I rarely have anything to say about sports in this space, not because I’m not a sports fan (I most certainly am), but because for my purposes here it’s of little import. Sports is ephemeral and fleeting; today’s champion is tomorrow’s door mat. As entertainment, sports are excellent, but they don’t do anything to make the world a better place. I’m not trying to be snooty. Sports have their place in my life…just not here. I have opinions (shocking, no?) about sports and sports-related issues, but I generally save them for other forums (I wrote a sports column for Oregon Sport News for two years). F’rinstance, anyone who knows me will vouch for my hatred of sports talk radio, the best example of mental masturbation America has to offer the world. I detest sports talk radio with a fervor I normally reserve for Right-wing hate radio shows…but that’s another topic for another time.
This morning, I’m making an exception. The Portland Trail Blazers haven’t won a playoff series since 1992, when they lost the NBA Finals to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. Over the intervening 22 years, the Blazers have made the playoffs frequently, always flaming out in the first round. Most observers- certainly fans of the Houston Rockets- expected no different this time around. With the Rockets being the #4 seed in the West and the Blazers #5, the first two games were in Houston…not a good omen for the Blazers given their playoff history.
Then they went into Houston and won the first two games against the Rockets. Having lived in Houston for 10 years and attended many games against Portland in Toyota Center over the years, I’m going to enjoy the moment. It may be fleeting, it may not last…or it may be that the Blazers have finally found a way to get past the first round. That it just might happen against Houston is even more satisfying.
“Clutch City???” Please….
Stay tuned….
