Oregon Trail

For Memorial Day weekend, I ventured up to Eugene, Oregon to visit my friend Steve in the final leg of what I like to call Scott's-end-of-college-road-trip-extravaganza, brought to you by Kia Motors. This road-trip, implemented so I could visit all my good friends from High School in far away lands before I graduated, took me to such exotic places like Berkeley and San Luis Obispo, CA. Both are great towns, especially if you like getting accosted by crazed hippies protesting something or interacting with bros sporting flat-brimmed hats and Billabong board-shorts, respectively.

But Eugene? Oh, well Eugene was different. If you want more down to earth people, some pretty solid beer, and people who love basketball? Shit, it's the place to be.

Portland and it's relationship with its only professional sports team (I learned up there that Portland is also home an MLS squad. Who knew? But that definitely doesn't count.), is akin to parents with an only child. Portland doesn't have pesky distractions like baseball or football to draw their focus away from the Blazers at the Rose Garden, and because of it, they are all-Blazers, all the time.

They dote on their team at an impressive clip. Conversations about any subject, from the weather to food, inevitably shifted back onto Brandon Roy's knee, their aging twin towers, or their need for a back up point-man. It was refreshing to watch and be a part of; I have these types conversations about the Kings all the time, and seeing it take place in a different context was like a drinking an Arnold Palmer in the July heat.

Those little jokes that I make about third string guys on the Kings? Lamenting about squandered play-off runs and what could have been? It was no different there. I learned Martell Webster has a funny release on his pull-up jumper. I discussed the merits of Nicolas Batum's defensive game. I learned that the Blazers are looking for a wing-man type or back up point guard come draft time. It was the kind of in-depth conversations that I rarely get from anyone except my core of basketball-nerds back home.

There was a mutual dislike (to put it kindly) of the Lakers. When I asked what their opinion of the Lakers was, I got "I hate them! Isn't it obvious? I'm a Blazers fan!" quite often. Well, it actually wasn't obvious they hated them to me, but then again, I'm sure Kings fans' anger toward the Lakers isn't exactly common knowledge either. But after we talked, it became clear that both franchises have suffered similar heartbreaking, soul-shattering defeats at the hands of the Evil Empire. We all know the storylines and the play-off losses, but the emotional and mental toll that those losses have had on our collective cities? The similar hurt felt in Sacto was also present in Rip City; it was a distinct, palpable longing for unanswered success and justice undelivered that transcended physical location.

Maybe it's me steering conversations in that direction. Maybe it's the playoffs reaching a fever pitch. Maybe it's the area I was visiting. Maybe it's a combination of all of the above. I can't be exactly sure, but I talked more ball Memorial Day weekend than I have during any other equivalent time frame. Not that I'm complaining--far from it. It's what I'm passionate about and finding like minded individuals, individuals that know their team and don't devolve into "Kobe is the best eva yeyeyeye"-type talk was certainly something to marvel. Nothing is quite like thoughtful, in depth sports discussion.

Come next season, I'll be keeping a close eye on them Portland Trail Blazers. I'll be rooting for Roy's Boys to bounce back after this year's early playoff exit. I'll hope Oden returns to form after his knee cap exploded and that Roy's meniscus doesn't fray like an old rope again. Thank you, Blazer faithful. You let one Kings fan know that the team of California's capitol is not alone in NBA purgatory.