Canzano: As Blazers' Kevin Pritchard dangles, why is Paul Allen just twiddling his thumbs?
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Instead, Allen and his childhood friend and Vulcan executive, Bert Kolde, left Pritchard dangling on Monday. Silent, too, was Vulcan sports executive Tod Leiweke, who is either gagged or fearful that if he speaks out of turn it's his job that could be at risk next.
FileLarry Miller, Blazers presidentIt all leaves a big part of me wondering if Allen's inner circle is so poisoned that the Blazers will be incapable under his ownership of ever truly reaching their full potential. The Seahawks have the same feel about them, like too many of his other ventures.
So who are the Vulcans exactly, and why do they keep doing this?
Allen, for sure. He's the guy who signs the checks, even while he's battling non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Allen's sister, Jody Patton, the power player who has never really understood her brother's passion for the Blazers. Kolde, Allen's former chess buddy and a regular at Blazers games. One Vulcan insider said Kolde is Allen's lieutenant, and "Bert's been fired I don't know how many times. He gets fired and rehired then fired and rehired."
Beyond that, Vulcan is a revolving door of Ivy League suits who jockey and take turns slitting one another's throats on a daily basis for face time with the higher-ups.
"The quest every day when you come to work," the insider said, "is to justify your existence and make yourself indispensable."
Do that, and survive.
His inside sources told him PJ would be the next Oregon head coach.
