Behind the Locker Room Door

The Oregonian's Jason Quick concluded a fantastic series of articles on the Blazers today, Behind the Locker Room Door. He explains why he has decided to end this series now, one that has had a tremendous following because of Quick's insights into the team, and the ways in which he has shown readers the personalities of this Blazers team. It's rare that a reporter has this sort of access, rare the he or she is willing and able to write about so many private moments, and rare that a team is willing to grant such access to a beat reporter. This speaks highly of not only Quick's work, but of these young Blazers and the coaching staff.

In a time when newspapers are struggling, reporters are being cut, and in-depth reporting is in jeopardy, it's nice to see that there is still a place for this kind of work.

And I know, I know, attention to professional sports may seem misplaced as the entire world is in economic and environmental crisis, but Behind the Locker Room Door provided a nice escape. Quick got readers excited about this team, let them know these players and coaches as real people and not just revenue-generating basketball machines, and rekindled my old appreciation for the sports beat.