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**Gym Rat** · 07-09-2003, 06:30 AM

Quote:

Nick Jones and Pete Pranica, the Blazers' TV play-by-play broadcaster, were the most high-profile employees to lose their jobs. The bulk were the organization's worker bees who thought they had loyally worked for the betterment of the franchise while its namesake pro basketball team alienated the community.

**Gym Rat** · 07-09-2003, 06:38 AM

Another Oregonian Article

Link

**HOWIE** · 07-09-2003, 08:00 AM

This really sucks! I thought that Pete was a great guy, I hope that he has something to fall back on. It is to bad that they can't let one of the knuckleheads go and all these people could keep their jobs.

It blows my mind that Damon can get into so much trouble and still have a job and working people are let go to trim the fat that Whitsitt had packed on. MOst of these people were very hard working and didn't get busted with tinfoil in airports. This Summer seems to be going down hill fast.

**Dan** · 07-09-2003, 08:02 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by HOWIE!
This really sucks! I thought that Pete was a great guy, I hope that he has something to fall back on. It is to bad that they can't let one of the knuckleheads good and all these people could keep their jobs.

It blows my mind that Damon can get into so much trouble and still have a job and working people are let go to trim the fat that Whitsitt had packed on. This Summer seems to be going down hill fast.

I hope the NBA either puts a harder max on salaries (yes I know most of these contracts were done before the last cba) or gets rid of guaratneed contracts.

**HOWIE** · 07-09-2003, 08:13 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Hap!

I hope the NBA either puts a harder max on salaries (yes I know most of these contracts were done before the last cba) or gets rid of guaratneed contracts.

I would settle for a stupidity clause, we would be under the cap by now. I hate the fact that the players that have caused the PR problems still have jobs and the hard workers lose their jobs. I hear that the Blazers have saved a little over 4 million with these cuts, just think, if they had been able to fire Damon those people would still have jobs and Portland would still save a little over 8 million.

This just sucks!

**Talkhard** · 07-09-2003, 08:22 AM

I find it interesting that the Oregonian, that ardent defender of the working man, buried this quote at the very end of the article.

Quote:

"I could be all upset, I could be mad, but I'm not going to waste my time," Jones said. "I had 13 good years here. It's a good organization. If they want to make these kinds of changes, they've got to do it. In order to turn things around, if that's what it's going to take, they've got to do it."

**Dan** · 07-09-2003, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by HOWIE!

I would settle for a stupidity clause, we would be under the cap by now. I hate the fact that the players that have caused the PR problems still have jobs and the hard workers lose their jobs. I hear that the Blazers have saved a little over 4 million with these cuts, just think, if they had been able to fire Damon those people would still have jobs and Portland would still save a little over 8 million.

This just sucks!

I think I figured out that if they could void Damons contract (lets say 30 million)..they could hire back 690 people for 1 year, at 45 thousand a year.

as much as I like having Paul Allen as an owner, it's pretty pathetic that Paul Allen is tightening the noose on people who had absolutely nothing to do with why he lost 100 million dollars..and Trader Bob, (and Paul himself) are 100% responsible for him losing (potentially) 100 million.

I bet Trader Bob isn't taking a salary cut. If anyone deserves to have 4 million taken out of his *** it's trader bob.

**Trader Ed** · 07-09-2003, 09:19 AM

Layoffs suck period

We had layoffs about 20 yers ago, and I still resent it. It just puts a big bad feeling in yrou stomach.

My heart goes out to those families who were affected. Its hard indeed.

Blazer Ringbearer · 07-09-2003, 09:27 AM

If you read carefully, one of the articles features quotes from Erin Hubert where she says that this was not "Paul Allen driven", it was something she studied for the past 7 months and made the decision... I'm sure Allen had the final word, but apparently they were spending twice as much as most teams.

It sucks a lot, but by the sound of it the free-spending on players had spilled into personnel as well... also a tribute to our GW economy.

antibody · 07-09-2003, 09:31 AM

Layoffs are always tough. You have to feel for anyone who gets laid off. It sucks but then again, it's life. Just as somebody mentioned on another thread...sometimes a trimming of the fat needs to take place. Getting rid of dead wood is necessary at times for a business to be more cost effective and efficient. It sure sounds like the free spending of the Blazers is turning a corner.

Kmurph · 07-09-2003, 10:16 AM

Yeah Canzano is an ***. That article was ridiculous, are the Blazers the only orginization that has made layoffs during this bad economy? Ah, Don't think so. They had like 293 or so employees, sorry but that seems high to me, and Hubert said herself, they were not holding the reigns on $$$ as tight as they should have. But of course according to the Oregonian the "evil empire" has flexed its muscles again. Just HORRIBLY biased reporting IMO.

Blazer Ringbearer · 07-09-2003, 10:43 AM

Yeah, it's not as if they're making a choice between a high organization payroll and a bloated roster payroll.

It's clear from what Patterson has been quoted as saying along with his recent actions with Payton that the team payroll will be cut by at least the same percentage...

Unfortunately, it takes a lot longer to get rid of delinquent millionaires than it does our hardworking neighbors. But hey, that's the world we live in...

ABM · 07-09-2003, 10:53 AM

More perspective from The Columbian....

Quote:

...."It was something we have to do," Hubert said. "It was just a matter of what is the right number. That number was looked at carefully and arrived at in the last few weeks."

She said the staff numbers were "out of whack" and that in some departments, the Blazers had "six or seven times" as many employees as other teams.

Why?

"(With) positions that are typically out-sourced, we just created full-time positions on staff," Hubert said. "Positions that might be better served as seasonal part-time, we made full-time. ... It was just being too free and easy about hiring people.

"It was a culture that wasn't disciplined enough."

Terrible · 07-09-2003, 10:59 AM

These layoffs although tragic will really begin to put the sqeeze on the players. This is a team that has very few marketable players. The end of the road is coming for Damon, DA, Pip, Dale, Bonzi and if Sheed doesn't blow it up this year, his next contract will look like his first!

I hope the players are taking notice of what's going on around them.

**HOWIE** · 07-09-2003, 03:02 PM

I guess that it is part of getting more lean and trimming the fat. What kills me is the players like Damon, Rasheed, and Kemp are still getting paid the big bucks and the little guy has to pay for it. Crap when does Kemps contract fall off?

I think that it is going to get worse before it gets better people. I guess it is a good thing that I will be out of the country next week and don't have to watch as the rest of the team retool and Portland still looks for a GM. I wonder if the have computers in Mini Glaiser?

NOPE, I am taking a vacation from all this crazyness!

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