Hmmm,,,why do you think that is? No offense, but of course there is going to be some difference. That doesn't mean he doesn't care. If he's to happy he'd be nailed for not caring too. He's in a no win situation.
That used to be Roy. I remember two years ago (54 win season) the Blazers could not win a game against the top teams in the Western Conference on the road. They were something like 1-13 at one point against the teams in the West that would make the playoffs. Harlow interviewed him after a tough road loss and he looked devastated, near teary eyed. His point was how bad he wants to win a championship, but that championship teams HAVE to win on the road. He said he didn't know what he else he could do, and that he had tried everything as a team leader to jumpstart the team on the road. I thought to myself, this guy will eventually figure it out - he's got that Kobe/MJ "Can't stand to lose" mentality. I think with everything that has happened to Brandon since the surgery last season, he's just happy to be playing right now. He wondered if his career was over, and now he's satisfied with being on the floor whatever the outcome is. As for Oden, I'm only surprised when he sounds POSITIVE in interviews these days. He's appeared moody, cranky, surly, all year whenever someone shoves a mic in front of him. We can only imagine what's it's like to have to walk in his knee braces. The hype around him was like that of guys like Ewing, David Robinson, Hakeem, Shaq, etc. He did an interview for ESPN The Mag before the '07 Draft and he said he wanted to win like 8 or 9 championships. So much hype. And now he's widely considered the biggest bust of the decade. That's a lot for anyone to stand up to, but Greg is exceptionally bad at it. Not every perennially injured "should have been HOFer" has the grace of Grant Hill I guess.
yeah thats my take as well, i hate to say it, but i get the feeling he would rather be somewhere else, i hope we can re-connect him to the portland vibe, and keep him around.
If everyone on this board were going through the same exact things as Greg over the past four years, there would be that many different variations of reactions to the whole ordeal. Myself, if all I had to do was focus on my own rehab with one or two physical therapists, trainers and doctors, I'd be fine. But put me in the situation Greg has been in with the media and the endless questions and the huge expectations, and I can tell you for certain I would not handle it even as well as Greg has. I'm basically a private person, and I get the feeling Greg is too. I'd be embarrassed, and I think Greg is too. I would be more than pissy by now. I'd probably be pretty rude and dismissive, and I couldn't get away from anyone asking me about it fast enough. Maybe he doesn't have the drive of a Kobe Bryant. I'm willing to bet he doesn't (few do). Maybe he will be a bust, for either physical or mental reasons. I can only hope not. Message board posters can sometimes be a bit like drivers in traffic: they feel protected by their isolation and can be pretty rude, harsh and judgemental to others on the road without any consequences. Sometimes I think that's why we have message boards in the first place. The guy just had micro-fracture surgery. Again. Because of other surgeries, he hasn't been in shape in years. We are not going to know how Greg is doing until training camp. And neither will he. I don't expect any more from Blazers fans than I do from Greg. I hope both will show some patience until then.
Injured and unable to play basketball? We agree! He's going to take the Q.O. and get out of PDX as fast as he can, IMO.
This whole scenario just pisses me off. I remembered watching the lotto that year and getting teary eyed. Saying "Wow Portland finally caught a break!" We know how that turned out... I am just trying to hope for the best.
You keep saying that, but to me it makes absolutely no sense. IMO, he's going to get offers from other teams for something like 3 years at $8 to $10 mil per year and the Blazers will match any such offer. Even if no other team makes this kind of an offer (and I think that's highly unlikely), the Blazers would make him an offer like that on their own. He's such a potential game changer that he's worth the risk. He'd really have to hate Portland to turn down a guaranteed salary of $8 mil per year for 3 years to take a risky one year deal at the same price just so he can be a free agent the following season.
Greg didn't want to do the interview, which he made clear at the start, but he was polite and answered all of the questions. I imagine it gets real old knowing that you're going to get the same questions about rehab over an over, so I can understand him not being thrilled at doing the interview. Everything he said, though, seemed consistent with a guy who's committed to making a return and wanting to dominate his position. Loved his comment about it being a guards league now with the officiating. You could see that he'd really like to be able to use the old Shaq-type offensive moves where you just bull your way to the hoop.
I didn't like what I watched of the interview just because of his cranky attitude at the start. Some people on camera seem like they are cool and show that they respect people no matter their position...some people appear to have a bad attitude and treat "lower" positions poorly. Seems like Greg falls in the latter. Is there going to be a sucker that tries to "stick it to us" with a larger than reasonable offer that they think we'll have to match? (ala Milsap)?
Yes, being in a bad mood one day definitely means that Oden treats people of "lower status" badly. If you are ever in a bad mood when talking to a woman (or a man, if you are female), I'm sure it would be reasonable for someone to extrapolate that you are the type of person who treats the opposite sex badly. It's interesting that when an athlete fails to perform to expectations, people look for as many non-sports reasons to vilify that athlete. I guess they'd feel silly just saying "I hate this guy because he didn't do what I hoped he'd do in a sport I follow." They feel they need better reasons.
Still makes me smile, even though its so disheartening... [video=youtube;thTIYCXcx90]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thTIYCXcx90&playnext=1&list=PLBFDAE04B62D24F8C[/video]
I really don't know what folks expect. If I was him, all these questions and rehab would probably be getting pretty old by now too.
Actually it fits into a pattern of things I've heard. But he definitely acts like a wanker at the start of the video. Then seems to force himself to be civil since Casey makes sure to let him know they are live (good for Casey). I was just commenting on what was shown...never said I hated him and I'll gladly vilify folks irregardless of their athletic performance. Commenting on available facts is a lot more fun than never saying anything because I don't have 100% intimate knowledge. Then I commented on how I thought the Q.O. situation will play out... any thoughts on that? I think someone is going to make an offer that will make the matching decision very difficult.
Anyone in the public sphere deals with repetitive irritating questions because there are so many news outlets going after their own interview and it's part of marketing. It's how folks deal with it that gives a little window into who folks are...
It's just my gut opinion. He's young enough that he's going to get another contract anyhow, and I don't see there being much of a season next year. It would make sense to take the Q.O., play in a shortened season (or no season at all), and then go on the open market. At least, it makes sense to me. I'm not saying that's what he's going to do, but that I think that's what he's going to do.
