Back to Blogging.....

I'm back from Phoenix and will return to regular blogging on Thursday. I spent Monday night at the Phoenix Suns game as a guest of Suns owner Robert Sarver. I was scheduled to interview Sarver but he was otherwise pre-occupied for most of the evening. So was Suns GM Steve Kerr. I thought something was fishy. Now we know something was fishy. Unless you've been under a rock you know that the Suns acquired Shaquille O'Neal today for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks. Sarver was a gracious host but was elusive when it came to taping a conversation for this weekend's edition of Sports Business Radio. Now I know why. He had a blockbuster trade in the works and had to weigh the financial implications of taking on a player who has two years left on his contract after this year at $20M per year. And this isn't the dominant Shaq of old. This is the 36-year old Shag who has only appeared in 4 games in the last 2 months. Sarver is rolling the dice hoping that Shaq can muster up enough energy to help lead the Suns to their first world championship. Marion was owed more than $17 million next year. Chances are as much as he wanted out of Phoenix he wouldn't have opted out of that deal because no one else could have or would have paid him that much. Add in Marcus Banks' overpriced $10 million contract that he has coming to him over the next two seasons and adding Shaq will only cost the Suns about $10 million more than they would have likely paid Marion and Banks. And I bet you the Suns make up that $10M and then some with additional sponsor and merchandise revenues they will generate from having one of the most marketable athletes in sports on their roster. I'm a big fan of The Matrix though and think he is one of the most underappreciated talents in the NBA. I think he and Dwyane Wade will form a lethal tandem and once the Heat add a lottery pick this summer the Heat should be able to rebuild in the weak Eastern Conference relatively quickly now. I'm still trying to get Sarver on the phone this week to discuss the trade but we'll see. If we don't catch up this week I feel confident he'll join us in the near future. I'll have some interesting tidbits to share from my trip to the US Airways Center in Phoenix on Monday night on this weekend's edition of SBR. I'll also share my experience at Sky Harbor airport in Phoenix with you. I flew in on Monday moning when many of the fans who attended Super Bowl XLII were on their way out of town. It was a crazy scene. I just returned from the Rose Garden here in Portland where I watched Brandon Roy and the Trail Blazers beat the Chicago Bulls. And I've got to tell you the energy in Portland is much better than it is in Phoenix. Portland's crowd is collegiate" when the Trail Blazers are playing well. They are as loud and enthusiastic as any crowd in the NBA. And did you know that even though most Oregonian's still can't see the Trail Blazers on TV via Comcast SportsNet that TV ratings for the team are up 286% from last season. Last season the Trail Blazers averaged a 1.6 rating on Fox Sports Net. This season the team is averaging a 6.1 rating on Comcast SportsNet. Imagine what the ratings would be like if CSN could get a deal done with a distributor like DirecTV. I'm still keeping my fingers crossed. I have the NBA Season Pass but still can't get Trail Blazers games.     "

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