Dark days on the horizon?

[oldmangrouch]

Since we don't know WHY Penn was fired, the long term relevance of this story is only speculation. It could be the start of something ugly - or it could be meaningless.

I rather wish the Blazers would just tell their side, and bring all this to an end.

 

[Dufferduck]

Not the most reassuring sight: In the wake of Tom Penn's firing, neither Paul Allen nor Kevin Pritchard were sitting in their customary courtside seats. Instead, Blazers President Larry Miller was flanked by Vulcan Flunky (and Paul Allen's college roommate), Bert Kolde.

Pritchard was in Buffalo yesterday. I think he is a bit busy scouting the tourney.

 

[jlprk]

"The decision will mainly be made by Kevin at this point," Miller said. "Just as we do with most decisions around here, they're not made in a vacuum. But I think the general manager will definitely make the final decision with input from other folks. Kevin is our general manager and as far as I'm concerned he'll be making that decision."

http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/2010/03/trail_blazers_to_take_their_ti.html

Larry Miller says that Pritchard will be the one with the final decison on Penn's replacement. Yet we are told that Pritchard had nothing to do with Penn's firing. Does he do the hiring and firing for the position, or doesn't he? Does he have any real power, or is it granted case by case?

 

[oldmangrouch]

http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/2010/03/trail_blazers_to_take_their_ti.html

Larry Miller says that Pritchard will be the one with the final decison on Penn's replacement. Yet we are told that Pritchard had nothing to do with Penn's firing. Does he do the hiring and firing for the position, or doesn't he? Does he have any real power, or is it granted case by case?

Sewage flows downhill. If your boss's boss wants you gone, you are going.

I suppose KP could have been like Petrie. He could have fallen on his own sword instead of firing a friend. Personally, I'm glad he didn't. The guy isn't perfect and I have disagreed with several of his decisions - but what better replacement is available?

 

[RagingBull04]

Sewage flows downhill. If your boss's boss wants you gone, you are going.

I suppose KP could have been like Petrie. He could have fallen on his own sword instead of firing a friend. Personally, I'm glad he didn't. The guy isn't perfect and I have disagreed with several of his decisions - but what better replacement is available?

Paul Allen is tired of being on his best behavior. Time to thug it up. Mark Warkentein or I'm even hearing that Trader Bob is ready to make a come back.

 

[Minstrel]

http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/2010/03/trail_blazers_to_take_their_ti.html

Larry Miller says that Pritchard will be the one with the final decison on Penn's replacement. Yet we are told that Pritchard had nothing to do with Penn's firing. Does he do the hiring and firing for the position, or doesn't he? Does he have any real power, or is it granted case by case?

This doesn't seem contradictory to me. Clearly, something major occurred that led the Blazers' management to feel Penn couldn't be kept. I doubt it was strictly performance-based, due to the suddenness of it and considering they just gave him a promotion/raise.

So if Miller or Vulcan in general decided Penn had to go for outside reasons, why wouldn't they have Pritchard hire the replacement? Unless you think the firing of Penn was also a warning shot at Pritchard (which I don't), it seems natural that they'd have their GM choose the new assistant GM.

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

The intent was not troll provoking comments.

One of the reasons why he was almost fired last summer, outside the Penn fiasco with Minnesota, was his lack of intel on Durant. And what I think was the lack of concern over Greg's pre-draft physical. He has obviously lived up to the red flags many GM's gave his physical, and then some.

Vulcan is obviously not happy with some of the moves KP has made, Oden/Durant being the main one apparently.

 

[julius]

This doesn't seem contradictory to me. Clearly, something major occurred that led the Blazers' management to feel Penn couldn't be kept. I doubt it was strictly performance-based, due to the suddenness of it and considering they just gave him a promotion/raise.

So if Miller or Vulcan in general decided Penn had to go for outside reasons, why wouldn't they have Pritchard hire the replacement? Unless you think the firing of Penn was also a warning shot at Pritchard (which I don't), it seems natural that they'd have their GM choose the new assistant GM.

There you go again using logic.

 

[Minstrel]

One of the reasons why he was almost fired last summer

[citation needed]

red flags many GM's gave his physical

[citation needed]

Vulcan is obviously not happy with some of the moves KP has made

[citation needed]

 

[jlprk]

In my first decade of office work I trained my inferiors, I mean equals, but got no credit for supervising. In my second decade I supervised, hired, and later had the power to fire. (I'm soft, so I got the boss to do it, but I could have.)

I guess Pritchard is at the first decade's level of supervision. He hires, but only the boss can fire. He's 2 or 3 levels under where Bob Whitsitt was.

No wonder the true managers don't want to give him a giant raise. His agent's getting Penn's revenge by churning up the fans about Pritchard not getting a giant raise. Totally unrelated issue.

 

[Minstrel]

I guess Pritchard is at the first decade's level of supervision. He hires, but only the boss can fire. He's 2 or 3 levels under where Bob Whitsitt was.

Kind of an odd, unsupported leap of logic. This doesn't show whether Pritchard can or can't fire employees. Just that he apparently didn't fire this one. If he had wanted to fire Penn, or anyone else under him, I'd be surprised if he couldn't.

 

[jlprk]

This could easily be his agent playing for a contract.

Don't tell anyone. This is too much fun.

In the wake of Tom Penn's firing, neither Paul Allen nor Kevin Pritchard were sitting in their customary courtside seats. Instead, Blazers President Larry Miller was flanked by Vulcan Flunky (and Paul Allen's college roommate), Bert Kolde.

There was also unusual attendance at the preceding game. Canzano wrote that he thought it strange that Vulcan CEO Tod Leiweke was at the game, until Canzano found out about Penn. By the way, Kolde isn't just a former roommate. He's also Vice Chairman of the Blazers, equal to Larry Miller, after Chairman Paul Allen.

It was the hapless Wizards. Nobody wanted to watch that sorry ass excuse of a team. Yes, I know they took the complacent, lethargic Blazers to the wire. Point is season ticket holders who rarely miss games decided to go to the movies last night. Geez.

No, I think the firing was the cause of the unusual attendance in the game before, and unusual lack thereof in the game after.

Why does anybody give a fucking shit about Tom Penn? Hell I can't even remember ever hearing of an assistant GM being fired in the past making news. Get the fuck over it.
Only in goddamn small Portland. I swear.

Produce such a list, and I'll tell you whether I saw any of the firings in the news. The point is...it never happens during the playing season. That's why it's news.

Maybe KP gets demoted to Penn's job.

Pritchard is no expert on the CBA, like Whitsitt was. He's no lawyer, like Penn was. He's no statistician running numbers on computers. He's a marketing guy, facile with talk, to the media. If he were demoted it would be to work with the Chief Marketing Officer, Sarah Mensah.

 

[BlazerWookee]

Assuming we lose kpee (reading between lines) I would say the ship is still afloat... HOWEVER... major moves need to be made to get us at the lakers level. Time to part ways with guys like martell and rudy. Bring in a legit 3rd scorer. An iggy type. Buy greg knee braces and limit his minutes. Resign camby and hope bayless figures IT out. Remember this.... kpee is kinda like nate. They are good enough to get you so far but to take the next step... you need upgrades IMO.

Wow though... what looked so great has turned into a coin toss on the future. Thats for sure.

You gotta be kidding me. You haven't had a single positive word to say about the Blazers since the day Ruben Patterson was traded.

Unbefuckingleivable.

 

[RoyToy]

There was also unusual attendance at the preceding game. Canzano wrote that he thought it strange that Vulcan CEO Tod Leiweke was at the game, until Canzano found out about Penn. By the way, Kolde isn't just a former roommate. He's also Vice Chairman of the Blazers, equal to Larry Miller, after Chairman Paul Allen.

That's interesting when you consider who Tod Leiweke is:

Tod Leiweke (born January 12, 1960, in St. Louis, Missouri) is an American sports executive. He is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the Seattle Seahawks National Football League team,and the Seattle Sounders FC, Major League Soccer team, both owned by Paul Allen; Leiweke also is the CEO of Vulcan Sports and Entertainment (VSE), a management company also owned by Allen which oversees Allen's sports-related properties.[1]

Leiweke joined the Seahawks in 2003. In 2005, he was instrumental in the firing of former Seahawks (and Blazers) president Bob Whitsitt;[2] the next year, the team advanced to Super Bowl XL, losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

In 2007, he became acting president of the Trail Blazers, replacing Steve Patterson. Vulcan Sports and Entertainment was created at that time.[3] Leiweke served as acting president until June 20 of that year, when the team named Larry Miller to be its president.

He's basically Paul Allen's right-hand man.

and just for you:

Leiweke joined the Seahawks in 2003. In 2005, he was instrumental in the firing of former Seahawks (and Blazers) president Bob Whitsitt;[2] the next year, the team advanced to Super Bowl XL, losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

And also:

Leiweke was the key deciding factor in the firing of former Seattle Seahawks coach Jim Mora Jr. in January of 2010.

Leiweke is a guy you don't want to see hanging around.