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BASKETBALL DIARIES As the 1997-98 hoops season begins, it would seem that Portland's two pro basketball teams have little in common aside from an impressive early record. The Blazers are a team of young men better known for missing practices and throwing tantrums than making three-pointers and catching fast breaks. The Power, by contrast, are a group of young women who last week took time from their schedule to help build housing for Portland's poor. The Blazers, who on average bring home $80,000 every two weeks, play in a league that encourages the team to market even marginal talent as superstardom. The Power, who earn about $80,000 a year, play in a league that downplays individual achievement. The Blazers regularly draw crowds of more than 20,000. The Power, on a good night, pull in less than a quarter of that. Despite those differences, the teams have the same goal: To build a following of fans radically different than those who traditionally support pro hoops in Portland. Anyone who has been to Memorial Coliseum when the women take the floor knows that this is more than just basketball. It's a mission. Despite the talent exhibited by the women on the court, the most striking thing about a Power game is the women in the stands. It's not just adolescent girls cheering on their heroes; it's also the demographic euphemistically called "single professional women." In “They’re Here, They’re Queer, They’re Portland Power Fans,”WW contributor Patty Wentz explores the Power's appeal to Portland's lesbian community and why the struggling women's league has decided to acknowledge and support its queer following. The Blazers, meanwhile, are going through changes of their own. Until the past couple of years, Portland fans had a comfortingly familiar routine. They'd hunker down each November to watch Clyde, Terry, Jerome and Buck lead the team to playoffs--only to falter in the stretch. Nobody really minded, because they tried hard and, besides, they were such nice guys. That all changed when General Manager Bob Whitsitt came to down. He broke up the core of that near-championship team and replaced it with a group of young men quickly dubbed the "Jail Blazers." In “Trailblazer GM Bob Whitsitt Talks Trash,” former WW editor Ron Buel sits down with the controversial GM to discuss whether the Blazers can win games, and a loyal following, with players who seem as likely to garner headlines for their mug shots as their jump shots. |
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