Karla and I went to the Blazer BBQ Sunday with a few friends, Gail, Karen, and Emma their daughter.
We all really had a great time.
When we went in you could get in a line and meet some players as you went in or you could go directly in and meet them later. We chose to meet the players as we went in.
First in line was Raef. Shook hands with him and said hi and moved on.
Next was Serigo and LaMarcus. I shook both of their hands. Told Serigo I had watch some videos of him. He just nodded his head when I was talking to him. I ask both of them if they'd take a pic with me and they agreed.
I felt bad I didn't ask Raef for a pic but looking at that pic later I notice he was in it if not facing the camera.
I then seen Dickau and said hi and told him it was nice to have a homegrown player.
Next we met Nate and I ask him for a pic. The sun was glaring in my face so I'm kind of grimacing in the pic. He was nice and got right down next to me for the pic.
My wheelchair had problems on the grass so a couple guys help me over to the tent and I stayed there instead of cruising around checking out stuff so most of my pics are where they parked me.
This next pic is of my wife coming back from getting us a couple diet cokes. She's in the tie dye.
Emma got her face painted like a pirate. We were playing bingo when my wife took this.
Here's the Blazers stunt team. Gail has her back to use watching them and you can just see Karen's face and my wife's nose.
Mike Rice, a couple Blazers and a few fans play a game where you have to pop balloons between your body and your teammates body. Jarret got a good laugh calling it brokeback ballooning.
Raef was the winner.
After that there was a game of Simon says but instead it was Nate says.
It kind of turn into a dancing contest and Rice and his partner won it.
Next Nate had all the players and his assistant coaches that were at the game come up.
When Joel was intro they said how they really work to make sure the next guy was here this year and he got the biggest hand/cheering of anyone.
Next was the pie eating contest.
Earlier I had seen Roy and Jack on the stage and ask my ticket rep if I could get a pic taken with them. While I was watching the pie eating contest Brandon just sat down next to me and started a conversation. Other players came over and shook my hand but he just sat down and started talking. I told him he looked great in the summer league games and he said 'oh you seen them?' and I said ya, I tivo them! I also told him I thought it was great so many players came in so early to play and he said he thought they'd do well this year or something like that. Then he took a pic with me as well. Later my wife ask who was that? He's so nice!
The pie eating contest was still going on and Martell had his face push into a pie by Outlaw.
Soon afterwards Martell came over and had his pic taken with me. He was really nice too. Everyone was really nice but Brandon and him was exceptional. I have to put Nate in there too.
Antonio was standing around so I called him over and ask for a pic.
Soon after that Martell came right by me crouched down looking for you know who. Then a little after that Outlaw came over his face covered in pie. Someone got a towel and he wiped it off and then he was walking towards the stage and I yelled "Outlaw!" and he turn and I made a motion for a picture and he put up his finger for just a sec and then participated in a magic show but once it was done he came right over and let my wife, Karla, take a pic of us. By this time our camera was messing up, I think it was getting low on power. It didn't take the pic and closed up once and when she snap this pic neither of was ready, Outlaw even said something like 'hey'. Karla thought she took another one but this was the only one I got with him.
I also talk to Steve Patterson. He seem nice, a bit reserved, but very nice. I mention I had emailed him once about the media and he kind of grimace/smiled and said they can be a challenge.
One thing I wanted to mention is that when Nate was on stage he said something about last year he played a lot of players to give them some playing time to develop or something like that, but that this year it wasn't going to be like that. He was only going to play the players that deserve to be on the floor. Now I may not be getting this exactly right, if anyone else was there maybe you can chime in and give your version, but that is what I remember.
All the food, burgers, hot dogs, potato salad and so forth and drinks were completely free. As I said we all had a blast!
Sunday's Blazer BBQ <-----lot of pics
