I'm going to countdown our 16 wins in this thread. On Thursday night, I'll post "Win #1" then on Saturday, "Win #2," etc...etc... Eventually, I'll post #16 and we will be champs. This thread marks the turning point of our franchise. Believe Harder.
No offense, Eric . . . but . . . didn't you pull this same shit last year? That didn't work out so well against PHX then either.
No, I don't believe so. It's possible, but in 2003, I wrote a column when we were down 0-3 saying that I believed we'd the series and I posted a similar thread. Everyone had written us off, but I told everyone to "Believe Harder" because that is what a girl at the Rose Garden wrote on a sign when we were down 0-2. As we won Game 4, then 5, then 6, I wrote about how everyone was jumping back on the bandwagon one by one, etc. Anyway, I thought maybe saying "Believe Harder" would work again this year, at least to get us to Game 7. What we'll need is a a serious adjustment. In '03, it was Randolph moving into the starting lineup. This year, it has to be about Roy, Rudy, and Patty coming to life, in my opinion. Nate has to get those guys out there and figure out a way to inspire them to play better. Believe Harder
No, I'm pretty sure you used this sometime last year too. May not have been the playoffs but definitely last year. I'll find the link.
So this is a "belief" problem, not a piss poor bench problem? Hmmm, interesting; I hadn't considered this as a possibility.
Do they give championships for teams that were supposed to be a "dynasty" (never liked how people said that once they drafted Greg), and have had their window nailed shut? Because if they are, that's the one they can win.
I'm all for positive thinking - I was pretty down last night but I've come around now - bring on Game 3!
I remember once upon a time when an NBA analyst - might've been Hubie Brown or another TV guy who actually knows what he's talking about - said that one of the big advantages a team gets when playing at home is that "bench players perform better at home." It's one of those things I tend to watch, and as I recall from Game 1 of this series, Dallas went on a substantial run in the second quarter when bench players came in. If that trend holds true in Portland, I would expect the Blazers' bench to outplay the Mavericks' bench and provide a much better chance of Blazer wins in Games 3 and 4. I had thought that the Blazers had an excellent shot at winning this series in six games, if they could've won either Game 1 or 2. They could still do it, by winning Game 5, but I have a hard time "believing" that. For the time being, I'll "believe harder" that the Blazers will win these two home games.
I am a homer so I always believe. Sometimes it's tough, but that's what separates the "true fans" from the "fair weathered" ones. No call out on anyone here, just a generalized opinion.
You'll get up to win #1 before you'll have to close this thread with the way you guys are playing against the Mavs + refs.
I think you're confused. What separates fans from fair-weather fans is whether you continue to root for and be interested in the team, even when they're losing, or not. Belief is not a prerequisite, because sometimes it's stupid to believe that they're going to win (I'm not saying that's true in this particular case). If you believed that the 2005-06 Blazers were going to win the championship, you were an irrational fan, not a "true fan." People who believed that that team had essentially zero chance were rational, not fair-weather. You can rationally evaluate the team and still be a real fan.
Really? I have been watching this team for 34 years now, through thick and thin. However, I haven't always believed they were going to win the title every year. That wouldn't make me a true fan. It would make me a delusional fool. I do think Portland can steal this series from Dallas since they have a history of falling apart once momentum goes against them. But to say only folks who have no sense of reality are real fans is absolute bullshit.
I think we're talking about different meanings of "belief." To have faith and root for wins through thick and thin and "believe" that success is possible is one thing; to truly "believe" and say that success is likely is another. I have lots of faith that the Blazers have what it takes to succeed, especially against the Mavericks - and I "believe" in Portland, in that sense. But that doesn't mean I'm entirely convinced and "believe" that the Blazers will ultimately prevail.
I'm more rational than that. While I do not believe that team won the championship in the material world, I believe it SHOULD have. And maybe WILL. There are degrees of belief. I believe that when we arrive in the afterlife, we will discover that the Blazers actually won the championship in every single Bob Whitsitt year.
It also depends on how overconfident the Mavs feel. They've a history of collapsing under their own weight. I, for one, think it's worth believing in something. So, maybe nothing will come out of it, and call it a delusion or an ego, but I've got something most people don't. And if we win, it'll be that much more rewarding. I'll gloat over it to you nonbelievers and, man, we'd all be too damn happy to even care.
