_Sports_
Blazer success rekindles interest
By Ashley Conklin
Emerald Sports Reporter
It's been a fun year following
Ilia National Basketball Assoi i
ation.
I don't usually follow the
NBA with much interest until
the playoffs roll around and the
I .os Angeles bakers are going
for the umpteenth title in a
row. Personally I find more ex
\ dynasty loomed on the ho
rizon until Walton i anit' i rash
ing down with more lug mju
ries and the hopes of diehard
Hlazer fans crashed dou n too
Since then the Mazers have
been struggling to recover th.it
championship magic, strug
gling through opening round
playoff debacles against Kansas
City. Houston, l Hah and I.os
Angeles
From The
Sidelines
The Hlazers
have also fiern
beset by hit ker
iii^ and lighting
within the team
that led to the
dismissal of
Ramsay and
Mike S< fuller
and plavers such
citement in the college! game
where /.one defenses are legal,
the referees really do call trav
eling and defense is actually
played Plus, the NCAA Tour
nament is the most exi ding
championship event in sports
Hut this year things are dif
ferent I'm actually looking tor
ward to the NBA postseason
and <i team other than the l.ak
ers Boston or Detroit sipping
champagne in June
The reason: the revitalization
of the Portland Trail Bla/ers
The difference in the Blazers
this season is more profound
than the transformation in the
San Antonio Spurs Yes Port
land might even make it past
the first round of the playoffs
this year and might i (intend for
the first i hampionship since
l‘)77
I riimeinbei PIT: very yyell I
was finishing up the si hool
year in second grade and the
term "Blaz.ermania' was ram
pant throughout the state It
was a spec ial time for (fregoni
ails, listening to radio play by
(day announcer Bill Si honelv s
Rip ( itx ' buttle* rx x\eti lung
Bill Walton and Maurice Lucas
lip dox\ ii the league's taller big
men and marveling at Jai k
Ramsay s i hei kered pants
Portland xvns hot late in the
season, had an easy time in the
Western Conference playoffs
heating the hated Lakers -) 0 in
the conference tmals then
won the i hampionship in six
games over Philadelphia and
everyone was going ( ra/x
.is |im I’axson, l)iirni“II Y.den
lint' .mil kiki Yandeweghe
fortunately for us long suf
faring Portland I.mains, things
arc turning around this vcar
thanks to an infusion ot new
players and a respected < oat h
The off-season acquisition ol
Hie k Williams from \eu lersey
might have been the best move
the front otfii e ever made U il
hams has given the Blazers an
aggressive power forward and a
work fthit and leadership that
Portland teams ol the past sore
Iv lai ked
The coaching of Rit k Adel
man. a funnel player and axsis
hint i o.n h w ith the Blazers, has
also helped Aiielman is re
lerred to as a "player's coat h
by guard ( Ivdt* Drexler. a lie
i essitv in a league filled by bal
looning egos
The play of the Portland
belli h most not.thh 1 Janus
Young. Wayne Hooper. Dru/.en
Petros ii and ( hit Robinson
has allowed Adelman to rest
his starters and get quality play
from the reserves, another cm
i lai element in the N BA
I lie key to the team, as they
call it in the pros is chemistry
I he team blends together well
.md likes to play together And
there isn't that ugly selfishness
that you see on so many teams
Portland has been a refresh
mg sight in the NBA and a lull
team to watch Hie people ell
joying tile ride to the tup tin*
most are tile Ians, whit h is
what the NBA is about Don't
they i all it I antes!u 1
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\ttrr Sundav s vv in over tile
Spurs (lie blazers .in' Yt .’.2
I liev iirt* I': games behind tlie
Lakers in tin' I’iii itii Div ision
i>111 tiave Ihc third best record
111 till' \H.\ I hc hills hilvt' to tie
i.irefill iihout netting too e\
i lied for the plavoffs hei ause ,i
i onple of ve.irs ago the Mazers
were il .Pi .mil were elimin.it
ed in the first round
It doesn't appear ill.it will
happen this vear. however At
least 1 hope it doesn't It would
lie mi e to see Portland ill the
Western (lonferenee finals or
possibly the I'inals
Wouldn't vou like to see tile
Hla/ers w in it all and see ( Ivde
the (Hide in the finals rather
than Magit Johnson and Isiali
Thomas exchanging kisses-’
Wouldn't vou rather see Jerome
Kersey throw down a dunk to
i ap an \IIA title than I tenuis
Rodman, the arrogant little
worm, point at the crowd and
go into some kind ol stupid
dam e'
I know I wmild, and I m sure
all Mazer tans would too
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