I would think the Blazers could be communicating a bit more with the fans. Maybe a few question & answer sessions or something like that. As for the players, it'd be nice to see some of them around signing autographs... Makes me think we're forgotten.
Q&A about what though? Stern pretty much has everybody under a gag order or they face hundreds of thousands in fines and as for the players, almost none of them live around here in the off-season and since they aren't drawing a paycheck why should they feel obligated to glad-hand with fans? Most of them seem to be focusing on getting contracts with foreign leagues. My advice? Find something else to occupy your time: The NFL, college football, a book ... your family ... whatever.
I know what they can't talk about, but what about the things they can? Some meet & greets and maybe explain how players are scouted and evaluated, or price points with respect to concessions, or how trades really go down, the legal side of running a franchise... Just something to continue to communicate and be in the good light with fans.
I would think hiring a GM would be high on the list. [Or did they do that while I was out of town? If so, who is it?] barfo
Pay the players and coaches and get the season started. There's nothing else they can do or say that would interest me as a fan.
Ugh, all of that shit is window dressing ... The only real questions fans would have in an open forum would be some variation of "when is the lockout going to end," in which case all you'd hear is a bunch of "no comment." Which would make for the most boring-ass meet and greet I could imagine. Face it, there's nothing the Blazers can say or communicate to put themselves in a "good light" until this lockout bullshit gets settled.
Any such events would be PR losers for the organization. They'd just hear complaints. And no players would be present, so who wants to go anyway. Nothing to see. With no games for a year, Paul Allen can now work on his tan on Antarctic cruises. Maybe we'll again hear rumors that they flew his helicopter from the yacht to the Antarctic mainland, which as far as I know is the only helicopter to ever do so. It would have to be in the summer. Pictures, Paul! I hope everyone caught my post in which I found a link to what his sub's name is--Pongo. This is important.
