Blazers, Keep Your Heads Up.

Click on the title of this entry and you will be sent to Mike Barrett's blog. It is a must read. It also has links to the interviews on Courtside that aired earlier this evening. It was a long day, by all standards. I got word from a friend and fellow member of the media that it was looking like Oden would be done for the year. It was quickly confirmed off the record by a very trustworthy source. I sat at home just reading that email over and over and I couldn't believe it. I made some calls to other outlets to just double check facts and it all came to a head when the official release was sent out. I showed up to the Rose Garden about 45 minutes before the press conference was scheduled to begin. I saw some friends and employees of the Blazers. They seemed ok, but I could tell that deep down this news shocked them. I asked some people what the mood was upstairs in the main office. They said it was quiet. I didn't want to dig deeper because I knew what they were going through. I've spent enough time covering this team and franchise and I have seen first hand all the shots and blows that they have taken over the last five, six, seven years. This summer it felt like everything was behind them and the future looked bright. Todays news set that back. One question....Did it really ? From all the reports I've read, only a small number of people have asked for refunds for tickets, very very few negative calls and comments. People have sent well wishes and good lucks and speedy recoveries to Greg and the team. The news was shocking, but the team will move on. Greg Oden will heal and will be a great player in the NBA. If there was any doubt that Kevin Pritchard wasn't the leader for the team, the press conference put those thoughts to rest for good. I can think of multiple times where KP was holding back emotion. He was holding back a flood of feelings that could of come out, but he didn't. He knew he had to be strong for the team, for Greg, for the franchise, for the city. At the end of the day, just before midnight, I sit here reflecting on what happened today. Its all very surreal. I know I will wake up tomorrow and think its Friday and one day closer to the NBA season. With or without Greg Oden, The Blazers are back and will turn some heads.