SB Nation User Blog: EngineerScotty

Somewhat OT: Journal/Blogger Showdown--Canzano vs Bojack

EngineerScotty — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 17:12:26 -0000

It looks like a bit of a war o' words is brewing between two well-known and controversial icons in Portland journalistic/blogging circles--John Canzano of The Oregonian, who we all know (and perhaps some of us love), and Lewis and Clark law professor and well-known online commentator of the local political scene, Jack Bogdanski, or "bojack" as he is better known. Bojack last attracted attention of bedgers when during the playoffs, he called for Nate McMillan's head--that said, sports is not his forte. The subject of this little battle royale--Merritt Paulson, and the various proposals to move the Beavs out of PGE Park to make way for the MLS Timbers.

More after the Jump.

I trust that most BEdgers are familiar with John Canzano. For those of you not familiar with Bojack, he is a right-leaning blogger (more of the libertarian bent than the fundamentalist Christian variety), and a frequent critic of the City of Portland and its relationships with developers in such. In short--he's of the opinion that most public projects undertaken by the City and the Portland Development Commission are wastes of money, and frequently are rewards to certain favored developers for political patronage. He has little use for public funding of sports--including Paul Allen--and has had some pretty harsh words for Timbers/Beavers owner Merritt Paulsen, and the proposal on the table to relocate the Beavers to Lents Park or the MC or wherever, so PGE Park can be made into a full-time football/soccer stadium. He views the whole thing as a giant boondoggle, and essentially accuses Paulsen of shaking down the city and its taxpayers, aided and abetted by the City Council.

About a month ago, Bogdanski posted a screenshot of Merritt Paulson's Facebook "Friends" list, showing Portland mayor Sam Adams among his "friends" (a term which can mean anything on Facebook). The page in question is publicly accessible (or at least it was at the time), and Bojack has since blacked out the face of Paulson's daughter in his profile picture. Bogdanski didn't say anything in the posting other than "no surprise here"--but the implication seems clear: The whole deal is corrupt, Adams and Paulson are not dealing at arms length, etc. Yours truly noted in the comments that another "friend" of Paulson was--John Canzano.

Cue this morning's column in the Big O--one month after the fact--Canzano comes out swinging and rips Bojack a new one or two. Not by name, of course--Canzano gets paid for his words, so he's not gonna dignify a blogger like Bogdanski by actually mentioning his name in print, no sir--but anyone familiar with the situation knows exactly who he is talking about. Canzano protests that the Facebook posting was a gross invasion of privacy, and also refers to Bogdanski as a "bitter local blogger" for his practice of referring to Paulsen as "Little Lord Paulson". Apparently Pauslon has been accosted in restaurants by angry residents who think he's trying to screw the city over. And indeed, part of Bojack's schtick is riling up the Jim Goad demographic in town--lower-middle-class (and often politically conservative) Portlanders who want the city to focus on things like crime and schools and other basic civic necessities, and view the City's frequent focus on transit projects, urban renewal in trendy neighborhoods, and yes--investment in things like pro sports--as a fleecing by a cabal of yuppies and other wealthy elites, at their expense. In what looks like an obvious attempt to damp down those sentiments, Canzano played his familiar "just plain folks" card, describing the Paulson's is if they were a middle-class family, not folks with an eight-figure net wealth, headed by the son of the former treasury secretary.

Bojack, naturally, hit back today in his blog. Flaming Canzano for his style is kinda like shooting ducks in a barrel--OTOH, Bogdanski didn't really say anything he hasn't said before.

Ahh, fun times.

Poll

Who do you got in this little pillowfight?

Canzano

8 votes

Bojack

9 votes

Paulson

5 votes

A pox on all their houses

14 votes

Who cares? I don't care about MLS or AAA baseball, and I don't live in the City of Portland anyway.

13 votes

49 votes | Poll has closed

Tyrus Thomas available?

EngineerScotty — Fri, 22 May 2009 20:23:43 -0000

According to Alan Hahn of Newsday, the Bulls are shopping Tygger--and might offer him cheap to anyone willing to take Kirk Hinrich off their hands.

The rumor, as stated, seems to think that the Knicks have a shot at Thomas. But assuming he could get along with Nate and stay out of trouble--he'd be sweet on the Blazers bench. We haven't had a havoc-wreaking non-center since Ruben left--and I'm sure we could tolerate Captain Kirk's contract. (If the Knicks were to acquire Hinrich--I would be POd if I were Chris Duhon).

OTOH, I suspect this rumor is, like most rumors, silly.

Hat tip to the Blogfather.

Poll

Would you want Tyrus Thomas on the Blazers?

Yes! He's a game changing defender

33 votes

Maybe! He's on rookie scale still, so we could get rid of him if it doesn't work out.

111 votes

No. He's a Bad Character Dude, and Canzano would write lots (more) stories about sick children were TT to come to town.

43 votes

187 votes | Poll has closed

The Lesson of the GEICO Caveman

EngineerScotty — Mon, 18 May 2009 16:36:43 -0000

It's been a good week for the GEICO Caveman, known to some as Pau Gasol. (Bonus points: Can you tell them apart?)

Not only was he named to the 3rd-Team All NBA, put his 21 points and 18 boards, and total domination of Luis Scola in game 7, helped the Lakers finally put down the pesky Rockets. Gasol was also an All-Star this year.

Not bad for a guy who for many years, had the "potential" monkey on his back. His time in Memphis--where his Grizzlies got swept a couple of times in the playoffs, he missed a season after being injured in international competition, and his heart was routinely questioned after he signed a max deal in 2004 but failed to lead the Grizzlies to the promised land--is important to consider and understand.

Why?

Some of the criticisms against Gasol--a guy who is now an eight-year veteran of the league--are frequently leveled against OUR current power forward. Not tough enough. Doesn't play D. Second-rate player--good enough to be a starter but not a star. Disappears. Obviously, some of the complaints don't apply to LMA, as he hasn't (yet) signed a max deal--but some do.

Which is kinda funny when you consider that LaMarcus generally does very well head-to-head against el cavernícola.

So what is the difference between Gasol now--and Gasol a few years ago?

* Experience

* Better teammates.

LMA today has better teammates than Gasol ever enjoyed while on the Mississippi. But experience is the big separator between the two. Talent? I doubt it--I expect Aldridge to surpass Gasol in a couple years.

But it is important to draw lessons from the career of Pau Gasol--it hasn't always been smooth sailing for the Spaniard.

Basketball, after all, isn't something which is so easy that even a caveman can do it.

The True Trouble with Travis

EngineerScotty — Thu, 14 May 2009 16:36:02 -0000

Over on the main page, the subject of today's player review is a bit of a controversial fellow--one Travis Outlaw. The posting on the main page is full of discussion of basketball trivia--points, rebounds, PER, BBIQ, and for some, the only statistic that matters--#25. We won't talk about any of that boring stuff in the sidebar.

For you see, the reason that Travis isn't the complete player we all would love to see--Kevin Durant with the ball, Rodman on the blocks, Artest on D, and Chris Dudley off the court--doesn't have anything to do with statistics. Or those intangible intangibles, like heart, toughness, or chutzpah.

No, the True Trouble with Travis is--his nickname sucks.

Look at the Blazers LaMarcus is the L-Train (we won't print his other nickname)--a nickname that conveys power, strength, and speed--and evokes memories of one of the league's all-time greats, Artis Gilmore.

Joel is the Vanilla Gorilla. No, not this gorilla---

This one.

as Prz swats down enemy shots like King Kong swats down airplanes.

Nicolas Batum doesn't need a nicname; just say BA-TUUUUUUUM! and everyone in the room knows who you are talking about. But I still like Sir Nicolas, even though others think I've lost my head.

Brandon Roy is, of course, the Natural.

While suggesting transcendent greatness, which is the epitome of Roy, that nickname troubles me somewhat--ain't it a movie about a jock who died? If I were Bill Simmons, I'd interject with three paragraphs about bawling my head off while watching Brian's Song, but I'm not, so I won't. Needless to say, we don't want them to make a movie called Brandon's Song. Ever.

Steve Blake doesn't really have a nickname (besides silly racial taunts like "snowflake"), but he doesn't even look like a basketball player. He looks like he should be lead vocalist for an emo band, singing songs about how nobody respects him and he has to constantly prove himself to the world. But still--after Maryland won the NCAA title way back when, who would have predicted that Blake and not Juan Dixon would have been the guy who lasted the longest in the NBA?

Turning to the bench: Greg Oden's name IS a nickname. Oden is one vowel different from Odin, the Norse god of war. Also called Wotan, this almighty diety has a day of the week--Wednesday--named after him.

Channing Frye has an apt nickname--the Buffet of Goodness. A contradiction in terms--buffets usually have stale food that isn't the right temperature--it nonetheless captures the essence that is Channing Would-You-Like-Fryes-With-That.

Sergio and Rudy are jointly known by the nickname The Spanish Armada. Why they like this name, I'm not sure--we all know what happened to the real Armada:

I prefer the nickname "Spanish Inquisition" myself--a name nobody expects--but it isn't up to me.

Jerryd Bayless is, of course, Rex. Between the intense moods and the too-short-to-brush-my-own-teeth arms, has there ever been a more appropriate nickname bestowed upon a rookie?

Even the scrubs have cool nicknames. Raef LaFrentz, who didn't play a minute, was nonetheless known as the RLEC, or simply as The Contract.

In the business sense, kind of boring--but if you view the phrase "Expiring Contract" through a Sopranos lens, it takes on a whole new meaning.

Michael Ruffin is another guy who needs no nickname, though a certain bird which rhymes with his last name seems kind of appropriate.

And Shavlik Randolph evokes memories of Rocky, even the only thing the two of them have in common is being white guys from Philly who say stupid things. (And Rocky has an excuse; a Dook grad like Shavlik oughtta know better).

Even Nate has a cool nickname.

Somehow I can picture Nate getting into Channing's face, lecturing him on the subject of golf balls and garden hoses--but I digress.

But what about Travis? His nickname, of course, is Trout.

What sort of nickname is that? Trouts are inoffensive fish which are tasty when rolled in cornmeal and deep-fried.

I know Travis likes to fish and all, and its a cute little pun on his name--but come ON! If we're gonna name a guy after a fish, at least call him Barracuda or something like that.

You can eat a trout--but a barracuda will eat you, given the chance. See the difference? Plus with barracuda, the choice of theme song becomes obvious. Dunh-da-da Dunh-da-da Dunh-da-da Dunh-da-da Dunh! DUNH! DUNH! DUNH!

While the name "barracuda" is my humble suggestion, the choice is ultimately up to you, BEdgers. A new nickname is certain to raise Outlaw's PER by a few points, so it's time to get creative, people!

Kevin Pritchard is counting on you.

5/14: Please Junk this Flag Drawer

EngineerScotty — Thu, 14 May 2009 06:20:47 -0000

Last time I posted a JD, nobody bothered to write. Of course, it was spring break or thereabouts, but still... now its the off-season, and we don't have any basketball to discuss until November. Preseason--OK, September. Summer league? OK, OK... August. Free agency? July, I got you. The draft? The NBA Finals?

Damn. Writing about this sport is hard work. No wonder those lazy sportswriters prefer to cover the NFL draft over the NBA playoffs...

As a Suggested Topic for this JD, we can propose designs for a new semi-un-official Blazers Edge Flag, that bedgers can proudly fly from the roofs of their Subarus. Or we can just do the usual, and include as many witty pop-cultural references as possible--and still not have enough for a Bill Simmons column.

My wife is now demanding I go to bed--something about having to take the kids to school in the morning.

Poll

Does Blazers Edge need a semi-un-official flag?

Yes. A banner would demonstrate our esprit d corpse, or however you spell it.

19 votes

No. That's a stupid idea. If you design a flag I will burn it to ashes.

8 votes

Flag.

14 votes

Rec.

2 votes

Salute.

15 votes

58 votes | Poll has closed

What's up with Beyond Bowie?

EngineerScotty — Tue, 12 May 2009 21:33:24 -0000

BeyondBowie.com hasn't had an update in several days. Erik Barmack is no longer listed as one of the bloggers. And the site still seems to think the Houston/Portland series is going on--it lists the Rockets as leading 3-2, with Game Six forthcoming.

Anybody know?

I actually was enjoying some of the writing there--if the site is to be successful, it needs to find something to do that's different from other successful Blazer blogs (like this one), and do it well. I kinda thought that a Blazer Bill Simmons approach would work best, and in some ways that's what Max and Erik were delivering.

But there hasn't been much written there lately--either by the bloggers or in the comments. Even though the season is over, the draft is coming up. The fact that we don't care about the upcoming draft lottery is a reason to celebrate. And there's the Sergio intrigue, questions about other players such as Blake, Outlaw, and Frye--sufficient stuff to keep a blogger busy.

Might be Max is busy with the finishing touches of the film he's producing. I don't know how involved he is in the production, or if he's mainly in an investor/executive-producer role. But still--having more well-written blogs in the blazerblogosphere is a good thing.

Paul Allen to sell KXL-AM and KXTG-FM (The Game)

EngineerScotty — Tue, 12 May 2009 17:05:50 -0000

Paul Allen to sell KXL-AM and KXTG-FM (The Game)

Didn't see this reported anywhere else, but Paul Allen is selling his two Portland-area radio properties--KXL NewsRadio 750 AM, and KTXG 95.5 FM, aka The Game, to radio mogul Larry Wilson.

As part of the deal, The Game will continue to serve as the flagship station of the Blazer Broadcasting network for at least the next 8 years; at which point (I imagine) the Blazers will be free to shop around should they choose. Wilson indicates that he has no plans to alter the format or programming of either station.

I don't really have any opinion--unless the Blazers are on, I don't listen to either station. It is nice that the station (and its non-Blazer Broadcasting programming) will have a bit more editorial independence from the team, I suppose--but then again, I don't listen to said programming.

My odds concerning who will be back

EngineerScotty — Wed, 06 May 2009 19:03:28 -0000

What are the odds, for each current Blazer, that they will be wearing scarlet and black come the start of the 2009-10 campaign? In order of likelihood, here is my best guess.

Brandon Roy: >99.9%

I won't write 100% or 0% because there are no absolutes in sports--but I can't see any scenario, other than Cleveland offering LeBron and a pick, that Roy will be gone. Expect Roy to get a max extension this summer, to avoid having him be a FA after next season--and expect him to be in town for a long time.

Greg Oden: 98%

Barring some rather nasty I-want-out scenario, which I don't see happning, I expect Greg to be back. Having Greg on the roster is like being on <em>Deal or no Deal</em>, the million dollar case is still in play, and the banker's giving you nothing but lowball offers. If you get to play a dozen games, it's frequently beneficial to take a good offer from the bank--but there's only one shot. Oden stays. No deal. Now name your next case.

Joel Przybilla: 96%

If and when Oden turns into the stud we all want, and Joel starts rotting on the bench--it might be worth moving him. But until that day comes--Joel loves Portland and Portland loves Joel. He's not untouchable--but I wouldn't move Joel at this time except for a big man of similar quality, and I don't see any of those available.

LaMarcus Aldridge: 95%

Aldridge is another guy--like Roy--due for a contract extension--the Blazers have three guys on the team who were drafted in 06, and are entering the final year of their rookie deals (Sergio is the third; we'll deal with him later). There is no doubt--Roy gets a max deal; he's a top ten player in this league. But what of Aldridge? Five years ago, the trio of Z-Bo, AK47, and Pau Gasol all received max deals--and all three contracts are now regarded as big mistakes, as none is an all-NBA caliber player. Z-bo is toxic waste; AK47 is a decent bench contributor but one whose development has lagged. Only Gasol merits All-Star consideration--and even then, he's overpaid. LMA, at best, is probably in Gasol territory; expect there to be some negotiation back and forth concerning HIS contract. Sometimes, those things turn bad. (Also, LMA isn't untouchable--I could see him being moved for the right offer). I fully expect Aldridge to be back (and happy), but there are more things that could go wrong than with Roy.

Rudy Fernandez: 95%

Rudy seems happy with his role on the team, and there are no contract issues--unlike countryman Juan Carlos Navarro, who decided the NBA/US wasn't for him--there's little indication Rudy might want to return to Spain. OTOH, he's a starter quality player who is coming off the bench--if New Jersey were to call and offer Devin Harris for the Spanish Connection, I'd have to consider it. But expect Rudy to be back.

Martell Webster: 95%

A Webster trade would be unlikely given that he was hurt all season--he might not even be able to pass a trade physical at this point. OTOH, stranger things have happened. If any of our SFs get traded, I expect it to be Outlaw or...

Nicolas Batum: 90%

Nic had a horrible playoff series against Houston--but giving the monsters he was lined up against, the fact that he's a 19 year old rookie, and the fact that he makes women all over town swoon (at least one of them, anyway)--I expect him to be back. OTOH, he isn't untouchable, and can be moved for the right offer. It would be risky, given questions of Webster's health, but he's a desired asset. As is the remaining rookie, one...

Jerryd Bayless: 85%

Out of all four rookies, Bayless got to spend the least amount of time on the floor, and other than a brief run when Steve Blake was hurt, did little to justify any PT other than during garbage time. He's another guy with the "Potential" label, though, and was reportedly inquired about quite a bit during the rush to the trading deadline. His position--PG/tweener--and the unsettled nature of the post make him the rookie most likely to be moved; however out of the three Blazer PGs, I think he's the most likely to return.

Steve Blake: 70%

Blake has had doubters every where he has gone, and has generally silenced them. But is he the starting PG for a champion? Given that prior NBA champions have started guys like Derek Fisher, Ron Harper, BJ Armstrong, Steve Kerr, and Avery Johnson at the point--and that guys like Chris Paul, Steve Nash, John Stockton, Jason Kidd, Kevin Johnson, and Deron Williams are all ringless (if it weren't for his stint with Miami, you could add Gary Payton to the list)--I'd say the answer is "maybe". If Oden turns into the beast we expect, and either Martell or Batum were to add the ability to beat folks off the dribble--Blake could be the PG that gets us there. OTOH, on a team whose only scoring threats are Roy and LMA, an upgrade at the other positions is probably warranted--and Blake, who will be a FA next season (assuming his option for next year is picked up, which it will be), could be the guy who is upgraded. That might mean a trade (many have suggested a Blake+spare parts for Kirk Hinrich trade), or a demotion to the bench should someone else assume the starting QB role. Most likely, Blake will be back next year--he meshes well with Brandon--but out of the five starters, he's the most likely IMO to not return.

Travis Outlaw: 50%

A highly controversial player, to say the least--teams love his ability to get a shot over almost anybody--and loathe his ability to disappear, and to look lost on defense. This is an option year for Travis, and the Blazers will certainly pick up the option--but he's among the Most Likely To Be Traded among the team. If he does stay, I expect him to get fewer minutes next year--were that to occur it would probably help him, as the team could focus on what he does well (score) and not be dependent on him to do the things he does poorly (everything else).

Sergio Rodriguez: 30%

Despite everything, Sergio still isn't happy. His game did improve, and having Rudy around certainly helped--but Sergio would be better suited to another system--such as Mike d'Antoni in New York. Given that he's entering the final year of his rookie deal, and I don't expect the Blazers to extend him--the best time for Portland to move him would be this summer. He could be back, but I think Portland will look to add a PG, and if they do, Sergio is most likely the odd man out.

Channing Frye: 10%

Martell Webster, whose rookie deal expired this season, was extended last fall.

Frye, drafted three picks afterward in the same draft, was not. Since that bit of motivation, he's done nothing to justify coming back, other than injecting himself into the local cultural fabric and Pearl District scene. Juan Dixon loved the Pearl, too--that didn't keep him from being sent packing.

Unlike the three guys below, though, Frye can play NBA ball--there are a few teams that have use for a jumpshooting PF who doesn't rebound or play D very often. He'll be employed next year at one of them, possibly in a sign-and-trade.

But chances are, he won't be wearing a Portland jersey come November. I

Raef LaFrentz, Michael Ruffin, Shavlik Randolph. <0.1%

Raef's career is likely done; Ruffin was acquired only for his contract (and is otherwise not a KP/Nate player), and Randolph had the distinction of spending the most games on the inactive list of players who weren't hurt at the time. None will be back in a Blazer uniform next season. Raef won't be back in the league; and the other two, if they are in the NBA, probably won't be playing for a guaranteed contract.

Oh, and one more

Nate McMillan, 95%

McMillan has one year remaining on his deal, which was for five years, signed in 2005. Nate has his critics around town--there seems to be a "fire Nate" chorus that periodically pipes up. But he's highly regarded among those who know basketball. The thing the Blazers ought to be considering is not whether or not to keep Nate--they instead should be working on his contract extension.

Nate has shown that he will walk if lowballed. Just ask Seattle. :)

It is entirely possible that McMillan intends to move on after next year--when asked about his contract status, he recently said something like "I'm going to honor my deal with the team"--which COULD be read that he wants to go elsewhere afterwards. If Nate does want to go elsewhere--and help build up another young team, for instance--I wish him good luck. But if McMillan wants to stay in Portland, the time to make that happen is now.

At any rate, barring a spectacular breakdown of a contract negotiation, I fully expect McMillan to be prowling the sidelines for the Blazers next season.

Who you got now, that the Blazers are out?

EngineerScotty — Mon, 04 May 2009 15:06:39 -0000

Now that the First Round is over, and the second round has begun, and the Blazers ain't in it--who would you LIKE to see hoisting the Larry O'Brien trophy come June?

Or do you even care?

So far, one 2nd-round game has been played, with Denver whomping on Dallas after ~~getting a bye in the first round~~beating the decimated Hornets. (#$! Hornets--can't make free throws. #$@ Spurs--giving Denver a freebie. #$! #@ #$!!!). Many commentators are, naturally, picking a Lakers/Cavs final.

So, fellow Bedgers, who do you want to see win?

This might seem like blasphemy to some, but I'd like to see Houston--even though they just kicked our butt. For one, Rick Adelman needs a ring. For another, Ron Artest aside, the Rockets are a classy organization. For a third, a Houston title would mean an embarassing second round exit for You Know Who.

As a second choice, I'll go with my favorite team besides Portland--Anybody but the L--ers.

Poll

Who would you like to see win the NBA finals, of the eight teams remaining?

The Los Angeles L--ers

17 votes

The Denver Nuggets

9 votes

The Houston Rockets

108 votes

The Dallas Mavericks

7 votes

The Cleveland Cavaliers

74 votes

The Orlando Magic

14 votes

The Boston Celtics

3 votes

The Atlanta Hawks

23 votes

Anybody but the Los Angeles L--ers

33 votes

I don't care. Wake me up when the draft is getting close.

22 votes

310 votes | Poll has closed

Could the Swine Flu scotch the NBA playoffs?

EngineerScotty — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 22:08:03 -0000

I'd say the answer is definitely, "yes, it could"--and I'm not sure there is anything that us fans could do about it.

On Monday, when it was announced that Brandon Roy was suffering from "flu-like symptoms", the swine-flu jokes started cracking--whatever Roy had, it wasn't swine flu--but today, the World Health Organization elevated the pandemic alert level to Level 5 (out of 6). Level 6 means a pandemic is in progress (it DOESN'T mean we're all gonna die, but it does mean watch out). Level 6 conditions haven't been met since the Hong Kong Flu pandemic about 40 years ago.

Ordinarily, the flu kills a half million or so people every year--most of them very old, very young, or very sick. HK flu killed about a million worldwide, including some healthy adults. Spanish flu, the most serious flu pandemic in history, killed millions; including tons of healthy adults.

So far, one death in the US has been attributed to Swine Flu--in Houston, of all places. The victim was a Mexican baby brought to the US for treatment; there hasn't been any widespread outbreak in Houston. There are 90 other confirmed cases in the US; but most have been minor--unlike the numerous deaths (of healthy adults) that have occurred in Mexico City.

But be prepared--if this thing does spread and become a major public healthy problem; one thing that might well get scrapped are large gatherings of people--such as basketball games. It would be a shame to see that happen.