on the court.

 

lol! It's working on me too! You suddenly seem more cheerful!

I need to change mine.

 

Don't read too much into it, Nate is still an ass clown

 

Maybe you need to accept that people are entitle to their opinion? Then maybe the anger will go away.

 

The funny thing is you are so wrong about Nate always being a bad coach.

I can pick numerous coaches in the NBA, tell people on the board for years and years about how bad a coach they are and eventually when that coach gets fired (usually happens much faster than Nate's tenure), I can stand up and say look I told you he was a bad coach.

Nate has been a great coach in the past. If the players aren't responding to him now, the Blazers need a change. But guarenntee you Nate finds another coaching job if he wants one.

I do like the avatar change, I too read the posts different . . . strange.

 

I don't think it will because some peoples opinions are too far out there. Like me saying Nate is a horrible coach. He's not really horrible, just not nearly as good as most people in here gave him credit for.

 

When in the fuck has Nate been a great coach, and why?


You see. Mike, this is what I am talking about