I'd rep you just to confuse you, but apparently I've repped you too much lately. You are something else.
Because I think there should be evidence FOR criticizing someone, not "show me evidence that he should NOT be criticized." I think the second demand is intellectually bankrupt. He admitted that he was not eating right and was not living an optimal lifestyle. I said as much in my own post. If you want to criticize him for that (his past lifestyle misdeeds) have at it. After saying he was turning over a new leaf, I'd need evidence that he's not living up to it, as the original post (and a couple of posters) are alleging. It's pretty standard: those who make the initial assertion/claim (Oden not living up to his resolutions) have to back it up. (You will, perhaps, notice I made no counter-claims of my own, so I have nothing I need to back up with evidence. I simply criticized, or mocked, what I considered terrible evidence for a claim made by someone else.) The original poster was using the picture as substantiation. As far as I'm concerned, it doesn't substantiate the claim that Oden is failing to do what he said he'd do. If you or someone else has better evidence, I'm all for looking at it.
Years ago I critisize Oden for not eating right. Recently he admitted to not having eaten good food and said he will turn over a new leaf. Sounds like I was right about my "guess". My guess was based on his statement that he ate junk food. Duh. I critisized and was jumped on for complaining about his eating habits. We have no evidence to indicate one way or the other if he has kept to his promise - well - other than a witness account of him drinking. Human nature says old habits die hard. Your presumption of a relatively rare major lifestyle change despite zero evidence is the reach. Intellectually bankrupt, if you will.
Perhaps that was the OP's intent, but that post was a red flag to me about Oden, considering him admitting that he drank too much. Of course, that was a red flag to me years ago, after Oden saying the best part of turning 21 would being able to legally have a beer (paraphrasing what he said at the time). It was no surprise to me that he had to come out in public and admit to excessive drinking. To me, this photo, and the first-person account of him drinking, would trouble me only if I was Cho and was deciding whether or not to sign the guy to an $8.3m contract. Since I don't have to make that decision, I don't really care if he is out drinking. I just don't see how him doing so is at all in his best interest, looking at his own words prior to the season about alcohol. As a fan, it does make me a bit more skeptical on the life decisions that he makes that can impact his career.
I talk to the bartender and he said Oden had a diet coke and ordered out for a grill chicken salad. So what's the problem? Where was he seen at again?
Hell, let's just say it: Oden doesn't share the misery felt by the team's fans. It may not be fair, it may not even be rational, but as human beings we resent that. We cling to the illusion that the players should care even more than we do.
When did he admit this? Greg Oden's mind appears to be mending quicker than his knee - Jason Quick Quick basically contradicts himself in the article claiming Oden gave up alcohol, while burying the actual fact that he never said he had given it up entirely deeper down in the article. So you can de-wad your panties a bit over a grown man having a drink and wanting to be left alone.
This board takes little quotes or statement from articles and analyzes and probably over analyzes them on a daily basis. In this case we are taking a picture and what we know about Oden to draw up some opinions. Nothing wrong with that . . . in fact I think Blazer fans probably have some of the best opinions when it comes to Blazer players. I know some have been expressing concern about Oden's commitment to the game since before he was drafted . . . and it was the same respones back then "you don't know shit". Maybe, but what do you know, Oden eventually admitted some of this when talking about his partying and eating lifestyle (not committed 100% to his physical condition). I know for me I expressed concerned with Oden's drinking when Oden was asked his first or second year what he liked most about going to Canada with his team. His response was his favorite thing was the drinking age and he can drink legally. I said back then, "bad answer big guy" and it turned out to be teliing eventhough some said you can't draw that from one statement. Well it was an opinion and as it turned out the right one. Maybe Pdx doesn't have all the proof, but his hunch about Oden is not one that is hard to imagine. If this was Roy or LA, that would be different, but is Pdx saying anything that is really far fetched?
What does the picture tell you? Heck it's so blurry I wouldn't even know it was Oden unless someone told me. Big problems occur when peoples memories about "what they know" are just as fuzzy as the picture posted. So we have two drinking jokes(quotes of these would be nice), misinterpreted articles & a blurry picture. Solid.
If I posted a picture of Greg Oden's Drivers License someone would complain that he wasted all that time waiting in line at DMV when he could have been working on his game. Dude can't win.
That's my point, does it have to be solid to give an opinion here. I had an opinion about Oden based on something someone said he said. My opinion is he may have an alcohol problem. Not solid evidence, but guess what, correct opinion. So let me play your game . .. what does the clarity of the picture have to do wtih anything? We know it's Oden, does the clarity somehow change your opinion. It must because you made an issue of it . . . the picture is fuzzy. Solid.
How many other Blazer players, off of the top of your head, have your heard give an interview to a beat writer in which they said that they needed to cut back on partying and drinking alcohol? Don't blame me because I was concerned about this years ago and took a lot of crap on BBF when I posted that his comments about turning 21 troubled me. Since that point, he has admitted to a member of the media that he needed to cut back on drinking. I'd say my concern at the time was warranted. Not sure what your MO is here since you're so "new" (yeah, right ), but misrepresenting what people have posted seems to be near the top of the list. As I said, I don't care if Oden is out at the clubs drinking, but then again, I don't have to decide whether or not to re-sign him.
Back-it-up. Where did he say this? Link the article. Then why: You don't care, but you've been concerned for years about it?
Who was this "someone" & what did they say that convinced you Oden has a drinking problem? It's a fuzzy pic of what may be Greg Oden @ a club. No the clarity doesn't matter, I was alluding that peoples memories were as fuzzy as the picture. You're the one suggesting the picture and your 2nd hand sources were enough to convince you that Oden has a very serious drinking problem...
