...here: http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/2009/09/a_lighter_physically_and_emoti.html

and the Roy interview here: http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/2009/09/brandon_roy_senses_a_more_focu.html

I am now craving to see Portland and Cleveland at the end of the season, in the finals. I want this.

I want to see Shaq unwillingly have to pass the torch to Oden... a nice "what now" look out of Oden when "The Dunk" happens would be icing on the cake.

I want to "witness" LBJ get schooled by Roy (a Samb-esq dunk on LBJ wouldnt hurt) in the way only Roy can deliver.

I want to be sitting on my couch watching a Portland vs Cleveland finals, while still trying to digest the previous Roy vs Kobe series where Kobe also had to hand over his crown as the best #2 in the league, even if only for one season. (Yes, #2 is a pun on Kobe... not on Roy)

There is more I want to see of course. However, these are my top 4... I think. So I am curious, what do you want to see?

I was browsing the forums like I do nearly every day, and I realized there was no countdown timer to the beginning of the season around here. Is there anyway we can get one on the site? So this is my grand petition request to get the signatures of people who would also like to have a reminder on the main page.  

If this is not a possibility, please feel free to post other suggestions. I know there are some pages out on the interweb that will let you put together your own custom timer... but I would like to see a BE timer to remind us all how many days/hours/minutes/seconds are left till... well... absolute greatness.

UPDATE: No need for signatures any more.

Ben once again showed why we keep him around. Check the right side of the page near the bottom of the ads... its kind of small... but its there. Too bad you cant link the countdown timer, record box, and throw the last games final box score together somehow... I know, its reaching. Maybe a good project for someone who knows HTML a bit better then me?

That was not a complaint in any way! Just thinking big is all. Thank you Ben for putting up the countdown timer!!! Seeing that there are still 6 weeks to go is kind of a bummer... but then again... ONLY 6 WEEKS LEFT!!!

Apparently there was a bit of a problem with us showing the hit on Rudy before we played them on Friday night. Something about not showing flagrant fouls to get a rise out of the home crowd. 

Good Investment if you ask me

I really dont think anyone in the arena needed to be reminded of who did what to who for how many cookies. Ariza would have been booed if we showed him performing CPR on the Pope before the game.

As we are all still enjoying the high after a win against the L@kers last night and now a win against the red headed stepchild of L.A. with the Clippers, something came to mind.

If you had to choose just one player, coach, entity in the NBA to boo. Who would it be?

We all have our lists of players out there, but who embodies your ideal evil? K0be? Z-Bo? Artest? D-Miles? Blaze? Odom?

As for me? I have to point to the picture here... Thank you S.T. This is one of the best things I have laid my eyes on in a long time. You wonder why K0be was so animated with his interview after the game? I would be too if I have that all up in my... well. Yeah. That woman is my hero of the week.

So, my vote goes to K0be. I shouldnt have to explain why. There is a lot. I will just say, I think K0be needs to spend the night with Handbanana, they would have a lot to talk about.

Oh, and Phil... Mr. Jackson... Mr "Zen Master" as you like to be called... we all know that plantar fasciitis is just a poor Chinese translation attempt for what we all call Pussy Foot. Man up Phil! Man up!

Rip City. The playoffs are going to be insane!

So here we are the day after the Blazers blew out the 4th team in a row for more then 20 points each game, and what newsworthy articles are featured under the NBA tab on Fox Sports?

• Sixers rally past Pistons, wrap up playoff berth
• Raptors win eliminates Knicks from playoff spot
• Bobcat guard Bell day-to-day with strained calf
• A.I. (sore back) to miss rest of Pistons' season
• Mismatch: Magic crush LeBron, Cavs in Orlando
• Ripped off: Pistons G says manager stole $$$
• Lakers school Rockets, close within 1 of Cavs
• Knicks rookie Gallinari set for Tuesday surgery
• Former Blazers star Lucas has cancer surgery
• Rivers expects Garnett to be ready for playoffs

No mention of the Blazers win over the Thunder. So lets look at ESPN...

• 76ers into playoffs as Iguodala, Miller turn it on
• Raptors stay in playoff chase, bounce Knicks
• Gordon gets on track late to push Bulls by Nets
• Back shelves Iverson for rest of season | Dime
• Report: Stockton, Sloan voted into Hall of Fame
• Bobcats' Bell day-to-day with strained right calf
• Bobcats guard Bell leaves game with calf injury
• Knicks' Gallinari to have back surgery Tuesday
• Hamilton to pursue charges against ex-manager
• Insider: LeBron is unequivocally the MVP

Ok, how about NBA.com...

Bobcats' Bell day to day with strained calf

Thunder recall White, Weaver

Heat's O'Neal, Beasley, Haslem all injured

Cavs' Brown, Rockets' Adelman named Coaches of the Month

James, Paul named Players of the Month

Rose, Love named Rookies of the Month

Knicks' Gallinari to have back surgery Tuesday

Ok, how about the NBA.com videos?

Behind Gordon, Bulls Drop Nets

Red-Hot Raptors Win Sixth Straight

Iverson's Season Comes to End

Vote Now in the 2009 Dance Team Bracket!

Magic Turn Showdown Into Blowout

Balanced Lakers Get Past Rockets

Seriously? The Blazers are in 4th place, they are destroying the teams they are playing right now. Aldridge is playing out of his mind, and we get videos of "Vote Now in the 2009 Dance Team Bracket!" Seriously!
Thank you BE for being there for our late breaking Blazer news. Without you, I am not sure where I would look for quality Blazer news to satisfy my addiction.

So I was thinking about this the other day and thanks to the "Attendance" post below, it came back to me...

Considering the current state of attendance around the league, would it be in the NBA's best interest to possibly "help" the Blazers get into a spot in the standings to pit the L*kers and Blazers in the WCF? This way if they just happened to meet there, the NBA would reap the benefits of packed home games off each team. Same thing with the Cav's and Celt's in the east. Only they are the #1 and #2 seeds currently.

Dont get me wrong, I have complete trust in the officials *choke**cough**cough* to ref a fair game here and there. But would it surprise anyone to see the Blazers pull off a game or two in the playoffs, where there may be questionable calls, just to boost getting butts in the seats? I mean if we can take anything from this last year (see the junk they tried to feed us during all star weekend for one) It wouldnt surprise me.

I am not taking anything away from Portland, they have worked dang hard this year, and making it into the playoffs this year will prove that. 

So as we get closer to the time when both Webster and Oden are "healthy" again and can play. Who would you put at your starting 5? I personally dont think I would change the starting 5 we have now. They have been playing togetther the longest and know each others play style the best. 

However, what if Webster comes back and within 5-10 games is back to where he was pre injury? (I know this is a strech, but hey, we can dream big around here!) Would you start him in front of Batum or bring him in off the bench? What happens to Outlaw at the 3? Do you slide him down to the 4 and let him cover the floor while Aldridge is taking a breather, or do you push Batum deeper down the rotation?

I think Nate has done a pretty decent job so far with the team he has had this year. In a way, I think the injuries have helped the team out more then hurt them . I know its a bit sadistic to think that way, but would we have seen Batum get to where he is now if he was just a sub behind Outlaw and Web? With Oden starting an entire year, would we have seen Joel anchor this team even more so this year  then he has in the past? And how about seeing some early highlights of Bayless while Blake was out? Even Sergio was starting to show signs of exciting playmaking with extended time on the floor.

So my picks for the starting 5:

1. Blake
2. Roy
3. Batum
4. Aldridge
5. Pryz

My top 5 bench:

1. Bayless
2. Rudy
3. Webster
4. Outlaw
5. Oden

Whats yours?

Oh, I almost forgot... RIP CITY!!!