# Oh, no you didn't ZACH!!!



## The Professional Fan (Nov 5, 2003)

http://blog.oregonlive.com/blazers/2007/03/report_randolph_seen_at_strip.html


According to Kerry Eggers, Zach Randolph was seen at a North Portland strip club on Tuesday night while he was assumed to be in Marion Ind. on bereavement leave.

On Tuesday night, after Portland's 100-98 victory over the Wizards, Randolph apparently spent time - and money - at a strip club in North Portland.

By multiple accounts, the Blazers' leading scorer and rebounder stiffed the folks at Exotica International Club for Men on Northeast Columbia Boulevard after enjoying libations and entertainment there.

"He didn't pay his tab - $106," said John, a bartender who wasn't working Tuesday night but had the story related to him by others. "He'll make it up to (the waitress), though."


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## Blazer Ringbearer (Jan 28, 2003)

I'm guessing that we'll be able to see a few more Blazer games without Zach after this...

Difference? He won't be getting paid for them.


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## Samuel (Jan 1, 2003)

Doesn't matter that he was at a strip club, specifically. It's that he was 'available' to the Blazers and didn't show up for work. If he was leaving Wednesday in the first place, why didn't he come to the game?

Eat your hearts out, Blazers PR Department.


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## yuyuza1 (May 24, 2006)

Damn! We're here arguing about conveying condolences, and this happens. And by the way, it is a big deal. 

Way to go, Zach!


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## The Professional Fan (Nov 5, 2003)

Samuel said:


> Doesn't matter that he was at a strip club, specifically. It's that he was 'available' to the Blazers and didn't show up for work. If he was leaving Wednesday in the first place, why didn't he come to the game?
> 
> Eat your hearts out, Blazers PR Department.


Clearly the strip club is not the issue here.


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## Samuel (Jan 1, 2003)

The Professional Fan said:


> Clearly the strip club is not the issue here.


Neither is the Chinaman.


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## Todd (Oct 8, 2003)

Ahhhh....Brings us back to the Raef comment on O-Live. We really need to trade this guy!

If I was the owner I'd fine his *** to hell for this.


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## HAMMERHEAD (Jul 7, 2005)

This is not good!

Maybe, just maybe, he found out on the way to the airport that his flight was delayed and decided to stop in and kill some time before heading to the airport. Wishfull thinking, I know. :biggrin:


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## It's_GO_Time (Oct 13, 2005)

The Professional Fan said:


> Clearly the strip club is not the issue here.



I think it is. If Zach was seen at a neighborhood bar the night prior to his flight, I don't think it would be as big of a deal (just drowning out his sorrows) . . . instead this sound like he is thinking with his little . . . never mind . . .


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## Samuel (Jan 1, 2003)

HAMMERHEAD said:


> Maybe, just maybe, he found out on the way to the airport that his flight was delayed and decided to stop in and kill some time before heading to the airport. Wishfull thinking, I know. :biggrin:


That's a pretty good spin, actually. Are you in PR?


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## craigehlo (Feb 24, 2005)

We all mourn in our own way. For some it's lap dances I suppose.


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## B_&_B (Feb 19, 2004)




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## Talkhard (May 13, 2003)

I always go to a strip club to "mourn" a family death. Doesn't everyone?


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## loyalty4life (Sep 17, 2002)

I think we can all count on Zach being traded this summer.


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## Samuel (Jan 1, 2003)

Loyalty4Life said:


> I think we can all count on Zach being traded this summer.


It's easy to say that, but much harder to put together a feasible scenario where this would benefit the team outside of 'addition by subtraction'.


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## ryanjend22 (Jan 23, 2004)

Talkhard said:


> I always go to a strip club to "mourn" a family death. Doesn't everyone?


your right on this one...zach is just plain unintelligent, but im surprised at this one...at least go to indiana first. why in portland? i have no problem with athletes off-court lives, but when you skip games due to reprieve and go to to a strip club...wow.


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## Talkhard (May 13, 2003)

ryanjend22 said:


> when you skip games due to reprieve . . .


Or to "grieve."


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## loyalty4life (Sep 17, 2002)

Samuel said:


> It's easy to say that, but much harder to put together a feasible scenario where this would benefit the team outside of 'addition by subtraction'.


With the direction the team is going (with the image issue and whatnot), I think if they had to do addition by subtraction, they'd do it. It would be worth it to most people looking at the situation, IMO.


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## drexlersdad (Jun 3, 2006)

Wow. If this is true, that is HILLARIOUS!! He is gonna be the punchline for Leno and Letterman tonite for sure! haha, maybe his girlfriend works there? haha wtf man. I'll wait until it is confirmed, but holy crap. The only quote is from a bartender who wasn't even there though.

He'll pay his tab next time?!! haha so he does this all the time? wtf man


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## Samuel (Jan 1, 2003)

Loyalty4Life said:


> With the direction the team is going (with the image issue and whatnot), I think if they had to do addition by subtraction, they'd do it. It would be worth it to most people looking at the situation, IMO.


I'm no insider to the situation like Hap or MM are supposedly (heh), but this is my guess as to what a Zach Randolph trade would involve.

- The contract(s) we get back is (are) as bad, or worse, than Zach's.

- A casual fan on the trade: 'Portland gave up Randolph for that?'

It'll probably be something like Randolph for Chicago's spare parts, or Randolph for Nene, etc. Quick made a good point yesterday on his Quick Chat. The longer Portland keeps Zach, the more valuable he becomes because his contract is closer to coming off the books. In this era of frugality it's important to not make long term bets on guys with injury history and/or character issues. I still think it makes more sense to hang onto him and reduce his role instead of deal him with 4 years left on his contract.


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## mediocre man (Feb 24, 2004)

I really hope this is true, if so...I told you so


Um................bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.....

Lemmings. Oh we have to keep Zach. He's the best.


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## Samuel (Jan 1, 2003)

mediocre man said:


> Oh we have to keep Zach. He's the best.


When was the last time someone said that? Honestly?


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## GrandpaBlaze (Jul 11, 2004)

Just a moment everyone.

JUST A MOMENT!

Let's sit back and look at this in a rational manner.

Zach has missed two games in a row. The Blazers have won two games in a row. The Blazers offense seems to look better and be more entertaining with Zach gone. Without Zach, Mags is starting to look more like a decent guy to have in the middle (not great mind you but not bad). Aldridge is making a very good case for having a very good, athletic and defensively capable (2 or 3 blocks last night?) PF in there along with a decent center.

Zach was thinking to himself "I'm gone - they've seen the light" and so decided that if he's going to go out, he may as well go out with a bang.

---

Officially, the word is slightly different.

Zach, in his grief stopped to down a few drinks and assuage his remorse. While doing so he found someone else was also feeling down and being the kind, charitable Blazer he is, he decided to help her with her depression and commiserate with her.

Gramps...


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## PorterIn2004 (Jan 1, 2003)

double post -- see below


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## PorterIn2004 (Jan 1, 2003)

Loyalty4Life said:


> With the direction the team is going (with the image issue and whatnot), I think if they had to do addition by subtraction, they'd do it. It would be worth it to most people looking at the situation, IMO.


To put it more bluntly (and simply) than Samuel has, there may not be _anyone_ both interested in and able to take Zach, and that's before negotiations start. Teams can't just give players away, even if they don't want them anymore. The deal with Anderson was a one-time thing.

That said, I'd think it'd still be possible. For example, this summer Chicago might be interested in giving up PJ Brown's expiring contract and whatever else they'd need to clear to make room for the contract.


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## JuniorNoboa (Jan 27, 2003)

Was the stripper hot? If not, this would be the only way I would lose more respect for Zach from this situation.

My respect for Zach on a more human level had already all been lost before this.


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## loyalty4life (Sep 17, 2002)

Samuel said:


> The longer Portland keeps Zach, the more valuable he becomes because his contract is closer to coming off the books. In this era of frugality it's important to not make long term bets on guys with injury history and/or character issues. I still think it makes more sense to hang onto him and reduce his role instead of deal him with 4 years left on his contract.


The question remains: Are the Blazers going to wait that long to trade him because he would be more valuable in the future? I don't think the Blazers will want to keep a player of his character around for the next 1-2 years just so his value will increase. 

I can also think of players in the recent past who were traded because of their image, and they weren't kept here until their peak value was reached.


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## GrandpaBlaze (Jul 11, 2004)

Just think of it this way folks, Zach just gave Prichard a lot more leeway with whom he can include on deals on trade day.

Zach just moved himself from the "It's got to be a good deal" to "Yeah, whatever we can get for him" category.

More flexibility in trade options for Pritchard? I'm all for that.

Gramps...


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## Samuel (Jan 1, 2003)

Loyalty4Life said:


> I don't think the Blazers will want to keep a player of his character around for the next 1-2 years just so his value will increase.


I'm not sure if it was ever proven to be legit, but Allen pulled a Darius Miles deal off the table (good thing... we netted Roy with Ratliff) because he thought he could get more for Miles later.


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## mediocre man (Feb 24, 2004)

GrandpaBlaze said:


> Just think of it this way folks, Zach just gave Prichard a lot more leeway with whom he can include on deals on trade day.
> 
> Zach just moved himself from the "It's got to be a good deal" to "Yeah, whatever we can get for him" category.
> 
> ...



Should have been moved at the deadline. Hopefully he won't screw up enough to hinder a trade too much


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## loyalty4life (Sep 17, 2002)

Samuel said:


> I'm not sure if it was ever proven to be legit, but Allen pulled a Darius Miles deal off the table (good thing... we netted Roy with Ratliff) because he thought he could get more for Miles later.


So you are thinking that Zach will be kept through the summer? What is your take on what will happen with him in Portland?


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## Stepping Razor (Apr 24, 2004)

Samuel said:


> Neither is the Chinaman.


Dude, Chinaman is not the preferred nomenclature. Asian-American, please.

Stepping Razor


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## It's_GO_Time (Oct 13, 2005)

GrandpaBlaze said:


> Just think of it this way folks, Zach just gave Prichard a lot more leeway with whom he can include on deals on trade day.
> 
> Zach just moved himself from the "It's got to be a good deal" to "Yeah, whatever we can get for him" category.
> 
> ...



And if we are going to attempting to trade Zach, I would rather the league think it is because of this v. isn't recovering from his surgery . . .he is injury prone . . . his skills are diminishing ect.

I think a lot of GM's would willing to overlook this conduct . . . or at least not be as concerned about it when deciding what to give up.


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## drexlersdad (Jun 3, 2006)

i hope it isnt true actually


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## Samuel (Jan 1, 2003)

Loyalty4Life said:


> So you are thinking that Zach will be kept through the summer? What is your take on what will happen with him in Portland?


I have NO IDEA. I'm very poor on speculating. I basically skateboarded last season on the Adam Morrison bandwagon (one foot on, one foot off... ooh Bargnani looks good, let's get him!).

One positive is that it seems as if Pritchard could trade his way out of a dark alley if he wanted to. John Gabriel, too.

I feel like Zach's trade value is higher in real life than it ever is on these boards. We have the ability to remember every small incident Randolph has ever been involved in, when these are probably slightly less important to other GMs.

Another thing I'm hesitant to do is read too much into these recent wins with Randolph off of the team. One thing I learned earlier this season is that there's an open source nature to scouting. When a guy like Sergio, for instance, had 8 assists in 12 minutes in a fourth quarter blowout loss to Minnesota, it only took the advance scouts a couple of games to realize that their respective team should play the pass instead of Sergio. If this current unit plays 10 more games without Z-Bo, they'll get into rhythms and tendencies that other teams will adjust to. Who knows if the team Nate put on the floor last night could hold up to an entire NBA season. We gotta give some credit to Zach's ability to score on a nightly basis (however inefficient that scoring might be).

To answer your question, I think we'll probably see him dealt either at the trading deadline next season, or next summer. But as fans we really don't know what trades are sitting on the table, so who knows. Probably limited-upside guys with big contracts or high-upside guys with expiring contracts. 1st round picks? Who knows, although I'm leaning towards no.


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## It's_GO_Time (Oct 13, 2005)

drexlersdad said:


> i hope it isnt true actually



I hope so too. But if true . . . can you imagine what Quick and Canzano will do with this.

BTW-Who is that chick in your avatar?


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## Samuel (Jan 1, 2003)

Stepping Razor said:


> Dude, Chinaman is not the preferred nomenclature. Asian-American, please.
> 
> Stepping Razor


Walter, this is not a guy who built the railroads, here, this is a guy who peed on my rug.


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## Talkhard (May 13, 2003)

Let's give Zach a break on forgetting his $106.00 tab at the strip joint. God knows it's hard to remember such things when you're mourning the loss of a loved one.


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## Fork (Jan 2, 2003)

Stepping Razor said:


> Dude, Chinaman is not the preferred nomenclature. Asian-American, please.
> 
> Stepping Razor


The Chinaman is not the issue here.


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## craigehlo (Feb 24, 2005)

Thank god we weren't playing Golden State that night. Stephen Jackson might have busted some caps on him in the strip club parking lot. 

I think all pro athletes should take a look at Pac-Man Jones and just avoid strip clubs for a while.


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## It's_GO_Time (Oct 13, 2005)

Talkhard said:


> Let's give Zach a break on forgetting his $106.00 tab at the strip joint. God knows it's hard to remember such things when you're mourning the loss of a loved one.



Zach spent less on alcohol and "thills" than you did on the Blazer game . . . no point to this, just though I would make the observation.

In fact if Zach was at the strip bar during the game, he is making hundreds of thousands while enjoying alcohol and "thrills". He even forgets to pay his tab and the bar says "it's all good." Oh life can be so fortunate for some . . .


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## Talkhard (May 13, 2003)

drexlersdad said:


> Wow. If this is true, that is HILLARIOUS!! He is gonna be the punchline for Leno and Letterman tonite for sure!


Leno: "Did you hear about Zach Randolph getting a leave of absence for "bereavement" and then showing up that night at a stripclub? The way Zach explained it, he was just going to "view the body."

Heh, heh.


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## el_Diablo (May 15, 2003)

way to go zach.. anyone who visits strip clubs gets a :cheers: from me


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## Talkhard (May 13, 2003)

Kiss_My_Darius said:


> Zach spent less on alcohol and "thills" than you did on the Blazer game . . .


I paid the bill and Zach didn't. Big difference.


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## It's_GO_Time (Oct 13, 2005)

Talkhard said:


> I paid the bill and Zach didn't. Big difference.



Difference being we gets arrested and prosecuted for not paying the bill . . . Zach get's praised. :biggrin:


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## gambitnut (Jan 4, 2003)

Okay, let me take some guesses as to what happened. Zach didn't play well against Seattle and Nate could tell that his mind was elsewhere. Zach told Nate what the problem was and asked for time off so he could be with his girlfriend, help her, and go to the funeral. The funeral wasn't scheduled for several days though, so they saw no point to going back and figured it was better to stick around until it was closer to the funeral. After a while, Zach decided that he needed to get away for a few hours so he could relax and get his mind off the death. If that is close to what happened, I don't know if Zach needed that much time off, but I'll trust his judgement on his girlfriend's needs and give him the benefit of the doubt. I just can't figure out one thing. I don't have any experience in strip clubs and what things cost there, but I would like to know how one person can run up a $106 bill.


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## It's_GO_Time (Oct 13, 2005)

gambitnut said:


> Okay, let me take some guesses as to what happened. Zach didn't play well against Seattle and Nate could tell that his mind was elsewhere. Zach told Nate what the problem was and asked for time off so he could be with his girlfriend, help her, and go to the funeral. The funeral wasn't scheduled for several days though, so they saw no point to going back and figured it was better to stick around until it was closer to the funeral. After a while, Zach decided that he needed to get away for a few hours so he could relax and get his mind off the death. If that is close to what happened, I don't know if Zach needed that much time off, but I'll trust his judgement on his girlfriend's needs and give him the benefit of the doubt. I just can't figure out one thing. I don't have any experience in strip clubs and what things cost there, but I would like to know how one person can run up a $106 bill.



Now if that isn't an invitation for some war stories . . . let's just say the beers are small, the tits are big . . . and everything cost money.


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## dudleysghost (Mar 24, 2006)

gambitnut said:


> Okay, let me take some guesses as to what happened. Zach didn't play well against Seattle and Nate could tell that his mind was elsewhere. Zach told Nate what the problem was and asked for time off so he could be with his girlfriend, help her, and go to the funeral. The funeral wasn't scheduled for several days though, so they saw no point to going back and figured it was better to stick around until it was closer to the funeral. After a while, Zach decided that he needed to get away for a few hours so he could relax and get his mind off the death. If that is close to what happened, I don't know if Zach needed that much time off, but I'll trust his judgement on his girlfriend's needs and give him the benefit of the doubt. I just can't figure out one thing. I don't have any experience in strip clubs and what things cost there, but I would like to know how one person can run up a $106 bill.


I'm not a big fan of stripclubs myself, but I know quite a few guys who are, and $106 bucks would be a cheap night for them.

As for it being understandable that Zach might be there ... if one isn't a judgemental moralist then it's easy to see how that could be the case. I think Zach is dumb for being seen in public and giving ammo to the puritanical forces, but people do grieve in different ways. Going to a strip club can definitely take your mind of pain. It's like drinking or getting high (and often two or all three of those go together). Some people deal with greif that way. Some sit around and drink tea and cry together. Some spam internet message boards. Some pray extra hard. Some ways are healthier than others, but that's the way it is.

I hope Zach and his girlfriend's family deal with their loss well, but from a basketball perspective, I'm most concerned that this way overblown issue will get our star player traded for something less valuable. Seriously, if this wasn't Portland, this would be a pretty small story.


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## Ruff Draft (Nov 21, 2004)

Zach, you are one pitiful human being.


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## Mr. Chuck Taylor (Aug 2, 2004)

While this is another example of Zach using poor judgement, I don't think its THAT big of deal. I think you could question why the team gave Zach 6 entire days off for this, but thats not Zach's doing and I doubt that they included the stipulation of not going to strip clubs during this time. He was at Exotica only 1 day after he left the team, and being that the funeral wasn't for another 4 days, it doesn't seem unreasonable to me that he hadn't left town yet. Furthermore, it doesn't seem unreasonable to want a drink and/or a distraction from your troubles during this time, and who are we to judge Zach on where he goes to unwind? That said, Zach should know that going to Exotica wouldn't look good to the general public, and this is just another example of Zach making poor decisions. This incident pails in comparison to some of Zach's other exploits, and I don't think it should hurt his trade value very much. But it is a nice reminder to us that Zach still has a long ways to go in terms of maturity, and its probably a very good idea to sell when his value is high, if the right offer comes along this summer.


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## MARIS61 (Apr 28, 2003)

You guys, and Eggars, are way out of line here with your morality police act.

Nate gave him time off to deal with his girlfriend's cousin's death, a friend of his.

I don't think there were any specific instructions on how he should do that.

Having lost my best friend a little over a year ago I can tell you it's similar to being in a car wreck. You may appear to be all right, even to yourself, but you're in total shock for a long, long time. Should he sit at home and stare at the walls? Pretend he's praying to God? Play in a game where he'd be a total liability due to inability to focus on the game?

When you lose a friend, especially before his time, it makes you think about living for today. Just in case tomorrow never comes.

My friend and I were fishing buddies, so to grieve him and remember him, which I am still doing, I go fishing.

Maybe Zach and his friend had their best times together at strip clubs.

Eggars stooped mighty low on this one.


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## craigehlo (Feb 24, 2005)

Mr. Chuck Taylor said:


> I think you could question why the team gave Zach 6 entire days off for this,


If you request that much time off you better be on your best behavior. Again, Ime (who lost HIS FATHER) and Nate both took 1 game leaves during the season for funerals. Zbo takes 6 days and is seen hanging at club? This isn't about morals of strip clubs (so just drop that strawman people), this is about a franchise player taking advantage of the team.


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## mediocre man (Feb 24, 2004)

> My friend and I were fishing buddies, so to grieve him and remember him, which I am still doing, I go fishing.
> 
> Maybe Zach and his friend had their best times together at strip clubs.



Wasn't meant to be funny, but that made me laugh. Thanks Maris


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## Talkhard (May 13, 2003)

dudleysghost said:


> People do grieve in different ways. Going to a strip club can definitely take your mind of pain.


I wonder if he asked any of the strippers to have sex with each other. I hear that's great for "pain," too.



> I hope Zach and his girlfriend's family deal with their loss well.


I'm sure that Zach going to a stripclub is tremendously helpful to his girlfriend during her time of loss. The idea of him staring at naked women would of course make her feel good about herself, and it demonstrates just how much Zach cares for her dead cousin. In fact, I bet the whole thing was his girlfriend's idea. He was probably moping around the house and she finally said, "Hon, why don't you just go to the stripjoint for a few hours and wach some of those naked girls shake their booty. It'll be good for you!"

Wives and girlfriends are understanding like that.


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## craigehlo (Feb 24, 2005)

MARIS61 said:


> Maybe Zach and his friend had their best times together at strip clubs.


This has to be joke right? 

Right?


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## mediocre man (Feb 24, 2004)

> I wonder if he asked any of the strippers to have sex with each other. I hear that's great for "pain," too.



Let's hope they stayed awake though. I've heard bad things can happen to strippers when they fall asleep with Zach in the room.....allegedly


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## It's_GO_Time (Oct 13, 2005)

craigehlo said:


> this is about a franchise player taking advantage of the team.



Or the franchise taking advatage of the situation. Does anyone really think the franchise was was upset about Zach taking time off. It's all about next year . . . they probably saw the situation as a chance for Zach to rest the knee and give Aldridge PT . . . why not have put the wear and tear the body takes during the season onto Magli (the nickname the players have given JM)


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## craigehlo (Feb 24, 2005)

Kiss_My_Darius said:


> Does anyone really think the franchise was was upset about Zach taking time off.


I think they are upset now regardless of how they felt a few days ago. Now they've got answer a lot of uncomfortable questions.

Maybe Zbo will have a press conference ala Alberto Gonzalez where he admits "mistakes were made."


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## dudleysghost (Mar 24, 2006)

Talkhard said:


> I wonder if he asked any of the strippers to have sex with each other. I hear that's great for "pain," too.


Ok, completely different issue.




Talkhard said:


> I'm sure that Zach going to a stripclub is tremendously helpful to his girlfriend during her time of loss. The idea of him staring at naked women would of course make her feel good about herself, and it demonstrates just how much Zach cares for her dead cousin. In fact, I bet the whole thing was his girlfriend's idea. He was probably moping around the house and she finally said, "Hon, why don't you just go to the stripjoint for a few hours and wach some of those naked girls shake their booty. It'll be good for you!"
> 
> Wives and girlfriends are understanding like that.


You can joke all you want, but if your girlfriend isn't an uptight puritan like you, MM, Craig and some others here are, then she will let you go to stripclubs. Maybe you aren't that lucky to have a wife or girlfriend that understanding, but that doesn't mean you should hate the rest of us for it.


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## blakeback (Jun 29, 2006)

> Leno: "Did you hear about Zach Randolph getting a leave of absence for "bereavement" and then showing up that night at a stripclub? The way Zach explained it, he was just going to "view the body."


Letterman: I was reading the sports section today... Zach Randolph was given a 2-game "bereavement leave," and during that time he was spotted in a local strip club. well, sources have revealed that some of his teammates were there too: Jarrett Jack was feeding Zach... Martell Webster was throwing money at the stage with fine technique but missing badly... Joel Przybilla was there in uniform- for him that's a suit & tie... and fan favorite Sergio Rodriguez was there too, but Coach Nate had him waiting in the car.


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## dudleysghost (Mar 24, 2006)

mediocre man said:


> Let's hope they stayed awake though. I've heard bad things can happen to strippers when they fall asleep with Zach in the room.....allegedly


The fact that you find humor in that says more about your poor values than Zach's.


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## dudleysghost (Mar 24, 2006)

Mr. Chuck Taylor said:


> While this is another example of Zach using poor judgement, I don't think its THAT big of deal. I think you could question why the team gave Zach 6 entire days off for this, but thats not Zach's doing and I doubt that they included the stipulation of not going to strip clubs during this time. He was at Exotica only 1 day after he left the team, and being that the funeral wasn't for another 4 days, it doesn't seem unreasonable to me that he hadn't left town yet. Furthermore, it doesn't seem unreasonable to want a drink and/or a distraction from your troubles during this time, and who are we to judge Zach on where he goes to unwind? That said, Zach should know that going to Exotica wouldn't look good to the general public, and this is just another example of Zach making poor decisions. This incident pails in comparison to some of Zach's other exploits, and I don't think it should hurt his trade value very much. But it is a nice reminder to us that Zach still has a long ways to go in terms of maturity, and its probably a very good idea to sell when his value is high, if the right offer comes along this summer.


Word. It's another example of Zach being a bonehead. Nothing more, nothing less. He's not a saint, but not a serial killer. If the good deal comes along, we should trade him, but I definitely don't want to see the team force a trade that doesn't get us back something good just because the wailing school marms don't like his personal life.


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## Mr. Chuck Taylor (Aug 2, 2004)

craigehlo said:


> If you request that much time off you better be on your best behavior. Again, Ime (who lost HIS FATHER) and Nate both took 1 game leaves during the season for funerals. Zbo takes 6 days and is seen hanging at club? This isn't about morals of strip clubs (so just drop that strawman people), this is about a franchise player taking advantage of the team.


The following is a quote from Nate after the last game Zach played in: "He was shook up before the game," McMillan said. "When I saw him come into the game, he didn't look like himself. After the game, we talked to him, and we felt like this was the best thing to do." 

So this is what we know: Zach finds out about this death, still plays that night, then he talks to Nate after the game and they decide he should take time off, Zach didn't necessarily request it. Like I said in my original post, I think you can question why the Blazers gave him so much time off - i.e. you can't just blame Zach for the extended leave. Just the same, where is it written that he has to be on his "best behavior" during this time, and how is one to determine what that behavior entails?


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## Talkhard (May 13, 2003)

dudleysghost said:


> You can joke all you want, but if your girlfriend isn't an uptight puritan like you, MM, Craig and some others here are, then she will let you go to stripclubs. Maybe you aren't that lucky to have a wife or girlfriend that understanding, but that doesn't mean you should hate the rest of us for it.


How old are you? Ever had a girlfriend or been married? Get real.


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## mediocre man (Feb 24, 2004)

dudleysghost said:


> The fact that you find humor in that says more about your poor values than Zach's.



Who said anything about me finding humor in it. It's an true and accurate statement.

Don't shoot the messenger, I'm just concerned for the young ladies working their way through school and um...such


----------



## dudleysghost (Mar 24, 2006)

Kiss_My_Darius said:


> Or the franchise taking advatage of the situation. Does anyone really think the franchise was was upset about Zach taking time off. It's all about next year . . . they probably saw the situation as a chance for Zach to rest the knee and give Aldridge PT . . . why not have put the wear and tear the body takes during the season onto Magli (the nickname the players have given JM)


It reminds me of when Joel took a bunch of weeks off late last season when his kid was born. If we were in the middle of a playoff run, that probably wouldn't have happened, but we're out of the playoffs. It's not uncommon for veterans of non-playoff teams to miss extended games due to minor things late in the season. It lets the veterans rest their bodies and it lets the young guys play more. We've been doing that for three years in a row now, so it shouldn't be so shocking. Mags and Outlaw are being evaluated and playing for contracts, so I'm guessing management is pleased to get more run for those guys. The only thing they are probably unhappy about is how much bad pub Zach is getting for this minor incident.


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## dudleysghost (Mar 24, 2006)

Talkhard said:


> How old are you? Ever had a girlfriend or been married? Get real.


29. Yes, going on 6 years. She likes going to strip clubs together, but we rarely do just because it's so ridiculously expensive. Get real? Lol, try putting down the hater-aide and seeing life outside your tiny conservative bubble-world. You might be surprised at what reality is really like.


----------



## craigehlo (Feb 24, 2005)

dudleysghost said:


> You can joke all you want, but if your girlfriend isn't an uptight puritan like you, MM, Craig


There you go making up strawman arguments. Nobody here has a problem with strip clubs (I certainly don't). Just drop that weak stuff and focus on what we are actually trying to discuss.

The franchise player took a leave of absence off to purportedly travel to Indiana and grieve. Instead, he's not with his grieving girlfriend, he's out clubbing with his homies after a home game he misses. Those are not the actions of a dude grieveing.


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## dudleysghost (Mar 24, 2006)

mediocre man said:


> Who said anything about me finding humor in it. It's an true and accurate statement.
> 
> Don't shoot the messenger, I'm just concerned for the young ladies working their way through school and um...such


Your shameful joy is apparent to everyone, but you can mask it with sarcasm or dance around and pretend it's not there if you want.


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## Talkhard (May 13, 2003)

MARIS61 said:


> You guys, and Eggars, are way out of line here with your morality police act.
> 
> Nate gave him time off to deal with his girlfriend's cousin's death, a friend of his.
> 
> I don't think there were any specific instructions on how he should do that.


There should have been, obviously. Zach has been playing basketball for about 10 years and he still doesn't know how to pass the ball or play defense. Why should anyone think he knows the rules when it comes to taking a "bereavement" leave?



> Having lost my best friend a little over a year ago I can tell you it's similar to being in a car wreck. You may appear to be all right, even to yourself, but you're in total shock for a long, long time.


You're right. Zach was in shock. He was just driving around Portland, dazed and bewildered, and accidentally drove straight to a stripclub.



> Should he just sit at home and stare at the walls? Pretend he's praying to God? Play in a game where he'd be a total liability due to inability to focus on the game?


You mean just like usual?



> When you lose a friend, especially before his time, it makes you think about living for today.


Apparently it makes Zach think about poontang.


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## ProudBFan (Apr 29, 2003)

Bye-bye, Zach.

PBF


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## craigehlo (Feb 24, 2005)

dudleysghost said:


> Lol, try putting down the hater-aide and seeing life outside your tiny conservative bubble-world. You might be surprised at what reality is really like.


Anyone that thinks stripclubs are "edgy" and "naughty" still has the mentallity of a 13-year-old. This is Portland where there's on on every corner. They are actually kinda boring once you grow up. And yes I've been to one with my girlfriend too (and dated a dancer before). Do I get a prize for that?


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## mediocre man (Feb 24, 2004)

dudleysghost said:


> It reminds me of when Joel took a bunch of weeks off late last season when his kid was born. If we were in the middle of a playoff run, that probably wouldn't have happened, but we're out of the playoffs. It's not uncommon for veterans of non-playoff teams to miss extended games due to minor things late in the season. It lets the veterans rest their bodies and it lets the young guys play more. We've been doing that for three years in a row now, so it shouldn't be so shocking. Mags and Outlaw are being evaluated and playing for contracts, so I'm guessing management is pleased to get more run for those guys. The only thing they are probably unhappy about is how much bad pub Zach is getting for this minor incident.



I realize we aren't professional athletes (although I'm a mean lawn darter), so it's a bit different but what if you were my boss and I asked for some time off because my son needed to go to the Dr. You said take the rest of the day. An hour later you see me at the strip club. 

Are you 

A. Angry
B. Happy to see me there


----------



## The Sebastian Express (Mar 3, 2005)

There is pretty much no way you can defend this. It is so dumb and sad that it is making me laugh at the absurdity of the situation.

He could have at least been smart enough to do this in another city where people wouldn't recognize him.


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## Mr. Chuck Taylor (Aug 2, 2004)

mediocre man said:


> I realize we aren't professional athletes (although I'm a mean lawn darter), so it's a bit different but what if you were my boss and I asked for some time off because my son needed to go to the Dr. You said take the rest of the day. An hour later you see me at the strip club.
> 
> Are you
> 
> ...


First off, the Blazers are just as much to blame for Zach taking all this time off as Zach is. Secondly, for this analogy to hold up, Zach would have had to be seen at the strip club during the funeral, which would be much much worse than what really happened.


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## mediocre man (Feb 24, 2004)

dudleysghost said:


> 29. Yes, going on 6 years. She likes going to strip clubs together, but we rarely do just because it's so ridiculously expensive. Get real? Lol, try putting down the hater-aide and seeing life outside your tiny conservative bubble-world. You might be surprised at what reality is really like.



You are young, and lucky to have someone like that. My wife also likes to go, but doesn't care if I go without her. And it is ridiculously expensive. There is a club here in Houston that we have gone to once or twice and this was my order. Coors light, 2 Chocolate Margaritas......$30.00. Hell I coulda had a lap dance and saved $10.00


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## dudleysghost (Mar 24, 2006)

craigehlo said:


> There you go making up strawman arguments. Nobody here has a problem with strip clubs (I certainly don't). Just drop that weak stuff and focus on what we are actually trying to discuss.
> 
> The franchise player took a leave of absence off to purportedly travel to Indiana and grieve. Instead, he's not with his grieving girlfriend, he's out clubbing with his homies after a home game he misses. Those are not the actions of a dude grieveing.


I'll say it again. It's not a straw man if they actually say it, and MM and TH do. I'm not mischaracterizing their arguments. You tried to change yours by saying it's not about strip clubs, but about "hanging at the club". What exactly is the difference? Not much, IMO, because it's still you just having problems with what he does on his personal time. And yes, berievement leave is personal time. You complaining about Zach's personal life is the weak stuff.

QED.


----------



## mediocre man (Feb 24, 2004)

Mr. Chuck Taylor said:


> First off, the Blazers are just as much to blame for Zach taking all this time off as Zach is. Secondly, for this analogy to hold up, Zach would have had to be seen at the strip club during the funeral, which would be much much worse than what really happened.



No, he was seen at the strip club during his working hours. Where he was so upset he couldn't do his job.


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## dudleysghost (Mar 24, 2006)

mediocre man said:


> I realize we aren't professional athletes (although I'm a mean lawn darter), so it's a bit different but what if you were my boss and I asked for some time off because my son needed to go to the Dr. You said take the rest of the day. An hour later you see me at the strip club.
> 
> Are you
> 
> ...


It's a little different. Taking time off to take care of a sick kid is for the benefit of the kid. Taking time off for grieving is for your own benefit as well as the benefit of others with whom you might be with. Zach also had 6 days off. He's not going to spend every minute of that consoling family members, so the analogy breaks down.


----------



## mediocre man (Feb 24, 2004)

dudleysghost said:


> I'll say it again. It's not a straw man if they actually say it, and MM and TH do. I'm not mischaracterizing their arguments. You tried to change yours by saying it's not about strip clubs, but about "hanging at the club". What exactly is the difference? Not much, IMO, because it's still you just having problems with what he does on his personal time. And yes, berievement leave is personal time. You complaining about Zach's personal life is the weak stuff.
> 
> QED.




I think you have to seperate Zach's berievement leave from the rest of us. It's different for him because he is someone a franchise has put out there as their building block. Fair or not he really should be held to a higher standard. I don't think he should go to strip clubs during a game he is missing because he is the teams franchise player. I might also have to do with the fact that he had the issue last off season with strippers in his hotel room.


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## It's_GO_Time (Oct 13, 2005)

mediocre man said:


> No, he was seen at the strip club during his working hours. Where he was so upset he couldn't do his job.



I thought he was seen late night after the game . . . I don't think Blazer players are on the clock late night after games . . . I know many NBA players enjoy a few cocktails at bars after games . . .


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## craigehlo (Feb 24, 2005)

dudleysghost said:


> You tried to change yours by saying it's not about strip clubs, but about "hanging at the club". What exactly is the difference?


Yesterday a dude posted on the Olive boards saying a friend saw Zbo his at the Refectory partying on Monday. At the time I thought it was so ridiculous that was totally made up. For the record that place isn't a strip club, people go dance there. If that report turns out to be true, I'd be just as pissed about that incident. This isn't about the type of club and some puritanical society. It's about expectation of a person who requests leave of absence to travel for a funeral in Indiana. 

I would assume that if Zbo said he was going to go clubbing instead of playing the Wizards, Nate's answer would be wholly different.


----------



## dudleysghost (Mar 24, 2006)

mediocre man said:


> I think you have to seperate Zach's berievement leave from the rest of us. It's different for him because he is someone a franchise has put out there as their building block. Fair or not he really should be held to a higher standard. I don't think he should go to strip clubs during a game he is missing because he is the teams franchise player. I might also have to do with the fact that he had the issue last off season with strippers in his hotel room.


That's your choice I guess. If you want him to not do something while on his leave that you admit you do, then I guess that's your choice. I prefer to get my basketball from basketball players and my moral exemplars from other sources, but if you want to attempt to impose a belief system on your local basketball player, I guess you're free to try. I worry about the toll it will take on the on-court performance of our basketball team, especially after seeing Rasheed run out of town in a similar way, but that's the way the NBA works.

I will point out though, that Zach wasn't at the strip club during the game. That statement is inaccurate.


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## Mr. Chuck Taylor (Aug 2, 2004)

mediocre man said:


> No, he was seen at the strip club during his working hours. Where he was so upset he couldn't do his job.


The blazers knew the funeral isn't until Saturday, therefore they weren't expecting him to be at the funeral tuesday night when he was at exotica and Zach wasn't deceiving his boss the way the employee was in MM's analogy.


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## dudleysghost (Mar 24, 2006)

craigehlo said:


> Yesterday a dude posted on the Olive boards saying a friend saw Zbo his at the Refectory partying on Monday. At the time I thought it was so ridiculous that was totally made up. For the record that place isn't a strip club, people go dance there. If that report turns out to be true, I'd be just as pissed about that incident. This isn't about the type of club and some puritanical society. It's about expectation of a person who requests leave of absence to travel for a funeral in Indiana.
> 
> I would assume that if Zbo said he was going to go clubbing instead of playing the Wizards, Nate's answer would be wholly different.


Ok, I didn't see where this was mentioned in here. If I missed it, that's my mistake. If said rumor wasn't discussed here previously, then you really should preface your comments about it before you expect others to be aware of it.

In any case, the funeral is supposedly on Saturday. Zach going to a club or whatever on Monday or Tuesday doesn't preclude him from attending the funeral on Saturday. So what exactly is your problem with it? I won't build a straw man anymore, you can just describe it yourself. Why should't Zach go to a club while on leave? So far, I haven't heard any reasoning behind that assertion.


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## craigehlo (Feb 24, 2005)

Mr. Chuck Taylor said:


> The blazers knew the funeral isn't until Saturday, therefore they weren't expecting him to be at the funeral


Nowhere in the original article did it saw the Blazer know when the funeral was. That article stated they were expecting back by Friday which would actually indicate otherwise.

The time off was most likely requested by Zbo and his agent.


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## craigehlo (Feb 24, 2005)

dudleysghost said:


> Ok, I didn't see where this was mentioned in here. If I missed it, that's my mistake.


I didn't mention it because 1) It's still unsubstantiated and 2) I wasn't expecting to have to defend myself as being some sort of conservative anti-strip club guy.


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## It's_GO_Time (Oct 13, 2005)

craigehlo said:


> The time off was most likely requested by Zbo and his agent.



If I read this thread right . . . it was actually Nate and Zach who decided to take time off. And both sides probabaly saw no problem with an extended leave.


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## dudleysghost (Mar 24, 2006)

craigehlo said:


> Nowhere in the original article did it saw the Blazer know when the funeral was. That article stated they were expecting back by Friday which would actually indicate otherwise.
> 
> The time off was most likely requested by Zbo and his agent.


Nowhere in the article did it say that the time off was requested by Zach and his agent. If the funeral isn't Saturday though, then ... I don't know. A lot of innuendo and assertions are suddenly flying around.

If Zach did ask for time off to go to a funeral and then didn't, then I think that's bad. It shows a lack of committment to the team. So far though, you guys haven't made that case at all. So far all we have is a lot of complaining about how being at a club during bereavement leave is somehow inappropriate for undisclosed reasons.


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## blazerboy30 (Apr 30, 2003)

dudleysghost said:


> You can joke all you want, but if your girlfriend isn't an uptight puritan like you, MM, Craig and some others here are, then she will let you go to stripclubs.





dudleysghost said:


> The fact that you find humor in that says more about your poor values than Zach's.





dudleysghost said:


> Lol, try putting down the hater-aide and seeing life outside your tiny conservative bubble-world. You might be surprised at what reality is really like.





Damn....for being such an amazingly enlightened, open-minded, all-knowing and understanding liberal, you sure are quick to judge others, and think that you have it all figured out. 

But, I'm sure none of us uptight puritan/conservatives could possibly be as well-rounded or as insightful as you, with all your worldy knowledge. We'll keep striving to finally see this amazing reality you're talking about. :worthy:


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## craigehlo (Feb 24, 2005)

Kiss_My_Darius said:


> If I read this thread right . . . it was actually Nate and Zach who decided to take time off. And both sides probabaly saw no problem with an extended leave.


Since the organization expected him back for the Atlanta game, I doubt Nate thought he would be out longer.

I will cut Zbo slack because I'm sure he's not the guy organizing the funeral and likely things still weren't hammered out that point. I will not cut him slack for being well enough to go clubbing but not well enough to play hoops. Those aren't the actions of a person grieving.


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## Mr. Chuck Taylor (Aug 2, 2004)

craigehlo said:


> Nowhere in the original article did it saw the Blazer know when the funeral was. That article stated they were expecting back by Friday which would actually indicate otherwise.
> 
> The time off was most likely requested by Zbo and his agent.


I guarantee you they knew that the funeral was not late Tuesday night, which means that Zach was not at the strip club when he should have been at the funeral. This is the point I am making to show that this is not the same thing as what happened with the boss/employee with sick kid analogy.


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## dudleysghost (Mar 24, 2006)

blazerboy30 said:


> Damn....for being such an amazingly enlightened, open-minded, all-knowing and understanding liberal, you sure are quick to judge others, and think that you have it all figured out.
> 
> But, I'm sure none of us uptight puritan/conservatives could possibly be as well-rounded or as insightful as you, with all your worldy knowledge. We'll keep striving to finally see this amazing reality you're talking about. :worthy:


I'm open minded, but I'm not afraid to point out to people that their expectations for how a basketball player should conform to their values are out of line.

And I don't have an exclusive claim to reality. But Talkhard was the one who made the claim, and I correctly pointed out that his perception was clearly limited by his own narrow experiential basis. Read the exchange again a few times if you have trouble understanding how that works. He didn't believe any girlfriend or wife could possibly accept her man going to a strip club, which most of us know is not true. The fact that he was so incredulous on the matter (and so partisan and thick-headed in the OT forum) prompted me to ridicule him.

I hope that helps you understand my perspective better. If not though, I'm not really worried about it.

Oh, and btw, I'm not a liberal. Libertarian ... maybe, but I think those labels are more restrictive than informative most of the time.


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## craigehlo (Feb 24, 2005)

Mr. Chuck Taylor said:


> I guarantee you they knew that the funeral was not late Tuesday night,


Of course not. They though he could be back by Friday which means they funeral would have been on Wed or Thurs. For a guy that died on Sunday, that's not unreasonable.


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## dudleysghost (Mar 24, 2006)

mediocre man said:


> You are young, and lucky to have someone like that. My wife also likes to go, but doesn't care if I go without her. And it is ridiculously expensive. There is a club here in Houston that we have gone to once or twice and this was my order. Coors light, 2 Chocolate Margaritas......$30.00. Hell I coulda had a lap dance and saved $10.00


Hey, I'm not that lucky. It's nice to know we could go together, but the price is prohibitive. She could probably put down a few Choco Margaritas, which I'm assuming are like $8 each. No gracias.


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## BrooklynBaller (Jun 25, 2003)

My God! All of this because a basketball player went to a friggin' men's club?!? Are you people insane? Who cares what Zach does in HIS personal time? Really, who cares? As long as it's not illegal and doesn't damage the organization's reputation, why does it matter that Zach was at a strip club? The club gave hime time off so he's entitled to do what he wants (within reason and the law).

I haven't heard one convincing argument as to why this should be an issue. Maybe Zach was down/depressed and a few of his buddies decided to take him to a strip club to raise his spirits. Put that way, is it so bad?

C'mon, stop making mountains out of mole hills people.

I don't blame Rasheed for wanting to leave Portland. The media and fans in Portland just seem fixated with the players and their lives and, to me, as a non-Portlander, it seems like y'all have nothing better to do. No one, including basketball players, want to live in a fishbowl.


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## dudleysghost (Mar 24, 2006)

BrooklynBaller said:


> My God! All of this because a basketball player went to a friggin' men's club?!? Are you people insane? Who cares what Zach does in HIS personal time? Really, who cares? As long as it's not illegal and doesn't damage the organization's reputation, why does it matter that Zach was at a strip club? The club gave hime time off so he's entitled to do what he wants (within reason and the law).
> 
> I haven't heard one convincing argument as to why this should be an issue. Maybe Zach was down/depressed and a few of his buddies decided to take him to a strip club to raise his spirits. Put that way, is it so bad?
> 
> ...


:clap: thank you.


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## dudleysghost (Mar 24, 2006)

blakejacked said:


> Letterman: I was reading the sports section today... Zach Randolph was given a 2-game "bereavement leave," and during that time he was spotted in a local strip club. well, sources have revealed that some of his teammates were there too: Jarrett Jack was feeding Zach... Martell Webster was throwing money at the stage with fine technique but missing badly... Joel Przybilla was there in uniform- for him that's a suit & tie... and fan favorite Sergio Rodriguez was there too, but Coach Nate had him waiting in the car.


Before I forget, I have to point out, that this post made me LOL.


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## Fork (Jan 2, 2003)

I'm sure part of why he was allowed to leave the team for a few games is that the franchise wants to see what Aldridge can do at the PF position alongside a real center. (Hate Magloire all you want, he is a true center.)

The funeral is just a solid excuse to allow him a few games off.

So if he didn't go back to Marion, what's the big deal? The team allowed him the time off and he spent it in the way that he wanted to spend it.


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## craigehlo (Feb 24, 2005)

BrooklynBaller said:


> As long as it's not illegal and doesn't damage the organization's reputation


Too late. It's already hurt the clubs reputation. 

Again nobody cares that it was a strip club. Hell I would be stoked to stroll into a club and see a Blazer there. I would buy the dude a drink.

The problem is that he requested paid time off to grieve and travel. Going out clubbing doesn't fall under either category. It's especially embarrassing since this report happened the night of a home game he took off.


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## Mr. Chuck Taylor (Aug 2, 2004)

craigehlo said:


> Since the organization expected him back for the Atlanta game, I doubt Nate thought he would be out longer.
> 
> I will cut Zbo slack because I'm sure he's not the guy organizing the funeral and likely things still weren't hammered out that point. I will not cut him slack for being well enough to go clubbing but not well enough to play hoops. Those aren't the actions of a person grieving.


He was well enough to play hoops. He played the night he found out about the shooting. Nate knew this when he gave him the time off, so I don't see this as being the issue here. Now if we were to find out that Zach lied to get time off to go party, thats a whole different story. But as it currently stands, Zach had permission to be away from the team. The issue people are having is that he was at a strip club during this time. I personally think that this is a stupid move by Zach because it just looks bad to the general public, but its really not that big of deal. I don't think this spells the end for Zach like PBF would lead you to believe. It's basically just another feather in Zach's dunce cap, but not the end of the world.


----------



## Mr. Chuck Taylor (Aug 2, 2004)

craigehlo said:


> Too late. It's already hurt the clubs reputation.
> 
> Again nobody cares that it was a strip club. Hell I would be stoked to stroll into a club and see a Blazer there. I would buy the dude a drink.
> 
> The problem is that he requested paid time off to grieve and travel. Going out clubbing doesn't fall under either category. It's especially embarrassing since this report happened the night of a home game he took off.


It has been said many times over in this thread that Nate and Zach agreed he should take time off, I don't know why you are saying he requested it. Furthermore, if he was at the strip club tuesday, and the funeral isn't until Saturday, doesnt it stand to reason that he could still travel and go to the funeral?


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## craigehlo (Feb 24, 2005)

Mr. Chuck Taylor said:


> It has been said many times over in this thread that Nate and Zach agreed he should take time off, I don't know why you are saying he requested it. Furthermore, if he was at the strip club tuesday, and the funeral isn't until Saturday, doesnt it stand to reason that he could still travel and go to the funeral?


Nate and Zbo agreed, but it doesn't say that Zbo didn't ask for the time off. 

The real question is:

Are these the actions of a person grieving the death of someone cloee to them?

I say no.


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## zagsfan20 (Dec 24, 2004)

C'mon guys its just Z-Bo being Z-Bo.










High as a kite.


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## Mr. Chuck Taylor (Aug 2, 2004)

craigehlo said:


> Nate and Zbo agreed, but it doesn't say that Zbo didn't ask for the time off.


And it doesn't say that he did, yet you do.



craigehlo said:


> The real question is:
> 
> Are these the actions of a person grieving the death of someone cloee to them?
> 
> I say no.


Thats not the way I would grieve, but I am not Zach. Furthermore, I don't think the Blazers said he couldn't take time off unless he was officially grieving every moment of every day of his leave.


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## It's_GO_Time (Oct 13, 2005)

zagsfan20 said:


> C'mon guys its just Z-Bo being Z-Bo.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Great picture, where did you get it?


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## craigehlo (Feb 24, 2005)

zagsfan20 said:


> C'mon guys its just Z-Bo being Z-Bo.


Classic photo.

Man he looks distraught. Is that his therapist he's with???


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## chris_in_pdx (Jul 11, 2004)

Okay, now I must feel the need to back up a second here regarding this photo... what's the real reason you are upset? Is it because Zach is being photographed in a bar setting with a guy dressed up in "baller" gear? Would you be as upset if Zach was in a polo and kakhi pants shaking hands with a white guy at a local bar? There are some real tinges of racism and class warfare eminating from this thread. Now, Zach is a complete bonehead, and his decisionmaking is stupid, and if he was at a local strip club when he told the team that he had to go back to Indiana to bury a dead friend, then they should throw the book at him. But, when us white guys start demonizing Zach because he's black and that he's living a black lifestyle that we don't identify with, that's a tad bit unsettling to me. We should demonize Zach because of the unlawful/unmoral/unintelligent decisions that he's made, not because of the friends that he keeps or the clothes that he wears or the cars that he drives.


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## blazerboy30 (Apr 30, 2003)

chris_in_pdx said:


> We should demonize Zach because of the unlawful/unmoral/unintelligent decisions that he's made, not because of the friends that he keeps or the clothes that he wears or the cars that he drives.



You're absolutely kidding yourself if you think that a person's friends don't have any influence on their decisions. 

That being the case, after making so many stupid decisions, we have all the right in the world to question or criticize the friends he keeps, because they are contributing to Zach continually making our organization look bad.


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## Mr. Chuck Taylor (Aug 2, 2004)

blazerboy30 said:


> You're absolutely kidding yourself if you think that a person's friends don't have any influence on their decisions.
> 
> That being the case, after making so many stupid decisions, we have all the right in the world to question or criticize the friends he keeps, because they are contributing to Zach continually making our organization look bad.


But we don't have the right to criticize his friends for how they look in a picture, which is what I think Chris in pdx is getting at.


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## Ed O (Dec 30, 2002)

chris_in_pdx said:


> There are some real tinges of racism and class warfare eminating from this thread.


Gee... you think?

Ed O.


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## PapaG (Oct 4, 2004)

I've supported Zach on the court and off the court.

Unless there is an explanation for this that I can't think of, or unless it wasn't him, I am done defending the guy. He should have been in New York. There is no excuse for hanging with the fellas at Exotica instead of busting his hump to be with his team. I wonder what his teammates will say about this? They said they need him on the team in today's O, but I'm sure they didn't know he was taking care of his meat whistle instead of balling with them.


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## Dan (Dec 30, 2002)

chris_in_pdx said:


> Okay, now I must feel the need to back up a second here regarding this photo... what's the real reason you are upset? Is it because Zach is being photographed in a bar setting with a guy dressed up in "baller" gear? Would you be as upset if Zach was in a polo and kakhi pants shaking hands with a white guy at a local bar? There are some real tinges of racism and class warfare eminating from this thread. Now, Zach is a complete bonehead, and his decisionmaking is stupid, and if he was at a local strip club when he told the team that he had to go back to Indiana to bury a dead friend, then they should throw the book at him. But, when us white guys start demonizing Zach because he's black and that he's living a black lifestyle that we don't identify with, that's a tad bit unsettling to me. We should demonize Zach because of the unlawful/unmoral/unintelligent decisions that he's made, not because of the friends that he keeps or the clothes that he wears or the cars that he drives.


good points Chris. Zach is an idiot (if he did this I mean) regardless of his race or the race of the people he hangs out with. 

idiocy sees no colours.

at least to me. Lets assume I think Zach is an idiot. It's not because he's black, wears "baller" clothes, or hangs out with guys like in that picture (who I have no idea who that is, and for all i know he could be a really cool kid)...I think Zach is an idiot because of the decisions he makes on and off the court. Like I said, no one race/sex has the patent on being an idiot.


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## It's_GO_Time (Oct 13, 2005)

papag said:


> I've supported Zach on the court and off the court.
> 
> Unless there is an explanation for this that I can't think of, or unless it wasn't him, I am done defending the guy. He should have been in New York. There is no excuse for hanging with the fellas at Exotica instead of busting his hump to be with his team. I wonder what his teammates will say about this? They said they need him on the team in today's O, but I'm sure they didn't know he was taking care of his meat whistle instead of balling with them.



Folks we have a "meat whistle" reference . . . I think it is time for the game. :biggrin:


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## zagsfan20 (Dec 24, 2004)

chris_in_pdx said:


> Okay, now I must feel the need to back up a second here regarding this photo... what's the real reason you are upset? Is it because Zach is being photographed in a bar setting with a guy dressed up in "baller" gear? Would you be as upset if Zach was in a polo and kakhi pants shaking hands with a white guy at a local bar? There are some real tinges of racism and class warfare eminating from this thread. Now, Zach is a complete bonehead, and his decisionmaking is stupid, and if he was at a local strip club when he told the team that he had to go back to Indiana to bury a dead friend, then they should throw the book at him. But, when us white guys start demonizing Zach because he's black and that he's living a black lifestyle that we don't identify with, that's a tad bit unsettling to me. We should demonize Zach because of the unlawful/unmoral/unintelligent decisions that he's made, not because of the friends that he keeps or the clothes that he wears or the cars that he drives.


Making a mountain out of a molehill? How is me posting that picture racist in any way?

BTW, the guy in that picture is his brother Roger.


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## MARIS61 (Apr 28, 2003)

Talkhard said:


> How old are you? Ever had a girlfriend or been married? Get real.


HAPPILY Married 30 years.

Haven't been to a club in nearly a decade but that's mostly because I don't like to drink much and I prefer live music when I go out, not because my wife feels threatened if I go.

She and her girlfriends all went to the Acropolis on her 30th Birthday, so she knows it's just a show and nothing more.

Have you ever been to one? Fairly non-sexual atmosphere if you ask me.


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## It's_GO_Time (Oct 13, 2005)

MARIS61 said:


> HAPPILY Married 30 years.
> 
> Haven't been to a club in nearly a decade but that's mostly because I don't like to drink much and I prefer live music when I go out, not because my wife feels threatened if I go.
> 
> ...



Acrop . . . your wife has good taste . . . or so I have heard.


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## TheBlueDoggy (Oct 5, 2004)

Talkhard said:


> How old are you? Ever had a girlfriend or been married? Get real.


Pretty close minded comment. I've had many a girlfriends who went to strip clubs both with their friends and with me.


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## MARIS61 (Apr 28, 2003)

craigehlo said:


> This has to be joke right?
> 
> Right?


Wasn't intended to be at all.

Are you Heterophobic or something?

One of my friends has an older brother who has spent M-F after work at the Acropolis for the last 15 years or so, knows all the employees by name and counts them as his closest friends.

When he dies I expect to be invited there for his wake.

Different strokes for different folks. (That wasn't meant to be a joke either).


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## MARIS61 (Apr 28, 2003)

From the Blazers Blog:

The club manager, *Joel* (he asked his last name not be used), confirmed the account.

"He was here, just for a minute," the manager said.

What time was Randolph at the club?

"Late," *Joel* said.

What about Randolph's unpaid bill?

"He just forgot," *Joel* said. "He'll pay it next time."


This demonstrates how racist this thread is.

*Joel* is supposed to be re-habbing his knee while on leave from playing, not moonlighting as a strip club "manager". :biggrin:


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## MARIS61 (Apr 28, 2003)

_Trail Blazers forward Zach Randolph, who has been on bereavement leave since Monday, was at a North Portland strip club Tuesday night, but had simply stopped in briefly before catching a red-eye flight to his hometown, a team official said. 

Randolph missed the Blazers' game against Washington on Tuesday after being granted leave following the shooting death of Lamar Cannon in Marion, Ind., Randolph's hometown. Cannon was a friend of Randolph and the first cousin of Faune Drake, Randolph's longtime girlfriend and mother of his 1-year-old daughter. 

Randolph was on his way to the airport Tuesday when he stopped at Exotica, Randolph told the team official._


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## It's_GO_Time (Oct 13, 2005)

MARIS61 said:


> _Trail Blazers forward Zach Randolph, who has been on bereavement leave since Monday, was at a North Portland strip club Tuesday night, but had simply stopped in briefly before catching a red-eye flight to his hometown, a team official said.
> 
> Randolph missed the Blazers' game against Washington on Tuesday after being granted leave following the shooting death of Lamar Cannon in Marion, Ind., Randolph's hometown. Cannon was a friend of Randolph and the first cousin of Faune Drake, Randolph's longtime girlfriend and mother of his 1-year-old daughter.
> 
> Randolph was on his way to the airport Tuesday when he stopped at Exotica, Randolph told the team official._



Must of been one hell of a lap dance/private show for $106/min. :biggrin:


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## Utherhimo (Feb 20, 2005)

yeah mole hill out of a pebble....seriously silly.

I have spent a lot of time in strip clubs when I was younger, expensive and a tease...not my taste anymore but if I was greiving its one place I would go to get my mind off it. Ive has gfs/friends and friends wives/gfs that would let/go with them to stripclubs no problem, the clubs arent bad its the reaction of some people.


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## B_&_B (Feb 19, 2004)

HAMMERHEAD said:


> This is not good!
> 
> Maybe, just maybe, he found out on the way to the airport that his flight was delayed and decided to stop in and kill some time before heading to the airport. Wishfull thinking, I know. :biggrin:


KATU - Portland, Oregon - News - Blazers upset Randolph at strip club during leave

Looks like your theory might be correct.


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## mediocre man (Feb 24, 2004)

B_&_B said:


> KATU - Portland, Oregon - News - Blazers upset Randolph at strip club during leave
> 
> Looks like your theory might be correct.



After reading the article, it sounds to me like a lot of people on this board need to jump all over Pritchard and the Blazers organization like they did some of us here when we said zach shouldn't have been in a strip club on his leave. Pritchard said the same thing.


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## Samuel (Jan 1, 2003)

Pritchard shouldn't only be GM, but President. His statements today were surprisingly honest despite their PR nature. Kudos, KP.


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## Mr. Chuck Taylor (Aug 2, 2004)

Samuel said:


> Pritchard shouldn't only be GM, but President. His statements today were surprisingly honest despite their PR nature. Kudos, KP.


Don't get me wrong, I love KP, but I don't see what is so honest about side-stepping the issue at hand.


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## craigehlo (Feb 24, 2005)

Mr. Chuck Taylor said:


> Don't get me wrong, I love KP, but I don't see what is so honest about side-stepping the issue at hand.


Side stepping? Dude was more candid than most of us expected. 

I assume the will have an internal investigation. This is not small issue. Zbo is paid about $146,000 per game. If he's missing a game to "grieve" but was seen around town going about his business clubbing, he'll fined.


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## mgb (Jun 26, 2004)

Seems like a nice place to have dinner before a flight: 

Exotica - Home

Be aware there is adult content.


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## ehizzy3 (Jun 12, 2006)

this is freakin unbelievable


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## zagsfan20 (Dec 24, 2004)

mgb said:


> Seems like a nice place to have dinner before a flight:
> 
> Exotica - Home
> 
> Be aware there is adult content.


The owner of Exotica is a season ticket holder who sits three rows behind the Blazers bench. Thats nice little side business he has going on.


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## mgb (Jun 26, 2004)

Here's Zach's reply.



> Trail Blazers forward Zach Randolph, who has been on bereavement leave since Monday, was at a North Portland strip club Tuesday night, but had simply stopped in briefly before catching a red-eye flight en route to his hometown, a team official said.
> 
> Randolph missed the Blazers' game against Washington on Tuesday after being granted leave following the shooting death of Lamar Cannon in Marion, Ind., Randolph's hometown. Cannon was a friend of Randolph and the first cousin of Faune Drake, Randolph's longtime girlfriend and mother of his 1-year-old daughter.
> 
> Randolph was on his way to the airport Tuesday when he stopped at Exotica, Randolph told the team official. A media report about Randolph being at the club caused a stir Friday.


Link


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## CocaineisaHelluvaDrug (Aug 24, 2006)

Ok so Zach was fully entitled to go to a strip joint before his flight but surely the guy must have realised the furore it would cause if becoming public knowledge,considering the blazers(and zachs) checkered history over the last 2 or3 seaasons perhaps he should have thought more wisely.But seeing as its zach i dont think wise decisions are his forte


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## MARIS61 (Apr 28, 2003)

Portland is so puritanical.

The club owner is a Blazers supporter with 2 season tickets.

How is this any different than if he stopped at Denny's for a home run breakfast?


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## sa1177 (Feb 18, 2005)

Just another indication that ZBo just isn't a very smart fella...you would think he would want to spend that time comforting his girlfriend. Instead he is getting some hoochies at Exotica. :no:

Then instead of being discreet...he walks out on the bill. lol...just not very bright.


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## Mr. Chuck Taylor (Aug 2, 2004)

craigehlo said:


> Side stepping? Dude was more candid than most of us expected.
> 
> I assume the will have an internal investigation. This is not small issue. Zbo is paid about $146,000 per game. If he's missing a game to "grieve" but was seen around town going about his business clubbing, he'll fined.


He didn't mention Zach or the issue at all...he just talked about how important character is in general. It may not have been directly issued at Zach, but I did like what he said. Also I think this is the exact kind of thing that should be handled in-house, if possible...so I agree KP is doing the right thing.


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## dudleysghost (Mar 24, 2006)

mediocre man said:


> After reading the article, it sounds to me like a lot of people on this board need to jump all over Pritchard and the Blazers organization like they did some of us here when we said zach shouldn't have been in a strip club on his leave. Pritchard said the same thing.


Link? I saw Pritchard's press release, and it doesn't say what you claim at all. Did he make some other statement on the matter recently?


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## dudleysghost (Mar 24, 2006)

mgb said:


> Seems like a nice place to have dinner before a flight:
> 
> Exotica - Home
> 
> Be aware there is adult content.


I've only been to two strip clubs in Portland, and I just realized that was one of them. It's pretty easy to dump $106 bucks in there, I can attest. Especially if you have an entourage to feed, I'd imagine. Although if it's dinner you want, getting a $5 steak at the Acropolis can't be beat.


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## mediocre man (Feb 24, 2004)

dudleysghost said:


> Link? I saw Pritchard's press release, and it doesn't say what you claim at all. Did he make some other statement on the matter recently?




KATU - Portland, Oregon - News - Blazers upset Randolph at strip club during leave


PORTLAND, Ore. - The Portland Trail Blazers took a character stand Friday after learning that their top scorer Zach Randolph was spotted at a strip club while on bereavement leave.

*The Blazers say player mistakes will be handled privately but added that the strip club incident is exactly the kind of thing that could earn a player a one-way ticket out of town.*

The same night the Blazers pulled off an inspiring win over the Washington Wizards without their star player - Randolph stopped in at Exotica International Club for Men in North Portland.

A team source told KATU News Randolph was on his way to the airport to catch a late flight to Indiana after two of his high school classmates were killed.

*But in a press release issued Friday, Assistant General Manager Kevin Pritchard made it clear the team wasn't happy about Randolph's decision to spend part of his bereavement leave in a strip club.*

The statement reads in part: "Character will be a key measuring tool for whether each of our players continues to be a part of the ongoing effort to build toward a championship caliber club."

The Blazers have won two in a row without Randolph. 

He took the bereavement leave after two of his high school classmates, Lamar Cannon and Otis Donald, both 23, were shot and killed outside a Marion, Ind., motorcycle club early Sunday. Cannon is the first cousin of Faune Drake, Randolph's longtime girlfriend and mother of his 1-year-old daughter. 

He is expected to rejoin the team for their Sunday game at Minnesota.


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## dudleysghost (Mar 24, 2006)

mediocre man said:


> KATU - Portland, Oregon - News - Blazers upset Randolph at strip club during leave
> 
> 
> PORTLAND, Ore. - The Portland Trail Blazers took a character stand Friday after learning that their top scorer Zach Randolph was spotted at a strip club while on bereavement leave.
> ...


Ok, now you and KATU both claim that's what the press release says. But read the press release for yourself and show me where Pritchard says unequivocally that Zach did anything. It doesn't, but it is carefully crafted so that people can make that inference if they so choose, with the team actually saying anything about Zach at all. Do you still feel justified in claiming that it says anything about Zach specifically?


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## mediocre man (Feb 24, 2004)

dudleysghost said:


> Ok, now you and KATU both claim that's what the press release says. But read the press release for yourself and show me where Pritchard says unequivocally that Zach did anything. It doesn't, but it is carefully crafted so that people can make that inference if they so choose, with the team actually saying anything about Zach at all. Do you still feel justified in claiming that it says anything about Zach specifically?




No. I thought that was the press release. The actual one says nothing about it....although like you said it might as well say it.


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## dudleysghost (Mar 24, 2006)

mediocre man said:


> No. I thought that was the press release. The actual one says nothing about it....although like you said it might as well say it.


It's a very well written press release. It hints at what you want it to say, without actually making any specific statements or promises. I really like Pritchard, and he's generally pretty candid and direct, but in this case I don't think he's being very forthcoming on how the team really feels.


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## Utherhimo (Feb 20, 2005)

maybe that is a good thing


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## mook (Dec 31, 2002)

Utherhimo said:


> maybe that is a good thing


exactly. you want an Allen Iverson situation where we suspend him indefinitely, then trade him for peanuts? I suppose it'd make those who enjoy feeling morally superior to Zach feel better, but that's probably not on Pritchard's list of goals. 

our management should always be looking to extract the most value out of every player possible. tell me how publicly castigating Zach makes it easier to trade him.


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## MARIS61 (Apr 28, 2003)

Again, this whole attitude is insulting and slanderous to the club's owner, a Blazers fan and supporter. A legitimate businessman in the community. One that has *NOT* declared bankruptcy to avoid debts and shafted local employees and businesses I might add.

Everyone keeps referring to an "incident" but so far I have heard nothing that would fit that description.

Non-issue.


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## mediocre man (Feb 24, 2004)

MARIS61 said:


> Again, this whole attitude is insulting and slanderous to the club's owner, a Blazers fan and supporter. A legitimate businessman in the community. One that has *NOT* declared bankruptcy to avoid debts and shafted local employees and businesses I might add.
> 
> Everyone keeps referring to an "incident" but so far I have heard nothing that would fit that description.
> 
> Non-issue.




It was enough of an issue for the team to issue a statement proclaiming that..

"We have made tremendous strides this season in developing a culture that values character, both on and off the court. 

We think we've made significant progress in that regard as a team and an organization and our fans have responded with renewed enthusiasm and support. 

At the end of the season we'll sit down with each one of our players and review their performance, including their standing in the community. Character will be a key measuring tool for whether each of our players continues to be a part of the ongoing effort to build toward a championship caliber club. 

When players make mistakes off the court, they are often private matters between the team and the player. We know our fans respect the need to handle certain matters internally. We will continue to hold our players to a very high standard and take appropriate action when necessary." 



Doesn't sound like a non issue to Pritchard or the team


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## ZBoFanatic (Feb 10, 2003)

mook said:


> I suppose it'd make those who *enjoy feeling *morally superior to Zach feel better


:clap2: There are a handful of those people on this board aren't there? Living their lives vicariously through their idea of a team full of asexual missionaries with Kobe's scoring ability and Ron Ron's defensive abilities. Some of the drama queens on this board are relatively incapable of realizing how insignificant a stop at a strip club on the way to the airport really is. I mean, it is worth a discussion, but any sort of emotional response to this may be a good reason to go see a psychiatrist. I'm just glad my life isn't that dull.


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## MARIS61 (Apr 28, 2003)

mediocre man said:


> It was enough of an issue for the team to issue a statement proclaiming that..
> 
> "We have made tremendous strides this season in developing a culture that values character, both on and off the court.
> 
> ...



I read it 10 times just to be sure I wasn't missing anything.

A very positive statement which says nothing negative about Zach or any other Blazer. Overall it's just empty rhetoric which says absolutely nothing and makes no committment either way or even the vaguest of hints that they are at all upset with Zach.

They recognize the media is trying to make this an issue and they have tried to diffuse it by saying "When players make mistakes off the court, they are often private matters between the team and the player."

In other words Mr Eggars, whether we have a problem with Zach stopping at a club for awhile while waiting for a plane or don't have a problem with it, it's really absolutely none of your business so STFU.


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## mediocre man (Feb 24, 2004)

MARIS61 said:


> I read it 10 times just to be sure I wasn't missing anything.
> 
> A very positive statement which says nothing negative about Zach or any other Blazer. Overall it's just empty rhetoric which says absolutely nothing and makes no committment either way or even the vaguest of hints that they are at all upset with Zach.
> 
> ...




So you are saying that this statement wasn't released because of Zach? Like it or not guys thgis is an issue. As posted earlier, I could care less if someone goes to a strip club. When it's your franchise player that already has several problems with image it's an issue


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## mgb (Jun 26, 2004)

mediocre man said:


> So you are saying that this statement wasn't released because of Zach? Like it or not guys thgis is an issue. As posted earlier,* I could care less if someone goes to a strip club*. When it's your franchise player that already has several problems with image it's an issue


That really says it all, because it's Zach of course you have a problem with it. I can just hear the 'I hold Zach to a higher standard', if you aren't Canzano you're his clone.


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## mediocre man (Feb 24, 2004)

mgb said:


> That really says it all, because it's Zach of course you have a problem with it.




NO mgb. Because it's Zach, on berievement leave, supposedly too distraught to be with his team. 

And YES mgb. Because it's Zach, who is...or was...our franchise player, that this past off season was accused of rape by a stripper, that has had off court issues every season, and has a very tarnished image with a lot of people throughout the country. 


You just can't have a player you are paying 13 million dollars a year to, and are (were) building your team around act the way he does. He has to use better judgement than that. If he wants to go during the off season, after games then fine. He shouldn't go to one on payed leave though. I would remind him to pay his tab though....that never looks good. Especially when the owner of the club blows it off because you frequent the place so much. 

This franchise STILL gets called jailblazers. The players they bring in for the next several years all have to live by a higher standard in order for that to go away.


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## Utherhimo (Feb 20, 2005)

MM once zbo leaves who will be your next target...you sound a lot like quick


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## mediocre man (Feb 24, 2004)

Utherhimo said:


> MM once zbo leaves who will be your next target...you sound a lot like quick




Miles????

It's an honest statement though don't you think.


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## Utherhimo (Feb 20, 2005)

my point was that this kind of attitude toward the team never stops, the frankenstiening always moves on to the next target.


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## BuckW4GM (Nov 2, 2005)

mediocre man said:


> This franchise STILL gets called jailblazers.


and those that still labels this team as the "Jail Blazers" are idiots, just as those who thinks such label has any merit are idiots.

it's funny how you seem so concern of every announcers, sports writers, fans who most likely don't even know much about this team thinks.


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## mediocre man (Feb 24, 2004)

BuckW4GM said:


> and those that still labels this team as the "Jail Blazers" are idiots, just as those who thinks such label has any merit are idiots.
> 
> it's funny how you seem so concern of every announcers, sports writers, fans who most likely don't even know much about this team thinks.



It's because they don't know much about the team that concerns me. Free agents need to hear we aren't that team anymore, refs need to understand we aren't that team anymore, the NBA needs to understand we aren't that team anyomre. 

I want this team on national tv, and I want them to start getting a few calls here and there. I want them to attract top level free agents or players that wont refuse to report if they are traded to us. If you think the jailblazer image has no effect on those things you are wrong.


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## STOMP (Jan 1, 2003)

mediocre man said:


> It's because they don't know much about the team that concerns me. Free agents need to hear we aren't that team anymore, refs need to understand we aren't that team anymore, the NBA needs to understand we aren't that team anymore.
> 
> I want this team on national tv, and I want them to start getting a few calls here and there. I want them to attract top level free agents or players that wont refuse to report if they are traded to us. If you think the jailblazer image has no effect on those things you are wrong.


I may be wrong, but it's my firm opinion that you're mostly off base. First of all, what player has ever refused to report after being traded to Portland? I don't think the networks really gives a hoot what Portland's image is, they want ratings and Portland will be TSOL for the foreseeable future because (relative to other markets), Portland is tiny. This is the same reason Portland has never been the destination of a single top FA. If you want to see the team get some regular season favoritism from the league and officials, the club will need to land a player who can transcend this media bias towards the larger fanbases to capture the fickle masses attention and move product nationally alla LaBron. Brandon Roy winning the ROY will not do this, neither will LaMarcus continuing to improve... Zach and Miles changing their addresses changes nothing.

Until the Blazers land this hypothetical media star, when Portland is advancing in the playoffs, David Stern's league is watching dollars fly out the window. The league's obvious biases are not the lingering effects of some bygone image, it's the bottom line.

STOMP


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## BuckW4GM (Nov 2, 2005)

mediocre man said:


> It's because they don't know much about the team that concerns me. Free agents need to hear we aren't that team anymore, refs need to understand we aren't that team anymore, the NBA needs to understand we aren't that team anyomre.
> 
> I want this team on national tv, and I want them to start getting a few calls here and there. I want them to attract top level free agents or players that wont refuse to report if they are traded to us. If you think the jailblazer image has no effect on those things you are wrong.


you and i just see things too differently to come to a middle ground on this. you seem to care of what idiots think, even though you know that they're absolutely wrong. i don't. what i know is right is good enough. i couldn't give a **** what anyone thinks. i'm a blazers fan. what the hell do i care of what other teams fans think, as long as my team is kicking their teams butt?

i believe you are wrong about the impact of our team image have on free agents and refs. free agents are a lot more concerns with money, their role on the team, and winning that it makes whatever "image" a team have moot. as far as getting calls from the refs, i have never believed in the refs conspiracy theory. bad calls are made against every teams. they all evens out.


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## mediocre man (Feb 24, 2004)

STOMP said:


> I may be wrong, but it's my firm opinion that you're mostly off base. First of all, what player has ever refused to report after being traded to Portland? I don't think the networks really gives a hoot what Portland's image is, they want ratings and Portland will be TSOL for the foreseeable future because (relative to other markets), Portland is tiny. This is the same reason Portland has never been the destination of a single top FA. If you want to see the team get some regular season favoritism from the league and officials, the club will need to land a player who can transcend this media bias towards the larger fanbases to capture the fickle masses attention and move product nationally alla LaBron. Brandon Roy winning the ROY will not do this, neither will LaMarcus continuing to improve... Zach and Miles changing their addresses changes nothing.
> 
> Until the Blazers land this hypothetical media star, when Portland is advancing in the playoffs, David Stern's league is watching dollars fly out the window. The league's obvious biases are not the lingering effects of some bygone image, it's the bottom line.
> 
> STOMP


No one has ever not reported, but I remember last year when a rumored Pierce trade was going around. He flat out said he wouldn't go to Portland. Vince Carter I believe said the same thing.


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## BuckW4GM (Nov 2, 2005)

mediocre man said:


> No one has ever not reported, but I remember last year when a rumored Pierce trade was going around. He flat out said he wouldn't go to Portland. Vince Carter I believe said the same thing.


i read somewhere that said Vince said he didn't want to go to Portland. i'm not big on rumors, but whatever. even if that was the case, i'd bet that it had to do with portland being a ****ty team more than anything else.


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## STOMP (Jan 1, 2003)

mediocre man said:


> No one has ever not reported, but I remember last year when a rumored Pierce trade was going around. He flat out said he wouldn't go to Portland. Vince Carter I believe said the same thing.


Though I was paying attention at the time, I don't remember any such quote from either player, so I don't think you can claim it was flat out said... find me an actual quote and I'd be pretty shocked. And since players contracts are with the league not with teams, a player who doesn't report doesn't get paid. Anyhoo, while all players certainly have preferences on where they'd like to play, I'm sure they'd much rather make millions of dollars then not. 

STOMP


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## Boob-No-More (Apr 24, 2006)

mediocre man said:


> No one has ever not reported, but I remember last year when a rumored Pierce trade was going around. He flat out said he wouldn't go to Portland. Vince Carter I believe said the same thing.


That was before they knew we had paid strip club leave. Now _every_ NBA player is going to be begging to come to Portland. 

Why is everyone being so negative about this? Zach just made Portland _the_ preferred destination for NBA free agents. If anything it will be easier to trade him as other team's players are going to be demanding their agents to get them traded *to* the Blazers - that is until the next CBA when the players association gets mandatory paid strip club leave includued in the league wide bargaining agreement.

BNM


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