Walton On Oden (WW)

[ABM]

It's old news, but perhaps you missed it.

http://blogs.wweek.com/news/2009/05/04/what-bill-walton-thinks-about-greg-oden/

Bill Walton—who knows a lot about playing center in the NBA, coming back from injuries and winning a championship for the Trail Blazers—says it’s way too soon for Blazers fans to give up on injury-plagued center Greg Oden after his rookie season.

“It’s a mistake to denigrate his game at this point,” Walton told WW this morning in a telephone interview. “Coming back from the surgery he had, it’s not easy.”

Here’s what else Walton had to say about Oden…...

 

[oldmangrouch]

Not to put too fine a point on it - but fuck Walton, and fuck his opinion. He has NOTHING to say about the Blazers that I want to hear!

 

[Shooter]

Not to put too fine a point on it - but fuck Walton, and fuck his opinion. He has NOTHING to say about the Blazers that I want to hear!

Really? I'm VERY interested in hearing what Walton has to say, especially since he's a big man who had to contend with leg and foot injuries, just like Oden. I'd say that Walton's insights on Oden have an extra significance because of that fact.

 

[Wheels]

As Walton is one of the WORST announcers I have EVER heard.. I have to agree with Old Man Grouch on this one.. its like listening to a Down Syndrome Lou Holtz.

 

[mgb]

Walton got us our only championship and knows what it takes to win. I'll listen to anything he says. He's probably the best Trail Blazers ever. Of course he can be annoying at times.

 

[BIG Q]

Walton got us our only championship and knows what it takes to win. I'll listen to anything he says. He's probably the best Trail Blazers ever. Of course he can be annoying at times.

This, and I would certainly listen to Walton over the crap that Drexler spews and is some how revered for. When it comes to BBIQ and team ball one would be hard pressed to find a more knowledgable player. The fact he is a former Blazer that does not hate the organization as Drexler seems to endears me to him even more. Yes, his schtick can be annoying, but he is one of us. He has always been generous with praise when due and also called out players/management when due. I see no agenda on his part where as Drexler is purely agenda driven.

Given the above I certainly put a lot of stock into what he says inregards to Oden. Walton has been at the very top of his craft despite injuries. He was also unbiased enough to say that the NBA is no place for softies, which I am sure we can all agree on. Walton is worthy of our respect and he is a knowledgable voice.

 

[SnakeOiler]

Walton is one of the biggest pussies ever. He single-handedly destroyed the Blazers for several years VIA lawsuit and because he has pussy ankles.

 

[RoyIsClutch07]

This, and I would certainly listen to Walton over the crap that Drexler spews and is some how revered for. When it comes to BBIQ and team ball one would be hard pressed to find a more knowledgable player. The fact he is a former Blazer that does not hate the organization as Drexler seems to endears me to him even more. Yes, his schtick can be annoying, but he is one of us. He has always been generous with praise when due and also called out players/management when due. I see no agenda on his part where as Drexler is purely agenda driven.

Given the above I certainly put a lot of stock into what he says inregards to Oden. Walton has been at the very top of his craft despite injuries. He was also unbiased enough to say that the NBA is no place for softies, which I am sure we can all agree on. Walton is worthy of our respect and he is a knowledgable voice.

I've got news for you. Walton is not a blazer at heart. He is a laker. Whether if it has anything to do with Luke or if it has to do with where LA is geographically to where he lives. He is a laker at heart.

Just listen to him sometime.

 

[oldmangrouch]

Walton almost destroyed the franchise. He screwed his coach, team-mates, and fans over a dispute with his Dr. Once he got to San Diego, he barely played....and still claimed his new Drs were taking better care of him than the Blazers had. Since retiring, he hasn't missed a chance to bad-mouth the team. He constantly sniped at the Drexler era teams for being "stupid", and he couldn't wait to jump on the "JailBlazers" bandwagon.

He isn't a "Blazer at heart", and probably wasn't one even when he wore the uniform and cashed the (fat) paychecks.

 

[mgb]

Walton felt that the Blazers shouldn't have let him play which resulted in a stress fracture. I have mix feelings on this. He wanted to play, but the docs should know if he should play or not, but then again they have to rely in part on the player and if he thinks he can play. He did sue over this. Equating this to practically destroying the franchise is just plain over the top bull shit.

 

[BBert]

This, and I would certainly listen to Walton over the crap that Drexler spews and is some how revered for. When it comes to BBIQ and team ball one would be hard pressed to find a more knowledgable player. The fact he is a former Blazer that does not hate the organization as Drexler seems to endears me to him even more. Yes, his schtick can be annoying, but he is one of us. He has always been generous with praise when due and also called out players/management when due. I see no agenda on his part where as Drexler is purely agenda driven.

Given the above I certainly put a lot of stock into what he says inregards to Oden. Walton has been at the very top of his craft despite injuries. He was also unbiased enough to say that the NBA is no place for softies, which I am sure we can all agree on. Walton is worthy of our respect and he is a knowledgable voice.

What he said.

 

[BBert]

He constantly sniped at the Drexler era teams for being "stupid", and he couldn't wait to jump on the "JailBlazers" bandwagon.

Drexler was an amazingly gifted athlete and basketball player, but he was not and is not smart, and he did not and does not have a great work ethic. I for one never hammered the "Jailblazers" but Walton did because he was ashamed and disgusted that in his mind certain players were sullying the Trail Blazers image. He wasn't the only person who felt that way.

 

[SnakeOiler]

Drexler was an amazingly gifted athlete and basketball player, but he was not and is not smart, and he did not and does not have a great work ethic. I for one never hammered the "Jailblazers" but Walton did because he was ashamed and disgusted that in his mind certain players were sullying the Trail Blazers image. He wasn't the only person who felt that way.

This is delusional. Walton is an asshat.

 

[BBert]

This is delusional. Walton is an asshat.

I will add that Bill does have some Lakers blood in him, and probably did from childhood. And he can be pretty annoying (yet funny if you can stomach it enough to roll with it). So yeah, there is some asshat in him, LOL.

As for the worst announcer ever as someone posted, that would be Magic Johnson. For anyone not old enough to have been subjected to that moron providing "commentary" during an NBA game, consider yourself lucky.

 

[Blazer_Hippie]

Bill Walton rocks...

THE END.

 

[SnakeOiler]

Bill Walton rocks...

THE END.

I like that his pussy ankles are missing from the lame pic with the beer above him. Looks like shitty Michelob. Walton sucks.

 

[BIG Q]

I like that his pussy ankles are missing from the lame pic with the beer above him. Looks like shitty Michelob. Walton sucks.

Keep trying to sell that snakeoil. Mentioning Waltons "Pussy ankles" is utterly ridiculous. Are you ODENISGOD is recarnate? As if he had some sort of control over his injuries, seriously. The man was an incredible player and I hope you are just a 20 something imp that was not fortunate enough to actually watch Walton handle Kareem, Malone and other centers of his day.

As for Walton single handedly trying to destroy the Blazers, bullshit! He was forced to take painkillers and to play when everyone clearly knew that he should not. He is the poster boy for why players get their own doctors to check them out instead of some of the butchers that were employed by the teams. He was right to file suit against the Blazers, the team doctor and Ron Culp. Waltons long term health and career were never factored into the decions regarding his injuries in Portland. And his suit did jack squat to the Blazers. It did not cost them a draft pick, salary cap room or anything else other than the ambarrassement of handling his injuries poorly.

 

[BIG Q]

Walton almost destroyed the franchise. He screwed his coach, team-mates, and fans over a dispute with his Dr. Once he got to San Diego, he barely played....and still claimed his new Drs were taking better care of him than the Blazers had. Since retiring, he hasn't missed a chance to bad-mouth the team. He constantly sniped at the Drexler era teams for being "stupid", and he couldn't wait to jump on the "JailBlazers" bandwagon.

He isn't a "Blazer at heart", and probably wasn't one even when he wore the uniform and cashed the (fat) paychecks.

Look, a post full of complete and utter bullshit. Walton did not almost destroy the franchise, that would be the "Jailblazers" that nearly accomplished that feat. Walton is revered by Ramsey and his former Blazers teammates proving that he did not screw them. And I am sure his doctors in San Diego did take better care of him. It is just a shame that after his Portland stint he did not have much left at all.

And news flash, the Drexler era teams were "stupid." If you think Clyde, Kersey or Uncle Spliffy were high BBIQ guys then you were drinking too much Kool Aid. Great athletes but terrible at executing plays in crunch time. Smart teams like Detroit, LAL and then Chicago exposed the weaknesses.

As far as the fat paychecks, I am sure he makes more as a commentator than he did as a player. They were not paid much in his day.

The impression I get from your rant is that you are/were upset that the Ramsey coached team did not win more titles and blame it all on Walton. That is a real shame. Sure, I wanted that second title too. But several players got big heads and had to be moved. Walton never went out on the court and said "today I will break an ankle and then go cash a big fat check." I am certain he would have loved to never have been injured and to have played in every game. Not a doubt in my mind on that.

 

[LittleAlex]

Walton was the key player on one of the greatest teams in NBA history. Certainly one of the most entertaining to watch.

He along with Lucas won the only title the Blazers have ever won.

I think Walton might have a point when complaining about the doctors of Portland clearing him to play when he really shouldn't have.

I simply don't understand where this hate comes from.

Oh, and I thought Walton was one of the funniest announcers on TV. I honestly believe he was just talking shit the whole time.

 

[fumanchu]

I'm not a big fan of Walton either. Other than Sabonis I can't think of many times when he was all that positive about the Blazers. I remember a whole lot of negative things though.

Regardless, his evaluation of Oden seems to be spot on. And if there's anyone that can relate to Oden's situation it's him.

 

[BBert]

I simply don't understand where this hate comes from.

Because to some Walton was a dirty hippy liberal. At least, that's my best guess.

 

[SnakeOiler]

Because to some Walton was a dirty hippy liberal. At least, that's my best guess.

I am far more liberal than Walton. He won a championship, then immediately got injured the next year, blamed everyone but himself for his pussy ankles, then shit all over his team and the city. He defines egotism.

 

[Blazer_Hippie]

I am far more liberal than Walton. He won a championship, then immediately got injured the next year, blamed everyone but himself for his pussy ankles, then shit all over his team and the city. He defines egotism.

Yeah...he's such an arse for getting injured

 

[SnakeOiler]

Yeah...he's such an arse for getting injured

He is for blaming everyone else but himself.

 

[oldmangrouch]

He is for blaming everyone else but himself.

True. He never once admited the tiniest possibility that his penchant for weird, fad diets might have contributed to his problems. And if even half the stories about his drug use were true, he made Sheed, Damon, et al look like Mormons!

I don't care if people smoke weed....but when I hear stories about a pro athlete messing with mescaline, peyote, and LSD - that's a problem.

 

[oldmangrouch]

Because to some Walton was a dirty hippy liberal. At least, that's my best guess.

Not even close!

 

[BBert]

As I remember it, and I could be wrong (shocking, huh?), in his law suit Walton claimed the team doctor (Robert Cook) was shooting up his legs and ankles and feet (or whatever) so he could play, against his wishes, which masked the symptoms of his injuries and led to his pretty catastrophic injuries. When the team countered that his Cocaine use contributed to masking the symptoms of his injuries, which contributed to the further injury, the suit was dropped, seemingly so he wouldn't incriminate himself. It appeared the team had him over a barrel, and he was pretty bitter about it. That could be totally wrong, but that's an IIRC.

 

[BBert]

Not even close!

That's good to hear. But you must recall there was a certain animosity toward him at the time for his political views and lifestyle. At least there was in the conservative bastion I was living in.

 

[oldmangrouch]

As I remember it, and I could be wrong (shocking, huh?), in his law suit Walton claimed the team doctor (Robert Cook) was shooting up his legs and ankles and feet (or whatever) so he could play, against his wishes, which masked the symptoms of his injuries and led to his pretty catastrophic injuries. When the team countered that his Cocaine use contributed to masking the symptoms of his injuries, which contributed to the further injury, the suit was dropped, seemingly so he wouldn't incriminate himself. It appeared the team had him over a barrel, and he was pretty bitter about it. That could be totally wrong, but that's an IIRC.

I don't recall all the details after all this time either.

I do recall this: Bobby Gross had a partially torn ligament. They shot his leg up with cortisone and novacaine and had him play anyway - with predictable results.

I always found it odd the Walton said he got hurt *exactly* the same way. It is hard to explain why even a complete doofus of a Dr would make the same mistake twice in a matter of weeks.

In any event, that doesn't explain why he took his dispute with his Dr out on his team-mates and fans.

 

[oldmangrouch]

That's good to hear. But you must recall there was a certain animosity toward him at the time for his political views and lifestyle. At least there was in the conservative bastion I was living in.

You're right, there was hostility towards him over some pretty silly stuff.

As for me....I was a student at U of O when Walton was at UCLA. I WAS one of those dirty hippies!