Thursday, September 13, 2007

Oden and his knee: sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy

I spent the day soaking up reactions to the news and trying to figure out how to react. I can tell you this: it really does suck.

This being the case, I'm tired of all the positivity going around. Oden is gone for the entire year, to a major knee surgery that has been known to end careers from time to time, and apparently we should be upbeat about this. Here's a brief list of reactions I've actually heard/read:
  • Hey, we'll probably get another top draft pick out of this!
  • LaMarcus will get a better chance to develop!
  • We'll really get to see what Channing Frye can do!
  • A new chance for some other guys to step up!
  • SOME players that got this surgery made AWESOME comebacks!

Wow, we really are lucky this happened! I bet Cleveland fans are way jealous LeBron hasn't had to go through knee surgery. I'm goin to buy scratch-its!

I learned something else. Apparently, anyone who is disappointed about this is an asshole. Let me review this again, maybe I missed something:

The #1 draft pick, a supposed franchise player, will not play at all this season. Because he is getting arthroscopic knee surgery.

So when people fire off frustrations about this, they're dicks? I know we are less and less accepting of people being pissed off, but humor me. I'm not as Vulcan as some. I want to be pissed off a little right now. Let me, and let everyone else. Keep in mind: this really does suck.


3 comments:

Justin said...

I can understand your frustration with all the gushy optimism that's floating around now. You have just as much of a right to be upset as anyone else does to be optimistic.

I think it really sucks that Oden is out for the year, but I'm choosing to look at what good could possibly come out of these circumstances. I could grump and be upset, but it won't do me any good to gripe about something that's already in the past and can't be changed now. I can only look to the future and try to find whatever good things that could come out of this that I can.

But as I said, that's me. If you wish to approach it differently, that's fine. I definitely believe in the cathartic effect of being upset and angry about things and if you want to take that approach, you have just as much a right to do that as anyone else who wants to try to be optimistic. But this also means you other people have a right to be optimistic if they want.

Good job with the blog--I enjoy it.

goonerluke said...

I consider myself a realist, so here is my spin on these unfortunate circumstances:


Yes, this does suck. It probably sets us back one whole season before the first championship. Maybe not though.

He won't be rushed back, there's no point to it, we're going to max him out no matter what, so it only makes sense to take your time now when the team is still in early development.

This definitely moves us into the top ten in the draft next year. And that, in a way, offsets the "loss" our team has taken, both this year and in any shortening of Oden's career. (I personally don't think this will affect Oden's "prime" years as a center. It might quicken his retirement by a few years, but he'll still be legendary and rich.)

Next year, with this season's development, Oden, Rudy, and our top ten pick, we will be in the playoffs and makin' noise. You can count on that.

Jack Brown said...

I agree with everything you both wrote. I've had my pouty time and feel better, bright days are ahead.