Talking Points

1

We’re pretty sure that Blazer fans — and fans of the former Sonics — are weary of thinking about what might have been as they hear tales about how wonderful Kevin Durant is. But we can’t let this pass without a mention.

On Tuesday, one day after the Oklahoma City area was devastated by a tornado, the NBA star pledged $1 million from his family’s foundation toward tornado relief. That was quickly matched by a $1 million donation from the Oklahoma City Thunder and another $1 million from the NBA Players Association.

It’s easy to be cynical these days when celebrities work to appear altruistic. But, as Darren Rovell of ESPN tweeted, “Durant is truly an outstanding guy. Absolutely nothing fake about him. Almost so real and grounded he’s hard to believe.”

2

Patrick Roy, one of the greatest goaltenders in history, reportedly is about to become the coach of the Colorado Avalanche. This isn’t particularly newsworthy, but it gives us an opportunity to bring up our favorite Patrick Roy story.

During the 1996 playoffs, Roy and Chicago’s Jeremy Roenick started trading barbs in the media.

Roy ended the back-and-forth with a now-legendary line: “I can’t really hear what Jeremy says, because I’ve got my two Stanley Cup rings plugging my ears.”

And, it’s worth noting, Roy won a third ring that spring.

3

There’s no telling how long the National Women’s Soccer league will last; any upstart endeavor faces an uphill battle. Yet, as we could have predicted, the league is a success in Portland.

Average attendance for the Thorns’ first three home games is 13,336. Just one more sign that the Portland area does love its soccer.