I know, I know...

I'm so friggin' busy nowadays, I don't have time to blog, and I feel like a total loser for it, trust me. If I can't spend enough time on it to do it well, I don't spend any time on it at all, and I think I've finally figured out that no entry is worse than weak entry.

Good news: I found a bar in Lebanon (The American Legion Hall) where I can take over one or two TVs on game nights, so that's cool. Plus, the burgers there are REALLY good. Gotta be an American Legion member or a guest, so drop me a line or leave me a comment if anyone would like to join me for a beer or six some game night.

Any volunteers to guest-blog for the next week or two? By then I hope to have the time to do this thing up right...

Friggin' WOW! Revisited

4-2! What a great game! Travis is a stud, Zach's a beast, and this team has guts! Character matters!

Happy Wookie Dance!

Friggin' WOW!

Man, that was a blast last night watching the Blazers take it to the L.U. Lakers. Zach is playing very well, and the bench stepped up and played tough. 3-2, baby!

I told Mike Barrett after the game that Joel should give his first post-injury interview in a high-pitched falsetto voice. He didn't seem to think that Joel would be willing to do it, but there's always hope.

By the way, "L.U." is not a typo, it stands for "Lavender and Urine." Thanks to RiggoDrill for my new favorite description of the hideous, vile, and disgusting uniforms the Evil One and his minions wear.

blink... blink... Ouch! Stop Pinching Me, I'm Awake Already!

Last night against the Clippers, I saw what I had both expected and hoped to see: A team playing tough, playing hard, and not quitting. They scraped and clawed their way back to within two before the experience, talent, and skill of the Clippers took over for a 17-1 run to put it away. But even during that run, the Blazers were counterpunching, they just couldn't get their counterpunches to land.

Brandon is down, too? Oh, well, look at the bright side. Nate wanted an eight- or nine-player rotation, now he's got it...

EDIT: Good news, Brandon will only miss one game. It'll be cool to see Martell start against the Evil One and his Lavender-and-Urine clad minions. Good luck, kid. Here's hoping you can make Nate think twice about needing to start Ime at the three...

I Said, "Pinch Me!"

I was there (and I have the hat to prove it, thanks, Blazers) and I still don't believe it. A come-from-behind, lock-down-an-All-Star-then-hit-a-clutch-shot-then-lock-down-an-All-Star-again victory? In the immortal words of Darrel Aune, "Holy Jumpin' Up And Down Martha!"

Travis Outlaw was airborne just about as much as the ball was Monday night. It seemed like every time a shot was put up, Travis was going after either the block or the rebound. Michael Jordan played a game that was figuratively head and shoulders above the rest of the players on the court. Monday night, Travis played a game that was literally head and shoulders above the rest of the players on the court. If Travis puts forth that kind of effort night in and night out, he's gonna finally be the human highlight reel we've all been waiting with bated breath to see.

Magloire looks better than he did in preseason, but that's not saying much. How can a guy who can rip a rebound out of the jaws of a crocodile be so wooden-handed when it comes to catching a pass? Maybe our guards should practice passing to Jamaal off the backboard, he might catch one once in a while.

Martell is gold. What a sweet shooting stroke, and what a likeable kid. I can't wait to see him in an All-Star uniform. I'm sticking by my prediction that he'll be an All-Star in his fourth year.

I'm starting to think that Brandon just might have an outside chance to make the All-Star team this year. I know, I know, the kid's only played three real NBA games. But he's going to get playing time, he's going to get national media exposure, and I think he's going to turn a lot of heads over the next few months.

Let's see, who might our clutch rebounder be? Zach Randolph? Nope. In both of our wins (and as a matter of fact, to a lesser extent, in our one loss) Ime Udoka has stepped up and grabbed clutch boards at key times in the game. Don't get me wrong, Zach's been playing very well, but Ime has been in the right place at the right time when the games were on the line more than once in each of our first three games.

Tonight, it's the Clippers, Go Blazers!!

Pinch Me, I Think I'm Dreaming!

110-106? Are you friggin' kidding me? This can't be real, can it? I must be asleep. Brandon Roy, looking as polished as any 4-year NBA vet? Travis Outlaw, in the right place, at the right time, doing the right thing? Ime Udoka, stepping onto the roster, stepping into the starting lineup, and stepping up big time on the offensive boards late in the game? Zach Randolph, late in a close game, having enough faith in and respect for Brandon Roy to give up the ball without hesitation, knowing full well that there are only two or three seconds left on the shot clock? Juan Dixon, moving quicker, jumping higher, playing harder on defense, and filling up the hoop? Darius Miles, shunned by his teammates, called out by rookies, and nowhere to be seen? I think Coach Nate just might be on to something here...