This is an essay that I wrote in English two years ago (2010-11 Season). The prompt was "You need to know _____ if you are going to miss _______." At the time (and still now)Andre Millerwas one of my favorite Blazers because of how he seemed to be the glue that held the team together at that time. It kept looking like we were going to trade him at the deadline, so I wrote this essay to the prompt. Enjoy!

You need to know the city of Portland if you are going to miss Andre Miller

每天在竞争激烈的世界中,调用它elf the National Basketball Association, the trade deadline can be a fan’s best friend, or worst nightmare. You might wake up one day to find your entire team shipped off to a foreign location without a second glance, or wake up with the super star of your dreams, the new found savior of your franchise, at the foot of your bed. Now we wake up to find that Andre Miller, our day in and day out iron man, our point guard that has brought nothing but brightness when it seemed as if the lights which were our playoff hopes were starting to dim from injuries, is unfairly being put up on the trading block like an animal in a cage.

Do you think the league cares?
No, "It’s just a business," They say with no attachment of the sort while their hearts are tucked deep in their loaded pockets.
Do you think any other team’s fans care?
No, "I only care about my own team," They say with their allegiance apparent, but their compassion hidden.

You need to know the city of Portland if you’re going to miss Andre Miller.

You need to know Portland; the city of roses, the city that works, the city of B-Roy, which is slowly becoming the city of L.A.
You need to know that the players, the coaches, the executives upstairs, and even the Rose Garden janitors will tell you that Portland has the league’s greatest fans, and you know what? I don’t doubt it. Portland is the small town, that wants to be a big town, that wants to be a small town and in the center of this small market, we find a Blazers team that started as an addition to the city and has since come to define it.

You need to know the city of Portland if you’re going to miss Andre Miller. It’s important that you know not only the city, but the people who inhabit it. Without them, the city would be nothing, theTrail Blazerswould be nothing, and all of their rich history would be nothing.
You need to know that it was the people, who filed into the Memorial Coliseum to experience their first and only championship thinking it would be the first of many only to be proved wrong by unfortunate injuries.
The people, who heart crushingly witnessed Michael Jordan slip through their fingers like sand through a sift.
The people, who rallied behind Rick Adelman and Clyde Drexler all the way to the finals twice just to taste defeat.
人,谁遭受了but endured the actions of the Jail Blazers to live to see the light at the end of the tunnel named Brandon Roy.
And now we find ourselves, today’s people, not letting injuries and adversity be used as an excuse to give up on the season.

You need to know that this town is one, and that the people here are family. This team is like the sun as it brings Portlanders together and keeps them unified through it’s gravitational pull.
You need to know that each new player that comes into this town becomes part of the family and you also need to know that it will always hurt to lose family; even if it is for better or for worse.
If Andre Miller was traded today, it would be a sad day in Blazers nation, but realistically, anywhere else it would just be one normal day in this media controlled world.

This is why you need to know the city of Portland if you are going to miss Andre Miller.