the more things change

It's rather appropriate to talk about things coming full circle when I've got a head full of simple astronomy (thanks, UO for making me take basic science classes to fulfill graduation requirements!) and about half of what's been talked about the last two days involves mass and how things go around in orbits.



This time last fall, I was living with the decision to follow my Portland Trail Blazers and the Association - especially through the scope of places like Deadspin and that ever-wonderful hall of justice, Free Darko. This time last year I was living off Oklahoma win hangovers while reading FD previews of The Lig, and figuring out how to pronounce LaMarcus Aldridge. I was still grasping for hold in something new.



Now? Now, I'm trying to get out of learning mode and into the role of a sensei. I know my team inside and out; nothing is new and fresh, it's sorta played out. The rush of finding out about FD and reading a back-log of Shoals is replaced with the dull throb of a drip of material. There's no novelty factor.

But I've dealt with that before - it's just a different manifestation of a need to grasp onto a storyline in order to pay attention. I lost track of the Mariners when their season went down in flames; there was no story. Last season for me, the story was finding out about everything; this year, it's seeing how the Blazers improve, if any superstars will move (MARION WATCH WEEK THREE: ALL CLEAR ON THE WESTERN FRONT), how the Nuggets will do with a full season together, THE CELTICS, how Gil does, etc. This is, as the Masters of the Klondike always say, a league of stars and stars have stories to tell.



Meanwhile, I'm still trying to avoid going out and buying needless, overpriced but infinitely cool basketball-style ware. Seriously - look at that jacket. I think one of my roommates has the original thing circa Goodwill. Meanwhile, just to fully finish off my FD love, I think I might have to go get a 'SWAG' t-shirt from the FD Outlet. Swag at a hundred and climbin', baby.

Meanwhile, the Ducks moved up five spots without even playing. WTF. Keep on keepin' on, guys. Don't stop to smell the Roses just yet.

chips on shoulders and history

First thing's first: the Ducks take their two games in slightly more-dramatic-than-necessary style in Spokane, and march on to meet UNLV (quoth Billups, "RUNNIN' REBS KEEP RUNNIN'") in the Sweetness that is Sixteen.

so there's the nuts and bolts. Two issues to tackle, though, and both deal with my neurotic fandom of the Ducks (and, really, sports in general).


you know, I'm amazed he can jump so high with his teammates on his back. AB rising up in Spokane. Photo: John Givot, Daily Emerald

when it comes to sports analysis, there is only one real rule I try and take seriously: Less is more. Hyper overanalysis of trends and history can only produce so many positive results. You can’t take historic trends too seriously, because those are not the teams on the field right now and I’d wager many of those players don’t give a crap about who did what 14 years ago. Rivalries are one thing - banking on Team A losing to Team B because they’ve lost on the road to Team A 14 of the last 16 meetings, including seven in a row, is asinine. I try and avoid it at all costs.

At the same time, though, as a sports fan I have a healthy streak of militant superstition.

imagine how torn I am seeing a post like this, which is from sports blog Just Call Me Juice and was blogrolled this morning by Deadspin. Click through and find the similarities shocking.

how the hell am I supposed to reconcile that? History repeats, yes, but the Ducks don’t have the major size and assured lock-down defense Florida had (and still has); however, the signs are there…but for the Ducks to get to the Final Four the Gators would have to lose, either to Butler or Oregon in an Elite Eight matchup.

If anything can save my sanity, it's this:

Don't believe the hype...OR the Pac-10.

Digger, Pat Forde, and most any other mother fucker with a suit and an ESPN paycheck has pulled against us against Winthrop and now against those Runnin' Rebs. minus Andy Katz, who loves him some Oregon basketball for one reason or another, but still: how is it that only one guy (who might or might not be a homer) is taking the HIGH seed in this game? Since when did a higher seed get so disrespected?

Fuck, I tried to not do that but did you SEE WHAT I JUST DID THERE? Yeah, evoking ghosts of last season. Re-insert some above paragraphs on mind-fucks and fandom as you will.

However, here's the crazy thing: I don't care that the talking heads don't like what we're doing, because you know what? The Ducks *need* that pressure, or otherwise they'll become like my lazy, pot-smoking roommate: enough talent to do whatever he damn well pleases, but no motivation. Right or wrong, the Ducks' motivation comes from being underdogs, and I'll be damned how a team that was at one time No. 7 in all the land can be regarded as an underdog against a Mountain West powerhouse, but hey, if that's what gets a W on Friday, that's what matters.

now back to what apparently really matters: digging myself so far into Japanese studying I'm dreaming of kanji radicals in my sleep.

learning to fly

you ever see that credit card ad, where it has people and everything going "Someday..." and has this puppy awkwardly skating through a kitchen, with graphic text going "Someday, a back lawn"?

yeah, cute puppy, right? Focus on the puppy, keep that puppy in mind, for that puppy is fully representative of the Portland Trail Blazers.


"you may be 'so fresh,' but you're not 'so fresh comma so clean clean"

its obvious I have a deep love of my hometown team; I believe the technical term is "homer." Regardless, if this were the Portland, Maine Trail Blazers we'd be up near the top of the Leastern Conference, Zach Randolph would be an All-Star, and Brandon R.O.Y. would already have had his coronation as R.O.Y. The East is weak, and that teams like Boston and the Knicks get press coverage is due to location and history as opposed to talent.

the history might be debatable (this is where Clyde the Glide, Arvydas Sabonis, 'Sheed, etc. all drop down and remind you about the 20-plus year playoff stretch, AS IF YOU FORGOT), but the West Coast Snubs are not. If this team was in a bigger media market, it'd be all over the press; as it is, we're stuck in above-average mediocrity, not doing well enough to warrant "Cinderella Story" press coverage, not doing poorly enough to slip into the ping-pong ball mire. Without the Toronto Raptor-esque playoff run (wholly due to the weak division they play in), the Blazers are the quiet before the storm; they are the silence before the storm.

They will probably be the Jazz two years from now, except young and without Jerry Sloan.


spraying passes like a spanish steve nash

the mix of talented youngsters (three out of five starters are in their first or second years in the Association), good team chemistry multiplied by being good human beings (Mike Barrett's blog has mentioned them joking that they're "Choir boys" on the team plane) and a town that will eat both up means the West should look out next year. Let's break down some positions here:

-Jarrett Jack: I've got to admit, it's getting better; it's getting better all the time.
-Brandon Roy: R.O.Y. ain't nothing to fuck with.
-Ime Udoka: Perfect glue guy and 6th man next year.
-LaMarcus Aldridge: I already have two alternate last-names for him: Awesome and All-Star. He's certainly going to be that.
-Zach Randolph: ...is this good without playing defense. Yikes.
-Sergio Rodriguez: Once he gets more confidence in his shot, and gets fully on the same page as the team, will be AWESOME. Keep in mind he's 9 months younger than *me* and playing in the NBA.
-Two-headed white center: Needs to be more consistent and less injured.
-Darius: Needs to go away, now.

So, really, all we're looking at is getting more production out of the walking wounded and figuring out how big the tab is going to be to get Miles out of town. Everything else is on the up-and-up.

I think I can deal with that.

I don't know if the league can, yet, though.

I usually hate to parrot PR/marketing campaigns, but hell, the 'Zers have a good line up on their web site right now: Right coach, right team, right direction. Of course it's the right time to be a season ticket holder; sunshine, rainbows, and fucking Rip City coming back. It's a fresh morning.


women go crazy for a sharp-dressed man

[bill simmons]you could go into war with a man like that leading you.[/simmons]