In 2007, when I first saw the news that Greg Oden would miss his entire rookie season with a knee injury, I fell to the floor like I'd been shot.I screamed.
I pounded my fists against the ground.
I cursed in front of my journalism professor.
In short, I was angry. Angry at the world, at the basketball gods, at everything.
I was angry at the thought of the Blazers' number 1 pick being a bust. Angry at the uncertain outlook the Blazers' season now had. Angry at the concept of a year full of "Sam Bowie" quips.
It was simply a searing, unrelenting anger at it all.
But last night, as I received the news that Greg Oden would miss the rest of the 2009-2010 season with a knee injury, I had a different reaction:
I sat quietly, hung my head, and felt nothing but emptiness.
There was no anger this time. Only a sense of unfairness, and sadness.
Man Blazer fans are feeling the same way right now. "How could this happen to Greg?" We're wondering. "After everything he's been through, after everything that has happened in the last 3 years, why? It's not fair, not fair at all."
Unlike what we felt two years ago, the emotions we're feeling now aren't anger, but regret that something so bad could happen to someone like Greg Oden. As bad as Blazer fans may feel about the ramifications on the team, fans are feeling even worse about how this could happen to Greg.
To me, those feelings - regret, sadness, sympathy - speak volumes about just how important Greg Oden is to the Portland Trail Blazers, and how much he means to us fans.
Two years ago we didn't know Greg Oden well, and when he was injured we quickly let anger flow through us, because that was all we had. It's easy to get angry over someone you don't know.
But in the time since then, we've gotten to know Oden. We saw his heart, strength, and determination in coming back from knee surgery. We saw his commitment to returning to the team and helping the Blazers get better. We saw him strive to improve his game. And we slowly saw his wonderful personality shine through again. With every step he took in his return, we saw the dedicated person that Oden is.
He earned a spot in the hearts of Blazer fans.
And that's what made it hurt so much to see him writing on the floor in pain Saturday night. Here was a young man who did everything right: he bided his time, waited his turn, worked hard every day, and was finally starting to reap the benefits of his long journey back. We were there along with him every step of the way, cheering him on and encouraging him, because, well, he's family now.
Seeing him clutch his knee in agony was one giant gut punch for Blazer fans.
My friend Alex called me shortly after it was announced that Oden would miss the rest of the season. We talked about how the Blazers will adjust and any moves they should make. Then he asked me whether I thought it would be wise to extend Oden's contract next year, considering his number of injuries.
I immediately answered yes.
The feelings that Blazer fans have right now after his injury prove that he is someone worth keeping around.
The fact that we can be so heartbroken over this, instead of feeling angry or jaded, shows that on some level we have acknowledged the tremendous strides Oden has made, and the great things that are still in store. We've seen Greg grow both in his game and personality, and we've seen the beginnings of a franchise cornerstone.
The situation is making us feel so empty because we know how great things are going to be. We've seen the first steps being made.
Right now it's a devastating setback, but Blazer fans know that Oden will be worth the wait ... again. It may kill us inside to not see him on the court this year, and we may be filled with doubt and uncertainty until he takes the court again, but there's a reason we're feeling sad instead of angry.
We've seen Greg Oden experience daunting obstacles before and emerge from them. We know he can do it again.
We're not angry that Oden will never enjoy amazing heights in his career - we're sad because he has to wait a little longer to reach them.
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