The already grumpy crowd (see also: scoreboard) went bonkers at the end of the first period when Nicolas Batum appeared to be fouled with a foul so foul-acious that it dwarfed many of the fouls that had been called in Utah's favor in the quarter. Batum converted the layup but no whistle blew. In short order Jerryd Bayless had earned a technical foul for protesting, which lit the fuse in the stands. In one of those "Only in Portland" moments a torrential flow of boos flooded the arena floor, reverberating so loudly that it hit the back walls of the building with force and redoubled. But these boos didn't stop after 10 seconds, or 30, or a minute. They sustained and grew through the long, long quarter break. It was like a weird, amoeba-like organism had formed out of 20,000 people which was now intent on sucking up the refs with a sticky, poisonous tongue of booing. About halfway through the break the arena staff put on film of Kiki Vandeweghe and Mychal Thompson talking about their Blazer experiences, this being 80's Remembrance Night and all. For a second the organism paused as if considering whether to take the bait and subside, lulled into submission by these fan-favorite players of yore. But the Boomoeba was angry and after that half-hesitating moment it doubled and tripled its efforts. Poor Mychal and Kiki couldn't be heard at all...and this is after the staff cranked the speaker volume way up. Anyone who's been anywhere near the Rose Garden knows those that sound system is LOUD. It was no more than a buzzing subtext rumbling impotently behind the Boomoeba's hunting call. It wanted blood and it would not be dissuaded from its target. The second quarter horn sounded and the booing was still as strong as ever. I have never heard anything like it. The refs did ease the calls from that point on. Perhaps it was the natural tendency to protect the losing team in a blowout, particularly at home. Perhaps it was the cover-your-butt thing they sometimes do to make the whistles even out. But I think the Boomoeba may have made their neck hairs stand a little. The Boomoeba is scary.
The crowd gets angry. Very angry.
