Talking Points: Knocking knees

What’s the buzz from the world of sports? Here are some items that will have people talking:

1

Well, sports fans, that’s the way the cookie crumbles. Or in the case of Portland teams, that’s the way the knee crumbles.

Within minutes on Friday, the Trail Blazers and the Timbers both announced that key players were having knee surgeries.

Blazers center Greg Oden had debris removed from his right knee in a Friday arthroscopic procedure.

Timbers’ forward Jose Aldolfo Valencia will have surgery on his left knee on Monday.

Injuries are a part of sport. They happened all the time. But the timing of Friday’s dual announcements made us wince a bit.

2

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, in a Thursday interview on NBC Sports’ “Costas Live” indicated the NFL would likely expand to 34 teams rather than move an existing team to Los Angeles.

(On Friday he said expansion is not on the horizon.)

We suspect a number of franchises — from San Diego to Oakland, from Minnesota to Jacksonville with a stop in St. Louis — would entertain moving to LA. Still, it makes us wonder: Would the NFL put two new teams in Los Angeles? Or would it look elsewhere? If so, what about us?

The Vancouver-Portland TV market is the 22nd largest in the country. We have more TV households than 10 NFL markets, including Pittsburgh, and Indianapolis — which is big enough to host some large event this weekend.

Just sayin’ (make that dreamin’).

3

Speaking of the NFL and TV, the big news is that the league is adding more Thursday night games. That’s good news for the NFL Network, and for sports bars, and bad news for those who don’t get the NFL Network at home.

It’s also a reminder that this is the NFL’s world and we’re just lucky to live in it.

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