Hey, did you see this?

http://blog.oregonlive.com/sportsupdates/2008/03/rose_garden_picked_to_host_nca.html

Just today I was thinking that Portland hosting these games would be fun (really an odd thing for me to think since I haven't watched a single second of NCAA ball this year).

To get to 300, just today I learned that Western Kentucky is in the tournament.  I was born in Bowling Green, KY, so I guess that makes me a fan by default.  But Hilltoppers, what the heck is a hilltopper?.  Have you seen their mascot- big red blob. But they won, so go big red!

This link is actually from Oregon Live's links (also linked today by Ben)- I thought it was pretty funny.

First Channing insults Sacramento in his blog:
http://www.channingfrye.com/blog/?p=28

Then on our sister site, the fans of Sacramento fight back.  Well, sort of:
http://www.sactownroyalty.com/story/2008/3/10/162215/065

Interesting "behind the story" blog from Jason Quick about a story set to run in tomorrow's Oregonian.

http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/2008/03/the_making_of_a_point_jack_str.html

I'm curious what people with strong opinions on Jack think of the transcript of Quick's interview at the end.

So at the game today, during at least 50% of the timeouts, the Lakers coaches did not talk to their team.  They stood on the court and did something that involved a clipboard.  The players who were in the game at the time drank water and sat in their chairs.  Those not  currently in the game watched the Blazer Jam Squad. At one point, I thought a Laker reserve player was going to join them in dancing.

This happened even when the game was very very close, and I think even when the Lakers had actually called one of the timeouts.
I've never seen anything like it.  Is this normal for the Lakers?  Why?

Of course, I don't think James is BETTER than Brandon.  But our "freefall," such as it is, started when Jones's production fell off.  Presumably- although not necessarily- this was related to him beginning to feel pain in the knee again.

But it sure looks like the effect on our offense when we don't have a steady outside shot- as well as the effect on the opposition's defense- is HUGE.

Waddya think?

No, I don't want to debate his play. I would like to discuss his facial hair.
This photo is Jack, right?  And that's a mustache, right?  Is it new?  And if so, can we make fun of him just for the heck of it?

filler filler, how about that Brandon Roy, filler filler
And darn that Haslem for not managing one more rebound to get me 10 more points in the jersey contest.

Players will get injured and throw our rotation out of whack.
82 games is a heckuva long season. We'll be tired in the playoffs (whatever year we get back).

This type of loss is a true test of "are we real"?

Maybe we win tomorrow.  Maybe we're tired and come out flat.
Does a loss today (or even more, a loss tomorrow) make us blow the entire road trip, or do we still salvage our 2-4 wins and come back to the Rose Garden strong?

It's from "Mr. Jones" by Mike Jones. I'd never heard of it till I searched online, but the video has been watched almost 3,000,000 times on youtube, so I guess I'm just old and out of it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iPINFbs9KE

In other player music soundbite news, to make sure I have 300 characters, I would swear I heard the Flinstones theme song when Roy scored today.  Anyone else hear that?  And am I missing an obvious connection there?

I'm going to have to ramble to get this long enough to post.

Is this music in the background of the "streak video" from an actual song? (see the link to the video as of win 9)  I love it, probably because it just reminds me of the streak now.  I hope it lasts until they return home, because I want to see the outrageous Travis dunk added as the clip from game 13.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=RVoRCb016mo