kevin pritchard fired

[Dr. Spaceman]

I like how you both somehow flipped this on Pritchard, as if he asked for this to happen. You call it defiantly forcing the Blazers hand, when it's more likely that he just simply wanted to stay with the team that he had spent the last several years of his life constructing from absolute scratch.

We all recognize that he's one of the most accomplished GMs we have in the league -- he put together an exciting squad with tremendous potential (marred by the worst luck known to man) and publicly said he was going to fight for his job. Why would you think it'd be easy for him to walk away from something so personally important, so gratifying and special, even with the threat of a replacement looming over him? All that great work put in, all those personal connections to the players and coaches he assembled, just to have to start all over somewhere else for no rational reason? That should be a tough pill for anyone with pride to swallow.

Furthermore, he wasn't fired on draft day. All indications are that he was fired in March, or at least was told he would be fired. \

So you're just going to ignore the news articles that state that Allen met with him yesterday before the draft and told him he was dismissed? Reports that he would be fired lingered for months, sure, but he was never actually fired. That would involve him no longer being able to go to work. Which he continued to to do even though you said he was fired in March. Reports and rumors are just that -- the situation they were reporting was not realized in actuality until yesterday.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5325352

 

[pdxKingsFan]

You call it defiantly forcing the Blazers hand, when it's more likely that he just simply wanted to stay with the team that he had spent the last several years of his life constructing from absolute scratch.http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5325352

They fired all his people and made it quite clear he was next. Normally that is to give a person who has done good thing for an organization the opportunity and professional courtesy to resign on their own accord. Pritchard elected not to do that, so yes, I do consider that defiantly forcing their hands. Right or wrong isn't the issue because I have said numerous times that the Blazers are wrong here.

 

[Sparky6string]

Defiantly forcing their hands regarding his job though. Defiantly might have a negative connotation but here it is not a pejorative. If it's his then it's his.

 

[Big Cuz 15]

They fired all his people and made it quite clear he was next. Normally that is to give a person who has done good thing for an organization the opportunity and professional courtesy to resign on their own accord. Pritchard elected not to do that, so yes, I do consider that defiantly forcing their hands. Right or wrong isn't the issue because I have said numerous times that the Blazers are wrong here.

so if he resigns on his own accord, does that mean he voids the last year of his contract? how is that being defiant by doing the job he was hired to do? if they don't like him anymore, just fire him. why drag it through the mud

 

[Packt]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=aw-trailblazers032210

Vulcan, the Blazers’ parent company, had watched Pritchard embark upon several selfish and destructive bents, and strong sentiment existed to fire him. Owner Paul Allen and the Vulcan executives no longer trusted him to put the franchise before his own ambitions. The list of transgressions that troubled Vulcan always came back to similar themes: Pritchard’s thirst for public adulation, money and power.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

so if he resigns on his own accord, does that mean he voids the last year of his contract? how is that being defiant by doing the job he was hired to do? if they don't like him anymore, just fire him. why drag it through the mud

When you "resign" in that fashion it isn't really resigning. He was being fired, the organization knew it was a PR disaster and was trying to save face by offering him a way out. Surely they would have bought out his contract.

One other thing, I happen to be a union member and supporter but the notion that a job belongs to the employee and not the employer is a bit absurd to me.

 

[Superman]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=aw-trailblazers032210

I'm probably not qualified to make an estimation, but none of that sounds familiar. I don't remember hearing of anything that Pritchard was doing that sounded like a "thirst for public adulation, money and power". Sounds trumped up.

 

[Superman]

I like how you both somehow flipped this on Pritchard, as if he asked for this to happen. You call it defiantly forcing the Blazers hand, when it's more likely that he just simply wanted to stay with the team that he had spent the last several years of his life constructing from absolute scratch.

We all recognize that he's one of the most accomplished GMs we have in the league -- he put together an exciting squad with tremendous potential (marred by the worst luck known to man) and publicly said he was going to fight for his job. Why would you think it'd be easy for him to walk away from something so personally important, so gratifying and special, even with the threat of a replacement looming over him? All that great work put in, all those personal connections to the players and coaches he assembled, just to have to start all over somewhere else for no rational reason? That should be a tough pill for anyone with pride to swallow.



So you're just going to ignore the news articles that state that Allen met with him yesterday before the draft and told him he was dismissed? Reports that he would be fired lingered for months, sure, but he was never actually fired. That would involve him no longer being able to go to work. Which he continued to to do even though you said he was fired in March. Reports and rumors are just that -- the situation they were reporting was not realized in actuality until yesterday.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5325352

Let me ask you, what would you do if you were Pritchard? "Hey we're gonna let you go, but work the Draft tonight, k? Thanks." I don't think anyone could be press-ganged into that kind of service, much less one of the most highly regarded GMs in the NBA. Like I said, "**** you very much". No reason for Pritchard to work the Draft unless he wanted to. Whether the rest of the story is straight or not, he wouldn't work it unless he wanted to.

 

[Big Cuz 15]

kevin pritchard is going to the nets

http://ken-berger.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/11838893/22806263?tag=headlines;nba

 

[pdxKingsFan]

I'm probably not qualified to make an estimation, but none of that sounds familiar. I don't remember hearing of anything that Pritchard was doing that sounded like a "thirst for public adulation, money and power". Sounds trumped up.

It is interesting to note that article was written in March not in the last week. I do recall the incidents with the Wolves getting light press.

All in all in makes me appreciate Petrie a lot more. As far as we know he hasn't gone and negotiated with other teams to attempt a pay raise. When the Maloofs started meddling he played ball and didn't sell them down the river even when they were proven to be wrong on more than one occasion. His silence can be frustrating at times but his moves the past few seasons have convinced me he has a vision and it has the full backing of the family.

 

[Vlade4GM]

lmao it had nothing to do with "forecasting". He was an injury prone project big man when he was picked. He's the kind of guy who just finds ways to get hurt, and people were saying that prior to the draft. It was a very, very risky pick that didn't work out.

I believe almost every GM in the league would've taken Oden in Portland's situation, with all the same information they had. At the time, that was the right decision. You can argue there were warning signs, but he was not injury prone before the draft, so I call BS on that one.

It's easy for us in hindsight to say it was the wrong decision, but decisions aren't made with the benefit of hindsight, so they shouldn't be judged that way.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

I believe almost every GM in the league would've taken Oden in Portland's situation, with all the same information they had. At the time, that was the right decision. You can argue there were warning signs, but he was not injury prone before the draft, so I call BS on that one.

It's easy for us in hindsight to say it was the wrong decision, but decisions aren't made with the benefit of hindsight, so they shouldn't be judged that way.

I agree. He would have been run out of town that summer had he picked Durant. Oden came into the league with more hype than any big man since Duncan and Shaq. And despite all the gab the announcers were carrying on and on about during this recent draft we all know that a quality big man can turn a team around over night. Everyone wanted him, the organization even took out a billboard ad to poll the fans and it wasn't close. I think calling Oden "injury prone" was also a bit of a stretch, if I recall he had hurt his wrist at Ohio State. That isn't exactly the kind of injury that sets off red flags. With the two leg injuries at this point its probably safe to say that Durant is going to be the bigger star but its far too early to write Oden off entirely and if he can go injury free I do believe he can be a game changer in this league.

 

[jalfa]

http://www.blazersedge.com/2010/6/28/1541435/transcript-sports-business-radios

 

[pdxKingsFan]

Wow, a lot to digest there. Thanks jalfa.

 

[bloom]

What a stupid fire. I can’t believe that they got rid of the guy that turned that franchise around and developed such a beautiful team.

This is embarrassing, they got rid of Pritchard and now they’re looking at Danny Ferry.

Former Cleveland Cavaliers general manager Danny Ferry will meet with Portland Trail Blazers officials to discuss the franchise’s GM vacancy on Wednesday, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.
Since Yahoo! Sports reported on June 5 that the Blazers had hired a search firm to identify and feel out potential candidates, Ferry has steadily stayed near the top of Portland’s wish list.

The Blazers reached out to several GM candidates, but Ferry and the organization have strong shared interest, sources said. It’s unclear if the Blazers plan to bring other candidates to Portland.
Portland had a turbulent ending with former GM Kevin Pritchard, who was fired last week on the night of the draft. Portland has a reputation for meddlesome ownership, but offers front office executives nearly unparalleled resources to buy draft picks and use cash to sweeten deals.
Ferry left the Cavaliers after owner Dan Gilbert wanted to take a greater role in basketball decisions. Ferry was the Cavs’ GM for five years, and his tenure included a trip to the NBA Finals and back-to-back 60-victory seasons.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ys-blazersferry062910