Blazers VP Tom Penn fired

[mogrovejo]

http://www.iamatrailblazersfan.com/ArticleDisplayPlaceholder/tabid/192/ItemID/1293/Default.aspx



Portland Trail Blazers Team President Larry Miller announced today that Tom Penn has been relieved of his duties as Vice President of Basketball Operations, effective immediately.

Miller cited philosophical differences as the reason for the dismissal of Penn, who joined the Trail Blazers as assistant general manager in 2007.

"We felt it was in the organization's best interest to move in a different direction at this time," Miller said. "This was not an easy decision, as Tom has played an integral role for us the past three seasons. We thank him for his contributions and wish him the best in the future."

Before joining the Trail Blazers, Penn served as assistant general manager/legal counsel of the Vancouver/Memphis Grizzlies.


This is so weird. Firing a VP like Penn (who actually had a lot of power in the organization and was very highly regarded in the league - he was the first choice for the Wolves GM position one year ago but he turned it down) out of nowhere? Not even allow him to resign? In mid-March?


Penn late Tuesday night said he was "surprised" and "disappointed" when team president Larry Miller called him into his Rose Quarter offices Tuesday afternoon and informed him he was being relieved of his duties.

Penn, however, would not say why he was fired.

"I can't speak to specifics and I prefer not to,'' Penn said. "I don't think it is appropriate.''

There are rumours it was due to him being in talks with Sterling to take over the Clippers job, but that isn't a good enough reason.

I'm sure this is a non-issue, but it's the strangest and weirdest non-issue I've seen in a while. Was has Tom Penn done?

[Kai]

Maybe he's bangin Paul Allen's wife...

[lil_penny]

Just firing the asst. Gms they are supposed to fire, nothing to see here.

[mogrovejo]

I thought about that but Paul Allen isn't married.

[Lars]

Maybe he was in the shower with Pryzbilla?

[Chieflion]

Non-issue.

[ploto]

According to the source, there had been rumblings in recent weeks within the organization that Penn's job was at stake. The primary reason was that Penn had a tendency to rub many of those he worked with the wrong way, the source said, and was seen as being a "ladder climber."

http://www.columbian.com/weblogs/blazerbanter/2010/mar/16/blazers-fire-penn-source-says/

[ploto]

Penn was given a raise and a promotion by the Blazers 10 months ago when the Minnesota Timberwolves were apparently offering him their vacant GM position. Kevin Pritchard tells the story of keeping Penn around over a bottle of wine on the back deck of his property.... dreaming on the possibilities.

Some speculation today that Penn may have misrepresented that Minnesota offer. Penn says no.



Update...

--- Western conference executive tells me Vulcan headquarters was livid in late summer after they realized Penn played them in getting a raise and promotion out of the phantom Minnesota offer and, "there's real resentment at Vulcan headquarters at that whole deal." This source isn't buying the idea that something new happened on Tuesday that caused Penn's firing, rather, that the Vulcans decided long ago they were going to blow up Penn the first time they had cause. What was that cause? "I'm not guessing on this, there's no speculation here, the resentment over the Minnesota thing is real," source said...

http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/oregonian/john_canzano/index.ssf/2010/03/canzano_blog_what_in_the_name.html

[Findog]

The Vulcans? What the fuck? The Portland dudes aren't THAT smart - they picked Oden over Durant, after all.

[Allanon]

As if things couldn't get weirder for the Blazers this year.

[mogrovejo]

The Vulcans are the Blazers shadow-government. They're Paul Allen inner circle. I'm fairly sure they played a big part in this.

I don't buy many of these explanations (the "oh, the guy has been a top-level executive with us for a few years and just got a big raise and promotion but we've been thinking he's a climb-ladder so we decided to fire him on the spot" one is pretty pathetic). Plus, I know for a fact he was offered the Wolves job. That's an extremely odd spin they're putting out.

[tlongII]

It's pretty weird. The Vulcans seem to get involved in things they should leave alone. I don't know wny Tom Penn was fired, but hopefully it was legit.

[Spursfan092120]

Non-issue.
Totally what I was about to say.

[mogrovejo]

What are your feelings about Pritchard, tlong? Are you happy with him as a GM?

[mogrovejo]

What are your feelings about Pritchard, tlong? Are you happy with him as a GM?

Bump.