Welcome to Talking To Chicks Who Love Hoops where this sausagefest of a blog interview women that love the National Basketball Association. We all know female sports fans are a commodity for us dudes. Maybe not as rare as we think but us guys seem to think they're inferior when it comes to sports knowledge. Well, in this feature, I talk to them about the NBA and check what goes through their heads. And I ask them about everything else in an attempt to make this more fun and versatile instead of just straight sports. And watch out; these women might know more than you guys. Hell, they might even know more than yours truly.
PAST "TALKING TO CHICKS WHO LOVE HOOPS" ENTRIES
13. Lori Ann (roots for the Phoenix Suns)
14. Stephanie K (roots for the Detroit Pistons)
15. Rose (roots for the L.A. Lakers)
16. Sheila (roots for the Dallas Mavericks)
17. Elizabeth (roots for the Orlando Magic)
Over the last few days, I talked to a lady fan named Sophia.
She is a feminist (which makes it more surprising that she actually agreed to do this with me because I use the word "chick" quite liberally) and a die-hard Portland TrailBlazers fan. They have been a hot topic in the NBA for the wrong reasons. Injuries have basically claimed this team. It got so bad that even Coach Nate MacMillan ruptured his Achilles during a practice he actually played in because the Blazers were short of players. The team can't get a break at the moment. Especially since this was a team that seemed primed for a deep playoff run.
Anyway, she came out firing. My words are in purple and hers are in dark red. And I chose not to filter her language (yes, more F-Bombs than the usual TNLP post). Enjoy the piece.
Hey there, Sophia.
As far as I know, you're a Portland TrailBlazers fan. I remember the Blazers and Lakers being division rivals. The Blazers and Lakers have had some battles, haven't they? You got a favorite moment out of that rivalry?
I'd like to know how you got into the sport. Did you actually play some basketball? It's not surprising that you got into your home team. Since the Blazers are the only professional sports team in Portland, I wanna know how the people treat the Blazers there. Is it really big over there in Rip City?
I do feel for you people in Portland. I love Greg Oden and I really want him to do well but last Saturday night was quite the heartbreaker. I hope he comes back stronger next season.
I also want to know your expectations for the Blazers beforehand. With Greg Oden out and Rudy Fernandez out for the next few weeks, do you think Portland will be all right? Or do you think they won't make a dent in the Western Conference this year?
Looking forward to your response!
Rey-Rey
I didn't know that I was in for something like this.
The Blazers and Lakers are not really division rivals; conference rivals - maybe. The Lakers have won more championships, have had more All Star players, and clearly are a massive market. The Blazers, the city of Portland, literally cannot compete. Per the normal Blazer fan response, I hate the Lakers. From the yellow jerseys to the superstar girlfriend, the damn Laker Girls who redefined the modern cheerleader, and to Phil Jackson - I hate them. I teach my son to Hate The Lakers. "Kobe Bryant" is only permissible in the house because he's a real.baller - that is where I have to draw the line. In Portland, there are the rare few who are hybrids; a mix of Blazer love and Laker love. I'm not sure how that happens but usually, they have a parent from the area, are originally from LA and moved onto greener pastures (literally), or just like to be fans or involved in something special. I still don't totally understand it but to each his own, I suppose.
My favorite moment? I wouldn't call it a "favorite". How about "most painful moment" or "most heart-wrenching" maybe? These seem more accurate, especially when asking a Blazer fan. The infamous 2000 WCF Collapse; this is an obvious choice. The game was really painful to watch. I think I was 14. It was my first true taste of bitter defeat, my team wasn't trying and they lost it all in 3 minutes! How could they do this to me?! It was the first time I realized I truly did have the capacity to hate, Shaq and Fox and Kobe - Oh Lord in heaven how I hated them. However, almost 10 years later, I can reflect upon that game without so much bitterness. What many people forget was the fact that the Blazers were down 3-1 and somehow pushed it to 7 games. The fact that we HAD IT IN THE BAG until the last 3 minutes of the game is a wonder and sort of incredible, considering the team the Lakers had.
How did I get into the sport? I have no idea; do I have to have a reason? I didn't really play as a kid as I'm incredibly clumsy. My love for sports is derived from the constant presence of some team/game/sporting event in my home. My brothers were athletes as well as my father so I know I get my "basketball IQ" (let's just pretend BBIQ is indeed quantifiable) from my father. Don't get me wrong. I LOVE the Blazers; I'm down for life but I can watch and get into any basketball game at just about any level. My basketball knowledge and obsession goes far beyond Portland. I love football although the past couple seasons have been rough as I am somehow a die hard Raider fan.... awkward, I know. I like baseball and used to be very passionate about it. Recent events, like turning the sport into a circus of asterisks, has diminished its appeal somewhat.
Portland and the Blazers have a special relationship. Small town? In number, Portland is about the same as Denver but there isn't nearly as much money or diversity in the city so we are forever the small town pretending to be a big city. The Blazers only championship was in the 70's and yet, directly prior to that season, and for years after, the team always sold out at home. The Blazers aren't a team here; they are a social event. For whatever reason, we all love them - as if each player were a member of our own family.
The best indication of this would be the fan's collective reaction to Greg Oden's recent tragic knee injury. I am still absolutely reeling from this and I cant really convey accuratly how I feel. I cried when I saw it happen. I cried the next day when I watched the YouTube replay. I cried when I read the team's statement and I cried when I watched Pritchard's emotional press conference. I was angry at the fans who said "but at least the team won!". Who cares? Greg is down... the game doesn't matter as much as Greg. He's a gracious, humble, unassuming, and loving member of the Portland community and to see him have to go through this, again, is absolutely heartbreaking.
What a devastating loss. No fan or writer outside of Portland, no matter how much they love Greg Oden or basketball, will ever know the feeling I have. They will never know how useless cautious enthusiasm and positive messages are. I have read countless articles where writers and bloggers have given words of encouragement, carried on about how sad they feel for Greg and how hard of a worker he is. Fuck that and fuck every opportunistic blogger and writer that isn't from here for writing this shit. If you aren't a Blazer fan, shut up, your condolences fall flat. * Deep Breath * I have nothing but irrational feelings of rage and bitter contempt at the moment. Every condescending, smartass comment made on Twitter, every blog comment that laughs about the Blazer's Curse of the Big Man. Walton Bowie Oden. Everyone, seriously, Fuck. You. The injury released a black curtain over the city. It was the topic of conversation in every area. I go to the Pharmacy, "Did you hear about Greg?" I go to the grocery store, "Oh my GOD, did you see the picture!?" I leave church, "Well, we are done. I pray we draft someone good." And then Comcast Sports Net broadcasts this headline, "Greg Oden and the Blazers take on the Indiana Pacers". A fucking blow. I instantly look away; how can I watch? Does any game this season even matter? The team has now 9 active players. What. A. Joke.
Everyone, literally everyone, is talking about it. When asked about Greg, up until now, my response has always been "I don't want to talk about it". This is the first I have shared my feelings and I am sorry for being so incoherent. I wish Greg the best recovery. Things will be better, I know, but Greg doesn't deserve this.
I thought the team would regress, maybe 2 or 3 games this season. I saw them winning the NW division and making it into the 2nd round of the playoffs. Preseason, MillerGate, and the lackluster play of Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge had me reevaluating my predictions. Okay, I thought maybe they get 5th or 6th seed and make a show in the playoffs; they are still developing. The bright spot? Greg Oden was truly coming into the player we have all been hoping him to be. He was doing what he knows he can do best and he was emanating confidence and leadership. No more; that is no more. Our coach is out, Rudy is out, Greg, Nic, Travis... all out. Steve Blake has proven that Allen Iverson isn't the only point guard who can fall so quickly from elite point guard-ness into a black hole of productivity. At this point, I predict we are a lottery team.
-Sophia
As an NBA blogger, I couldn't help but feel offended in this tirade. I understood she was upset that they lost Greg Oden and I was sure she was tired of hearing about all this jabber about Oden being injury-prone but come on. So I made sure to tell her that I was. Despite all the 'old' jokes, I liked Oden. I still love his "chameleon" commercial with ESPN.
Ha ha. If sports was all around your household then I guess you can't help but get into it. Sorry that you're a Raiders fan but I can't talk much because I'm a 49ers fan myself. I digress...
I guess you don't remember the Blazers and Lakers being division rivals before they made the NBA into a six-division league. It shows how old I am!
It's hard fo me to hate a team, per se, but yeah, the days of Clyde Drexler and Terry Porter agitated me when I was a teenager because they were so damn good. But they were thwarted twice in the Finals. I actually wished they won against the Pistons in 1990. Oh, well. That was a long time ago.
I have watched that 4th quarter of Portland/Lakers Game 7 (WCF) on YouTube several times. It's amazing how Portland couldn't get anything going. And, yes, I do remember they came down from a 3-1 deficit, which was incredible in itself. The other night, we were talking about how STACKED that 2000 Blazer team was. That team was 14-DEEP or something. Jermaine O'Neal was riding the bench. It was THAT good. That series was all sorts of weird. The Lakers won 67 games yet everyone was predicting that series to be close. Portland should've never been down 3-1 in that series, Lakers should have never lost that 3-1 series lead, but then Portland should've never lost that 15-point lead, either. I was just happy that L.A. won but, man, that Blazer team was something else.
Yeah, I asked about how huge the Blazers are in Portland because it's the only professional sports team in the city. Over here in L.A., it's a huge city and there's so much going on. The Lakers are the most popular thing going here but, admittedly, it's not exactly crazy here as a smaller city like Portland and Sacramento would if they weren't doing well. However, the Lakers have always been a great team as they only missed the playoffs twice in the last 25 or so years. I remember those two years and there was hardly any talk about the Lakers.
Hmm. Well, I AM one of those bloggers that talked about Greg Oden. And I WAS one of the bloggers that gave him positive messages. And I'm one of the people that actually like Greg Oden. He seems like a nice kid and I would love to meet him personally. But how can you not feel for someone who has worked so hard to get to where he was only to have it crash down in one moment? I actually had a talk with Sheed from Bust A Bucket (do you read that blog?) and he was devastated about it, too. I agree; no one deserves what Oden is going through. And I hope he comes back stronger than ever next year. But wow... I can imagine everyone in Portland is talking about it since you mentioned that those players are like part of your family.
This is an awkward transition but anyway... lottery team this year? Really? Despite all the injury setbacks, I don't think they're any worse than the Hornets, Rockets, Thunder, Kings, or the Clippers. Two or three teams have to overtake Portland for the Blazers to be a lottery team.
And I don't think I ever got the answer to this when I attempted to ask you on Twitter but... how DID you like the Andre Miller acquisition? My friends who write with me on this blog are Clipper fans and they can't stand him. They felt he was going to destroy the Blazers, too.
Rey-Rey
Of course, I don't remember the 6-division league but I know of them. Nevertheless, I stand by my assertion, Portland and LA are so polar opposite, the sports culture of each town so completely different, it is unfair to consider the teams to be true rivals. Mutual fan dislike? Sure. But I would consider Utah to be a more potent rival. They are in our division and those playoff series with Sheed V. Malone and Stockton V. Stoudamire were epic. I remember feeling the refs were so unjust to allow Malone to just throw is body around! That was before Yao Ming. Ha ha. I suppose now I can say all is fair in basketball. The Blazers did always end up the winners 
It is a coincidence, I am sure, that you mentioned the deep late 90's/2000's Blazer teams and, then two paragraphs later, your Clipper-fan friends. Mike Dunleavy is the first thing that comes to mind. I wish all Nate McMillan-haters (myself included) could go back to the time when Dunleavy was the head of our basketball team. It makes me laugh in absolute horror. Would that Allen and Whitsitt had hired an actual coach, the possibilities are endless. There are some coaches who are actually talented, who maximize each player's abilities. On the other hand, there are coaches who have many talented players, players that naturally excel because they are just, plain and simple, that good. Dunleavy falls under the latter category, I am not convinced he has any idea what he is doing. This may seem harsh, and if you are a Clipper fan, I am sorry. I do not mean to offend you. I know you can tick off his 2nd to Avery in the Coach of the Year nominations, you can tick off the playoff runs he has "lead" the Clippers to, but really, he has no idea. He just doesn't.
I know you were one of the bloggers who wrote about Greg. I am sorry for going off yesterday. As you can see, it is a very sad subject. I suppose I was fed up, reading all the stories about how people that don't even like the Blazers feel so sad and sorry for them. Ugh. I'm a bit defensive, sorry. I do know Sheed from bustabucket.com- Great blog. We are in the same boat: extreme sadness and just devastated.
This is the thing. On paper, the Blazers look like they are okay. Right? They cannot possibly be worse than the teams you mentioned. Hell, we have 13 wins; that is not a bad total. But the way they have been playing: no fire, no movement, no effort, it's always a Roy iso play or LaMarcus pick and pop. So predictable and., the worst is, no one seems to care. Our coach refuses to play the better players, his lineups are not consistent, there is player dissension revealed by quotes to the media. The defense has somehow gotten worse and our starting point guard, Steve Blake, who you know from my constant #noblake tweets, is worthless. On defense, he barely rotates, has no peripheral vision (he's always trapped by an obvious pick), he literally has the slowest lateral foot movement ever, and when we play a team who happens to have a quick point guard (every team but the Blazers it seems), he gets absolutely dominated. And he's supposedly our championship point guard. Hilarious, I know. Furthermore, he can't set up the pick and roll; he just doesn't know how to get it in the post. I'm gagging as I write this but his inability to play with Greg Oden, integrate Greg into the offense, and notice Greg has dominant post presence was a huge flaw. It was hurting the team and Greg's offensive development. Of course, now that isn't a problem. Steve Blake lives to see another day. I am disgusted.
The players I am sure are trying; it just doesn't appear that way. As a fan, watching the Grizzlies go on a 30-2 run, in the fucking Rose Garden, a place that supposedly no one can win, was the ultimate slap in the face. I think the Grizzlies have -6 wins. Cold part about that game? Rudy Gay had like 12 points. We got blown out at home by the Memphis 3rd stringers. I am telling you, it doesnt get much worse than that. My hope for the team is that they get into the playoffs, my ever-present pessimism says they'll tank, because they play like they don't care and have no clue what they are doing.
Onto Miller. I referenced "MillerGate" in the first email. I will explain that. When he first came here, the media freaked out. Manufactured story lines about how unhappy he was and then Miller goes national. Somehow Brandon, our all-star, doesn't "like him". What the hell; is this high school? I didn't care; he has a right to speak his mind, but many sensitive fans didn't care for his tone in that national article and became pensive, "what if Miller ruins our famous chemistry"? Miller is a bad seed, clearly, he should just listen to the coach and stop whining. Time passes, things get worse. Nate doesn't play him. Many bloggers, writers and fans like myself argued that Miller's ability on the pick and roll, his superior ability to set up Greg in the post, made him the more acceptable PG to start. It didn't work because they couldn't make him into the "3-point specialist" Steve Blake was last year after handing off the ball to Brandon Roy. Miller has to have the ball to be affective, Blake supporters argue. Brandon has to have the ball, too. They both can't have the ball. B Roy is the all-star so start blake, or so their reasoning goes. I disagree fervently. Statistics, reporting, and analysis show that Brandon is so much more effective when off the ball. If Miller and Roy get time together, even now without Greg, they will work. I have no doubt about this. So the answer to your question, is Miller a bad move? Fuck. No. The wrong move is keeping useless Steve Blake and not playing Jerryd Bayless.
-Sophia
I said a while back that I just had a bad feeling about the Andre Miller acquisition. It seems to be headed the same direction as the Clippers when they acquired Miller years ago. Not only is Miller "destroying chemistry" with other players but injuries seem to come to a team that's ready to take the next step whenever he gets acquired.
I'd like to thank Sophia for stopping by to talk basketball. This conversation could've gone forever. Y'all can tell she has passion for the Blazers. By the way, she has her own blog, Women Undefined, which focuses on equal rights for females. And if you want, you can follow her on Twitter. Her name is @Sophiabiabia.
Y'all can follow me on Twitter, too My name is @TheNoLookPass where I spout nonsense during NBA games. Also, join our FaceBook page.
Blazer Picture Credits: 1) Mark J. Terrill/AP. 2) John H. McDonough/SI. 3) Unknown. 4) Rick Bowmer/AP. 5) Donald Miralle/AllSport. 6) Garrett W. Ellwoofd/NBAE via Getty Images.
