Blazers GM Resigns
March 2, 2007 by Angelo Fernandez
Filed under NBA Basketball
Steve Patterson, GM and team President of the Portland Trailblazers, resigned unexpectedly after owner Paul Allen refused to renew his contract. Patterson took over the GM role after John Nash was fired. He’s done a pretty good job in revitalizing the team with some good young talent as shown with the team’s activity during the draft in the off-season. It’s unfortunate that Patterson was led to this decision.
In his place, Paul Allen named Seattle Seahawks’ CEO Tod Leiweke as the interim GM of the Blazers. Since Allen also owns the Seahawks he had the luxury of borrowing someone from there until as full time replacement for the Blazers position is filled.
“Putting the Portland Trail Blazers and the Seattle Seahawks under a common management umbrella underscores my commitment to the future of both franchises,” Allen said in a statement. “Tod has done great things for the Seahawks, and I fully expect similar results for the Trail Blazers.”
First of all I’m not sure why Allen didn’t renew Patterson’s contract. He was doing a good job so far. Maybe Patterson was asking for too much? or is it Allen being a miser again? I think the Blazers lost a great guy in Patterson.
Secondly I’m not sure what to think about naming an NFL team’s CEO as the GM of an NBA team. On one hand Leiweke’s Seahawks are doing well (I just checked thir standings since I don’t follow the NFL) having clinched the NFC West division title so maybe he has the knowhow to continue the slow rise back to glory for the Blazers that Patterson has started. On the other hand, I’d expect the workings of the NBA and managing an NBA could be quite different from what an NFL guy could be used to. But I guess that’s what assistants are for and he’s just an interim guy anyway. In the long run, they’ll have to find someone else who knows the NBA to takeover since Leiweke will have to focus on his real job at the Seahawks eventually.
Whatever happens I think he Blazers could still be on track with their rise back to glory. They hve some exciting new young guys that can help them get back up. We just have to sit back and wait.
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Check out what others are saying about this post...[...] you know the Blazers only have an interim filling in for the GM role for the Portland Trailblazers after Steve Patterson unexpectedly resigned earlier this season. The current guy is an NFL guy named to the position by owner Paul Allen. [...]