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RipCity9 · 01-30-2006, 11:23 AM

We certainly don't have to worry about him wanting the Sonics instead - their arena deal is a pending disaster.

**crandc** · 01-30-2006, 11:31 AM

I don't see what folks are getting into a swivet about. Being a businessman he probably would not a priori totally rule out ANYTHING, but that hardly means he is actively considering it. If someone offered him a totally ridiculous price for the Blazers he might consider selling, unfortunately, that is no doubt beyond the means of us boardsters.

For Three! Rip City! · 01-30-2006, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blazer Bert

I thought it was well known that Paul Allen is a hands-on owner. He does this for fun and entertainment. It's a hobby for him. He's certainly not doing it to make money, aka the Clips. He's always been involved. He's the one who was so enamoured with P.J. that he fired Adelman and brought him in (god, I still hate P.J. even after all these years). He's actively involved in the war room at draft time.

I have disagreed with many of Paul Allen's decisions ever since he first acquired the team. He just didn't get the local culture and made a few amateurish moves. But I disagree that Paul Allen "has done nothing but run this franchise into the ground" or that we got "burned" by Whitsitt. Before the current rebuild, they successfully maintained competitiveness and brought us to the brink of a championship. But that thread has been done to death at least a hundred times.

I sincerely hope he isn't entertaining thoughts of selling the team. I believe we need his continued charity to have any prayer of competing for a championship in the modern NBA.

Be careful what you wish for.

We we'll have to agree to disagree about Paul Allen's impact on the Blazers. Before he arrived the entire community was behind the Blazers and the team brought in players the fans could relate to and embrace. The organization was well respected nationally even without the championship. I have no wish to rehash old news but I think you would be hard pressed to find very many people who think the organization is better off today than it was in pre-Allen days.

It's_GO_Time · 01-30-2006, 12:08 PM

Ouch! What happened to his comment early in the season that he is in it for the long haul.

It is obvious that Allen has concidered the idea of selling the team and has found that there are different concerns involved that don't all lead to one answer (sell v. not sell).

I was pulling for the Seahawks all season and in the super bowl. Ironic if the Seahawks success may have an inpact on how Allen feels about keeping the Blazers.

Go Steelers?

It's_GO_Time · 01-30-2006, 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by For Three! Rip City!

We we'll have to agree to disagree about Paul Allen's impact on the Blazers. Before he arrived the entire community was behind the Blazers and the team brought in players the fans could relate to and embrace. The organization was well respected nationally even without the championship. I have no wish to rehash old news but I think you would be hard pressed to find very many people who think the organization is better off today than it was in pre-Allen days.

It is a different time period. The NBA is much more developed and salaries back then aren't even comparable to salaries today. The good old days were nice, but this is now a complicated league with complicated issues and cash is king. To lose Allen as an owner would be a big hit to the Blazer oraganization.

It's_GO_Time · 01-30-2006, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RipCity9

We certainly don't have to worry about him wanting the Sonics instead - their arena deal is a pending disaster.

What is the arena deal? Could Allen step in and buy a new arena himself?

**Dan** · 01-30-2006, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by For Three! Rip City!

We we'll have to agree to disagree about Paul Allen's impact on the Blazers. Before he arrived the entire community was behind the Blazers and the team brought in players the fans could relate to and embrace. The organization was well respected nationally even without the championship. I have no wish to rehash old news but I think you would be hard pressed to find very many people who think the organization is better off today than it was in pre-Allen days.

for starters, them days are gone. Even sacramento fans aren't as die-hard as they were back in the mid to late 80's and before the Maloofs took over. we can stop acting like everything was just super great and then Paul Allen came in and screwed things up.

While there aren't many people who think that the Organization is 'better off today', there is one thing thats certain. It's still here because of Paul Allen.

Samuel · 01-30-2006, 12:34 PM

I see it less as 'PAUL ALLEN IS SELLING THE TEAM' and more as him protecting himself.

If he says no, he's giving the media & the fanbase ammo if he does sell the team down the road.

Plus, tone is big here. Was he saying it in the 'look can we get back to talking football' tone or the 'hmmm. [pause] let's get back to football' tone?

NBAGOD · 01-30-2006, 01:32 PM

Quote:

I thought it was well known that Paul Allen is a hands-on owner. He does this for fun and entertainment. It's a hobby for him. He's certainly not doing it to make money, aka the Clips. He's always been involved. He's the one who was so enamoured with P.J. that he fired Adelman and brought him in (god, I still hate P.J. even after all these years). He's actively involved in the war room at draft time.

Couple of thoughts....Paul is actually a very hands off owner. Other than being involved in major player moves, he is completely hands off. It WAS a hobby for him until he realized he was losing a fortune. he brought in financial people to analyze the situation and it became a business real fast...i.e. huge staff lay-offs, folding of WNBA team, folding of HD cable channel, failed renegotiation of arena deal, etc.

Really, his football team is in the Super Bowl on Sunday...of course the rebuilding Blazers are an afterthought....what do you expect?

yakbladder · 01-30-2006, 02:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NBAGOD

Couple of thoughts....Paul is actually a very hands off owner. Other than being involved in major player moves, he is completely hands off. It WAS a hobby for him until he realized he was losing a fortune. he brought in financial people to analyze the situation and it became a business real fast...i.e. huge staff lay-offs, folding of WNBA team, folding of HD cable channel, failed renegotiation of arena deal, etc.

Really, his football team is in the Super Bowl on Sunday...of course the rebuilding Blazers are an afterthought....what do you expect?

Yep. Once the Vulcanites started making recommendations, then finances became more important in the decision making process, or at least it appeared that way. Wasn't it Paul Allen's sister (or sister-in-law?) who started taking control of some of the process? I think they probably convinced him that if he kept spending and losing his money, then he might end up broke about the same time Rubidium 136's half-life is up.

I wouldn't find it surprising if he sold the team, but I don't think we could judge whether that was a bad or good move until we knew who the new owner was. That day may be tomorrow or it may be fifty years from now.

What I'd like to see is the Blazers dramatically lower all the ticket prices by about 70% so families and more vocal fans could attend on a regular basis. Of course, then we could only afford about 6 players total....

For Three! Rip City! · 01-30-2006, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hap

for starters, them days are gone. Even sacramento fans aren't as die-hard as they were back in the mid to late 80's and before the Maloofs took over. we can stop acting like everything was just super great and then Paul Allen came in and screwed things up.

While there aren't many people who think that the Organization is 'better off today', there is one thing thats certain. It's still here because of Paul Allen.

I normally don't get involved in redundant rehashings of fact vs fiction because it all comes down to opinion in the end (so this will be my last response on this one), but there has never at any point been any concern about the Trailblazers leaving Portland.

Cap issues and other financial issues were also a tremendous concern back in the 1970's and 1980's as well. The amounts after the dollar sign don't mean a thing. It's the profit margin. You sell more merchandise and more tickets your profit margin goes up unless you make stupid decision with your overhead. When you kill the brand you kill the merchandizing and start to affect ticket sales. It's really not that complicated and yes I do have a professional background in finance.

kaydow · 01-30-2006, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kiss_My_Darius

Ouch! What happened to his comment early in the season that he is in it for the long haul.

It is obvious that Allen has concidered the idea of selling the team and has found that there are different concerns involved that don't all lead to one answer (sell v. not sell).

I was pulling for the Seahawks all season and in the super bowl. Ironic if the Seahawks success may have an inpact on how Allen feels about keeping the Blazers.

Go Steelers?

Maybe. Look, Allen is competative. And he never said he was patient. I don't doubt that he has had a hand in a lot of the moves that we look back on now shake our heads at. Allen & Gates hit such a home run with Microsoft, he probably felt like he was king of the world. Never, did he think (IMHO) that this team would require an extensive rebuilding process. Just think how impatient we get at times, then imagine you're the owner. Maybe Allen does sell the franchise . . . I don't know. But I'd be dissapointed if he did. I've always felt like all Allen needed was an elite GM. Somebody he trusts. Somebody that has a plan that Allen buys into. I don't think he feels that way about Nash, and he may not see this team's future any clearer than we do. Combine that frustration with the criticism he gets for the "Jail Blazers" and the losing . . . yeah, he may be considering cutting the chord from his 1st love.

Todd · 01-30-2006, 05:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kaydow

Maybe. Look, Allen is competative. And he never said he was patient. I don't doubt that he has had a hand in a lot of the moves that we look back on now shake our heads at. Allen & Gates hit such a home run with Microsoft, he probably felt like he was king of the world. Never, did he think (IMHO) that this team would require an extensive rebuilding process. Just think how impatient we get at times, then imagine you're the owner. Maybe Allen does sell the franchise . . . I don't know. But I'd be dissapointed if he did. I've always felt like all Allen needed was an elite GM. Somebody he trusts. Somebody that has a plan that Allen buys into. I don't think he feels that way about Nash, and he may not see this team's future any clearer than we do. Combine that frustration with the criticism he gets for the "Jail Blazers" and the losing . . . yeah, he may be considering cutting the chord from his 1st love.

Wow, awesome post man!

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