Evan Dunlap Appreciation Post!

in his previous Avatar, he had on what looked like a tie and suit combo…..

but I sure to appreciate Evan for how much I’ve learned about basketball just by reading this site.

Evan is a gifted writer and a critical thinker. I wish him and OPP all the best.

Evan has completely changed my outlook on the Orlando Magic. Since becoming a fan in 99-00 til just a few years ago, I was a solid fan but lacked much of the interior depth that most fans (and the Cleveland Cavaliers) lacked. It wasn’t until the post season in 2008-2009 that I first discovered what was, at the time, the 3rd Quarter Collapse. Since then, I have been a die hard Magic fan largely fueld by the stats, reviews, recaps, analysis, hyperlinks-you name it- that Evan (and earlier on, Eddy) provided. This site alone is perhaps the most comprehensive place for any Magic fan to visit and learn about their own team. Hats off to Evan and the many man-hours and stock he has taken into this site. He truly deserves a round of applause.

My two cents.

But other than that, Great Job E.D. and hope you keep up the insanely great amount of work you put into this site.

the polega remark was hilarious.

Good timing Squid.

Keep it up. I love the Magic more than any other franchise because of this site & your work.

I’ve been reading through high school, commenting since my freshman year of college and am now almost done with college. That’s insane. I love this site.

Ball.

Squid you would.

But I can’t thank Evan enough for giving me this outlet to discuss the Magic with the most articulate and educated members around. All the credit has to be to Evan and OPP as I think the quality of the writing, research, and news he provides us with brings those types of fans in.

Thanks again, Evan!

Once the team finally got going again it was time to read about the Magic from a source other than the OS. I used to read Orlando Magic Daily but this site is infinitely better!!

So much of the national writing seems to be just someone else’s take on an AP report, so writing like this, with direction and verve, is a welcome change. Kudos to Evan.

Now to the silly part – To honor just how much Evan’s work impacts our lives, I offer the following haiku:

Evan’s fine writing
makes us almost forget that
Duhon’s on our team.

you’re the best blogger i read

Was an honor to write with you for nearly a year and a half.

Not to overlook Eddy and Jon whose contribution made this a better place. OPP is an absolute top notch blog. You will be missed when you finally get the opportunity to move on to bigger (but not necessarily better) venues.

I know how tiresome the job can be. Now, I write for a college basketball SBN blog, opposed to NBA, so we have at max 2 games a week, whereas an NBA team can have up to four. I’d be lost without my team of writers given the amount of work even 2 games a week can entail and Evan does it all on his own! (since E’s departure).

Side question – I know last year you were in college. Assuming your still there (unless you’ve graduated), will you be keeping the site as a one-man project when you start working full time or will you bring on a team of writers to help divy up the work at that time?

I am an Orlando Magic fan from Argentina and I used to get all my updates from the Orlando Sentinel. After finding Thrid Quarter Collapse I’ve never returned there while visiting this site at least two times a day. Thank you Evan for all the hard work and the great posts. It is nice to read about sports and not dealing with all the “buzz generators”, “need to fill space” and “lets talk about 2020 freeagency and see if we can sell more newspapers” articles from the mainstream media.

Now get back to work, I’ve reloaded the page five times in the last five minutes and no update yet…you’re slippin man!!

Found this blog too late… but HAD to put in a word of appreciation, yes admiration for bringing all the nuances of the sport to us, the fans. You have made this into a science, and by doing so, have enriched our lives along with you.

I’m a 15 year resident of Lake Mary, but originally came from Puerto Rico. Although my family has always been involved in the Arts, I followed a different path (Law). Being retired (polio), I read a lot. That’s how I got to know you and Eddy. It was your blog that sucked me into the science of NBA basketball and the Magic. Your articles provided content and context to all the coldness of stats, and a unique insight into the inner workings of this Team; OUR Team. You helped make me into a better fan, and inspired me to be a better writer too! Again, thank you!

And thanks to you Squid, for this great piece!

I know how hard it is to captivate an audience, and you do it as well as you can.