My best guess is it's a demographic difference. I see a lot of engaged and enthusiastic fans under the age of 30 attending games, twittering, fan posting, hosting post game shows, and overall they seem positive about the team. We legitimately challenge for the division every year, have a bona fide superstar, fan life if pretty good and no cause to rail against the GM. The older fan base, I think, has a substantial portion that is apathetic about the team and no longer voicing their opinions. If the Blazers are a form of entertainment, they're getting the same script year after year, decade after decade that's drained their attention span. I'm basing this from the behavior of my friends who are fans, absent long time posters on this board, dinosaur members from the media who aren't as active with the Blazers as they once were. Just my speculation, but I imagine there's a substantial silent contingent of the older fanbase that would be pissed at Olshey if they were still capable of being emotionally stirred by the Blazers anymore.
Bingo. You hit the nail right on the head. A 40+ year drought and an annual boatload of excuses has gotten exceedingly old. At my age I have better things to get cranked up about instead of waiting for lightning to strike again. And that’s the only way a small market team can win in a league that insists on stacking the deck in favor of the big markets. When players can afford to pass up major bucks in order to win a championship on an already stacked team, then there’s no reason to even try and compete. All that said, it still doesn’t detract from the fact that Olshey is a classic underachiever.
Actually, (ironically enough) BG’s wife is putting on a wine tasting for Channing Frye and 5 of his teammates (assuming they haven’t been traded in the past few days) after their last game. So yeah, for one night I’ll be an assistant sommelier and Cavs fan (they’re playing Charlotte).
Here is the only thing from Olshey I have seen so far: https://www.nbcsports.com/northwest/video/olsheys-gut-reaction-how-trade-deadline-went-down
I wish that when Olshey basically said we didn't have the expirings that teams needed, Jaynes had asked "Well, would it have helped if you had signed one of Leonard, Turner or Harkless to one less year?"
Dr. Tim, you'd make a good shrink. The stereotype is that young people are more easily bored, but actually, old fans are more borable because we have less time to wait. I've become a passive observer. My post count is mostly from my earliest years here.
Olshey is a quality GM. I like what he's doing. He has a plan. Obviously next year the Blazers have multiple expirings to offer. Patience, like the franchise showed with Layman, will pay off for this team soon regarding the ability to add, IMO, those final pieces to the puzzle. Like when the Blazers were able to add Buck. That move spurred the team toward greatness. Olshey is no fool. He will use those contracts next year. Patience! But enjoy the ride.
Look, I tried to make a big trade, but I couldn’t do it. I could say it takes two to tango, but I don’t even know how to tango. In fact, I’m a lousy dancer and a lousy GM, and I don’t know how I got this job.
Yep...The reason Paul promoted and extended him is because he is working the plan, especially through the draft.