To preface this post, it contains triggering material, and is a bit off -topic. It isn't specifically Blazer related and includes a bevy  of social commentary.

--

Several months ago, Dave wrote a post about a fundraiser benefiting victims of domestic violence. Even though It was difficult to read and respond to the post, all Dave was doing was getting the word out for a very worthy cause. A cause that never ever gets burn in the sports world, a cause that is skimmed over in lieu of contract ramifications and team dynamics. A cause that is so rarely spoken of because its still doomed to the bottom of a Public Realm Hell Hole, that bringing it up becomes so controversial and touchy no one ever actually says much.

But talking about domestic violence is the best way to prevent it .

So when I read about the recent allegations against an up and coming rookie , who is charged with some serious acts of violence against his girlfriend, I am incredulous due to a local media member's response , but more importantly, I am terribly and suddenly compelled to write about it. Because a frank and honest conversation about the double standard in the media and public regarding athletes that "allegedly" hit women, Is one of the best ways to raise awareness, even if it hurts. In the long run, it is indeed for the absolute best.

--

Lance Stephenson is a New York native, attending the same high school as Sebastian Telfair and Steph Marbury. He was a decorated high school athlete, winning numerous accolades and awards. By every measurement , his future was and still is bright. He even starred alongside the Blazers' own Jerryd Bayless in Gunnin' For That Number 1 Spot.

During those years one could argue that "culture issues" - as we in Portland have come to understand that phrase- began to arise. He got in  trouble and was accused of groping a girl at school. The details of that incident are hard to find, I don't consider that a coincidence.

Now Stephenson is an Indiana Pacer, a high risk rookie and who , if everything were to work out, was considered by many to be a steal. His troubles suck for the team , and really suck for those who worked so hard to get the guy, because he's talented on the court , despite any personal ongoing issues. But nothing , of course , is as important as the injuries, both internally and externally , of the victim.

Obviously , the "alleged" actions are the most detrimental for his "alleged" victim, but in our culture, in the sports universe- an inherently sexist world that mostly uses women shamelessly- the victim of an "alleged" domestic violence incident doesn't even cause a shred of concern.

What matters to me is not what his career will be like. His career isn't in jeopardy because lawyers, the team and the league will deal with this "issue" and it will soon be such an afterthought, most of you won't even remember Lance's transgression in two days.

But I will. Let me describe to you what "allegedly" happened that lead to Stephenson's troubles. Per the Huffingtonpost, which cites prosecutors:

Authorities say the confrontation occurred around 5 a.m. Sunday when the woman, Jasmine Williams, was returning home to her apartment building with two friends. Witnesses said Stephenson was waiting for her and yelled, "Are you kidding me?" before pushing her down the stairs. A criminal complaint provided Monday by the Brooklyn district attorney's office said that as Williams lay at the bottom of the stairs, Stephenson picked up her head and slammed it on the bottom step.

Because kicking her down the stairs wasn't enough . He had to make a point, by shoving her head violently into the wall and screaming at her. The uncontrolled rage, the complete disregard for her life, and endangerment of her person , his person, as well as any potential bystanders , shows a guy who has complete disregard for pretty much any and everything. From the "allegations" , all that mattered to him at that moment, was to demolish physically ,mentally and emotionally, the woman who is the mother of his kid.

It is an "allegedly" classic display of domestic violence- a situation that occurs to 1 in 4 women in this country. What is also classic is the generic response, or no response, from the NBA , the media, and many in the sports world .

In the remainder of the Huffingtonpost story , all of the annoying and really predictable statements are reported: Ebanks (Lawyer of Stephenson) calls the charges against his client "very serious," adding: "Everyone, especially Lance, regrets that this incident occurred. We look forward to addressing these charges in the appropriate venues.", and the requisite comment from Larry Bird: "we'll wait for all facts to come to light" . Most comments have been about how this will affect, or not affect, Lance's career. No comments are about whether his "alleged" victim is still in a neck brace or if she's been released from the hospital. It is almost as if not one word can be uttered about his "alleged" victim, for fear of tarnishing his budding career.

There are a lot of reasons for this, first being that the case is still in the "alleged" stage, meaning he's "innocent until proven guilty". Sadly this never helps in a case of domestic violence , because by the time a victim actually gets to court (if she's ‘lucky' enough to be hit by someone famous , or has money to hire an attorney, or is strong enough at that moment to actually file a case against her attacker) there has been so much time for reconciliation and more commonly, victim blaming , that the damage has already been done to the victim and no amount of jail time, fees or classes for abusers are going to change anything for all parties involved.

And the public most certainly won't be convinced or concerned for her plight. In fact, much to the chagrin of people such as myself, the victim in the Lance Stephenson incident has been for the most part nameless and faceless. To many, she's just another minor distraction to a team trying not to suck during the 2011 NBA season. It is the second part of this tragedy , and why I'm writing about the story today.

There is another , more sordid, reason Stephenson's story has garnered such little attention. Domestic violence is so prevalent in our society, that it is almost subconsciously disregarded as unimportant- the public /private split relegates violence to the family(private home) - meaning most people still perceive violence against women to be "personal matters" that shouldn't be dealt with in public.

No one wants to admit that it is an endemic issue in our society , but the truth is, with statistics showing one of four women having experienced intimate partner abuse during their lifetime and "In a single day in 2008, 16,458 children were living in a domestic violence shelter or transitional housing facility. Another 6,430 children sought services at a non-residential program" (link) , there is no denying how much of an issue domestic violence has become.

What is more, an old stereotype prevails about black men, originating from the days of slavery , that they are violent by nature and can't be fully "harnessed". (link)   This is not true of course, but it is part of the reason why when a black man shoves a woman down the stairs, it isn't as newsworthy as if he were white.

All of this contributes to the reason why no one cares too much about the victim, why Lance Stephenson will be essentially protected and coddled by the media and NBA , and he'll go on to have a decent career . (Maybe he won't, we don't actually know, but based on talent , he's got a shot at a decent career.) And his girlfriend is still another random statistic to all of us, the reason (maybe) for putting Stephenson's career in jeopardy , and root cause of his troubles.

--

After Greg Oden went down last season, I snidely and acerbically joked to anyone that would listen (mostly myself) asking , " why do I have to be so passionate about two of the worst causes: Women's Rights and The Portland Trail Blazers?" I am always only half joking when I ask that question, because when stories like Lance Stephenson's come up I am torn. And it really sucks.

I have no philosophical reflections to offer on it, the point is I love basketball and I love the Blazers while at the same time wanting to end partner violence. My love for basketball and my passion for ending partner violence both have deeply personal roots. And they never reside harmoniously within me but usually, they are kept in separate compartments and dealt with individually - we all have conflicting interests, so I'm sure you know how it goes.

When the two issues I am most passionate about (seemingly inevitably) collide, it really , really, reallllly sucks. Because I want to not only watch every NBA and Blazer game , I want to absorb it, live it and feel it. When I read about an NBA basketball player "allegedly" brutalize a woman, and read the predictable response from the sports world, and I comprehend the underlying racial ramifications of the story , I become compelled to stop giving my extra money, extra love, and extra time to an industry that in small part, perpetuates violence against women.

But I could never actually Stop Watching. And I will never stop talking about the perpetual issue of domestic violence. Even  though it is hard to read and deal with stories such as Lance's, I cant shut off the NBA and basketball, and I can't stop thinking one day we won't have to worry so much about partner abuse. Although partner abuse has many causes, and there are complicated and intricate reasons it is so prevalent, to  bring stories like Lance's into more open forums and talk about them does help, if for not other reason than educating people and raising awareness.

-Sophia

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Oregon Department of Human Services 

Family Violence Prevention Fund  

Colliins, Patricia . Black Sexual Politics: African Americans, Gender, And the New Racism 

HuffingtonPost: Lance Stephenson Arrested For Attacking Girlfriend

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yesterday I played a game on twitter I like to call blazer ad lib. 

 

I wrote  " Blazer ad lib : i hate when rudy fernandez  ________ a _________ . " 

 

The best answer was hilarious , to me but I wont post it here  because I know it would offend a ton of people. You can check my twitter feed if you really want to see it. 

 

I created this story to help me get through the loss. 

 

Last night I watched a  ___________ basketball game that featured my favorite team, the _________ _______ _______. I ______ when the score was _____ . The team got out of the _____ early and then  quckly ______ any chance of winning when Marcus ________ left the for the ________ . Juwan Howard is _________ . He can't _______ _________ . Rudy and Roy together cannot _________ defense. The third quarter caused my _____ to freeze and my _______ to wither. I _____ blowouts. ____ City!

 

Have a great day everyone, we'll get em tomorrow. 

 

xoxo

 

Sophia  aka The Princess  

Happy Monday everyone! Aren't you sooooo excited to be up and at it for another week of hard work ! :-D

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Dave, this is how you post information after the jump

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Dear Everyone,

 

Did you miss me? I miss my blazersedge.

How has your summer been? Have you vacay'd anywhere? 

I went camping twice, which is a lot for me. Can't say i'll go camping anytime soon. 

What is your favorite football team? I'm a Raiders fan. Before you get all indignant , remember, it's quite painful these days to be a Raiders fan.

 

Do you watch baseball? What is your favorite baseball team? 

 

Have a great week!

<3 Always

 

Sophia

My favorite song right now is Love Game by lady gaga. I <3 her. 

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I am not a woman scorned, I just felt like typing that. LOL

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I dont know what BRPs subject in the last JD was but im pretty sure it SUCKED

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I played basketball from age 6 to 14 (?) I was a Center/PF with great length and competitive fire that  most other 6 year olds dont have.  I won the city wide 12-15 year old CYO free throw championship... i dont remember how many in a row I made but it was alot ! :) Because I was the only girl in my class in 6th 7th and 8th grade, I played for All Saints Grade School and the SE Boys & Girls Club. My dad was the coach most seasons untill the end when he finally decided coaching tween girls was worse than the 6th level of Dante's Hell. In his defense, he encouraged/supported  my serious attempt to play for the boys team but we all know what the Catholic Youth Organization had to say about that. . . 

Strength : Great passion , very vocal, defensive stopper and can score at will . Good at the pick and roll .. nic name White Malone (i just made that up.. but it's funny b/c i totally used to throw bows like him) 

Bad: difficult to establish post position without commiting tons of off. fouls. . Technical fouls out of every game-(that is not a joke)

 

 

Poll

In grade school/ middle school /High School I played __________ on the basketball team

11%

Center

20 votes

18%

PF

33 votes

12%

SF

22 votes

14%

SG

25 votes

20%

PG

37 votes

11%

undersized pipsqueek that ran around aimlessly

20 votes

2%

Oversized brute w facial hair at 8 years old intent on mimiking jordan.. without any PG skills

4 votes

9%

my skills are so sick they cant be defined by this poll

16 votes

177 votes | Poll has closed

The Houston Rockets have inspired me to write of the history of the Mohawk.

In America.. the popularized version of the Mohawk started with :

 

via www.freewebs.com

....The Mohawk Tribe get their name from Mohowa or  "man eaters" . They were around untill the Dutch and French  showed up .. and well the rest is American History 101.

 

The Clonycavan Man, a 2000-year-old male bog body found near Dublin, Ireland, was found to be wearing a Mohawk, held together with plant oil and pine resin imported from southwestern France or Spain.[1] The Mohawk, which can also be known as "Moonhawk" in some countries, is often thought to have been worn by the Mahican and Mohawk tribes, but the name may be a misnomer; it is believed that the Wyandot were the first Native American tribe to wear the hairstyle, but early French explorers mistook them for the Mohawk tribe[citation needed]. Many other accounts of Native American cultures however claim that 'In times of war, Mohawk men shaved their heads except for a scalplock or a crest down the center of their head—the hairstyle known as a roach or a "Mohawk." [2] During World War II, members of the Allied Airborne soldiers (specifically the 101st Airborne Division - the "Screaming Eagles") shaved their hair into Mohawks.[3]

 

(wikipedia.com)

 

Punk 'movement' in the 1980's popularized this hairstyle and today several renditions of the original due are the fauxhawk and eurohawk (lol).

via www.blogcdn.com

 

via www.intentionalfoul.com

oh and  i want to put a pic of my son's hair cut in here.. this is his baseball number ..... this HAS to be some sort of punishment..

 

via i276.photobucket.com

I have finally come to terms with this season. After wandering this:

 

via www.terraspirit.com

 

for days and days, looking for any sign of light to break up my misery over our untimely exit from the first round. In the process I cut off several close inter-friends :).... so here goes..Im sorry for alienating you <3. I wont do it again.

 

I would like to ASK for an apology from Greg and Steve and Sergio and Travis and Nate... and KP for not moving RLEC....

 

I would like to apologize in advance for all the fights i will pick about politics during the off season  :(

 

<3 everyone

 

Sophia

sorry I deleted the other one. I didn't like the comments by myself or some of the other posting there. I also put Roy and the devil in the same sentence , which some people didn't like ,so ...SORRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyway, just wanted to help facilitate a common place to release the pent up frustration after a tough OT loss at home. Anyone that doesn't like negative comments and rants about their favorite team, while prone to irrational postings and rude insults (im guilty) please stop reading now.

 

Sophia

This was linked in the fanshots and thought I would bring up here for some actual discussion since the fanshots get no love.

Gavin this morning on 955 The Game had Mike Barrett on as a guest. Besides showering Greg Oden with praise and then trying to explain Twitter to Mike, they spoke about Martell. I had to get into work so I missed the end of the conversation, but some interesting points were brought up by MB in regards to Webster and how he could be a disruption to the rotation if he comes back to play.

Everyone knows I <3 Nic Batum. His most valuable asset to the starting unit is his defense and movement. He's often in the right place and has been given some tough assignments that Travis cant be trusted with. Nic is needed and even though his offense is not here yet and his shot is flat most of the time, he spreads the floor and can be counted on for a 3 or 2 in each game. Even though Martell is better than Nic by a lot on offense, how much will Martell's presence hurt our defense? I think it will be a detriment and a tremendous one at that. Will his movement and conditioning be there? I doubt that after a whole year off and what, a month off the boot? Will Martell spot up for the corner 3? Of course, but is this upper body strength still there ?

 

I guess I pose the question, If Martell comes back before the post season, or in the post season, will he help or hurt the team more? If he is in the second unit, will he push Travis to the 4? Will Channing literally have -10 minutes or will Nic just get cut out the rotation and our 3's look like last year? Is that wise especially when Nic has proven to be such an asset to us?

 

I say No on the Webster. It just isn't worth it. He should recover, rest and be healthy and ready for next season.

 

What say you?

 

Sophia

My boss's husband isn't a true blazer fan. Apparantly he is too tired to drive in for this HUGEST GAME EVER .... He doesnt want to go to the game. :(

If I wasn't perpetually broke these would be mine.

 

2 tickets: Sec. 103 Row O Seats: 19 & 20

 

150.00 each

Please email Kerri at : kerri@kippco.com

 

If she doesn't answer you can email me and I'll yell at her to respond.

 

<3

 

Sophia

 

 

 

Since the All Star break, without Greg Oden, confirmation that our starting shooting forward is out indefinitely and a road trip, the Portland Trail Blazers are 4-2. That is a 3-0 record at home and an 1-2 record on the road. Per JScots superb spreadsheet breakdown, the team did as was expected and are still on pace to win 50 games this season.

Certainly some things remain a constant: our defense is as sucky as ever, and we cant really do well against winning teams on the road. They defend our offense too well. Our second unit suffers without Joel. This means the Greg Oden is important.

via mandatemedia.typepad.com

 Lets just all shut up about Oden being a bust, or that he doesn't have heart (see: Boston lose at Portland) or that he needs to just come back slowly and come off the bench because he doesn't deserve to start anyway. To point out a specific instance Jason Quick that Oden SHOWS he LOVES this game and he LOVES the blazers, I say watch this game, again. And I wonder why Oden seems so down and out...could it be that he loves the game SO much that he is sad he cant play? Doesn't seem like such a hard thing to imagine huh JQ? Oden fits in the starting lineup, so does Joel, however Oden does not fit with the second unit who needs Joel , or anyone really , to keep the defense in order. I mean really, our second unit is excellent offensively but then again it also features Rudy(EuroTravis), Travis (AmeriRudy), and Sergio. These aren't exactly defensive stoppers and Oden doesn't know enough yet to solidify this group. He would help with his presence but Joel LEADS that 2nd unit. That is what is missing right now on the 2nd unit.

 

We are still, 4-2. On pace to win 50 or so games. This is good.

Speaking of the 2nd unit, they could use some help , right? At the very least defensively in the effort and organization column. What happens if Oden goes down next year and we need Joel to start again?? Well, Everyone and their mother knows I love Nic Batum. But I want him to play in the 2nd unit. I am not cheating on you Nic, you are first and foremost in my heart. What I want is Tayshaun Prince on this team, and I want Tayshaun Prince to start. Now hear me out. This isn't some wacky trade drawer troll proposal (no offensive to all trolls out there), I am deadly serious. Detroit sucks. They want to unload and rebuild, I just know it. I say they gladly accept an offer for a young, freakishly athletic HIGHLY EFFICENT Travis Outlaw, floor general and slow pace specialist Steve Blake + draft picks or cash for Prince. I didn't do the trade machine so make sure to flash about that on the comments.

So who starts at the PG?

No, not Sergio. He runs around too much, he does drive the lane but he never puts it in , he just drives in the lane and immediately drives right out. No, no sir, I want Bayless to start. Now you're done reading, huh? Well hold on because I think Bayless gets things done. His defense and passing are excellent. Well at least better than Sergio. He has the ability to conform to Nate's system. He can slow things up and play off of Roy. Sergio just doesn't do that. His shot isn't so good but if we have Prince we don't need Bayless to be shooting 50% from the 3. I think Bayless fits in the starting role IF we have Prince better than Sergio.

via blog.oregonlive.com

 

Now, who plays the back up 4? I have no clue because I'm sure Channing is out of here probably for cash or a pick or two. So for now, as has always been, the backup 4 position is a big fat ?

One last great thing about having Prince on our team is I will have one more tall, light skinned skinny boy to lust after!!!

 

via i.a.cnn.net

 

But really, we could be losing 8 strait; instead we are 4-2. That is right on pace with the rest of our season. I think for this time of year, which is considered the time of year that "real playoff contenders" step their game up during the "dog days of the season" when good teams falter this team is doing well.

<3

Sophia

 

And just because I cant youtube anything and not watch this I will gladly share :).

 

 

To My dearest Portland TrailBlazers,

 

It's the middle of winter and its freezing outside.  Every night , after I put my son to sleep, i cuddle down in front of the television and watch you. I love the game and love you. I have never strayed but obviously I enjoy basketball and it's healthy for me to enjoy some other games. Division and conference rivals are often good games and I feel good about not having to care about who wins too much. I just relax, and enjoy myself. Unfortunately, the relaxing and , well, fun aspect to watching you has vanished.

 

This last week I have come to the realization that I cannot relax when watching you play basketball. In fact, I would almost say its not fun. I get stressed out, angry and resentful. Im sure more of the those smart books say I would probably have some underlying abandonment issues or something. It is  , however, safe to state that my cynisism towards you has reached an all time high. I cant figure out exactly why this is. All I know is, I have found myself increasingly angry when Oden sets a lazy pick or Travis floats around on defense, not really in a zoneor guarding anyone in particular. I then feel my face blanch then turn bright red in anger when Travis' man hits a wide open three.

 

I love going to the Rose Garden. We have had so many memorable there. So many special moments.  I think it's the best in the NBA. All the fans are great (mostly) and the atmosphere is indescribeable . I never feel the anger and frustration there as I do when at home on my bean bag in front of the tube. I am angrier still that I cant attend each and every home game. Perhaps this is a partial cause  of my anger. I dont have the funds to buy season tickets and Nic and I have not married, so I cant get free seats that way either-terrible!

 

All in all, after some deep thought, a losing week and an almost stupidest-loss-ever, I have decided that I need a break. I still love you Blazers, I love you with all my heart, but you are so predicteable and stubborn and always making the same mistakes. As my love is unconditional I would never abandon you, but I need some me time away from you, to get my mind right. This just isn't fun anymore. When I have a little break from you, I'll remember why we are together and come running back, but lets just say that we both need a break.

 

Love always,

 

Blazerfan1

 

Sophia