A couple noteworthy items are hitting the interwebs this morning:
- The ever busy Rob Moseley says the Ducks might take a trip down memory lane this Saturday and wear their Rose Bowl era jerseys. Old school uniforms are all the rage these days. The Blazers are also adding a retro feel. It’s not surprising that UO is experimenting with more uniforms. Rumors circulated for months about a retro uniform combination. If the idea is to trick mighty Cal into playing like the weakling Golden Bears of 1994 (finished 4-7 that year), then this might be a nice ploy.
- Maurice Lucas is returning to the Blazers sidelines after battling bladder cancer and surgery this past year. This is such great news for Coach Luke, the organization, and especially the Blazer big men. I lost my grandmother to bladder cancer as a young kid, so I’m well aware of the dangers posed here. It’s been a scary year for the entire Blazer family, so it’s good to see Lucas is well enough to attend home games and practices. Greg Oden told me last fall he really missed hearing Luke’s words of wisdom and advice. Oden is benefiting from working with Bill Bayno as well, but working with a fellow big man is an added bonus. It’s easier to relate to someone who’s endured the same battles in the league. Plus you don’t have the added stress on the neck caused by looking downward at the smaller assistant coaches. Blazer fans can rest assured Lucas’ return will only aid the development of the bigs.
- Speaking of Greg, a Bucks blogger steps to the big man’s defense. This year poses a great opportunity for Oden to emerge as a more consistent force down low. That’s the only way to silence his vocal critics.
- This is a brutal assessment of the Blazers franchise (pretty out of the ordinary) from TSN.com. The author says the Blazers are seen throughout the league as “inhospitable” to players, and he describes Kevin Pritchard as being arrogant and seeing himself as “bigger than the league.” I’m not sure I’ve seen a more negative assessment of the Trail Blazers. The local storyline is predicated on the franchise moving beyond Steve Patterson, John Nash, and Trader Bob to a more accommodating era of management. The national angle appears to focus on the Darius Miles saga and the unsuccessful free agent deals this summer. It’s an interesting argument, but I’m not sure the rest of the league sees the team as “inhospitable.” I think big free agents look at Roy, Aldridge, Oden, and company and don’t see the requisite shots and touches they want as marquee players.
Stay tuned for more Blazers coverage and analysis in the next few days. Plus, we are trying to contact some former Ducks players to get their take on Nick Aliotti, the Ducks defense, and where the program is headed.