Re: News and notes

[KK <Kestutis.Kveraga@Dartmouth.EDU>]

"Odegaard, Greg M." wrote:
> 
>
> Below are two pieces from the Portland Oregonian.  The second is about
> Grant, the first is by far the most powerful piece written in the home town
> paper on the Blazers in some time.  Duin is more of a news/metro columnist a
> fact which I am sure will be pointed out to him in the probable death
> threats he receives from some of the faithful and I for one applaud his
> courage to write this.  I don't necessarily agree, but find it very
> insightful none the less.

Is this Duin guy some long-lost cousin of Peter May, or does he have a
really bad indigestion problem? The literary style is more ornate, but the
message is unmistakably extra-double-strength Peter May, with a pinch of Bob
Ryan perhaps.  I can understand trying to sell papers, but this is clearly
over and above the call of duty.
The guy calls several players "bozos", the alma mater of 3 Blazer players
"notorious college bandits", his Blazers-supporting colleagues "lackeys",
and the Blazers an "obnoxious franchise". His idea of a team to root for
apparently is a bunch of impeccably groomed, well spoken John Stockton-types
(never mind what's under the choir-boy facade). I guess an Avery Johnson or
a David Robinson would be acceptable, as long as they knew their place,
quoted the Bible excessively, and didn't do any of that black stuff, like
celebrating, chest-thumping, or, God forbid, wiggling. 

Somebody send Duin's article to Whitsitt, whom Duin disparages for "opting
for talent over character". If he decides to rectify the situation, we have
a few model citizens to trade for those punks Rasheed Wallace and J.R.
Rider. One of them even has some talent.