OK. Let me say a few things about my comments on Greg Oden that aired on The Fan last week.

First off, I listened to them and was, quite frankly, embarrassed. I didn't intend to come across so abrasive, but I did, and I have no other choice but to own up to it.

There is one line I would like to take back, where I said "I can't stand to be around" Oden. I think a more accurate reflection of my feelings would have been to say 'I'm sick of dealing with the entity of Greg Oden." The entity of Oden is the media mosh pits around him. It's hearing stupid questions, like ones about his beard. It's the incessant questions on the radio, and in internet chats, about him. And yes, it's the actual dealing with Greg himself. I totally stand by my comments that the guy is not pleasant to be around. There is nothing enjoyable about it.

At the same time, he has never been a jerk. Never. But he's sullen, uninterested, he mumbles, and generally acts like he is living a tortured life. And that's where it gets frustrating for me. There is a great kid somewhere inside this shell he has crawled into. I've seen it. I saw it at the Orlando Pre-Draft camp before Portland drafted him, when he had a table of reporters practically rolling on the ground in laughter. I saw it in an interview I did with him at a downtown Portland hotel, when he was moving, thoughtful and engaging and smart. I miss that. I think Portland misses that. Because really, that's Greg. And that part of Greg is a sliver of what made him a great basketball player. Now, that sliver is gone.

But look, I overstepped my bounds in my choice of words. This isn't the first time. And it probably won't be the last. One of my weaknesses is that I don't take myself very seriously, and as any of my friends can attest, I'm the worst at blurting something out before thinking about it. Bottom line is I need to do a better job of understanding my responsibility. I have to be better.

Whether or not I tell Greg all of this tonight, tomorrow, or sometime in the future ... I don't know. I'm usually a guy who confronts things head on, but I will let Greg dictate, then play it by ear. My sense is that Greg cares, but doesn't. Nobody likes bad things said about them, but at the same time, I think he is smart enough to see who is saying them. In other words, if Brandon Roy said he can't stand being around the guy, Greg would care. That Jason Quick said it? Who cares.