New owner... Tom Dundon?

Discussion in 'Portland Trail Blazers' started by Rastapopoulos, Aug 13, 2025 at 8:54 AM.

  1. riverman

    riverman Writing Team

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    Mark Cuban said Blazer fans are going to love Dundon as an owner and that the guy really loves basketball and knows how to build a winner
     
  2. SharpesTriumph

    SharpesTriumph Well-Known Member

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    I don't understand why people talk about this AAF being a negative with Dundon. A billionaire had one investment that was bad.

    Do people delusionally think he's going to pick stocks perfect?
    Do people think he embezzled money?

    He poured some cash into the league and months later it went bankrupt. I've bought investments that became worthless too.

    I don't see why this is anything other than a bullet point on a list of dozens of things he's done.
     
  3. blazerkor

    blazerkor Well-Known Member

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    There's no there there. If you read his bio you would have seen that he was the majority stake holder in the AAF. If you follow sports at all you know that the AAF went under. Obviously when he invested in that venture he would have siloed it off from the rest of his very extensive portfolio. I'm not surprised that some of the people that the bankruptcy stung would try and get some of the money owed to them from our new owner but I'm sure he effectively separated that investment from his personal wealth and other business holdings.

    I think it's a nothing burger. I think the AAF was a high risk investment whereas the Blazers are a very low risk investment.
     
  4. SharpesTriumph

    SharpesTriumph Well-Known Member

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    That never even crossed my mind as obviously AAF investors like Dundon had limited liability. If that's why fans bring up AAF - because they think Dundon is personally liable, they know nothing about investing.
     
  5. barfo

    barfo triggered obsessive commie pinko boomer maniac Staff Member Global Moderator

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    It went belly-up less than 2 months after he invested.

    It might not be relevant in any way to owning the blazers.

    But it does suggest very strongly that he got conned and/or didn't do his due diligence and/or makes shitty decisions.

    barfo
     
  6. SharpesTriumph

    SharpesTriumph Well-Known Member

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    Dude grew up without anything and is a billionaire. You and others sure have a bizarre definition of somebody making shitty financial decisions.

    Most wealthy people I know invest in dozens of endeavours that lose tons of money. But then they make 100x and more on the rare few that hit.

    Dundon being able and willing to invest in something that lost money might not be a weakness - it might be a strength.
     
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  7. SharpesTriumph

    SharpesTriumph Well-Known Member

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    Think of an NBA player. Do you want someone who has an NBA career with 7 turnovers? I mean turnovers are bad right?

    Or do you want a player career who has thousands of turnovers.
     
  8. Natebishop3

    Natebishop3 Don't tread on me!

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    People seem absolutely determined to tear this dude down.
     
  9. Natebishop3

    Natebishop3 Don't tread on me!

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    Doesn't LeBron have the most turnovers in the history of the NBA? Total bum.
     
  10. blazerkor

    blazerkor Well-Known Member

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    The guy wants to win. He has a quote that says wins matter more to him than profit. He's been a great owner for the Hurricanes, as far as their fans are concerned. He reportedly is prioritizing keeping our team here. We actually will have an owner again and not just people managing our former owner's trust.

    People that want to dislike this guy as the owner of our team with only the above information to go off of are people who want to find any reason to be negative. It's no way to live. I understand apprehension during any sort of transition but to lean towards unwarranted apprehension is a foolish way to operate.
     
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  11. barfo

    barfo triggered obsessive commie pinko boomer maniac Staff Member Global Moderator

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    Investing in something that doesn't work out in the long run - there's no shame in that.

    This is more like lighting money on fire. It doesn't even qualify as gambling, if you don't have a chance of winning.

    But maybe he had some other reason for doing it. Maybe he bought it from a children's cancer center, which needed cash?

    That said, I don't think this means he'll be a bad owner.

    barfo
     
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  12. crandc

    crandc Well-Known Member

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    It's not tearing someone down to note he's imperfect and made a bad decision. I'm glad sale is done so no more uncertainty. For the rest, wait and see.
     
  13. SharpeScooterShooter

    SharpeScooterShooter SharpeShooter

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    Same people love to tear anything down that has a positive look. Negative mindset is the predominant position so many Blazer fans have…
     
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  14. SharpesTriumph

    SharpesTriumph Well-Known Member

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    Or maybe he thought he could quickly turn it around and get some other big sources of revenue, but it didn't work out. Who knows, there could have been thousands of great reasons for him to make the investment. The guy has a track record of many of his investments working great. Its expected that some will flop.

    Bizarre to cherry pick one of his worst and try to view that in isolation while ignoring the other dozens that worked great. I don't understand any of this AAF criticism.
     
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  15. SharpesTriumph

    SharpesTriumph Well-Known Member

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    Yeah I'm fine with listing it along with dozens of his investments that worked great and show that some work and some don't. Same as in an NBA game we list turnovers.

    But people are singling out this AAF as though its a bad reflection on Dundon. It's not - it's just a normal expected result of some investments not working out. Wealthy investors have tons that work and tons that don't.
     
  16. Strenuus

    Strenuus Well-Known Member

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    Is it Jody Allen?

    No.

    We win. We are better.
     
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  17. crandc

    crandc Well-Known Member

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    Yes. Not everything they touch turns to gold. But story was written to imply, correctly or not, there was something sketchy. I am far more concerned about him being a Trumper. Will Blazers cancel Black History Month? Pride?
     
  18. SharpesTriumph

    SharpesTriumph Well-Known Member

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    Might be unusual to people in Portland or Oakland. But most of the country is - and especially sport franchise owners. Thats why the guy got handily elected twice.
     
  19. SharpesTriumph

    SharpesTriumph Well-Known Member

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    Yeah this is the sentiment I have read and it makes zero sense to me.

    Was he embezzling money that should have gone to players? If so then report what he actually did wrong.

    If not then it's just a bunch of sensationalism and hysterical speculation.
     
  20. THE HCP

    THE HCP NorthEastPortland'sFinest

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    Anybody but Scott’s right?
     

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