End of Era as Marauders Athletic Architect Al Bortke Set to Retire ismarck, ND ? After 36 years, longtime athletic director, men's Basketball coach and hall of famer Al Bortke will officially grace the halls and playing floors of the McDowell Activity Center for the final time on June 30 as Bortke begins
HBO Hung episode guide for July that tells the story of a well-endowed former high school legend turned struggling middle-aged high school teacher and basketball coach, who figures out a way to use his best asset. The series stars Thomas Jane, Jane Adams, Anne Heche, Sianoa Smit-McPhee
Sarah Palin resigns as Alaska governor dollars, go down the drain.? A former sports journalist known as ?Sarah Barracuda? when she played high school basketball, Palin said it was ?time to pass the ball for victory.? In leaving her post before the end of her first term, Palin, the
Sarah Palin to resign as Alaska governor this month full-court press right now on the national level picking apart a good point guard,' Palin said, using a basketball analogy. Palin complained during the unsuccessful 2008 campaign about having her comments 'filtered' by the mainstream media. Visit
Los Angeles officials brace for Michael Jackson memorial Friday urged fans who do not win a ticket in a random drawing to stay away from the basketball arena where the singer will be memorialized. Organizers have set aside a total of 17,500 tickets through an Internet-based lottery for the televised service at
Kentucky's Calipari Is the New King of the Court When it Comes to Salaries work?In May, the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics recommended a cap on salaries of Division I men's basketball and football coaches to curtail the spiraling spending of college athletic departments. The Knight Commission pointed out that
Palin to Resign as Governor of Alaska ends in 2010. Palin, 45, did not take questions after her announcement, but compared herself to a good basketball point guard facing 'a full court press from the national level.' 'She knows exactly when to pass the ball so that a team can win,' Palin
WSU Gets 6-foot-10 Recruit Bjornstad Bjornstad, a two-time All-State forward from Columbia River High School in Vancouver, Wash., called Bone to accept a basketball scholarship at Washington State. I called him this morning, Bjornstad said. He said, Have you made your decision? I said,
Pistons fire Curry Auburn Hills, MI (Sports Network) - Detroit Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars did an about face Tuesday and fired head coach Michael Curry. 'This was a difficult decision to make,' Dumars said in a statement released by the team
Young amputee at home recovering (1503) is gone, there is a lot of stuff I will be able to do, Watson said. Cheerleading, volleyball, basketball and softball. And, I will be able to go swimming. That will be a while from now though, Amanda Watson added. The highlight of Watsons one-week stay
The Trail Blazers made a trade. Then, they handed out bottles of water. And someone taped a giant table cloth with the team logo printed on it on one wall of the team practice facility, providing the backdrop for what must go down as the performance of the season.
General Manager John Nash, sleeves rolled up, television cameras trained on him, said he was disappointed, and that they were oh-so-close to a blockbuster deal. But in the end, Nash asked you to believe the upshot of trading Ruben Patterson, Charles Smith and Sergei Monia was that they'd just cleared more salary-cap room.
Except, this wasn't what the day, or the deal, was about at all. Rather, Thursday was about the public unveiling of Operation Greg Oden, the Blazers' latest master plan.
Greg Oden, if you haven't heard, is widely considered to be the best amateur basketball player on the planet. He's 18, 7-feet tall, and plays high school basketball at Lawrence North High in Indianapolis .
"Greg Oden is the complete package; mentally and physically," one NBA executive said. "He's the next David Robinson. That sort of all-around talent, on and off the court."
Greg Oden will play one season of college basketball at Ohio State , then he'll be eligible for the 2007 NBA draft, where he'll be the No. 1 selection. Which is why the Blazers, who have foolishly adopted and abandoned three or four other master plans in the last 36 months, have officially begun angling for Greg Oden?
The big myth here is that this trade gives the team valuable salary-cap flexibility. Though owner Paul Allen just saved $2.5 million in salary next season, the Blazers' payroll for 2006-07 remains so high they still only have the mid-level exception available. Which is exactly where the Blazers were when the most important day of their season began?
"That's if we use (the mid-level) exception," Nash said. "It hasn't been proven you can get a quality player (with it)."
Think the Blazers are bad on the court this season? Just wait until next year, when they might lose Joel Przybilla to free agency, fail to use the mid-level exception, then get younger through the draft, and lose games at a franchise-record rate, thereby positioning them for a desperation shot at Greg Oden, ping pong balls willing.
Cross your fingers, right?
Let's see. Management's $167 million plan (Zach Randolph, Darius Miles, Theo Ratliff) flopped when they overpaid all three. The Sebastian Telfair era fizzled. And even when management tried to overpay Trenton Hassell, he wouldn't let them. And then, it was rookie Martell Webster and this "rebuilding" charade.
And now, the Blazers appear to have zeroed in on Greg Oden.
There's no other explanation for what happened Thursday.
Hey, give them credit. It's thin. But it's a plan. And please know they'll publicly deny Greg Oden is the end goal until he's in hand. Yet when asked about Greg Oden, Nash said Thursday, "Getting lucky in the lottery is one proven way to turn things around in the NBA."
By transitioning from the quest to "repair team character and the franchise brand" into the era of "fiscal responsibility" and "rebuilding through youth," Nash and Blazers president Steve Patterson are counting on Allen to extend their contracts until he can see if the plan works.
Nash's deal is up for renewal at the end of this season. And Patterson's contract runs through the 2006-07 season, and includes a team option for 2007-08. But while we're waiting to see what happens with Greg Oden, how many season tickets do they expect to sell for next season?
Guard Voshon Lenard? He goes free in 29 games.
And center Brian Skinner at $5.3 million in 2006-07? It's possible we're looking at Przybilla's replacement on the low post.
If you didn't get the opportunity to see coach Nate McMillan's facial contortions during his portion of Thursday's production, don't worry. Just imagine the face a 5-year-old might make when he or she's presented with, say, a giant plate of cooked squash for dessert.
Meanwhile, Blazers scouting personnel are busy drooling over Greg Oden, and imagining a team with Greg Oden, Webster, Randolph, and, possibly, Gonzaga's Adam Morrison or Duke's J.J. Redick playing together in 2008-09.
The free-agent market and draft in 2006 are weak. The Blazers probably aren't alone in targeting Greg Oden and 2007. But while the deal may have saved Allen money, and liberated the ever-emotional Patterson, what the trade really did is make "Operation Oden" obvious to anyone willing to stare long enough through the looking glass that was Thursday's trade.
The Blazers should probably just go ultra-honest and blunt and make "Greg Oden in '07" the slogan for next season. Because the philosophy would make sense out of the bizarre slashing of talent, the reduction of payroll, and the flurry of head-scratching, hodgepodge activity Blazers management has been involved with in recent years.
Hey, don't be shy about this, Blazers management. Don't worry that the philosophy will be mocked by other league executives. Greg Oden is your last best shot. You're entitled to it. But if it doesn't work out, just promise fans you'll fire yourselves, OK?
John Canzano: 503-294-5065; JohnCanzano@aol.com; To read his Web log, go to www.oregonlive.com/canzano Catch him on the radio on "The Bald-Faced Truth,"
Turkoglu to join Blazers Portland a huge front-line going into the 2009-10 season as he would join 7-foot-1 Joel Przybilla or 7-foot Greg Oden at center, and 6-foot-11 LaMarcus Aldridge at the power forward spot
Turkoglu to join Blazers Portland a huge front-line going into the 2009-10 season as he would join 7-foot-1 Joel Przybilla or 7-foot Greg Oden at center, and 6-foot-11 LaMarcus Aldridge at the power forward spot. Copyright 2009 The Sports Network
Turkoglu To Join Blazers Portland a huge front-line going into the 2009-10 season as he would join 7-foot-1 Joel Przybilla or 7-foot Greg Oden at center, and 6-foot-11 LaMarcus Aldridge at the power forward spot
Turkoglu to join Blazers Portland a huge front-line going into the 2009-10 season as he would join 7-foot-1 Joel Przybilla or 7-foot Greg Oden at center, and 6-foot-11 LaMarcus Aldridge at the power forward spot
Turkoglu To Join Blazers Portland a huge front-line going into the 2009-10 season as he would join 7-foot-1 Joel Przybilla or 7-foot Greg Oden at center, and 6-foot-11 LaMarcus Aldridge at the power forward spot
Turkoglu to join Blazers Portland a huge front-line going into the 2009-10 season as he would join 7-foot-1 Joel Przybilla or 7-foot Greg Oden at center, and 6-foot-11 LaMarcus Aldridge at the power forward spot
Turkoglu to join Blazers Portland a huge front-line going into the 2009-10 season as he would join 7-foot-1 Joel Przybilla or 7-foot Greg Oden at center, and 6-foot-11 LaMarcus Aldridge at the power forward spot
Turkoglu to join Blazers Portland a huge front-line going into the 2009-10 season as he would join 7-foot-1 Joel Przybilla or 7-foot Greg Oden at center, and 6-foot-11 LaMarcus Aldridge at the power forward spot
