I was going to write a piece on Bones this week, but it will have to keep as the Boss man wants us to write an introduction to the season. I'm usually not at a loss for words, but I pretty much spent my week's allotment of vitriol in the forums bashing Wally (as usual). I thought about calling in my buddy Donald Duck ala Casual Corner to fill up space, but we all know what a "Quack" he is -- Donald of course. So I just decided to make it short but sweet.

This will not be a memorable season. While I'm not as negative as Art Thiel, I have to agree that the circus atmosphere being promoted at Key Arena makes me wonder if they should rename it The Bigtop. Carnival games, dancers, former players/celebities -- anything to take your mind off the game. The honeymoon is almost over. After the first 8 games we should know what kind of team we have. Do we have the talent to beat the top teams at home? Do we have the maturity & experience to win on the road? Although I expect improvement as the season goes on, these first 8 games I believe will be a microcosm of the season. And I hate to be the harbinger of bad news, but don't be surprised to see us finish at say 3-5 in these games.

Yes folks, any team that Antonio Harvey can figure this prominently on is thin in both talent & experience.We don't need untimely injuries to exacerbate the situation; we're going to have enough trouble already. The Seattle Times says "we'll slip another notch,just as we've done every year since 1996". Sports Illustrated has us pegged 12th in the West, but remember they're the publication that had Oregon State on their cover as the #1 football team in the country. While I don't quite share their pessimism, I think it's going to be a struggle for us to make the playoffs. If everything goes right, it's not out of the question that we'll surprise. But the margin for error is slim; a few bad breaks, continued injuries, personality flareups,& we're history.

Finally I have to ask, what's the deal with Howard Schultz? Barry Ackerley is a shrewd businessman. He left Wally as the captain to go down with the ship & got off board while the getting was good. It comes as no surprise, given the situation & his history in retail sales, that Howard would try to right the ship with glitzy promotions instead of sound rebuilding. Make no mistake about it,this team isn't going to right itself until it hits drydock sometime around 2003-04. By then GP will be what, 35-36? Even Michael Jordan himself would have trouble making a champion out of this team at that age. To sum up, this isn't over-roasted coffee we're selling here; it's a basketball team short on talent, experience, & leadership (save Nate). No amount of glamorous packaging is going to bring the fans back no matter how "fan friendly" this team is if it doesn't win. Hopefully Howard's approach will improve faster than mangement & the team has over the last few years. If not, get out your clown nose & pancake makeup & join in the fun.

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