Anybody at the game tonight can tell you the reaction to Rudy was mixed. I can tell you that I heard clear, audible booing from the crowd. Still, lots of "Ruuuuuuudy", but there was still plenty of "boooooooo" mixed in there.

On that note, don't believe whatever kool-aid Quick or someone else may be pushing on you. The Fan Fest crowd doesn't count, either. Rudy has seriously fallen out of favor with fans if he's actually garnering boos at the Rose Garden. Blazers fans don't boo players unless their losers or chumps. While I don't think Rudy is either one of those, he's still earned his visit from the boo birds. We will have to see if it persists in to the season.

(I know I'm going to catch some heat for this... I already have. Here it is anyway. Please keep an open mind. Thanks.)

Today is MLK Day, and many NBA teams are playing a matinee at home... Teams like New York, Washington, Atlanta, Memphis and New Orleans... But, not Portland.

Many, many years ago, there was an Oregon state law prohibiting "colored" folk from moving here. As a result, those of African decent who wanted to move West and start anew moved to Los Angeles, San Francisco or Seattle... Not Portland.

This city is too white, plain and simple. As Bill Simmons once put it, a Blazers game is the whitest NBA experience outside of the state of Utah. The demographics back up that statement, too. According to Wikipedia, the population within the city of Portland is 74.1% white, 6.7% Asian and 6.6% black. The NBA schedule in the last eleven years backs up this assertion, as well. Portland has only played at home once on MLK Day since it was first recognized in all 50 states in 2000, and that one time was not a matinee.

However, Atlanta, Washington and Memphis (since 2002) have almost always played a home game on MLK Day, with Atlanta and Washington always making it a matinee. Also, since 2000, Utah (whiter than Portland) has only hosted twice on MLK Day, none of which were matinees. Arizona was one of the last, if not the last, state to hold out on making MLK Day a national holiday; John McCain even voted against it. The last time a home game was played in Phoenix on MLK Day was in 1997, and that was an evening game, as well.

What the NBA doesn't seem to understand, is that this is not just a holiday for black people, but for ALL people, regardless of color or creed. We all are the target of some kind of discrimination at some point in our lives, and we all need to learn a better understanding of love, unity and peace. It is understandable that the NBA would want to host a special matinee in places with large black populations on a holiday named for a black man. While it may be unintentional, I still find it ironic that a league that works so hard to promote itself as all-inclusive and without borders still chooses to engage in a form of subtle, socially accepted discrimination.

According to an e-mail I got from Blazers Tickets Services, season ticket holders should be receiving their season tickets in the mail the week of Monday 9/21/09... Just putting the word out there to all of you to make sure you are aware and to see how many of you have already received yor tickets in the mail. If for some reason everyone has gotten their tickets, and you haven't, then maybe you should give a call to your friendly season ticket rep.

GO BLAZERS!

David here writing from Zaragoza, Spain again. Game 6 tonight will be on TV here in Spain, but not on a channel I can get here in the hotel. Also, since the game is being broadcast here, I can't even get it with NBA League Pass International.

Please! Can anyone post a link here to an online video feed so I can watch the game tonight? If I don't get to watch the game it will be worse than the withdrawls I had when I quit smoking.

Hello to everyone back home in Portland! Went along with my wife on a business trip to Zaragoza, Spain... And, here I am at 04:00 crawling out of bed and turning on the TV on while trying no to wake my wife, so I can watch the game.

Watching the RG from all the way over here is really wierd... Especially, since I have season tickets and I would have been at the game tonight if it were not for this trip. Hope you are all enjoying Mike and Mike. All I've got are two Spanish homers who all they care about it Rudy and Serg. LOL!

Here we go with another Darius post...

I believe the Blazers will get their cap space back, or some type of equitable remedy out of this whole situation. Why? It's the league's fault.

• It was the league that appointed the doctor that claimed Darius Miles would not be able to play again.
• It was the league (and the NBAPA) that set forth the criteria for medically retiring a player.
• Portland followed the procedures to the letter; everything was done by the book.

There is an appeals process by which the Blazers can petition the league to remove any future years of a player's salary from their cap number for a situation just like this. (i.e. the jealous GM screwing the Blazers, or the player somehow being touched by Jesus and healing him of his ailments.)

How can the Blazers be at fault for following the rules? The guy hadn't played in over two years! Multiple doctors said he was done! The Blazers were in a no-win situation and the league needs compensate the Blazers for it.

EDIT: Also, did it ever occur to anyone out there that Tom Penn is a LAWYER?

Thoughts?

There is a weird phenomenon happening at Blazers home games lately... When I was at the game on Saturday vs GSW, there were two or three fan signs in the stands for our very own #42, Mr. Shavlik Randolph.

So, I have to ask... WTF? We're talking about a player who is only one notch above RLEC and one notch below Martell's foot, and has yet to see log any PT in the regular season. Am I missing something? Please, enlighten me.

Yes, we lost to the Clippers. But, consider the circumstances.

This was, effectively, the last game of an eight game road trip. It was also the second night of a back-to-back.

At any point in the game, we had at least two rookies on the floor. Many times, three rookies on the floor.

Do you think I am going to freak out over a Double-OT loss right now? NO! We are the youngest team in the NBA and we have played, statistically, the most difficult schedule of any NBA team this season to date... and, we are at .600 !!!

I was at the game, and loved every minute of it despite the loss. Brandon was frickin amazing. Greg was all over the boards. LaMarcus hit his shots. Rudy did all the little things he does.

And, most important of all... Nate was keeping them all out there on the floor for most of the 4th and both OT's. He is putting his trust in them and letting them play together. You are witnessing the early stages of our big three (or four.) Did you see the box score?

Roy: 38 points, 9 assists... Oden: 15 points, 15 boards (6 offensive)... Aldridge: 22 points, 6 boards, 3 blocks... Rudy: 5 points, 11 boards, 4 assists

This is only the beginning! The Blazers are learning and growing. There are going to be some tough lessons along the way, but that is part of the fun.

Those guys were just plain gassed out. They've got three days off now to get some well deserved rest.

Remember... Be patient... and, enjoy the ride!

So, I made my first ever trip to Los Angeles last week to celebrate Thanksgiving with my wife's sister, her husband and their eight-week-old baby girl. We had a wonderful time playing with the baby and having In-N-Out burgers for lunch every other day.

My brother-in-law, however, is a HUGE L*kers fan, and shares season tickets with a couple buddies. As a treat, he took me to the L*kers/Mavs game the day after Thanksgiving at Staples Center.

Now, granted, I absolutely hate the L*kers with great passion, and my bro-in-law knows this... He and I get into very lively conversations about our two teams (like last year at Xmas dinner he was knocking on the Blazers win streak), and every time our teams play each other, there is always at least a snarky text message, or ten, being sent. But, I wanted to go to the see the L*kers play on their home court, as my love and appreciation for all things basketball supercedes that hatred.

Not only did I get to have drinks in the Royal Room (exclusive bar for season ticket holders) but also got within a couple feet of Magic Johson (who was signing autographs at the team store) and Norm Nixon (whose seats were relatively close to our seats.)

The seats were on the end, about 20 rows up from the baseline by the L*kers bench. During the introductions, I almost began to wretch when I saw K*be pumping his fist and being all K*be and stuff. I chose to hold in my disgust, however, as I was a guest in this arena and I didn't want to be rude to my host who was so graciously treating me to the $110 ticket.

The game was pretty good. Pau Gasol and Dirk Nowitzki were competing to see who could be the bigger softy. Andrew Bynum was performing well. Jason Kidd couldn't hit from range to save his life. And, K*be was, well... K*be.

But then, the strangest thing happened to me while I was there watching the game... I suddenly found myself rooting for the L*kers!

*gasp*

Look at Bynum with the putback... Ooh! K*be with the dunk... Aah! And, Fisher with the three... Yay!

OMG! What has come over me? I was becoming weak. I had to dig deep down and cling on to the power within me, and the Brandon Roy t-shirt I was secretly wearing under my red Dockers polo. Must... resist.... Must be... strong...

Eventually, the game ended... And, at last, I was relieved of this inner conflict and was able to resist the temptation of the dark side. As we made our way out of the arena, we headed into the team store so my bro-in-law could find some cute little L*ker baby outfit to brainwash his newborn daughter with. While he was at the register I wandered around a bit and began to have the endorphines seep into my brain that I get while wandering the Blazers team store after a game at the Rose Garden.

"Hmm... That Luke Walton jersey tee looks cool..."

*zap!*

"Wait a minute... I wouldn't be caught dead wearing some nasty piece of crap L*kers t-shirt!"

As my bro-in-law and I walk out of the store, he shows me the baby-sized L*kers warmups suit he bought. I was polite and told him it was cute, while in the back of my mind I was secretly laughing to myself about the Blazers baby onesie I bought him for Christmas. :-)