Tom Penn fired?

[WillG]

Possibly, with the two big dogs in the Front Office going toe-to-toe, there was some back stabbing, and alliegence/alliances forming going on.

I guess one of them had to go before an "us and them" situation occurred in the front office.
Looks like KP won out, though, it is surprising to hear that people thought Penn would end up running the team, given that KP is quite well regarded as a GM.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

LOLZ, Woj is following me on twitter now for some reason.

 

[Nate Dogg]

maybe he was stealing office supplies.

He stole the red stapler!

 

[Nate Dogg]

My guess would be some sort of disagreement that couldn't be reconciled, something "criminal" or something to do with HCP's wife.

I knew she was into another trade that we didn't know!

 

[ehizzy3]

League sources have been describing unrest in front office for months, centered on Pritchard's inability to get new contract after Penn did.

They have?

 

[jlprk]

Many links in this thread. Here's a summary of them.

Penn rubbed owner Paul Allen the wrong way in the draft war room that netted Greg Oden in June 2008. But then why would Allen give Penn a raise and promotion in May 2009. Something more recent must have been the last straw. Vulcan headquarters was livid in August 2009 after they realized Penn played them in getting a raise and promotion out of the phantom Minnesota offer.

Dunleavy was fired as the Clippers GM a couple of weeks ago. Penn says he hasn't pursued jobs with other teams since Minnesota. But he was, with the Clippers (high draft pick, lots of cap space). He used the wrong channels and got ratted out. Penn knows the Blazer draft board, free agents we want, and Pritchard's favored offseason trades. Penn has too much intimate Blazer knowledge to let him walk to a conference competitor before the draft. So maybe Paul Allen feared that Penn was letting out secrets (accidentally or on purpose) in his backchannel communications with the Clippers to secure a job (beginning either before or after the draft). But here's an argument against the theory that he was planning to leave for the Clippers--He wouldn't have left till after the draft. So he would have been fired after the draft, not before.

Penn, Pritchard, and ex-Blazers GM John Nash all have the same agent, Warren Legarie, who has been involved with the Clippers extensively. Pritchard helped Penn leverage a raise by declining the Minny GM job. Pritchard expected to get a new deal, too. Ownership emphatically declined, followed by front office unrest for months. Penn has been scouting this week with Pritchard. Pritchard knows Penn is in trouble, and the relationship has become strained. Pritchard, his good buddy, was unable to save Penn.

 

[Natebishop3]

Many links in this thread. Here's a summary of them.

Penn rubbed owner Paul Allen the wrong way in the draft war room that netted Greg Oden in June 2008. But then why would Allen give Penn a raise and promotion in May 2009. Something more recent must have been the last straw. Vulcan headquarters was livid in August 2009 after they realized Penn played them in getting a raise and promotion out of the phantom Minnesota offer.

Dunleavy was fired as the Clippers GM a couple of weeks ago. Penn says he hasn't pursued jobs with other teams since Minnesota. But he was, with the Clippers (high draft pick, lots of cap space). He used the wrong channels and got ratted out. Penn knows the Blazer draft board, free agents we want, and Pritchard's favored offseason trades. Penn has too much intimate Blazer knowledge to let him walk to a conference competitor before the draft. So maybe Paul Allen feared that Penn was letting out secrets (accidentally or on purpose) in his backchannel communications with the Clippers to secure a job (beginning either before or after the draft). But here's an argument against the theory that he was planning to leave for the Clippers--He wouldn't have left till after the draft. So he would have been fired after the draft, not before.

Penn, Pritchard, and ex-Blazers GM John Nash all have the same agent, Warren Legarie, who has been involved with the Clippers extensively. Pritchard helped Penn leverage a raise by declining the Minny GM job. Pritchard expected to get a new deal, too. Ownership emphatically declined, followed by front office unrest for months. Penn has been scouting this week with Pritchard. Pritchard knows Penn is in trouble, and the relationship has become strained. Pritchard, his good buddy, was unable to save Penn.

Oliver Stone, is that you?

 

[MickZagger]

BTW, is anybody going to exlain the "crazy wife" comments?

She's actually a dude. A really big dude.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Doesn't that suck when you come back from your vacation more tired than when you left? Wherever you went, I hope you and your family had a good time.

We did, Maxie, thanks. It was 5 days of Disney.

 

[jlprk]

Oliver Stone, is that you?

There are about 6-8 solid links in this thread, so I thought I'd save you time by summarizing them. (Quick, Canzano, The Columbian, Yahoo, Wojnarowski's Twitter, etc.) (The 2nd comment after Canzano's article was informative.)

 

[Bob Dobalina]

There are about 6-8 solid links in this thread, so I thought I'd save you time by summarizing them. (Quick, Canzano, The Columbian, Yahoo, Wojnarowski's Twitter, etc.) (The 2nd comment after Canzano's article was informative.)

Count me as one who appreciates that.

 

[BoBoBREWSKI]

Count me as one who appreciates that.

Me too. Repped.

 

[Pinwheel1]

Is there any one else that is un sure of what Tom Penn did on a day to day basis and therefore does not give a shit that he is gone? The Blazers to me did seem a little too "top heavy".

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

Man BD503 is hardcore since his return. New image? Hilarious...

One would think drug rehab would mellow a person out.

 

[maxiep]

Most of these backstories from "sources" are contradictory. It's going to be a while before we can separate the wheat from the chaff. Right now, I'm not buying any of it. The truth is like shit; it will eventually rise to the top of the bowl.

 

[THE HCP]

I have a feeling we will never know what really happen

 

[e_blazer]

It seems kind of curious to me that Penn got the axe on the day that the Bosh rumors broke. Makes me wonder if perhaps Tom may have done some talking out of school. I could see Geoffrey Arnold calling him up to do a little checking on whether there was any way the Blazers could make a deal involving Aldridge for Bosh work. I could also see Aldridge's agent or Bosh's agent calling him after the story hit the wires to see if there's anything to it. For that matter, the Raptors may very well have called and asked what was up with this rumor. All kinds of opportunities for Penn to have said something that he shouldn't have about the Blazers' summer plans.

Like THE said, we'll probably never know the real story, but it makes for some fun times speculating about it.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

Is there any one else that is un sure of what Tom Penn did on a day to day basis and therefore does not give a shit that he is gone? The Blazers to me did seem a little too "top heavy".

He's a cap genius!

 

[BoBoBREWSKI]

Its on ESPN's front page now.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5003209

 

[The_Lillard_King]

Alright here is the rumor I heard . . . Penn's agent used information that Penn had a pending GM offer with Minny when negotiating his promotion. Vulcan has since learned that Penn never had anything close to a offer from Minny . . . and thus the firing.

 

[oldmangrouch]

Alright here is the rumor I heard . . . Penn's agent used information that Penn had a pending GM offer with Minny when negotiating his promotion. Vulcan has since learned that Penn never had anything close to a offer from Minny . . . and thus the firing.

Makes sense.

I was going to go with PA finding out that Penn got loaded and told some of his old friends with the Grizz how easy it would be to screw Portland over Miles.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

I figured he just called Larry Miller the n-word.

 

[Minstrel]

Considering Tom Penn is a cap genius, I'll bet this "firing" is just a way to exploit some obscure loophole, which will end up getting Portland a trade exception.

Then Penn will be hired back and all will be well in Camelot again.

Clever, clever guys.

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

I figured he just called Larry Miller the n-word.

Deleted.

 

[hasoos]

My guess is he went fishing for better jobs even though the Blazers just gave him a premo deal not long ago to stay. That tends to piss of the folks who gave you your position.

 

[Trader Ed]

We did, Maxie, thanks. It was 5 days of Disney.

Glad you had fun MM

 

[SlyPokerDog]

I figured he just called Larry Miller the n-word.

nike?

 

[LittleAlex]

Many links in this thread. Here's a summary of them.

Penn rubbed owner Paul Allen the wrong way in the draft war room that netted Greg Oden in June 2008. But then why would Allen give Penn a raise and promotion in May 2009. Something more recent must have been the last straw. Vulcan headquarters was livid in August 2009 after they realized Penn played them in getting a raise and promotion out of the phantom Minnesota offer.

Dunleavy was fired as the Clippers GM a couple of weeks ago. Penn says he hasn't pursued jobs with other teams since Minnesota. But he was, with the Clippers (high draft pick, lots of cap space). He used the wrong channels and got ratted out. Penn knows the Blazer draft board, free agents we want, and Pritchard's favored offseason trades. Penn has too much intimate Blazer knowledge to let him walk to a conference competitor before the draft. So maybe Paul Allen feared that Penn was letting out secrets (accidentally or on purpose) in his backchannel communications with the Clippers to secure a job (beginning either before or after the draft). But here's an argument against the theory that he was planning to leave for the Clippers--He wouldn't have left till after the draft. So he would have been fired after the draft, not before.

Penn, Pritchard, and ex-Blazers GM John Nash all have the same agent, Warren Legarie, who has been involved with the Clippers extensively. Pritchard helped Penn leverage a raise by declining the Minny GM job. Pritchard expected to get a new deal, too. Ownership emphatically declined, followed by front office unrest for months. Penn has been scouting this week with Pritchard. Pritchard knows Penn is in trouble, and the relationship has become strained. Pritchard, his good buddy, was unable to save Penn.

This is the first I have heard of ownership being even slightly unhappy with KP. I wonder if this has even the slightest amount of validity and, if so, what that means for the teams future. Does KP's contract run out this summer like Nate's does?

 

[Mediocre Man]

This is the first I have heard of ownership being even slightly unhappy with KP. I wonder if this has even the slightest amount of validity and, if so, what that means for the teams future. Does KP's contract run out this summer like Nate's does?

Oden over Durant

Letting the "best trade chip in the history of the league" just expire

Blowing 3 million on Sergio



He has had some obvious hits with Roy, Aldridge and Batum, but he's not the golden boy many people here make him out to be.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

This is the first I have heard of ownership being even slightly unhappy with KP. I wonder if this has even the slightest amount of validity and, if so, what that means for the teams future. Does KP's contract run out this summer like Nate's does?

Kenny Vance was talking about this on 95.5 today with Jason Quick, claiming that some unnamed league executive was telling him during summer league that KP's job was in jeopardy. Specifically that Paul Allen is becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the team's development, that Allen is unhappy that we picked Oden over Durant, and that he feels the team is behind schedule in terms of becoming a championship contender. Don't know if there's any validity to any of that, but that was the discussion.