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In this week's issue, we suggested signs people could make to mock LaMarcus Aldridge on his first return to Portland since leaving the Blazers to play for the San Antonio Spurs. Little did we know that the Moda Center was prepared to block even the most innocent of signs. At least one very loyal fan was troubled by this. This is her story.
BY LYSSIA MERRIFIELD
Ever since the day LaMarcus Aldridge officially announced he would be leaving Portland and heading to the Spurs, I knew I would be at their first game at the Moda Center. So it's funny that I waited until the day of to buy tickets. My husband and I go to a lot of games every year, including the opening game—which we went to a couple weeks ago—and playoff games if we make it to post-season. My husband was born and raised in Portland; I moved here in 2006 and immediately took up fandom, so we've been with the Trail Blazers and the Rose Garden…er, Moda Center, through some ups and downs. I wasn't pleased at all when the naming rights were sold and my favorite part of the game, the intro where that booming voice yells, "…and the Rose Garden is our house," was taken out of the experience.
But since then, I've accepted the new name and come to enjoy some of the new features they've added. The new food lineup is pretty sweet, and I love all the local options. Two seasons ago, during the playoffs against the Rockets, they surprised me with free face-painting for fans, and I've gotten my face painted at every game I've attended since.
I'm also an occasional sign maker when I get inspired. So on Wednesday of this week, I was looking at Facebook on my lunch break—while also watching YouTube videos of Lillard's buzzer beater to beat the Rockets, which still makes me cry every time (I was at that game, and it was easily the best moment of my life to date)—when I saw the WW article about signs to make for L.A.'s return. I decided to buy the tickets right then and there, though I don't know why I waited until the day of. Like I said, I knew I was going to be at the game—maybe it was the excitement of buying last minute.
We got to the game, and my husband got in line for a beer while I went to the sign station to make my "LaMeh" masterpiece. I struggled with the spacing and had to squish in the "E" and "H," and was looking at it disappointingly when one of the attendees came over, shuffled the basket of markers and then said, "You can't make anything negative." I looked up and cocked my head to the side. I was confused. I'd never been told this before, and I've seen plenty of negative signs—I've made them myself and I've seen them on the sign station's list of sign-making ideas! At the opening game I made a sign that said "NOPElicans" (kind of hard to understand, but NOPE was the prominent word and it was about the Pelicans) and the sign makers asked me to explain it to them, but had no problems with it.
The attendee repeated herself, saying she didn't know what I was going to write, but if it was about L.A., I couldn't say anything negative. I told her it said all it was intended to say—I knew it was at least not positive, and I didn't want to spell it out for her, so maybe she'd let me keep it. I asked it was a new rule, and she said no. I said, "Well, OK then," and walked away, embarrassed, confused and a bit angry.
My husband gave me my beer and asked if I still wanted to get my face painted. Might as well, I thought. But the moment I got into line to get my face painted at the newly revamped "Tattoo Parlor" in the 300 level, an attendant came up to me and said that it was only for kids and that if I had a child I could get my face painted. I felt like wind had been sucked out of me. I was getting knocked down at every turn! Did I have some kind of target on me telling them to make sure I had no fun at all at this game? I'm a die-hard Trail Blazers fan, ready to ride the waves up and down and support my team whatever comes, but this was not the reward I was expecting.
There were a couple upsides to the evening. The Brown Sisters killed it again on the national anthem. The booing was so well choreographed and limited to L.A.'s possession of the ball that it seemed like we all planned it. And all the pregame shenanigans I went through got me all pissed off and riled up and ready to boo.
Willamette Week