THURSDAY: ODEN, LOCKOUTS AND A RAY OF HOPE FOR THE DUCKS

3-I read a story this morning about Jordan Jefferson, the LSU QB and how he was the key to the Tigers 2011 success. Interesting that one common factor in teams that beat Oregon under Chip Kelly is QB play from the opposition:

Stanford 51 Oregon 42: Andrew Luck 12-20 251 2 TD 0 INT
Boise State 19 Oregon 8 Kellen Moore 19-29 197 1 TD 0 INT
Ohio State 26 Oregon 17 Terrelle Prior 22-37 266 2-1  (72 rushing)
Auburn 22 Oregon 19 Cam Newton 20-34 265 2-1 (64 rushing)

7 TD 2 INT ...Impressive list.

Jordan Jefferson?
2- The NBA lockout will occur tonight. Maybe it's not a bog deal now because it's the off-season but there is much to do. Fee agency, trades, workouts, summer leagues all gone. Bottom line, no NBA business because they can't split $3.8B in revenue. Currently the players get 57% of the revenue. If I'm an owner I want at least 50/50 or I don't budge. I see this lasting a long time. What do you think?

1-Oden. How good can he be and what are the alternatives? Why does Oden feel to me like that relationship you can;'t give up but you know you should? what is his ceiling, what is best and worst case and what is likely? Is he Tyson Chandler, Nene, or better or worse? I think the Blazers love someone who is like that girl who can't get her act together....and the fans lose.

This is the headline that I feel most like........

Other issues:

• The lockout is official in the NBA. Now the NBA and NFL is locked out. What can fans do to become a factor so that these leagues will use a deadline as a deadline? Right now they know fans will comeback. If you allow yourself to be stepped on, you will continue to get stepped on. 
• Would you buy Tiger endorsed heat rub or is it too soon?
• Do other fans want Oden on their team?
• I guess you can get away with this when you are an NFL player
• Who will win the Pac-12 South? Good news for whoever wins the North...
• What is the deal with planking?
• Would you go to ESPN the Movie?
• Women more likely than men to sext. Don't you need both?

WEDNESDAY: VIEWING PAC-12 GAMES, OSU'S BAD NEWS AND BLAZERS DIRECTION

3-Do you see a day when the TV is like the newspaper and everything is online watching sports? An article says that Larry Scott may think that a deal with Google may be the future of sports. Watch them when and where you want to without being chained to the TV, just like newpapers. Newspapers are dead, will TV soon be as well or will it be a while until we are ready to evolve to this level of sports viewership?

2-The ESPN blog asks: Does new Wisconsin QB Russell Wilson doom the Beavers chances of winning in Madison in game 2? Yes and no says Ted Miller. Good points, but I'd rather have a first time starter then a guy who has been a starter for NC State the last 3 seasons and with Terrelle Prior gone at Ohio State, Wilson or Michigan's Denard Robinson is the best Big Ten QB this season. I can't see how this addition helps the Beavers and again should saddle OSU with an early season loss. Though with the new Pac-12 schedule, Oregon State's agility to get better as the season goes on will help with a title game. I always look for ways to talk Beavs, so does Wilson spell doom for OSU?

1-I discussed yesterday the good situation I think the Blazers are in regards to taking one last run with this current group of players and the fact that the only 2 deals guranteed to be on the books after next season are Aldridge at $13M and Matthews at just over $6.5M. I am assuming that Brandon Roy's contract will be wiped from the books via the NBA Amnesty clause in the new CBA which is nearly certain to happen. So this gives the Blazers the choice to move forward with a team of Aldridge, Felton, Batum, Matthews, Wallace and possibly Oden as the main core or let most guys go and pursue a free agent class in 2012 which features Deron Williams, Chris Paul, Dwight Howard, Kevin Love and more. What do you want to see happen? The current core succeed and keep it together or your sick of "waiting until next year" and want to start over and build from there with a great class of free agents around LaMarcus? Who do you want to build around? How do you think it plays out, what is the most liekly scenario for the future of the Trailblazers?

The Question of the Day:

Other issues.......

• I was talking to a friend of mine in Utah and he was saying he could see Deron Williams as a fit in Utah wayyy before Chris Paul.
• The SEC wants to save college football recruting. While were at it, lets put foxes in charge of hen house security
• Interesting story about the best football prospect in the state of Oregon choosing Oregon State, where his dad is the line coach. Would you go where dad was because of the pressure or would you have the guts to play somewhere else? 
• Women are better at everything then men, big surprise...
• My mom drove me to baseball and football practice in a PINK, Mary Kay Cadillac, but this takes embarassing your kids to a new level
• Does any college hoops coach really deserve $120K per game? John Calipari's new deal pays him more in 10 minutes of coaching than the average Kentuckian makes in a year. 
• Davey Johnson, who won the World Series with the Mets as the Manager in 1986, at the age of 43, is managin again with the Washington Nationals at 68. Are you telling me that they couldn't find a guy to relate to players better than a 68 year-old guy? This comes a week after 80 year-old Jack McKeon was hired by the Marlins. The old boy network is alive and well. How is it that sports is less Caucasian than ever but most people who coach or manage are old white guys? I don't mean to get all Al Sharpton here, but these can't be the best choices to relate to today's athletes. 
• Bad news for the PGA Tour: Tiger won't come back until healed. Here's a thought, Tiger won't ever be "healed"...That's the breaking down of the body when the joints wear down due to the steroids getting the muscles too big, too fast. It's not about driving a ball 400 yards, it's about coming back every week and recovering faster. Why hasn't anyone ever investigated this guy? All my doc friends say he is/was on the juice. 
• Why does it seem that the most talented people always have the biggest train wrecked lives? I love David Duchovny in Californication, but he's separated again. Is it his sex addiction again? Think about it,Michael Jordan,  Mike Vick, T.O., Mike Tyson, Charles Barkley, most rockstars, Charlie Sheen, the list goes on and on...I really think people who are so talented and driven to succeed in one area just don't know how to balance. 
• Are you sick of all the Tiger drama or is he still front page sports news? I was listening to the Golf podcast off XM and they were talking his beard and how he'll still catch Jack and he was still great. The biggest issue to me is that the other golfers know they can beat him. it's not Tiger's mental toughness it's the belief the other golfers have in beating him.
• Another reason the NBA lockout is stupid
• Is it lame to tell another guy you like salads?
• is Oregon State better than #52 in the nation?
• One of the many reasons the Ducks have more than a chance vs. LSU: Jordan Jefferson
• Did you see how big of a rockstar Dirk is in Germany? Bigger than the Hoff...
• Do you agree with this 10 sexiest women in sports list?
• Tiger grows a beard and it's news....We are obvsessed is he even news anymore?

Twitter:

Too soon to use Tiger?

darrenrovell darren rovell

Japanese brand Vantelin Kowa, which makes creamy gel & adhesive patch for pain, will start using Tiger Woods in ads next month.

TUESDAY: THE END OF THE PAC-10, ODEN AND NEW BLAZERS

3-Celebrating the end of the Pac-10. For Ducks and Beavers fans, is the Pac-10 more known for the teams losing or finally breaking through? I think it's funny when non-sports fans ask why you stay with your team when they're losing and they don't understand. It's because the highs always are more remembered than the lows. Oregon and Oregon State football fans we're both brought to unreal heights the last 10+ years which almost erase all the years at the beginning of the Pac-10 (1978-2010), which were brutal. So what years will you remember of the Pac-10 for these two teams the rough years or the glory years?

Here's a look at the conference standings during the Pac-10 era, which began in 1978 when Arizona and Arizona State became members:

USC 168-75-5
Washington 157-105-3
UCLA 151-109-5
Oregon 144-117-2
Arizona State 135-118-4
Arizona 128-131-6
Stanford 123-140-3
Cal 107-158-5
WSU 101-161-4
Oregon State 81-179-5

Oregon history

OSU history

2-Are we overvaluing Oden because he's our guy? Jason Quick joined the show yesterday and based on his math in an article he wrote over the weekend, if the NBA amnesty clause is not in the new CBA, (And I;m sure it will be), but if not, the Blazers will have to decide between Raymond Felton getting an extension, Nic Batum, who they seem to love and Greg Oden. Quick said he would go with Felton and Batum. I go with Felton, because the Blazers have had 23 different starting PG's since the 1992 Finals and then the debate begins. I like Nic, but he is overvalued by the franchise. He's up for a deal that could pay him $8-$10M based on the new CBA. I like Nic and especially at the price they're getting him at now, but he is what he is. A nice player, not a star, not great, good. Tayshuan Prince is who I think he plays and has the motor of. Prince was a nice role player in the Pistons team I covered that won a title. They wouldn't have won without him, but they didn't win because of him. Who do you go with if they have to make that choice. Quick said go with who you know, Batum and Felton. Oden was the 30th ranked FA on this list, but if he shows health next year, he would be #1 on this list, easily.


1-The New Blazers. Thoughts:

-Raymond Felton is a good NBA PG. The Blazers still need great players. Aldridge is great. Batum, Matthews, Felton, Wallace are all good players. Oden is the X factor. Roy is at best a poor man's Jason Terry. Without more major moves, this team still lacks size, balance and shooting. I never count on rookies, rather I hope for them to surprise me so I hope Nolan Smith and Elliot Williams can do something, while I hold very little to no hope that Luke Babbit can do anything. Some guys are just busts and he looks like a bust. At the end of the day, if these are your 2011 (unlikely)-2012 (more likely) Blazers, another middle of the road, likely first round exit is in order, unless Oden surprises, the rookies add depth and some additional moves can be made to add more size. Aldridge will still be overworked and Batum and Matthews are inconsistent and the team lacks consistent shooters.

-Per Blazers Edge, Andre Miller is mad about being traded:

Chris Tomasson of AOLNews.com reports...
-----------------
Andre Miller said he took it personal Portland traded him and will use that for motivation versus Trail Blazers: "Yeah, that’s how I take it.’’
 Dude, that's what 6 teams in 8 seasons? You're used to it right? You're 35, don't take it personally. Andre was good for the Blazers, but he's a middle of the road point guard whose best years are behind him. He'll go down as a solid, not great PG who had limitations with his shooting and quickness but was a solid pro who could run a team, not a championship guy. He was what the Blazers we're, good not great. Deal with it.


Other issues:

• Former OSU Head Coach Dennis Erickson is catching heat from a former ASU player
• Don't you love hearing about guys from your team that didn't complain about an injury and quietly played through it? Wesley Matthews couldn't feel his foot.
• This is how CBS will kill Charlie Sheen's TV character
• Could you handle not one but two tragedies as well as this kid is?
• U2 buys Michigan State a new field after tearing it up
• Is David West crazy or smart? No one leaves $7.6M on the table, shows how over paid these guys are.
• Bad news for the Beavers: Wisconsin gets QB Russell Wilson. Wisconsin plays OSU in the first game of the year.
• Dirk is still partying: Biggest bender you went on and for what?
• Has anyone re-invented themselves like Mike Tyson?
• Lorenzo Charles made one of the best plays and most memorable plays of my life, he died in a bus crash yesterday. The others: Gibson's HR, Jordan's jumper in 1998, Keith Smart's buzzer beater in 1987, the Bartman play in 1998 and Carlton Fisk's HR in 1975. What are your 5 most memorable plays off of the top of your head?
• Will the TV ever become like the newspaper is now for sports fans, in other words, watching everything online when and where you want to?

MONDAY: WEEKEND SPORTS, PAC-12 VS. AND NEW BLAZERS

3. The Kings of nothing or good stuff? Woke up this morning to Women's World Cup soccer on my ESPN. USA loses 4-2 after leading Mexico 2-0, ESPN college World Series and Wimbledon with only 1 American male remaining and Serena Williams is out. Do you care about any of these big events in sports or bring on college football as fast as we can....August 8th by the way is when camps kick off.


2. An interesting blog post on the Pac-12 Blog on ESPN, talking SEC football culture vs. Pac-12 football culture. OK, we're not the SEC and I'm glad you have a better balanced life. But if you ranked college football culture, where does the Pac-12 rank? My list:

1. SEC: Not close. They kill trees, they win titles, I've seen it, been there. Their life revolves around it and they pass it from generation to generation.
2. Big 10: Michigan-Ohio State, Midwest, black and blue football. I've covered this conference, Ohio-State Michigan, Michigan-Michigan State.
3. Big 12: Texas is football and Texas is in the Big 12. Oklahoma-Texas and even though Nebraska left, the Big-12 is talked about almost as much as the Cowboys in Dallas, that tells you something.
4. Pac-12. When USC and Oregon are really good at the same time, it could move up. Stanford won't last being this good and Cal, Washington, Oregon State and UCLA are all below average. Arizona, Arizona State and Utah are the Southern Division favorites, not great teams.
5. ACC:
6. Mtn. West: Lost BYU and Utah, still have TCU and Boise State joins.
7. Big East. They have stunk the last few years. UConn was ripped in the Fiesta Bowl by Oklahoma last season.

1. Blazers introductions today. As part of a good piece Jason Quick wrote on Ray Felton he lays out the Blazers financial situation and it's not pretty. There is NO WAY the Blazers keep Brandon Roy. Add it up. They draft a combo guard in Nolan Smith, they have Wesley, Batum, Elliot Williams and Gerald Wallace at the 2-3. Then look at Roy's number in black and white...$16.5M next season??? NO WAY can this team carry that number for 10-12 points per game at best. They have to use him for the amnesty clause and there should be no debate what so ever. How can anyone, even the biggest Roy fans justify that number? Take a read:

Felton is entering the final year of his contract, which will pay him $7.56 million next season. When he becomes a free agent in the summer of 2012, the Blazers will already be committed to three significant contracts for the 2012-2013 season: Brandon Roy ($16.5 million), Aldridge ($13.5 million) and Wallace, providing he picks up the option on his final year at $10 million.

Plus, Felton will be looking for a new deal at the same time Batum – one of the Blazers' most prized players – is eligible for a new deal. Also, it remains to be seen whether, and if so how much, the Blazers are willing to commit to Greg Oden, who this week is expected to be offered a one-year, $8.8 million qualifying offer, which would allow the Blazers to retain the right to match free agent offers. If the Blazers decide to sign Oden to a multiyear deal, it will almost certainly reach $10 million for a season.

The Blazers already have the NBA's third highest payroll for next season at $71.2 million, which does not include Oden, and by 2012-2013 could feasibly feature six players earning close to, or more than $10 million a season. This season, only two teams – Boston and Orlando – had four players making $10 million or more.

And, of course, nobody knows what the financial playing field will look like next summer, as the NBA's collective bargaining agreement expires on Thursday, with no hope of a new deal on the horizon. A lockout appears certain.

 The John Lund Show Fill in the Blank Question Of The Day: 

I feel ____________ about sports this past weekend (Wimbledon, Women's World Cup, USA-Mexico soccer, College Baseball World Series)

Other issues:

• A Blazers pick that was traded to Minnesota is 26 years-old 
• A busy week for the Blazers
• Tony Parker didn't want to be "banished" to the Blazers? Has Portland become one of those teams? 
• What Pac-12 team is most likely to regress? 
• Is Terrell Owens done? 
• Unreal story of a kid who has lost his entire family after two fatal plane crashes which he survived. Could you handle it? 
• The Dodgers file for bankruptcy and MLB could have no say in Cuban owning a team. I'd love to buy this mess for pennies on the dollar. 
• Are we ready for a female president, Michelle Bachmann leads Iowa. 
• These are the top 5 killers of men 
• How weird was it that in our own country we were the visitors? 
• More on how we were the visitors in the 4-2 loss at the Rose Bowl 
• The end of the Pac-10 comes this Friday 
• Does it bother you when the USA fails on the world stage? 
• What is so good it's worth flying to that city for?

WHY DRAFT GRADES ARE DUMB

Draft Express 2007: 

Portland Trail Blazers

Picks: Greg Oden (#1), purchased draft rights to Rudy Fernandez (#24) from Phoenix, traded rights to Derrick Byars (#42) and cash considerations to Philadelphia for Petteri Koponen (#30), Josh McRoberts (#37), Taurean Green (#52)

A

For the second year in a row, Portland gets an A for effort, an A for creativity, and an A for going out and finding value when the rest of the league was content on twiddling their thumbs.

Greg Oden was an obvious pick that takes this team’s potential to a whole new level. Rudy Fernandez is an absolute steal at #24--if he ever comes over considering the very low slot he’s now slotted on the rookie scale. Petteri Koponen’s intangibles embody the culture that GM Kevin Pritchard has been talking about for some time—and he’ll be stashed to develop overseas for another season as well.

Josh McRoberts was considered a top 10 pick coming into this season and still has that kind of ceiling if the light bulb comes on for him. Being one of Greg Oden could very well help both players make the transition the NBA smoother, while their games complement each other too. Taurean Green was fantastic value at #52 and might already be considered one of the best 3rd point guards in the league. All in all, this was another great draft for the Portland Trailblazers.

Boston-Won a title with the Ray Allen trade: 

Boston Celtics

Picks: Traded Jeff Green (#5) to Seattle with Delonte West and Wally Szczerbiak for Ray Allen and #35 pick (Glen Davis), Gabe Pruitt (#32)

C

This reeks of a panic move on Danny Ainge’s part to try and save his job after the flurry of trade rumors that never materialized. If this was a matter of trading for Ray Allen now or trading Paul Pierce for pennies on the dollar he might have made the right choice, but it’s hard not to feel like he could have gotten more value out of the #5 pick. If Ainge turns around and flips Theo Ratliff, Al Jefferson and change for Kevin Garnett then we’ll stand corrected, but right now there’s not a whole lot to get excited about here, besides the temporary excitement Celtics fans will get from being knocked out of the playoffs in the first or second round.

Chris Sheridan on the 2007 draft written June 2007: 

Yes, it might be remembered in Boston as the Ray Allen trade night, or in New York as the Zach Randolph trade night. But in the long run, it'll be the night of Greg Oden and Kevin Durant, who forever will be linked as the faces of Draft Night 2007.
Check back in a half-decade or so to see which one of them should have gone first.


ESPN: 
Portland Trail Blazers                                                           Grade: A+ Round 1: Greg Oden (1), Rudy Fernandez (24), Petteri Koponen (30)

Round 2: Josh McRoberts (37), Taurean Green (52)

Analysis: For the second straight year, the Blazers walk away with the best grade in the draft. Landing Oden alone gets them an A. But GM Kevin Pritchard didn't rest there. He also acquired two late first-rounders, including Fernandez, who is quickly becoming a star at the highest levels of the Euroleague. Both he and Koponen likely will play in Europe for one more season before heading to Portland.
In the second round, McRoberts, a close friend of Oden's, was also a steal. But I'm not sure Green can make the team.
Although they gave up a ton of talent in trading Zach Randolph, the Blazers saved roughly $30 million in long-term salaries, improved the locker-room atmosphere and landed Channing Frye, who was virtually untouchable just a year ago.

NBA Draft.Net on Celtics trade for Ray Allen: 

The Celtics are quickly becoming the laughing stock of the NBA. Danny Ainge should have been fired long ago, and this team should be run by a GM with the job security to build for the future. Just as he did a year ago, Ainge traded away a top 7 pick, which could have been another building block for the future (Jeff Green, Yi Jianlian, and Brandan Wright were all available)

Won the title with Ray Allen the next season 2008........


On Blazers 2007 Draft: 

Just like last year, it was a whirlwind of activity for GM Kevin Prichard and the Trailblazers. Adding Greg Oden was a no brainer, and puts the Blazers in the Championship picture from the year 2009 on. Oden is not only a tremendous talent on the court, but a wonderful kid off the court who the NBA can look to as a potential ambassador for the sport. 

FRIDAY: NBA DRAFT AND TOHER STUFF

3. Draft grades are stupid. I heard a national radio host this morning rail on about how this is the worst draft in NBA history and this guy will stink, that guy sucks. Who knows? Not only do GM's not know, who are supposed to be taking the educated guesses, media and fans don't know, but I'm paid to have a good guess. How can you grade a test before the test is taken? I bet on good teams to make good picks and bad teams to make good picks or trades. History from a program is an indicator, skin color has been an indicator, bad teams and good teams making the moves have been indicators. Still the system isn't perfect, so I don't know who won and lost........I know who I like though:

1. Utah: They look like they have a bright future with Kanter and Burks to go along with Derek Favors, Gordon Hayward, Al Jefferson, Paul Millsap and Devin Harris. They have young bigs and pieces to trade. 
  
2. Sacramento: I think Jimmer fits well with Tyreke Evans and Marcus Thorton on a 3 guard rotation. Cousins needs to stay clean.


3. Golden State: Former Blazer Mychael Thompson's son allows the Warriors to trade Mona Ellis for a big. 


2. Rather be in the middle than building? With this move, the Blazers are clearly still in the middle. As I watched the draft, It was strange but I almost wanted to be one of the teams building. I remember the building portion and it's fun even though you may not get to the playoffs. The Blazers are in the middle and like Rich Cho said, the middle is no where. be good or be bad.

1. Grade the move:

Denver wanted Faried, so did the Blazers. So rather than make the NBA do the paper work, the Blazers said they wouldn't take Faried. So the deal was:

Blazers gave up: 
Rudy Fernandez
Andre Miller
Keneth Faried

Blazers receiveed:
Raymond Felton
Nolan Smith

To me it's like shopping for an Armani suit at Nordstrom Rack. It an OK suit, but it's not perfect. They got younger, Felton can shoot better, but he's not a great fit. He plays better in Mike D'Antonio's up tempo style and he's coming to play slow. Furthermore, though he turns 27 Sunday, he's only under contract for one season and can walk after next year, so it's not a long term solution. It's a C, with the potential on the downside to be an F and on the upsdie to be a B.

The John Lund Question of the Day:

I give the Blazers a __________ for NBA draft day



Other issues: 

*NBA draft grades HERE  and HERE and  also HERE
*The Blazers like what they did, do you?
*The Godfather on the Blazers moves
*More father draft odds and ends
*Why were the Blazers so hell bent on saying how involved Chad Buchanan was in the draft?
*The Ducks not be saying much, but their lawyer hire says they're scared. 
*Chip told JC that Cliff Harris has bigger issues to worry about then football right now. That's ot good news for Ducks fans.
*My kid dropped an "F" bomb yesterday at school. How do you handle that?
*Jim Riggleman catching heat for resigning, I like what he did
*Ron Artest is an attention grabbing whore, that's why guys do this stuff
*Should pot brownies make you lose a scholarship?
* Wizards rookies' kiss stirs up the Internet

Twitter:
Jay Allen 750TheGame (@PDXjay)
Raymond Felton's agent tells The Oregonian that Felton nearly signed with the Blazers last Summer. Portland was his 2nd choice behind NY.
 

Ben Golliver (@blazersedge)
Raymond Felton not locked up long-term, so answered 0 questions. Lost rotation player in process. Point guard cycle churns on.

Rudy Fernandez (@rudy5fernandez)
thanks all blazers fans for ur support this 3 years!! So happy to be in the best team in the nba!!!dallas!!!

Mike Prada (@MikePradaSBN)
RT @blazersedge: Rich Cho methodically acquired targets & started rebuild for Bobcats. Blazers would be better today w/ him. No question.

THURSDAY: DRAFT DAY AND BLAZERS LEGENDS

3-Cliff Harris misses "VOLUNTARY" camp for a third straight day. No one really knows if Cliff Harris should be at a voluntary camp. No one knows why he's missing the camp. He could have been told to stay away, he could be staying away because he's upset. If he should be there but isn't, he's setting a poor example as one of the better players on the team and he's a junior now, so he should be a leader. It's a bad sign for his future and his maturity level. If he's told to stay away, then it's a different story. Stay tuned...

2-As chronicled HERE, the Blazers drafts the past few years have been big adventures and done well, with the exception of the 2007 draft of Oden over Durant. Howver, trades on draft day have netted Aldridge, Roy, Batum, Fernandez and a few picks who still remain over seas. With no GM in place, do you expect the Blazers to sti still or do their usual flurry of moves?

1-The NBA draft. Pick #21 is not sexy and in a weak draft probably won't yeild much. However, it could mean that with business being closed for who knows how long a week from tomorrow, that the Blazers could be bold in their efforts to acquire a veteran player or two. Yesterday the rumor was Tony Parker and Richard Jefferson for Nic Batum, Andre Miller and possibly another Blazers player to make salaries match. I could never confirm that the move was close. This morning the story is Jameer Nelson for Andre Miller and #21, don't love that. Nelson is a combo guard and not a point. He does shoot better than Andre but he isn't the floor leader or PG Miller is. Nelson is younger at 29 and is a career 39% 3-point shooter. He averaged 13 ppg and 6 apg last season for the Magic.

The John Lund question of the day:

If the Blazers stay at #21, I want them to take ____________

Other issues:

• A Mock NBA draft....and another mock NBA draft and finally a consensus mock draft
• Draft day rumors flying
• More draft buzz
• Will Blazers Buchanan have the power to make moves?
• The Mavs had zero players play for them in the playoffs that were their own draft picks
• Is Oprah going to make OJ confess?
• A former NFL employee gets busted on to catch a predator
• The NBA players and owners are ONLY $7B apart...
• Obama on the plan to leave the middle east
• Oregon is an early 3-point dog vs. LSU
• This guy is right, Oregon is in for an Ohio State type ending
• Man loses bet, has Dirk tattooed on his ass

Random draft thoughts:
-The draft is overrated unless you have a top 5 pick
-Will the Blazers continue the tradition of trades on draft day? Was that a KP thing or a Paul Allen thing?
-People keep writing the Blazers are close in a "wide open" West. The Lakers, OKC, Dallas, San Antonio and possible Memphis are better to me. Utah could be interesting with youth and trade assets in Okur, Jefferson and Millsap if they go big with the #3 pick or Devin Harris if they go PG at #3. Houston could surprise, as could the Clippers or even T-Wolves with Rubio, Love, Beasley and the #2 and #20 picks. The Blazers are a middle of the road team.
-Why do we believe rumors on a day when everyone is clearly lying?
-What should the Blazers do? Big? Small? Stay put? Trade?
-Not who is better, but which pick set the franchise back more, Bowie or Oden? I'd say Oden.
-2006 was great with Roy and Aldridge, but the Blazers in the top of the draft has been disastrous:
Passed or traded opportunities to draft: Michael Jordan,  in 2002 Qyntel Woods with Carlos Boozer and Tayshaun Prince on the board from Duke and Kentucky, and in same draft some guy named Federico Kammerichs at #51 with Luis Scola 5 picks later to Spurs. 2003, Telfair #13 over
Did take Terry Porter in 1985, Sabonis in 1986, Drazen Petrovic 1986, Cliff Robinson (36) 1989, Jermaine O'Neal (17) 1996, Zach Randolph (19) 2001, Gerlad Wallace taken #25 by Kings in that draft, Tony Parker 28th in that draft.

The building of middle of the road:
2003: Travis Outlaw #23 overall.
2004: #13 Telfair over: Al Jefferson, Josh Smith, JR Smith, Jameer Nelson or Kevin Martin. 
2005: Had 3rd pick could have had Deron Williams or Chris Paul, becuase of Telfair pick, went 6-27 for #3. Utah got Williams Blazers got Martell Webster, now turned into Luke Babbit. Blazers also had a wasted pick at #35, Monta Ellis went at #40. Marcin Gortat went in the 50's.
2006: Brilliant. Turned Tyrus Thomas and Randy Foye into LaMarcus and Roy, Roy injured.
2007: Oden over Durrant, Rudy from Phoenix at #24, Petteri Koppenen at #30 over Carl Landry at #31, Big Baby Davis and Marc Gasol on the board as well.
2008: Got Batum at #25 from Houston.
2009: Lots f moves, lots of nothing. Had Taj Gibson, DaJuan Blair on board.
2010: Disaster with Elliot Williams, Luke Babbit at 16 and 22. Too early to tell, though solid Landry Fields was taken at #39, Armon Johnson #34.

Moral of the last 8 drafts: Aldridge and Roy good. Batum and Rudy good. Missing out on Durant, Deron Williams or Chris Paul and 2004 pick of Telfair has doomed the franchise. Should have a back court of Paul and Roy with Durant and Aldridge.


Former Blazers PG Rod Strickland is Kyrie Irvings God Father...From USA Today:

"I don't think it takes a whole lot of games to understand if somebody has the total package," said Irving's godfather, former NBA guard Rod Strickland. "I don't think it takes 30 games to look at Kyrie and say that he has a chance to be special. I think you can see that after the first game he plays."

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Larry Scott: Conference has not been given any indication as to if/when NCAA will launch investigation into Oregon football & Willie Lyles.