Writer Asks Portland Fans for a Bad Boycott

Portland apparently still loves its Jail Blazers, much to the chagrin of columnist Steve Duin of the Oregonian, who is calling for fans to boycott Sunday’s game against the Lakers at the Rose Garden.

He says that’s the only kind of message owner Paul Allen and General Manager Bob Whitsitt will understand.

” ... they don’t care about drug use,” Duin wrote. “They don’t care about registered sex offenders. They don’t care about Zach Randolph’s stolen-gun conviction or Ruben Patterson’s domestic abuse charges or Rasheed Wallace’s threats against the referees or Bonzi Wells’ spitting on opponents.

“All they care about is the number of sheep who pay their money, take their seats and occasionally say, ‘Baaaah!’ Each die-hard supporter vindicates them.”

As for those who have tickets in hand, Duin’s suggestion? “Torch them. Frame them. Fold, spindle and mutilate them. You can even time-capsule the suckers. But don’t use them.”

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And another thing: No love for the Trail Blazers from fellow Oregonian columnist John Canzano, either:

“Thank goodness this team’s court records indicate they prefer marijuana. Can you imagine them on cocaine?”

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Trivia question: Who holds the NBA record for assists in a game?

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Stop the presses: Detroit having proclaimed itself Hockeytown, the Red Wings’ 2-1 triple-overtime loss to the Mighty Ducks on Thursday was big news in the local newspapers. Real big news.

The Detroit News placed Bob Wojnowski’s column about the game above a story about the war in Iraq and the deaths of two Iraqi-born local residents who had gone back to their homeland to help the country rebuild.

“Red Wings’ 1st-round jitters return,” the News proclaimed in a headline that ran across the top of the page, referring to the team’s loss of its first two playoff games a year ago.

The Detroit Free Press saved its biggest headline for war-related news, but a column by Mitch Albom ran down the left side of the page with the headline “Life isn’t ducky, but it’s no time to panic.”

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Chew on this: The Minnesota man who sold Arizona Diamondback star Luis Gonzalez’s chewing gum at auction for $10,000 last year is suing a security firm for slandering him, thus significantly reducing the final price.

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So what’s the point? New York Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter suffered a separated shoulder on opening day, and Manager Joe Torre said Jeter is “probably a week away from picking up a bat -- not that he’s going to do much with it.”

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Trivia answer: Scott Skiles of Orlando, 30, against Denver on Dec. 30, 1990.

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And finally: Ed McCaskey, former chairman of the board of the Chicago Bears, who died Tuesday at 83, originally set out to be a nightclub singer, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Harry James’ band promised him a job when it could afford it. McCaskey later discovered the band had hired someone else. Indignant, he was told by the band’s manager, Jerry Barris: “Don’t worry, this guy won’t last. As soon as he’s gone, you’ve got it.”

The guy: Frank Sinatra.

-- Mal Florence