Canzano: Damian Lillard as owner of the Trail Blazers? I'd buy that.

Discussion in 'Portland Trail Blazers' started by SlyPokerDog, May 7, 2017.

  1. SlyPokerDog

    SlyPokerDog Woof! Staff Member Administrator

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    Good on you, Damian Lillard. Rallying your teammates to donate your NBA playoffs bonuses to the support staff around Trail Blazers, Inc. was a cool move.

    I know some of those 25 employees. They're trainers and massage therapists and workers who give up their nights and weekends, trying to help the team win. Some of them have medical bills, others have children, and so giving a $223,864 nod to the support staff was a nice move.

    That goes for all the Blazers players. They each gave up $16,000 that, with other Blazers' teams, might have been spent on jewelry or sneakers.

    Now, Dame, will you please buy this team someday? Seriously. I think you'd be great at it.

    I wrote a column on the final night of the season about the broken culture of the organization. Culture -- let's be clear -- is not the same as locker room chemistry. It doesn't speak to the hearts of the players. Culture is an organizational trait. It starts top, down. And if the Blazers organization treated its employees over the years the way Lillard and Co. did in the case, Portland would be a far better NBA entry.

    Secretive. Thin-skinned. Controlling.

    Nobody ever stood in the winning circle at a Super Bowl, a World Series, a Final Four, or even the Kentucky Derby and used words like that. But as long as Paul Allen owns the Trail Blazers that's what they'll be. And maybe that's why it's futile for me to point out on a day like this that the Trail Blazers have it all backwards.

    Lillard and his teammates are trying to lead. They're going to work out together in the summer. They've made a solid financial investment in the support staff by donating to them. They're making a concerted effort to try and lift the team somewhere greater. But ownership and management haven't survived over the years by anything else than a single acronym.

    OGIT.

    That stands for "Only Game In Town." It's why the organization approached some of its most loyal season-ticket holders three months ago, with the team sputtering, and informed them their season-ticket prices were being raised. One courtside season-ticket holder received a heft season increase for his pair of tickets. His bill rose from $22,000 this season to $31,000 next season.

    "Their demo is dramatically different than the Timbers," the ticket-holder said. "They could use some real competition."

    Maybe Lillard will stay in Portland forever, one day own the Trail Blazers, and lead from the top. Maybe he'll get fed up and leave like other franchise players have.

    Years ago Scottie Pippen was interested in an ownership stake with the team when he finished playing in Portland. Pippen reached out to Allen numerous times after retirement but never received a call back. Allen hasn't appeared interested in selling the franchise, even when he threw the arena into bankruptcy and made us all wonder. A Trail Blazers vice president has corrected me over the years pointing out, technically, that Allen doesn't own the team -- Allen's company, Vulcan, Inc. does.

    I used the Warriors as my example of great organizational culture in that season-ending column because they have it. Top down. They just plain get it. But that culture only flourished after Joe Lacob's group bought an operation that sputtered and stalled for decades.

    Lacob had previously been part owner of the Celtics and walked in the doors with a 2008 NBA championship ring from the Celtics. Also, his venture capital firm: Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield, & Byers, had wild success with backing Amazon, Electronic Arts, and Sun Microsystems, among others.

    My point is -- there was nothing accidental about Lacob's previous success. The Warriors success on the court is, therefore, not a surprise. But it's led by top-down thinking that can best be described as sunny, focused and collaborative. Those are words that are often used in the winning circle.

    This is not a column about philanthropy. It's a column about leadership. Allen has given away millions to worthy causes and funded lots of endeavors. But when Lillard moved to urge his teammates to give their full bonuses to the support staff it made me wonder if the guy shouldn't be in charge.

    The donation was first reported by the organization's media partner. The news story coincided with Lillard receiving an award from the Professional Basketball Writer's Association for being accessible and professional. This early off-season has left me thinking a lot about the organization, though.

    Portland had the league's highest payroll for much of the season. That cost, apparently, is being passed onto some of the most-loyal season-ticket holders now.

    The Blazers have lived off the "OGIT" mentality for years. They could use competition an NFL team or a Major League Baseball team or even an NHL team would bring. Competition makes you sharper, stronger, and more alert. Any great runner would tell you that he or she was made better by the person in the next lane.

    But in the meantime, I'll just dream about an organization led by someone like Lillard someday. And buried in that a question for us all: Is the Trail Blazers organization willing to be led by a player?

    -- @JohnCanzanoBFT

    http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/or...trail_blazers_inc_coul.html#incart_river_home
     
  2. SlyPokerDog

    SlyPokerDog Woof! Staff Member Administrator

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  3. Strenuus

    Strenuus Global Moderator Staff Member Global Moderator

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    I wont even read it when you copy and paste it.
     
  4. SlyPokerDog

    SlyPokerDog Woof! Staff Member Administrator

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    ^ beavis_sinatra

    [​IMG]
     
  5. Strenuus

    Strenuus Global Moderator Staff Member Global Moderator

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    That cup is canzano, and I'd gladly tip that over.
     
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  6. e_blazer

    e_blazer Rip City Fan

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    Canzano was ridiculed far and wide for his previous piece. Of course he had to double down on it with this one. He has it bad for PA and the Vulcans.
     
  7. Dougnsalem

    Dougnsalem not barf

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    Trying to cover his ass for his BS "culture" article. Slimy scum, IMHO....
     
  8. H.C.

    H.C. Well-Known Member

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    I think sly is working for this guy now. Can't think of any other reason why he'd post his articles on s2.
     
  9. Mediocre Man

    Mediocre Man Mr. SportsTwo

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    So the team is moving to Oakland now? I'm having trouble keeping up. Is the Cow Palace still there?
     
    Last edited: May 7, 2017
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  10. stampedehero

    stampedehero Make Your Day, a Doobies Day Staff Member Moderator

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    Lacob's leadership = thLKV2T74V.jpg Paul Allens' Vision = th boulder ledge.jpg
     
  11. BlazerBeav

    BlazerBeav Well-Known Member

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    Joe Lacob? The guy stealing the franchise from the East Bay and moving it into SF so the rich dont have to travel as far? How about comparing the prices at Warrior games, Crapzano.
     
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  12. Red Rooster

    Red Rooster Bearded Villain

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    Schrödinger's Dame; simultaneously a culture problem and should buy the Blazers.
     
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  13. BonesJones

    BonesJones https://www.youtube.com/c/blazersuprise

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  14. BonesJones

    BonesJones https://www.youtube.com/c/blazersuprise

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    Was Paul Allen's success accidental?

    Should we compare Allen's and Lacob's success? Lacob isn't even close to being in the same league as Allen.
     
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  15. BonesJones

    BonesJones https://www.youtube.com/c/blazersuprise

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    PA doesn't want to sell. So what....?
     
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  16. BonesJones

    BonesJones https://www.youtube.com/c/blazersuprise

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    He made no points to backup his claim.
     
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  17. Stevenson

    Stevenson Old School

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    Didn't the Seahawks win the Super Bowl? Don't Allen and the Vulcans run that too?

    Damn you, logic!
     
  18. julius

    julius Global Moderator Staff Member Global Moderator

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    If you went back in time to 2012 and someone told you that the Warriors would have the best record in the NBA 2 years in a row, potentially going to their 3rd straight NBA finals, they'd probably laugh and point out the fact that the Warriors were one of the worst run franchises in the NBA.

    It wasn't until Curry's 6th year that the Warriors turned into what they are now. Point being, franchises can change on a dime with the right player.

    Owners help, but so does luck.
     
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  19. Wizard Mentor

    Wizard Mentor Wizard Mentor

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    Add to the fact that the Curry injury allowed them to sign him for dirt cheap. This upcoming season, they'll finally have to pay the piper. Had that injury not occured, they wouldn't have had the salary cap flexibility that would have let them sign their guys (like Draymon). Later, the salary cap went up an unprecedented amount allowing them to sign Durant. I'm not dogging on their organization, just pointing out that there was some fortuitous happenings that helped them a lot.
     
  20. blue9

    blue9 Well-Known Member

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    I tried, but couldn't get past the 1st sentence. He's just so very Bart's People:

     
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