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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.

www.SportsScribes.com
 


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