Game One from the 300 seats

This won’t be a statistical analysis of our first game of the year. And it won’t be the same kind of look at the game and the players you’d get from a pro who studied the game. It’s just a few random thoughts from a longtime fan who watched our team for the first time this season with an old friend and a few Widmers.

We upped our ticket purchase this year from the ten game package we had in the club level and sprung for a full season in the 300 level. On the way to the game we had a conversation about parking, multiplied 41 games plus 3 season games times the ten dollar parking fee and came up with $440 in parking fees. So we opted to park at Lloyd Center and take the Max to the Garden. We got there about an hour before gametime and there were lots of people walking briskly towards the arena and past some familiar faces outside buying and selling tickets. It felt good to be back.

In fact it felt so good to be back I felt an urge to spring for some new Blazer gear. After giving everything a look see, I opted for a retro faded red t shirt with the original pinwheel logo. After a quick trip to the mens room to change into my new gear (trust me, nobody wants to see my chest), all I needed was cold Widmer and I was off to my seat. For you beer drinkers out there I am happy to be able to report that Mr. Allen has held the line on beer pricing. Widmer is still 8 bucks, and domestic beer 7. If you aren’t very thirsty, they have small beers now for 6 dollars.

The game seemed to start slowly for both teams. And it took most of the first half for the Blazers to really get untracked after getting behind by 11 points. They came roaring back, took a small lead into the locker room at halftime, and as most of you already know dominated the second half.

How did our guys do? A few players really stood out for me tonight. Rudy Fernandez is going to be a terrific addition to this team. He didn’t score that much tonight but I did think he showed everyone that he is a complete player. First of all, he is very very quick, and he is always moving. I thought he was better defensively than advertised, but what really stood out tonight was his passing. If you are on the floor wearing a Blazer jersey and playing with this guy you better keep your eyes open because the ball WILL be coming your way if you get open. His teammates are going to love him. He had a couple of spectacular plays at the rim. On one, a lob pass was thrown to him and he went underneath the basket, reversed and flipped it back up and in. At least I think that’s how he did it.

His buddy Sergio had a pretty good game too. After a slow start he really took control of the offense, made some nice passes and ended up scoring in double figures. He looked much better than last season and seemed to have a nice handle on his game.

Oh, that guy we drafted last year had a decent game too. After seeing Greg Oden play tonight I find it hard to imagine him NOT scoring in double figures every night. Sure, he looks a little rusty out there, but his footwork, his agility, and his strength and soft touch are amazing.

This was your typical preseason game for both teams. Neither team shot the ball very well in the first half, and both seemed to be working the kinks out of their offenses and getting used to playing again. But I had a few beers, a few laughs, free chalupas, and a great time watching our team play together for the first time this year.

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