Rapture? I hardly know her!

May 21, 2011 in Life, Politics, Random | 3 comments

The Cross, as seen in Trinidad, CO

The Cross, as seen in Trinidad, CO

As some of you may have heard, a Christian radio broadcaster named Harold Camping, who is president of the California-based Family Network, has predicted that the Rapture will be occurring on May 21, 2011 – today.  According to Camping, a massive earthquake will happen at 6:00 pm local time (apparently so not to interfere with prime time), starting at the International Date Line and circling the globe from there.  Seeing as I don’t understand the International Date Line, it may very well have already started.  (Or ended.  Or maybe it’s tomorrow.  Is that my tomorrow, or yours?)

According to Camping, there will be a period of general unrest in which dead (and living) believers will be rise from the earth, meet their souls and ascend to Heaven, ultimately leading to the end of the universe in October - which means for just the third time, the World Series will likely be cancelled.

Everyone else will stay behind and watch their hometown turn into a combination of something off of a Dio album cover and Thunderdome.  As a pro-choice liberal Democrat who supports gay marriage, I’ll assume the 90 year old preacher isn’t counting on me being among the ascending horde.  As such, I’ve had a few things bouncing around my mind since seeing a warning billboard on I-5 for the first time a couple of weeks ago.  “Judgment Day – May 21” “The Bible Guarantees It” it proclaimed to me.  I’ve seen fliers and sandwich boards proclaiming the end before, but there was something extra in this billboard proclamation – as though it said “and your car is blue” or; “trust me – I’m a doctor.”  My mind was filled with questions:

Dio's "The Last in Line"

Dio's "The Last in Line"

“Will the billboards remain standing, serving as mocking reminders of better times?”

“Who will be left to run all the gun shows?”

“What kind of impact will this have on my fantasy baseball team, and why wasn’t religion listed alongside eligible position prior to draft day?”

“Will Fox News continue to broadcast, or will it just be a test pattern?”

“I guess I’ll have plenty of time to get caught up on the ‘Left Behind’ series.”

“I’m going to have to write a lot of denial letters at work for damage caused by flooding rivers of blood…”

All of this despite the fact that the guy has been wrong before – like the last time he made an end-times prediction - 1994.  He stated that that missed prediction was due to a mathematics error.  Everyone makes mistakes, right?  Maybe in his haste to get it right, he simply missed a line on his slide rule or moved two little beads instead of one on his abacus.  “Aw, I forgot about leap year!”

It would be so easy…

It would also be pretty easy to avoid trying to scare people into faith.  Of course, their motive doesn’t even seem to be that pure.  For instance, the Family Radio website was still accepting donations as late as this morning (there is now a message stating the donations server is undergoing security maintenance) and reports have stated that the site was also offering promotions expiring on May 28. It all reeks of Oral Roberts asking for $8 million in donations to avoid being “called home” or television host Soupy Sales requesting that his child viewers reach into their parents billfolds, remove “those funny green pieces of paper with pictures of Presidents” and mail them to him.

There must be easier ways to extort millions of dollars away from dim-witted people looking for any a sense of meaning.  Whatever happened to scaring people with illegal immigrants, or any other type of person who looks kind of brown?  That was always a winner.  How about drumming up a debate on whether or not the President was born in the US?  How about the War on Christmas?  Or the War on Marriage?  We won’t talk about the war on the middle class, or, God forbid, the war in general.

I’m a pretty ‘live and let live’ type of a guy when it comes to religion and faith, but I have to admit, I’ve found myself thinking, “You know, if all this was real, the next five months might not be all that bad.”  I mean, the group that would be leaving us is by and large the same group who insists on sticking their hands on everyone else’s lives and personal rights.  Of course, if they all left us, that would mean they were right – which would be a fairly large concession for a few months without the racism, bigotry, hatred and general ignorance that comes from the ultra-Christian right’s twisted form of loving their brother.

Of course, they’re not right.

If there is a God, or the world is destined to end in any fashion similar to that of the Judgment Day that these folks promote, it’s not going to happen on any set date or in a way in which a living, breathing relic with a calculator can determine by conjuring up a few holy numbers and drawing a straight line out from the day Jesus was nailed to the cross.  If it was that easy, what would be the point of faith?  Or for that matter, of accepting online donations right up until the end of the world?

Homecoming; Reaching Goals

August 31, 2010 in Life, Random, Work | 4 comments

My house, purchased August '09

My home, purchased August '09

When we last spoke (discounting the Blazers updates), I was in the midst of a search for housing.  This search took me to four sections of Portland and spanned about six months, during which I am sure Realtor Jen thought several times about firing me as a client.  The search culminated in the purchase of a small, clean, mostly refurbished 98-year old house in Southeast Portland.  The house closed about a year ago now, so it’s not exactly breaking news.  In fact, most of the people who will stumble upon this page have already been over, in many cases multiple times.  So why write about it now?  Well, there’s something about anniversaries that that seems to make it ok to write about things long since passed.  Also, I needed something to bridge the 10 month gap between posts.  If it’s so wrong to pick topics for the sake of utility, sue me.

Actually, this post is about more than that.  The purchase of my home was the fruit of a long term plan I set into motion here about five years ago (I know, another anniversary…  this is becoming column writing 101).   In October 2005, I wrote about the frustration of being stuck in neutral.  I was working in a job that was going nowhere, doing something (bodily injury claim settlements) that I was good at, but hated doing; in an apartment with neighbors who screamed at each other well into the night and where birds lived in the attic above my bedroom; and with the thought  that it seemed my personal and creative peak was achieved somewhere in a radio studio at the age of 17.

Back then, my goals were as follows:

  1. Take control of my career
  2. Find a better home
  3. Go to grad school
  4. Get my finances in order
  5. Take better care of myself

Only a few of these were published, but each was part of a larger plan to essentially get my life on track.  This plan was hatched while sitting in my leather chair in my apartment off of Scholls Ferry Road watching game 5 of the N.L.C.S.  Apparently something about Albert Pujols eviscerating a Brad Lidge pitch served as inspiration for change.

I had originally had my sights on purchasing a home or condo after getting my first real job out of college.  The rapidly inflating housing bubble soon struck, and I was priced out of the market about three months after initially looking in mid 2004.  This led to a revolving door of apartments, landing me in a NW Portland 1 bedroom flat about three blocks from PGE Park and in walking distance to everything.  During that time, I began applying for positions outside of bodily injury claims within my company, as well as a few jobs outside of the insurance industry.  It was during this search that I discovered the goal of grad school would need to wait until finances were in order.  After several months, I landed a desirable spot handling large property claims with my employer.  After a few fortuitous moves within my position, and a few subsequent promotions, I find myself doing well in a comfortable, rewarding job that has allowed me to cross the home ownership and financial goals off my list.

As for my own well-being, while living in Northwest, I began to go to the gym regularly after receiving what was perhaps the most thoughtful gift I’ve ever received from someone - a gym membership from my brother.  In the approximately three years since, I am down a few, but not many pounds (about 25), but am in much better overall health.  While not being within a quick walk of the gym has impacted the frequency of visits, I continue to work out.  This remains the one item on my list that I have not fully achieved.

I know what you’re thinking, “one item?  when did you go to grad school?”

Shut up, smart guy.

Grad school is delayed for now, with no imminent date to be picked up.  Its something I would still like to do down the road, but other priorities knocked it farther down the list, and frankly out of the top five.  As I began advancing in my career, there was less of an incentive to quit and go to grad school - especially considering the bleak job prospects for beginning teachers, which is what I originally had in mind.   For now I am happy being the first Pratt (now one of two, thanks to my bro) to graduate from college.  I still have goals, both personal and professional that would inevitably lead to continuing my education, but this has moved into the “long range” category of things I’d like to do.

A few evenings ago, as I sat on my back patio reading, I was struck with a feeling that can only be described as utter peace.  I realized that while I’ve still got a lot of things I want to do, I really have come a long way in five years.  Moreover, it left me with the thought that I really can achieve almost anything, provided an actual attempt is made.  It’s nice to be reminded of this from time to time, especially when looking back on the serious rut I was in five years ago.

However ambitious or modest your goals may be, it feels pretty damned good once a few of them have been achieved.

2009-10 Trail Blazers Preview… belated, of course.

November 12, 2009 in Life, Sports | 1 comment

Greg Oden

Greg Oden finishing with authority in the pre-season.

Does a Trail Blazers preview column necessarily have to be posted prior to the start of the season? I hope not. The bulk of this was written during the NBA pre-season; however my schedule prevented its completion on time for the start of the season. It’s just as well since injuries, inconsistency, and a rotation currently in flux has rendered a few of my early thoughts nearly useless.

With this said, we jump into my (slightly edited) 2009-2010 Trail Blazers preview column…

The 2008-09 NBA season saw a return to the playoffs for the Trail Blazers and a rekindling in earnest of the phenomena of Blazermania. Cue an embarrassing and lackluster six game series against Houston and a stiff dose of reality and the team has been faced with two major questions. First, can they complete the leap from talented group on the rise to an established member of the NBA’s elite; and second, can the team overcome foul trouble, injury, and a changed composition to match last year’s production – a necessity in order for the answer to the first question to be yes.

Brandon Roy vaulted to the cusp of becoming a perennial all-star with his 22.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.1 steals per game. LaMarcus Aldridge repeated his strong performance from his sophomore campaign, though fell short of the breakout many felt was in store (statistically, his third year production was nearly identical to that of his second). Steve Blake emerged as a reliable long range threat, making 40% of his three point attempts, and Travis Outlaw continued his reliable, if not entirely confidence-inducing bench production. Greg Oden was the team’s enigma, mixing disappointment (injuries and foul problems) with flashes of genuine dominance (interior defense and offensive rebounding) and mystifying problems with footwork and offensive fundamentals. Fortunately, Joel Przybilla combined with Oden to form what was one of the most effective defensive center tandems in the league, even if “effective” wasn’t necessarily the word fans hoped would describe Oden.

Rookie Nicolas Batum stepped in to the injured Martell Webster’s starting role and provided something Webster had not in his previous three years – strong perimeter defense. Rookie guard Rudy Fernandez captured fans hearts with his hustle and flair for the dramatic (on more than one occasion I had flashes of a young Drazen Petrovic dancing before my eyes in the form of Rudy’s raised arms following a made three pointer).

Team leader Brandon Roy

Team leader Brandon Roy

In all, what was supposed to be a season of small steps became one of leaps, however hesitant they may have been. The team was able to claim the Northwest Division Co-Championship with a last game victory over Denver, then proceeded to turn in one of their worst performances of the season in game 1 of the playoff series against the Rockets. The fundamental question for 2010 is which team will show up to play this season – the eager young club which appeared on the verge of dominance in late April, or the inexperienced and hesitant team that only managed to accomplish ending Dikembe Mutombo’s career in their first playoff appearance?

Additions:

Trade/Draft - Victor Claver, F, Valencia (ACB) (1:22) – Claver is a promising, albeit young forward who has shown a strong shooting touch for a big man. His draft stock was hurt by a knee injury, however his early numbers in ACB have been solid (11.0/6.0/1.5 Assists). Claver was not signed and will remain in Spain for the foreseeable future. He is currently under contract with Valencia and joins what is becoming a very strong contingent of Blazers overseas holdings – along with Petteri Koponen and Joel Freeland.

Trade/Draft - Jeff Pendergraph, F, Arizona (2:31) – Pendergraph was selected by the Kings and acquired by the Blazers in the Sergio Rodriguez trade. He was effective in Summer League play averaging 10.8 points and 7.6 rebounds for Portland. He was signed by the Blazers but will miss most of the season recovering from surgery for a left hip impingement. He should be considered a project and likely will not see any meaningful minutes this season.

Draft - Dante Cunningham, F, Villanova (2:33) – Cunningham was selected by the Blazers in the second round of the draft and excelled in the Vegas Summer League where averaged 18.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. His game and physical build draw comparisons to Travis Outlaw, however he seems to have a more polished skill set (especially offensively) than did Outlaw at a similar point in his career. Cunningham is the only rookie on Portland’s active roster to start the season, but will only see minutes in garbage time. He too is a project, but would appear to have a very high ceiling.

Draft - Patrick Mills, G, Saint Mary’s (2:55) – Mills was a somewhat controversial addition to the Blazers’ final roster, as his signing represented the 15th and final roster spot and led directly to Portland native and former fan favorite Ime Udoka being waived in his attempt to return to the Blazers. This said, he is a very talented guard who has shown his chops in international play for his native Australia (scoring 14 points per game in the Beijing Olympics – including 20 against the US) and during an impressive 2007-08 freshman season at Saint Mary’s. He missed the bulk of his sophomore season after breaking in his hand at Gonzaga, returning only for the WCC tournament. Mills then suffered a stress fracture in his foot during practices ahead of the NBA Summer League and will likely miss the bulk of this season. His signing was largely the result of the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement, which forced the Blazers to tender an offer to Mills or risk losing his draft rights. He will continue his recovery and should be seen as a low-risk investment that likely will not play this season.

Point Guard Andre Miller finishes during the pre-season

Point Guard Andre Miller finishes during the pre-season

Free Agent - Andre Miller, PG, Philadelphia – Miller’s signing was seen by many as an afterthought following Hedo Turkoglu’s 11th hour spurning of the Blazers offer. (Many have compared Hedo’s bolt for Toronto to that of someone left at the alter – in reality, this was more like the groom saying “um, actually…” after the priest asks for objections.) Miller provides the potential for veteran leadership, the infusion of a run-first distributing point guard, an interior scorer and a dependable iron-man from a team that has had a series of nagging, persistent injuries over the last two years.

Free Agent - Juwan Howard, PF, Charlotte – Howard provides a veteran big man off of the Blazers’ bench and a last line of defense in the event of foul trouble or injury from Oden, Przybilla, Aldridge, or Outlaw – likely to be the forward/center rotation for Portland. He should be able to provide spurts of production when needed in the form of rebounding and short jumpers, but not much else. In 1990 dollars, he’s Wayne Cooper – today, he’s the last standing member of the Fab 5, and still chasing a ring.

Subtractions:

PG Sergio Rodriguez, (traded to Sacramento). Simply put, Sergio was not Nate McMillian’s guy. Beyond this, he failed to display any discernable improvement in two of his weakest areas of play – jump shooting and ball control. In extended minutes he showed flashes of being a serviceable point guard while lobbing perfect alley-oop passes to countryman Fernandez, but the guarantee of two assists per game does not generally secure a future in the league. In fact, his per 36 numbers were essentially level from his rookie season through the end of his third season. His trade netted Forward Jeff Pendergraph, who Sacramento chose #31 overall in the draft – an obvious drop in the stock of a player who was rumored to be garnering heavy trade interest for Kevin Pritchard just one season earlier.

Former Blazer Channing Frye

Former Blazer Channing Frye

F Channing Frye, (Free Agent, Phoenix). Frye was caught in a numbers game in Portland from the moment he arrived. He showed an ability to get shots off in bunches when playing time was consistent, and even provided a spirited flurry of double-doubles when LaMarcus Aldridge missed the final weeks of the 2007-08 season, but this would be the highlight of his tenure in Portland. Frye made precious few of the mid-range jumpers he took while with the Blazers, an ominous sign for what was supposed to be his strength. His move to Phoenix will allow him to play in a wide-open style that will not call for post play as often as did the Blazers style. (Early returns for Phoenix have been quite positive – Frye is averaging double figures and is hitting on over 44% of his shots from 3 point range, already draining a career high 22 through the Suns’ first 8 games).

F Nicolas Batum, (Injury). Batum was lost for what will likely be the bulk of the 2010 season, if not the entire year after having shoulder surgery during the pre-season. His loss means the Blazers will not have to resolve their logjam at small forward for the foreseeable future - perhaps the only positive to come out of the situation.

Outlook:

I see this team making a modest improvement in the standings over last season, finishing with a 56-26 record, alone atop the Northwest Division, and the #3 seed in the Western Conference Playoffs. To say that the team’s fortunes for 2010 rest on the shoulders of Greg Oden is not an understatement. Given the current composition of the team, the only area where there appears to be room for significant improvement in both statistics and efficiency is the center position. Early returns are showing that Oden in fact has improved significantly in his areas of biggest concern – footwork, ball handling, and low-post offense; however he continues to show an uncanny ability to pick up fouls. This is becoming mantra in Portland, but as long as Oden can stay on the floor, he can dominate a game.

Will Fernandez remain happy with his role, should the wins fail to materialize?

Will Fernandez remain happy with his role, should the wins fail to materialize?

One potential problem for this team is chemistry – there simply are not enough minutes or shots available to keep everyone happy. I do not expect Fernandez to remain happy with his role while sharing second unit shots with Martell Webster and Travis Outlaw. To keep everyone happy, Nate McMillan will need to access every bit of diplomacy in his coaching repertoire, will need to hope that winning will soothe over any remaining problems.

Provided Roy matches or approaches his production from last season, Aldridge shows even modest improvement, and Miller and Blake can steady the team’s throttle while providing efficient point guard play, this team should reach the second round of the playoffs at a minimum. If these things happen, and Oden harnesses even 70% of his talent (and approaches 30 minutes per game) this could easily be a one of the participants in the Western Conference finals.

Playoffs? You kiddin’ me? Playoffs?

April 17, 2009 in Life, Sports | 2 comments

My 2009 Blazers playoff tickets

My 2009 Blazers playoff tickets

I’ve been a (half) season ticket holder for the Portland Trail Blazers for four years now - technically five, since I’ve already put in my deposit for the 2009-10 season.  Of course my decision to renew early this year was prompted by the letter I received stating that in order to lock in my playoff tickets for 2009, I would need to renew early for 2010.  Thus, I became a five year customer.  This week I picked up my playoff tickets.  It’s kind of strange to pick up playoff tickets - you see, since no one knows how many games will actually be played, they must provide tickets for all of the possible games.  Thus, I have eight tickets for the 2009 NBA Finals, to be played in Portland at a date and time yet to be determined.  It is quite possible - probable, even, that these games will only be played in the bizzaro universe where I am in fact the star point guard for the team.  I can see two problems with this scenario.  First, I don’t have a jump shot.  Second, I placed a $20 bet on 20-1 odds in September for the Blazers to win the NBA Finals while I was in Vegas.  If bizzaro David Stern (Danny Stein?) catches wind of this we’re finished.

Ha Seung-Jin (photo from 2005)

Ha Seung-Jin (photo from 2005)

Back in the actual universe, this is the first year the team has made the playoffs since I’ve been back in the Portland area.  The team has come a long way since the final game of the first season for which I was a ticket holder.  That game was a 106-103 victory over an also lottery-bound Lakers team in which Sebastian Telfair scored 17 points and dished out 11 assists.  Ruben Patterson paced the Blazers’ starters with 18 points, Travis Outlaw had 20 off the bench, while a promising young center had 13 points and 5 rebounds on a nearly perfect 6-7 from the field.  Ladies and gentlemen, meet Ha Seung-Jin.   After the game Blazers Director of player personnel and interim coach Kevin Pritchard was quoted saying, “If you looked around the building tonight you saw some of our future playing out there.”  Well, sort of - Travis Outlaw is still on the team.  Theo Ratliff and Telfair became Brandon Roy, and Victor Khryapa and draft picks became LaMarcus Aldridge.  Apparently Pritchard, now the team’s General Manager, wasn’t bowled over by the future he saw.

In the years since, the roster has been completely turned over, resulting in a 2008-09 regular season which saw 54 wins and a fourth place finish in the Western Conference.  In June I predicted 55 wins and no less than 6th place in the conference.  I was off by one win, but two playoff seeds.  I’ll take that trade any day.

Something else has happened in the four years since I became a season ticket holder - the city has again embraced its only major league team.  Today thousands of fans packed Pioneer Courthouse Square for a pep-rally of sorts - a celebration for making the playoffs the magnitude of which is normally reserved for championship wins rather than playoff appearances.  The players all spoke, as did team dignitaries.  Three news choppers surveyed the scene, and KGW Channel 8 ran three hours of live coverage (in HD, even).  This is the type of thing that when picked up by the national media will label Portland as “bush league”, and “happy just to be there.”  Personally, I love it.

In high school we held pep rallies the day of football games and in the days leading up to the state basketball tournament.  In elections, we hold massive rallies for our candidates on the waterfront.  Why should it be any different for our team?  The natural argument is that the team is comprised of 15 millionaires who are paid to play a game by one of the richest men in the world, during a time in which 12% of Oregonians are out of work.  “They should be holding rallies for us, dammit” you might be saying.  Well, idiot, that’s exactly what they did.

Blazers GM Kevin Prichard with the 1977 NBA Championship Trophy during a celebration of the 30th Anniversary of the Blazers' championship season.

GM Kevin Pritchard with the 1977 NBA Championship Trophy during the 30th anniversary celebration of the Blazers' championship season.

This was not a rally for the team, it was a chance for 10,000 Portlanders to gather during a sunny afternoon and forget that a lot of things really suck right now.  Most of the people who attended won’t be able to get in to a playoff game - sheer numbers dictate that.  Only a few hundred tickets were made available to the general public - the rest were snatched up by people like me, who must purchase tickets to all the playoff games in order to secure the luxury of buying tickets to only half the regular season games the following season.

These people were there because they are excited about the team.  This was a celebration that would not have taken place last year, or at any time during the last five years.  It could be argued then, that the amount of happiness brought to the city today by a mass gathering of people in the center of town would have simply been missing in the previous five years.  Sure, this is a cash cow for all involved - this is witnessed by the amount of red and black gear being worn by those in attendance.  At the same time, there is something about the affect a winning team has on a community in whole that simply cannot be measured in terms of simple economics or negated by criticism of the world at large.

Portland is a city the pulse of which once beat with the pounding of a basketball on hardwood.  Where in the early 90s the degree of civic pride could be measured by the intricacies of the signs displayed in windows of homes or businesses offering support for the team facing Detroit, Los Angeles or Chicago.  After first experiencing the disappointment of coming up short against Isaiah, Magic, and Michael, the city was alienated over the following ten years by a group of players who not only did not win, but who did not represent the character traits in which the city could have pride.

The last five years has seen a complete turnover of the team’s roster, with Outlaw the lone exception.  Along the way, the team has rebuilt its connections to the city, rebuilt its own image by embracing the high standards by which its previous incarnations had been judged, and in the process brought back a level of pride and community spirit that could culminate in a real-life pep rally in the streets of downtown Portland.  Hopefully we’ll have  a chance to do it all again in June.

Maybe that bet will help me pay off those playoff tickets after all.

Our house is a very, very, very sold house…

April 14, 2009 in Life | No comments

Well, I would have been ready to put in an offer on the previously mentioned house had someone not beaten me to the punch…  damn internet, I blame you for the foiling of my plans.  Next step is to talk to my lender to re-run some numbers and see if I can get approved for a figure above the previous very conservative range that I had set for myself, and continue the search for houses.  This, coupled with some good news on rates should allow a few more options.  For now though, this one is dead.

Sure, I could come back and make a higher offer than that which was made on the house, but it doesn’t make sense with with this home - it needs a bit too much work for that and has a funky property line issue where part of the garage is on the neighbor’s property…  I’d rather feud with neighbors over things like encroachment on hidden moonshine stills and the honor of attractive college-aged daughters or nieces.  Better luck next time, I suppose, and a lesson learned.  I shall keep watch on the next serious candidate armed to the teeth…

Gimme Shelter

April 11, 2009 in Life | 4 comments

I toured this house yesterday - I liked it.

I toured this house yesterday - I liked it.

The first two years that I lived on my own after college saw three apartments come into my life, each with their own low introductory rates and flexible lease terms.  I was a nomad of sorts- a relatively constant (local) traveler always searching for the lowest rent and shortest lease terms.  After tiring of looking for deals in the suburbs, I decided to finally just move to Portland, where I was spending most of my time anyway.  I set up residence in an apartment in Northwest Portland, where pizza and pubs were plentiful and everything was within walking distance.  A funny thing happened - I stayed in the same place for two and a half years to date.  Now, after having been employed for the last five years, living in Portland for going on three and with no desire to leave  on the horizon, I’ve begun the quest the buy a home.

Several times in the past I’ve been tempted to look for a house to buy - the first attempt came in 2004 when I was put in touch with a mortgage broker who was preparing what was clearly a horrible, foreclosure-baiting loan; complete with wildly adjustable rates and the assurance that it was ok that he was inflating my income…  a lot.  Basically, it was the recipe for what would become the current mortgage crisis.  Nice try, buddy.

About two years ago I made a second feeble attempt, having a friend pre-qualify me through Countrywide…  despite my excellent credit ratings and good income, her then-manager insisted on treating my loan as a sub-prime one with another risky rate - thankfully, my friend told me what was going on - the manager was insisting on this type of loan despite the fact that I was not a sub-prime borrower as it would net more money for the company.  Needless to say, I decided I was happy in my apartment.  Besides, the $140,000 they wanted to give me could purchase nothing in Portland in 2006.

To say that I saw the current mortgage crisis and the subsequent financial downturn coming is strong perhaps, although I could see enough in the future to know that what I was being presented was a raw deal.

Flash forward to 2009 - the lenders of whom I spoke earlier are for the most part out of business, and many of their borrowers are out of homes.  Values are falling, sales are stagnant, and I’ve actually been pre-qualified for a good mortgage.  I’ve actually gone through two homes with my Realtor - the first, although very big and cheap, was also lacking a few key items - for instance, a kitchen.  The latest home is a little more promising - a big, old, fixer in North Portland.  The fixer qualities seem to be mostly cosmetic and well within my abilities, and it’s tough to pass up a big craftsman built in 1908 with a finishable basement.  I’m planning on taking another walk through it but it may soon be offer time.

Civil War Wounds; Baseball in Portland

March 29, 2009 in Sports | 1 comment

Oregon staring pitcher Bennett Whitmore

Oregon staring pitcher Bennett Whitmore

Today I attended my first full baseball game of the season, having previously seen pieces of three separate games, but no complete contests.  My family and I witnessed the reconstituted Oregon Ducks take on Oregon State Beavers in a Civil War contest at PGE Park.  After having split the first two games of the series, the Sunday rubber game showed exactly how far ahead in talent and experience the Beavers program is when compared with the Ducks (not surprising, given the Beavers are only one year removed from back-to-back NCAA titles).Oregon State pitcher Jorge Reyes (2007 College World Series Most Outstanding Player) was marvelous, giving up only one run in his seven innings pitched, while striking out six and allowing only two hits. The Beavers took advantage of every opportunity presented to them and displayed superb situational hitting in route to a convincing victory.

Beyond the 8-1 score, nine walks, three wild pitches, three errors, and several instances of puzzling defensive lapses surrendered by the Ducks, the day was not a total loss.  For the first time in my life, I was able to root for a Ducks team play my favorite sport - and despite the throttling they received, it was a pretty good day spent with my parents, Brandon, and 13,709 fans of baseball in the state of Oregon.

13,709 watch the Ducks get slaughtered

13,709 watch the Ducks get slaughtered

For me, this is what it is all about: over two days in Portland, over 29,000 fans attended (or at least purchased tickets for) two college baseball games. Granted, a large amount of the interest likely had to do with the rivalry between the two schools, but this goes to show once again how much interest in baseball there is in Portland, and in the state of Oregon as a whole. This comes at important juncture for baseball In Portland, as it was recently announced that a new stadium for the PCL’s Portland Beavers will be built to accommodate MLS’ expansion to Portland.

The stadium being proposed at this point in time is a roughly 9,000 seat park to be located either in the Rose Quarter (taking the place of Memorial Coliseum) or in SE Portland’s Lents Park (please let it be the Rose Quarter). The city of Portland should take into account the future of sports in Portland as plans are developed. Hopefully, they will build the park with a potential expansion and upgrade to Major League facilities in mind, regardless of Portland Beavers owner Merritt Paulson’s likely interest in preserving the market for his AAA club.

At some point in the next decade Portland will have a genuine opportunity to attract a Major League team, much like the one that was wasted in 2004 when the Montreal Expos chose to relocate to Washington, D.C. This opportunity may come sooner than expected, as it was recently announced (and has remained under the radar) that the Oakland Athletics will no longer negotiate with the cities of Oakland or Fremont for a new ballpark. San Jose is said to be interested in starting negotiations for an A’s ballpark, but the San Francisco Giants hold the MLB territory rights to Santa Clara County, which could prove problematic for such a move. If this cannot be resolved, Portland would become a natural relocation option for the team.

The only other serious candidates for relocation (Las Vegas and Sacramento) each have much larger obstacles standing in the way of actually attracting MLB – economics (Sacramento has fared worse than Portland in the recent economic meltdown, is smaller, and, let’s face it, just isn’t as attractive in general… sorry, Gio) and gambling (last time I checked, MLB was not a fan of gambling… ask Joe Jackson or Pete Rose). I know this is all a pipe dream at this point; and not a very realistic one given Portland’s unwillingness for bold action, but a guy can dream, right? Besides, as much as I love the Ducks, I’d much rather join 30,000 Oregonians in rooting for a Portland Beavers team to take down the Seattle Mariners in an AL West matchup.

Saturatedpratt on Facebook?

March 21, 2009 in Website | No comments

An evening with the Wells’ almost always leads to a chiding from Chris to update this site more often.  In an attempt to inspire more frequent updates, he has attempted to link this page to my Facebook profile, with the thought that it will reach more readers…  let’s see if it works.  If it doesn’t, I’ll just blame the copious amounts of wine consumed over the course of the night.

The year 2008 in review

January 24, 2009 in Life, Politics, Travel, Work | 3 comments

The people (specifically, two people) have spoken, and as a result I bring you this non-sports related update.  After all, this isn’t a sports blog, it’s supposed to be about my life, and a clearinghouse for my thoughts, adventures, misstatements and awkward encounters.  It just so happens that the last several posts have been about sports… well, this one will bring us current on my life and times.

With a new year comes reflection on the past year - so with that, I will bring you a look back at my 2008, and a brief look to the future…

The Texas Schoolbook Depository

The Texas Schoolbook Depository

The year began like many others - in January.  At the beginning of the month I was asked to travel to Dallas, Texas by work to attend a series of meetings aimed at improving the way large loss property claims were handled.  The meetings were successful, and resulted in the creation of a position I would assume in March, however the real story is that I got to explore the city of Dallas, including the former Texas Schoolbook Depository - the site of the assassination of John F. Kennedy.  As a history and politics geek, and as a kid who grew up idolizing Kennedy, this was a very special trip for me.  What’s strange is that through all the television shows and movies documenting the assassination, it seemed as though I’d already been there.  They’ve done a masterful job of creating a museum documenting the President’s trip to Dallas, the events leading up to it, and of course, the events of November 22, 1963.  I was surprised at the impact that the visit had on me, and I’m very thankful for having gone.

Nothing happened in February.  Literally.  March saw my second trip to Arizona for Spring Training.  This has already been documented, and it’s sports-related, so never mind.

April saw the first full month in my new position at work.  This was significant because it meant I was no longer traveling for work - everything (in theory) was now being handled from my desk, and specifically, from my dining room.  I still have mixed feelings on this transition, as I really enjoyed seeing the western US on the company’s dime, but I felt a responsibility to take the position that was offered to me, as I was instrumental in its creation.  I took the position after I was assured that I would still get to travel on occasion and would still have the ability to go into the field on my old claims, which I was keeping.

President Bill Clinton in McMinnville, OR

President Bill Clinton in McMinnville, OR

April also saw the visit of former President Bill Clinton to my former high school to campaign for his wife, then-Senator Hillary Clinton.  Although I was already an avowed supporter of Barack Obama, the prospect of seeing a President in the McMinnville High School gymnasium was too much to pass up.  I attended with my mom and seemingly the rest of the town.  As a liberal who grew up in a rather conservative area of Oregon, it was very encouraging to see a line wrapping around the entire school waiting patiently to be led into the gym.  It was during this campaign rally that it really began to sink in that the Democrats may actually win the election in November (foreshadowing!!!).  It was also encouraging to see that although the rally was a Hillary Clinton event, it became clear through talking to most of those in attendance, they planned to support the Democratic candidate - whether it was Clinton or Obama.  It was also encouraging to hear the little girl in front of me chant “O-Bam-A” when the crowd was instructed to chant the name of Hillary Clinton.

Sen. Barack Obama in Portland, 5/18/08

Sen. Barack Obama in Portland, 5/18/08

May saw another campaign visit - this one almost epic in scope, as Barack Obama packed an estimated 72,000 supporters into and around Tom McCall Waterfront Park in downtown Portland.  I attended with Wells and his family, and braved the sun and 90 degree temperatures (as well as the horrible sunburn I picked up the previous day during a cleanup of the Willamette River with my dad) to be among the throngs welcoming Senator Obama to Portland.  The crowd was like nothing I’ve ever experienced in person - literally people filling every possible area, including the boats on the Willamette.  The official estimates were that 60,000 people were actually in the bowl area watching Obama, and another 12,000 filled the streets around the park.  It was here where I became certain Obama would easily carry the Oregon primary election two days later, which he did.  The future President did not disappoint, delivering the standard campaign speech, punctuated by exclamations of “wow” when face to face with the crowd.  The biggest takeaway from the event wasn’t in anything Obama said, but rather the enthusiasm for the candidate, and for the democratic process as a whole.  Never in my life had I experienced anything like this in a political campaign, and it is doubtful that this type of enthusiasm will be matched in the near future (now that the inauguration has passed).  More than anything, it was extremely refreshing to see the type of hope and promise for the future that was encapsulated by crowd - especially after the last eight years.

Brittany and I near Sedona, AZ

Brittany and I near Sedona, AZ

June passed by like an old man in his slumber as I waited for my July vacation, a second trip to Arizona for 2008 - this one to spend time with Brittany, who I reconnected with during my Spring Training visit.  Most of the trip was spent just going around town.  We visited with Vanessa, Eddy, and North, and went to her brother’s place for the 4th of July.  While attempting to jump into a swimming pool that evening I managed to knock my leg against a submerged rung of a pool ladder, causing a massive gash in my right leg, just below the knee.  As a result, I spent about 6 hours in the ER, received eight stitches, and now sport a wicked scar.  Following the debacle with my leg, Brittany and I took off for the cooler climate of beautiful northern Arizona, specifically Sedona.  I was able to find a timeshare that provided us with a deeply discounted room and dinner (we only had to pretend that we were a young about to be married couple interested in a timeshare…  the ruse worked perfectly - we are apparently good actors), and the rest of the time was spent hiking a few trails around Sedona and visiting shops - all the while trying to keep my bandage clean.  Despite the leg debacle, it was a great trip and one that made me realize I could in fact live in Arizona, if I wanted to.  I later decided that was probably a vacation high, but then again, housing prices are great near Phoenix…

Me and the Bean, Millennium Park, Chicago

Me and the Bean, Millennium Park, Chicago

In early August I visited Kayla in Chicago, however much of this visit was centered around various baseball road-tripping, so I will briefly cover where that aspect of the visit took us - Wrigley Field and US Cellular (New Comiskey) Park in Chicago to see the Cubs play the Astros and the White Sox host the Tigers respectively, Elfstrom Stadium in Geneva, Il where we saw the Kane County Cougars play the Beloit Snappers, Alexian Field in Schaumburg, Il to see the Schaumburg Flyers play the Kansas City T-Bones, and Miller Park in Milwaukee, WI to see the Brewers play the Nationals.

We also spent time enjoying some of the other things the city had to offer.  For instance, we took in our first day at the races at Arlington Downs, where we won about $20 combined on the ponies.  A day was also spent wandering the city, specifically the loop, Millennium Park and the generally everything that downtown had to offer.  This included, of course, pizza followed by drinks at Harry Carey’s.  If it weren’t for the extreme humidity in the summer, and the extreme cold in the winter, I would love to live in Chicago.

Just prior to my trip to Chicago, Miller arrived in Portland.  As such, he was allowed to “house sit” my apartment - basically, move in for a month.  It was great - we went to games, hung out like we did in college, and I got to witness a budding romance between he and Meredith (otherwise known as “Team Wilt”).  Unfortunately, he had to return to New York for the start of the school year, but if everything goes according to plan, he’ll be coming back permanently sometime later this year.

Las Vegas (file photo)

Las Vegas Strip (file photo)

With September came MusicFest NW, and four days of live music at various venues throughout Portland.  During the event, I was able to see Norfolk & Western, the Old 97s, Britt Daniel, Built to Spill, Nick Jaina, the Builders and the Butchers, Blitzen Trapper, Fleet Foxes, and many other less impressive bands.  I was also able to spend some quality time with my pal Sarah, and reconnect with Julie as well as meet a few new people.  September also saw a trip to Las Vegas with Derek, Esther, and Patrick during which I won $200 playing War (who knew that was a casino game?), $250 on a slot machine, and about $50 on college football games.  In short, I became a gambling degenerate.

The end of October saw the return of Peter from his six months spent wandering Europe and Africa, so a lot of time was spent hanging out with him and hearing stories of the adventures he experienced.  It also brought the beginning of the Blazers season and the heart of the Ducks football season, but again, this is not a post about sports.  The fall was actually quite relaxing - most of my vacation was spent with my earlier travels, so the daily routine really took hold during this time…  in other words, I spent a lot of time working.  When I wasn’t working, I was either at a Blazers or Ducks game, a concert, or hanging out with Peter, for the most part.  There were a few hikes, a few short road trips to see Wells or go to the coast, but aside from those, and the election of Barack Obama, it really was the dog days of fall.  One definite plus what that I was once again promoted at work, attaining the level of Large Loss Property Claims Specialist, which is pretty much as high as I can get for the foreseeable future (or unless I go for a management position) - this is assuming we all still have jobs in the foreseeable future, since the company was recently purchased by Liberty Mutual.  I’m not too concerned though.

My car, buried.

My car, buried.

December brought the holidays and a MASSIVE (6-8 inches) of snow and ice in the Portland area.  I spent the time wandering around the town, taking photos, and thinking of how to dislodge my car from its wintry, plowed-in grave.  For a while it looked as though I wouldn’t be able to make it home for Christmas due tot he fact that my car was still buried under a foot of snow and ice, however my dad came to the rescue and helped me big out the car.  Maddie the dog even came along for moral support.  Although the car eventually got stuck several more times in my parents’ neighborhood, at the end of the day, I was able to spend Christmas with the family, eat too much ham, and make it back home safely.

So that was 2008 - hopefully 2009 will be as eventful, but I have the distinct feeling it will involve much less travel.  Check back soon - this should be the last massive update, as I’ll be making more frequent contributions now that the site is re-designed and more user friendly.

Blazers Quarter-Season Review

December 7, 2008 in Sports, Uncategorized | 4 comments

Greg Oden

When we left off, I had just relayed a June forecast message to a fellow Blazers fan (Peter) who had been traveling the world.

Seeing as we are now a quarter of the way through the Blazers’ season (26.8% to be precise) I felt it was time to go back and look at a few of the things I said at that time while reviewing what has happened to date with Portland’s only major league sports franchise.

1. The record to date

Through 22 games, the Blazers record rests at 15-7, good for a winning percentage of .682 and first place by a half game in front of the Denver Nuggets in the Northwest Division.  For those mathemagicians among us, that is on pace for 55 wins - the exact number I predicted in June.  Score one for Pratt.  Actually, rounding up, it would be good for 56, but I like being right.  What is particularly impressive about the team’s early season success is that it has come while the Blazers have played 15 games on the road, including two 5-game road trips.  With a home stand coming in late December, I would not expect the pace to slow.

2. The rookies

With nearly all eyes squarely set upon him, Greg Oden has shown solid, if not spectacular play.  Despite suffering a sprained foot in his first minute of game time in the season opener versus the Lakers, and while averaging 22 minutes a game, he has racked up seven double-doubles and led the team in rebounding nine times.  This said, there is clearly a lot of room for improvement, particularly on the offensive end.  He has shown a tendency to bring the ball low upon receiving a pass, allowing defenders an opportunity to make a swipe at it, or prepare for a block.  He has not finished especially well, and his footwork leaves a lot to be desired.  That said, he has already shown improvement in these areas, and I would expect improvement to continue throughout the season as he gets more game experience.  His defensive game is already very good, approaching elite status.  He is almost a lock for two blocks a game in his limited minutes, and his very presence forces teams to alter their play on both sides of the ball.  I did not comment on my expectations for final numbers from Greg for the season, but I would expect his numbers to climb with his minutes, likely finishing the season averaging 10-11 PPG, 8-9 RPG, and 2 BPG.  Not rookie of the year numbers, but good for All-Rookie First Team.  Basically, he’s raw - which everyone knew coming out of the 2007 Draft - then he lost an entire season before really being able to work on his game.  Bottom line, this kid is special, and it’s clear that he will be much better in the coming years than he is now - and he’s pretty damn good now.

Rudy Fernandez

Rudy Fernandez has been everything that his Spanish League play indicated he could be.  He has shown a deadly outside shot, a level of flash and hard-nosed play that had been missing from the Blazers lineup, and the ability to explode for 15 off the bench any night, as has happened seven times to date.  Like Oden, his 48 minute numbers are fantastic - 20 PPG, to be exact, but barring injury, I do not see him starting this season due to the fact that the team has continued to show an inability to play consistently without a true point guard in the lineup, even with Brandon Roy running the show.

Nicolas Batum has been the biggest surprise - I originally thought he would stay in Europe, or at best would spend significant portions of the season in the NBDL - and this was before his horrid showing in the Las Vegas Summer League.  His development and emergence in the pre-season was a revelation, and is going to make the rotation tricky once Martell Webster fully returns from injury.  Batum has been the starting small forward for all but three games this season, showing an uncanny ability to find the ball - steals, broken passes, blocks, rebounds - you name it, he has been involved.  On the offensive side, he has shown a surprisingly consistent mid and long-range shot and the ability to drive to the hoop or finish on a breakaway.  I would put the overall level of his play on par with where Travis Outlaw was in his third year, with his defense being superior to Outlaw right now.  Comparisons are drawn between Batum and Tayshaun Prince of the Detroit Pistons, both for physical resemblance and style of play - I think those are premature (obviously) but with more minutes (which won’t be happening - at least not this season) it is easy to see his numbers approaching Prince’s.

Jerryd Bayliss has been a non-factor, which is a far cry from my prediction that he could overtake Steve Blake as a starter during the season.  Blake’s strong play (career highs across the board) combined with the reemergence and consistent performance of Sergio Rodriguez has sat Bayliss on the bench for all but eight of Portland’s games.  When he has played his minutes have come mostly during garbage time, and apart from a productive seven minute stretch at Boston this week, his play has been ordinary - what you’d expect from garbage minutes.  He has the ability to score quickly, especially on drives to the basket - minutes will be hard to come by, so I would like to see coach Nate McMillan use Bayliss as a spark plug in situations such as the game at Boston where quick points may be needed to snap the team out of a funk, or possibly when nothing else is working.  But who am I to argue with the way minutes are doled out on a 15-7 team?

3. Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge

Thanks must be given to Kevin McHale and John Paxson for trading Roy and Aldridge, respectively, to Portland during the 2006 NBA Draft.  Roy has picked up where his All-Star performance last year left off, leaving little doubt that Blazers fans are witnessing the emergence of a super star.  Aldridge, meanwhile, has had an inconsistent, but overall strong start to the season.  He seems to have rebounded from a shooting slump that struck in late November, and since then has played steadily well -including a 27 point performance at Detroit.  In addition, he has been crashing the offensive boards of late, which of course leads to more scoring opportunities.  Aldridge has also been showing off more consistent range on his jumper, which will prove valuable if that deadly inside/out game of which I wrote is utilized more often.

Sergio Rodriguez

4. Surprises

Point Guard play - see above under Jerryd Bayliss for more.  Blake has shown that his 40% from threes last season was not an aberration.  He has been one of the best long-range shooters on the best 3 point shooting team in the league.  Handling the ball, he has been a steadying force while at times becoming more of a two guard when playing with Roy.  Rodriguez came back to Portland this year completely rejuvenated.  Whether it was personal pride, the thought of playing with Fernandez, or being left off the Spanish national team, he had one of the strongest pre-seasons of any Blazer, and the strong play has continued to the regular season.  He has had seven games with five or more assists, and has an assist to turnover ration of 4:1.  His shooting, although not reflected in percentages, has looked more fluid and frankly, like more of an NBA shot.  Easilly one of the most improved players on the roster.

Joel Przybilla - Przybilla started the season by losing his starting job to Oden, then quickly found himself back in the starting lineup after Oden’s early season injury.  He has since returned to the bench, but the strong play has not stopped.  Despite playing over thirty minutes just twice this season, Przybilla is having a career year - scoring 6.2 PPG, grabbing 8.0 RPG, and getting 1.6 BPG while shooting an incredible 80% from the field.  When combined with Oden, he makes up half of what is without question the strongest center tandem in the league.

Petteri Koponen

5. What Else I Got Wrong

The Blazers opted not to sign Petteri Koponen, the Finish point guard, allowing him instead to sign a multi-year contract with Virtus Bologna.  This will allow him to get some more seasoning while playing against strong competition, and essentially waiting for the point guard situation to thin in Portland.  I saw Koponen play in Las Vegas during the summer of 2007, and while he was a raw, wiry kid then, he appeared to have matured greatly in the year between that appearance and this year’s Vegas Summer League.  He was easily the second best player on the court in most games (behind Bayliss) and did not look far from NBA-ready.  A few years in Italy should only help his game.  I would look for him to come to the States in 2010 or 2011, if his rights are not dealt by then.

6. Outlook

So far, so good.  It would be hard for anyone to argue that this team was not over-achieving, given the horrendous schedule they have played to date (seven home games out of their first 22), and the quality of the opposition (only 9 games against opponents not likely to make the playoffs).  I hold to my prediction of 55 wins, and a 6th seed in the playoffs.  While the numbers would tend to demonstrate that this team is capable of going on a run once the schedule thins a bit, I would expect there will be some bumps in the road and (inevitably) some injuries along the way.  The clear development this season is that this is a playoff team now, and likely a contender in the next two years.

It’s a great year to be a Blazer.

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