Blazers: A new beginning

The last time I wrote about our NBA team it was with a mixture of disappointment and humiliation. I snagged a ticket for Game 3 of the 2009-2010 playoffs against the Phoenix Suns. The Trail Blazers never got untracked that day. They lost by 19 points and wound up getting bounced out of the first round of the playoffs for the second year in a row. 

Tonight was redemption. The Blazers overcame a six-point deficit heading into the final quarter and won going away from the Suns, 106-92, in the home opener for this, the Blazers' 41st season.

Our friend Colleen invited Lori to go with her, but she declined, knowing the game would end too late for her to get enough rest before rising early the next day. (It's not uncommon for Lori, as a personal trainer, to be on her feet for six consecutive one-hour sessions with clients.) Colleen offered me the ticket and I happily accepted.

 

Marcus Camby

We sat in the club level seats and had a nice conversation before the game as we grazed on the  buffet-style offerings. During the game, it was a little harder to talk, given the noise level in the arena. We agreed we liked it better when fans used to show their enthusiasm in an authentic, unscripted way -- that is, reacting to highlights of the actual game. Nowadays fans are whipped into a frenzy through any number of gimmicks: an ear-splitting multimedia show; gyrating dancers and gymnasti stunt teams; a faux cannon that shoots T-shirts into the stands; a blimp that drops coupons from above; etc. It wasn't until the final six minutes or so that the manufactured noise yielded some real  yelling and cheering, prompted by a flurry of baskets by Brandon Roy and Nicolas Batum and other exciting plays that drew fans out of their seats.

After last year's injury-depleted team got eliminated from the playoffs, I'm hesitant to expect too much from this year's team. Like the rest of Portland, I will hope for the best and cross my fingers that the key players can stay healthy for a whole season. Tonight was a good start.

Photo by Bruce Ely, The Oregonian