Still Spinning..

I spent the afternoon yesterday at the Portland City Council to hear testimony about the agreement between the city and Peregrine Sports to bring MLS to Portland. While I'll talk more about my day at my other blog home, there's still a few thoughts that I wanted to share about things.

 

There's some crazy people out there, and some of them hang out at the council chambers. I can't imagine being a public official and having to deal with people like this, which is why I appreciate those that choose to follow this line of work even if I don't agree with their positions on many issues. It takes a special person to give of yourself in this manner, and despite all of the insanity, back biting, differing viewpoints, and other things, the city still gets things done. I'm not sure if I would call it operating on the edge of insanity, but it certainly appears that way during this MLS process. Granted, I'm sure on the more mundane proposals, there probably isn't this much attention, scrutiny, or this many public figures involved, so it's probably more quiet. One thing I will say is that I'm resolved to continue my involvement on city issues, and write emails or attend meetings when I can. It's important that everyone take their time to share their thoughts with their elected officials, even if you agree with their position. They work for us, and it's vital that they hear from the people that they represent.

 

Brandon Roy will soon be an All-Star, and all sports radio wants to talk about is whether he should play in the game or not. He's been dealing with hamstring issues and sat out for the past week from games, but I for one think he needs to participate in the festivities even if he doesn't play. His selection says a lot about the reputation of the Portland Trail Blazers and the job that Roy has done despite everything. It's amazing that this team is sitting at 27 and 20 as of today with all the injuries and distractions, and Roy's work has a lot to do with it. It's not just him, though, but until you make the All-Star team for the NBA 30 players, there's always going to be players that get shafted during the selection process. I'm wanting to make sure Roy is healthy for the long haul, but at the same time, he should be able to enjoy the fruits of his labor.

 

Think we made the wrong choice with the first pick back in 2008? Greg Oden does something that lots of young people do all the time by sending nude photos of himself to a girlfriend, who then turns around and shares them with a website that posts them all over the Internet. Instead of running away from the problem, Oden stood up and admitted his error in judgement and offered his apology to everyone. He could have hidden behind an attorney or other official, he could have allowed the team to put out a statement, but instead, he faced up to his issue and admitted what he did. Seriously, do you still feel the team made a wrong choice here? This guy may have some injury issues going on, but he's simply a great human being and a special person, and we should all be fortunate that he's here wearing our jersey.