NBA
BASKETBALL The
Most Pathetic Team of the Year By LOUIS
SEARS
May 19, 2001
Portland
The Blazers
season ended not in the championship parade that many had predicted and
Blazer fans expected (editor's note: at the start of the season, at least),
but instead the season ended in a eerily similar fashion in last year's
Western Conference Final championship seventh game meltdown to the Lakers.
And because of the season-ending losing funk, many people have been jumping
on the bandwagon of calling the Blazers the most disappointing team or
worse. Although the Blazers spent a record 90 million for this team, only
to finish a seventh seed and to lose in the first round, the moniker of
most pathetic team certainly does not belong, even though the last 25 games
proved disappointing (understatement). And the hackneyed statement about
money not being able to buy a championship certainly shows no insight or
originality when analyzing the team or their season. When a team does spend
the most money, like the Yankees, the same pundits decry the buying of
a championship. Every year has surprise teams, both winners and losers;
this time the Blazers qualified as one of the losers, but certainly not
the biggest bust of the season.
A team that
wins 50 games, challenged most of the season for first place until the
unfathomable end of season swoon, makes the playoffs, would never qualify
for pathetic. The Washington Wizards who started the season with a 60 million
dollar payroll (5th highest) and with Michael Jordan as the GM, finally
liquidated the team and will try to recruit new players, a new coach, and
start again. To win a paltry 19 games and be forced to have a garage sale
of your players - that qualifies for pathetic. The Blazers remained in
tact, and for most of the season appeared to have the right formula.
How about those
NJ Nets, with a 70 million season starting payroll (4th highest), and failure
to make the playoffs or put a quality product on the floor, yet they want
a new, mostly public-financed arena in Newark. If the Nets left NJ, would
anyone notice? The team has been an embarrassment and qualifies as a top
reason for lower attendance in NBA and for reduced TV audiences. Nascar
drools knowing the ilk of the Nets have been allowed to exist because these
type of teams have hurt the NBA ratings and fan interest - Nascar has moved
ahead of the NBA in TV ratings. The Blazers have been a team that has consistently
treated fans to a quality team over many years with an exciting product
and have not threatened to move to central Oregon or demand a new arena.
The Nets certainly represent USDA pathetic.
Imagine being
the Seattle Supersonics and missing the playoffs after touting how the
acquisition of Patrick Ewing combined with Gary Payton, Vin Baker and the
youth might allow them to compete for an NBA championship this year. Seattle
again missed the playoffs and now Ewing, Baker and Payton have been publicly
put on the trade block, a very humiliating way for a team to treat its
players. This will only prevent other players from signing with Seattle,
just as players avoid Chicago. Even if the Blazers decide to trade and
break up the team, they will handle the situation with class and not humiliate
the players involved by publicly declaring them up for trade. Seattle clearly
has turned into a pathetic team ala the Chicago Bulls.
Imagine being
the Vancouver Grizzlies with a 50 million dollar payroll and no fan support.
A team that sees star players jumping as soon as they see the window open.
The Grizzlies and the Montreal Expos represent poster children for a mediocre
product - these teams should put out of existence for the good of their
leagues and no-fan-support cities. The Blazers have a rabid fan base which
watches the games on TV and show up at the arena, and purchase team merchandise.
Vancouver, in the middle of the season receiving permission to shop their
team to a new city, represents pathetic, not the Blazers and their long
history of winning, fan support and stability.
I could go
on listing other teams, but the point has been made that the Blazers although
have had a disappointing season based on expectations, certainly do not
represent a disaster or most disappointing team moniker. The team has proved
disappointing, but not pathetic. The season had been a joy and pleasure
for the most part, with a team composed of quality talent that fans actually
willingly pay money to see, whether at home or on the road. Whereas the
pathetic teams package the Blazers or Lakers with other pathetic teams
and offer ticket packages in an attempt to draw fans to the arena. Fans
and pundits need to stop the empty analysis on this team simply because
the team failed to reach the championship. The Blazers and the Heat represent
the two most disappointing teams in the post season, but any team that
qualifies for the playoffs could never be the most pathetic.
Unlike said
pathetic teams, this team will be discussed and analyzed during the off
season and will provide fans with continued intrigue and guessing on how
the team will either attempt to rebuild, attempt to bring in another coach
and maybe GM, or assume the season an aberration and attempt another run
intact. But those labeling the Blazers the biggest bust or disappointment
should examine some other NBA teams instead of an instant label that seems
repeated, but not factual or analyzed. Most cities and fans would be quite
happy and proud to have the Blazers as a team.