Wweek.com - Portland Must Confront the Real Danger of Losing the Blazers

I think it makes the most sense by far that the Blazers stay in Portland. I don't care that the idea that the Mayor and Governor are most into is refurbishing/renovating what was once known as the Rose Garden. The fact that they're talking like they're into the idea of the state and city sharing a significant portion of the multibillion dollar financial burden to keep the Blazers here is way more than what we saw in Seattle. Before Bennett was even the owner there was a ton of posturing by local and state politicians that the public shouldn't share in the burden with a billionaire... and they didn't.

So I think we're in a far different place than Seattle was when they started to lose their team (our politicians are saying they want to work to keep the team). The league is in a far different place than it was back then (way more profitable). We are a far different market than Seattle because while the Seattle metro area is just shy of two times the size of the Portland metro area, Seattle had three major pro sports teams when they lost the Sonics and we have only the Blazers (The Timber are fun but let's be real).

All in all I'm sure I'm not going to quiet the chicken littles of the forum but there is no reason to think that our team will get moved.

 

Portland would....the NBA wouldn't, especially if the team moved to Vegas

 

you mean the 'chicken littles' like Ron Wyden. the governor, Chris Dudley, Portland's mayor, former Blazers, and loca businessmen who are concerned enough to be taking steps to try and eliminate the possibility?

 

What's the annual economic impact of having the Blazers in Portland? I suspect it's well worth some amount of public investment to keep them here.

 

I mean the fact that the state legislature just passed something declaring how important keeping the Blazers here is, the governor and mayor being willing to do what it takes to keep them and all sorts of other local interests wanting them to stay is a far far different atmosphere than the one in Seattle before the Sonics left. I guess if they are being motivated by fear, which I doubt, then that's fine. The fact is that all of the levers of power in the area are being pulled to keep our team here. If they do what Silver wants them to then there's no way the team gets moved.

 

sure. But they aren't doing those things because they believe there's no chance at all a new owner wouldn't move the team. In that regard, Adam Silver's shot across the bow sure got the attention of the city and state. That's probably good new for Blazer fans. But you have to believe that as soon as the costs start getting discussed there will be opposition

 

I don't think the mayor's office with the endorsement of the governor puts out a statement like they did yesterday without knowing what the costs they're committing to are. I guess I could be wrong and as soon as the new owner is announced it becomes a bumpy and drama filled process but all of the signs from local and state government and commerce point towards something smooth.

 

If Portland needs to build a building I think Oregon will help them do it.

Losing the Blazers isn't an option.

 

So you think it makes the most sense for the NBA to keep a team in Portland?

 

Exactly this. I’m not even worried about Seattle. Would make little to no sense just to move us from Portland to Seattle.

Vegas is the one that worries me the most.

 

So politicians are taking steps to manufacture non-existent accomplishments? Yeah this must be the first time ever.

 

If the NBA 29 other teams were all in NY, Chicago, LA, etc then no.

That's not reality. The NBA has plenty of poor performing teams that make more sense to move than the Blazers.

 

Where are they going to build it?

 

Either at the Rose Quarter (replace the Rose Garden?) or someplace else in Portland.

We're not going to lose the Blazers for lack of trying. There will be no legitimate reason to move the team like happened in Seattle, IMO.

*Edit* Maybe you demo the whole rose quarter and put in a state of the art basketball stadium and baseball stadium (centered around the memorial).

The point is that the state and the city want the team to stay. They aren't playing hardball, they're trying to figure out what they need to do to keep the team here.

We know there's plenty of support from the community.

What needs to happen to keep the team here will happen.

 

talk is cheap. Coming up with the money to support the talk is another matter. And the governor and mayor talked about a Moda renovation and implied they were rejecting the idea of a new arena. Maybe that will be enough, but just about everything I've read about this seems to say that it isn't so much the Moda that's the problem, but the location. Really difficult to renovate a location

and sure, this looks like a leverage play by the NBA and potential new owners. The city and state can certainly find justification for rejecting the leverage if the purpose of the leverage is to coerce the city to fork over a billion dollars.

 

The thing about Seattle is they didn't put up a fight, the city, state, or the people really. Portland would be a waaay different scenario.

 

Simply to keep a team on the west coast…..yes.