With all of the out-of-state transplants and the team's jinxed recent history, I've wondered for a little while if the team just isn't capable of holding the city's attention like it used to. Winners typically generate a buzz and lure in casual fans, but the last time people got revved up about the Blazers was during Roy's sophomore season after they went on that 13 game winning streak. I remember getting lower bowl seats from a scalper to the Milwaukee game two wins into the streak for 20 bucks and the place was half-empty and quiet as a funeral home ... and the Blazers won in OT. Anyway, that team finished 41-41 and missed the playoffs but people got interested again after all of the Jail Blazers nonsense, but then 5 years of deflating injuries and diminishing wins and a lockout and I think people are maybe having a tough time reinvesting themselves and maybe it's too little too late? If I had to guess it's probably going to take a deep playoff run to fix this team in the hearts and minds of the city and the state again.
They may say 96%, but the arena was not packed. Looking around I saw many open seats. I would say only 85% of the arena was filled.
No, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night. Just saying, looking around there were a lot of empty seats. Even though they have the league's best record the Pacers don't resonate as a marquee name to many local fans. I bet the OKC game pushes a sellout.
The shitty Comcast tv deal alienated most of the state, and the broken bones of the Oden and Roy years drove away the bandwagon fans.
Carriage controversies[edit] As of August 2013, the channel is unavailable on DirecTV and Dish Network. DirecTV and Dish Network maintain that Comcast is negotiating in bad faith. For example, on one hand Comcast argues that the channel must be on a lower tier with the most customers.[9] At the same time, Comcast argues that non-Comcast-owned sports channels should be shown only on a sports tier.[10] The Trail Blazers are said to be frustrated and disappointed by the conduct of Comcast over their contract with CSN.[11] The Consumer Protection Committee of the Oregon House of Representatives held a hearing on February 24, 2010 to help get the channel on DirecTV, Dish Network and Charter Communications. No one from DirecTV, Dish Network, or the Trail Blazers attended.[12] On June 21, 2010, the Trail Blazers asked the Federal Communications Commission to require Comcast to make Trail Blazers games available to competing multichannel programming distributors such as DirecTV and Dish Network.[13] One Oregon cable company, Canby Telcom, has objected to the additional annual charge in excess of $32 being required to be charged per customer in 2012 and has announced plans to stop carrying the channel.[14] Canby Telcom President Keith Galitz is quoted as saying "That's just too steep an increase for us, and it's not in line with inflation or normal escalation of prices in the industry."[14] Canby Telcom had announced plans to discontinue the channel as Comcast had offered a non-negotiable fee increase that would bring the annual per subscriber charge to over $32.[14] Canby Telcom has accused Comcast of raising rates way beyond the rate of inflation and industry-wide increases.[14] Clear Creek Television, which carried the Trail Blazers for 15 years, was rebuffed when even attempting to negotiate the above-market rate Comcast pushed at Clear Creek.[14] "Comcast clearly sees the public perception of its treatment of sports fans as a potential Achilles heel in efforts to acquire NBCU", said Sports Fan Coalition Executive Director Brian Frederick, discussing how Comcast sent senior staff members to Oregon when a member of the Sports Fan Coalition testified before the Oregon Legislature on Comcast's denial of access to hundreds of thousands of customers of DirecTV, Dish, and other cable operators.[15] In a November 7, 2010 article, Blazers CEO Larry Miller continued to express frustration about the lack of availability.[16] Comcast SportsNet Northwest HD[edit] Comcast SportsNet Northwest HD is a 1080i high definition simulcast feed of Comcast SportsNet Northwest. CSN Northwest broadcast 28 Portland Trail Blazers home games in HD in the 2007–08 season[17] and 32 games were shown in HD for 2008–09. Blazers broadcaster Mike Barrett stated on the air during the April 13 game against the Clippers that all games would air in HD from then on. CSN Northwest is available on basic cable and in high-definition to Comcast subscribers throughout Oregon and southwest Washington state. Comcast subscribers in Washington state (specifically Seattle-Tacoma and Spokane cable markets) were not getting CSN Northwest in high-definition until earlier in 2013. Subscribers can now find Comcast SportsNet Northwest HD on Channel 617. CSN Northwest is only available on Comcast's digital preferred package in Western Washington.
Was at the game. I'll give you my opinion. 1. Parking and with that traffic getting there. 1a. The traffic leaving is a nightmare. Reminds me of trying to drive home from work at 5PM. No thanks. 2. Once you are there you have terrible prices on food & beverage for what you get in return. 2a. 9-10 bucks for a beer and I heard from an employee that they are going up a dollar next season and mixed drinks might double. 3. Tickets cost too much for good seats. Why spend 80 bucks plus for okay seats when you can sit at home on your couch and watch it in HD all the while avoiding traffic while having your own food/bevvies. 4. Atmosphere. It's just too corporate. Jiggers/exact measures for drinks, small portions of food, tiny seats with little leg room, moda health type commercials on the leaflet big screen areas while the game is going on. 4a. There really is no place to hang out before or after the game around the arena. The Spirit of 77 is probably the best option that isn't ran by the arena, but even that is a bit away. That is my take. If I hadn't got my ticket to the Pacers game for free I would have rather stayed home and watched it on my couch. Luckily I work near the arena so I can park and walk (most can't though).
Don't need to assume, he said there are no jobs in Oregon . . . thought I would quick cut paste to jobs in Beaverton. I'm sure if I looked I could find five pages of jobs in Oregon. Doesn't mean Oregon is a good place to start a career, but there are jobs out there.
I said aside from Portland, meaning Portland has jobs but every where else is a slum. I lived in bend where a job repairing mailboxes had over 200 applicants in an hour. Combined with high cost of living and I had to say fuck it.
Side note: I was recently offered a significant raise to go work in Beaverton. The two days I drove out there for interviews and meetings..... stuck in 217 and 26 traffic at random times (as happens many times I'm out there). After that, I said no thanks.
My bad then I(i think) I thought you meant no jobs in Oregon outside the the city itself. Is Beaverton considered Ptd? Bend was a bit of a hot spot for a short while, but now it is where men go to when they are put out to pasture. best is to get a city job that allows to telecommute . . . from Bend.
Yeah, they're forcing those closest to retirement out the door and trying to replace them with a cheaper, younger work force.
Bend has gobs of jobs in the healthcare and assisted living fields. ALWAYS. Illegals grab most of the construction and other labor jobs. Tourism is mostly staffed as far as good paying positions. Bend is mostly young entrepreneurs, small businessmen and self-employed people. Great place for a successful career unless you want the "security" of working for the man.
