♪♪
♪♪ >>>
♪♪ >>> WELCOME BACK TO STRAIGHT
TALK, I AM LAURAL PORTER.
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE
BLAZERS AND WHAT THEY MEAN TO
RIP CITY AND WHAT RIP CITY
MEANS TO THE TEAM.
I'M JOINED BY THE KGW BLAZERS
ORLANDO SANCHEZ, SUZANNE
BONAMICI 35, AND JARED COWLEY.
>> IT WAS A SPECIAL SEASON.
IT WAS FANTASTIC.
>> ONE MAYOR WHEELER WAS ON THE
SHOW, AND ASKED HIM ABOUT THIS
AND PAUL ALLEN'S DEATH AND WHAT
IT DID.
IT DID.
IT DID. ERASE A LOT OF CONCERN ABOUT THE
TEAM.
TEAM.
TEAM. HIS
TEAM. HIS SISTER IS TAKEN OVER THE
TEAM.
TEAM.
TEAM. HOW
TEAM. HOW COMMITTED IS SHE ? IS IT
POSSIBLE THE TEAM COULD MOVE X
IS LISTEN TO WHAT MAYOR WHEELER
HAD TO SAY.
>> I DO NOT SEE ANY INDICATION
THAT THEY ARE INTERESTED IN
TAKING A FRANCHISE OUT OF
PORTLAND.
PORTLAND.
PORTLAND. THEY UNDERSTAND IT IS IN THE
BLOOD AND THE DNA OF THE CITY.
THE HISTORY IS HERE AND THE
CONNECTIONS ARE HERE.
IF YOU TRY TO TAKE THIS
FRANCHISE AND MOVE IT SOMEWHERE
ELSE, IT WOULD NOT BE NEARLY AS
SUCCESSFUL AS IT IS HERE IN THE
CITY OF PORTLAND.
>> WE ARE RIP CITY.
>> WE ARE.
WE STILL HAVE SOME TOUGH
NEGOTIATIONS AHEAD.
NEGOTIATIONS AHEAD. THERE ARE A LOT OF CAN
CONSIDERATIONS.
CONSIDERATIONS. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, I DO
NOT BELIEVE THAT THE BLAZERS
ARE GOING ANYWHERE.
>> I SHOULD SAY THAT I
INTERVIEWED THE PRESIDENT AND
NEIL O'SHEA, SAYS THEY ARE NOT
GOING ANYWHERE.
GOING ANYWHERE. SHE IS COMMITTED AND SUPPORTING
THE BLAZERS.
THE BLAZERS. BUT WHAT IF ? WHAT IF THEY WERE
TO LEAVE ? WOULD THEY BE AS
SUCCESSFUL ANYWHERE ELSE ?
>> FIRST, I DO NOT THINK THEY
WILL LEAVE PORTLAND.
THE TEAM HAS TOO MUCH FAN
SUPPORT AND THEY ARE
FINANCIALLY SUCCESSFUL.
FINANCIALLY SUCCESSFUL. I DO NOT SEE ANY SCENARIO WHERE
EVEN IF SHE DECIDED TO SELL THE
TEAM AND THE NEW OWNER WOULD
MOVE THE TEAM OUT OF PORTLAND,
IF THEY DID, AND YOUR QUESTION,
I THINK A VERY FEW PLACES WHERE
THEY COULD GO AND HAVE THE SAME
KIND OF RELATIONSHIP THAT THEY
HAVE WITH PORTLAND RIGHT NOW.
PART OF WHAT IS UNIQUE IS THAT
THE BLAZERS ARE THE ONLY ONE OF
THE MAJOR PRO SPORTS FRANCHISES
IN THE CITY AND THE STATE,
FRANKLY.
FRANKLY.
FRANKLY. THERE ARE NOT A LOT OF PLACES
LIKE THAT.
LIKE THAT. MOST BIG CITIES HAVE AN NFL
FRANCHISE, AND NBA TEAM, AND
MAYBE AN NHL TEAM, AND I WORKED
IN SALT LAKE CITY FOR YEARS AGO
AND COVERED THE JAZZ.
THERE WAS A SIMILAR DYNAMIC
THERE.
THERE.
THERE. THE JAZZ WAS THE ONLY PRO
SPORTS TEAM IN UTAH AND THE FAN
BASE IS RABBIT, JUST LIKE
PORTLAND IS.
PORTLAND IS. THERE ARE FEW PLACES WERE MAYBE
COULD HAPPEN, BUT IT IS SUCH A
UNIQUE ENVIRONMENT HERE AND THE
CONNECTION THAT THE CITY HAS
AND THE YEARS OF DEDICATION
THAT THEY HAVE TO PORTLAND, IT
WOULD BE HARD TO REPLICATE THAT
ANYWHERE ELSE.
ANYWHERE ELSE. >> ORLANDO, WHAT DO YOU THINK ?
>> I SECOND THAT ON BOTH
FRONTS.
FRONTS.
FRONTS. IT IS A UNIQUE SITUATION TO BE
PART OF.
PART OF.
PART OF. WILL SAY THAT TRAVELING WITH
THE TEAM AND SEEING JODY ALLEN
THERE.
THERE.
THERE. >>
THERE. >> WISH YOU EXCITED?
>> AS EACH PLAYER WOULD GO INTO
THE LOCKER ROOM, SHE GREETED
EVERY PLAYER AND WAS HUGGING
THEM.
THEM.
THEM. THERE WAS A MOMENT WHERE I
THINK SHE REALIZED THIS IS
SPECIAL.
SPECIAL.
SPECIAL. IT IS SOMETHING IT DOESN'T
HAPPEN.
HAPPEN.
HAPPEN. I
HAPPEN. I AM PART OF THIS.
WHEN YOU SEE SUCCESS AT THIS
TYPE OF LEVEL, THERE IS NO WAY
TO REPLICATE THAT EMOTION.
I THINK THAT SHE FELL IN LOVE,
IF SHE WAS ALREADY, WITH THIS
TEAM.
TEAM.
TEAM. >>
TEAM. >> IT MUST HAVE BEEN SO
INCREDIBLE FOR HER TO SEE WHAT
HER BROTHER CREATED.
AND FOR HER TO SEE THAT FOR
HIM.
HIM.
HIM. >>
HIM. >> SOME PLAYERS THAT TALKED
ABOUT WITH PAUL ALLEN, THEY
FELT LIKE THEY WERE HIS KIDS
SINCE HE DID NOT HAVE THEM.
THIS WAS THE RELATIONSHIP THAT
HE HAD WITH THEM.
HE WOULD HAVE A RELATIONSHIP
WITH THEM THAT MOST OWNERS DO
NOT HAVE WITH THEIR PLAYERS.
I THINK ALL OF THAT PLACE INTO
THIS BIGGER PICTURE OF WHAT THE
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
BASKETBALL IS FOR THIS CITY.
>> PART OF BEING A PORTLAND OR
IS BUYING INTO THE PORTLAND
TRAIL BLAZERS AND BUYING INTO
PART OF THE RIP CITY FAN BASE.
IT IS PART OF THE IDENTITY OF
THE COMMUNITY AND THAT IS VERY
HARD TO FIND IN OTHER
COMMUNITIES, BECAUSE, AS JARED
SAID, THERE ARE MULTIPLE MAJOR
SPORTS TEAMS.
SPORTS TEAMS. SOCCER IS STILL NOT VIEWED THE
SAME WAY AS PROFESSIONAL
BASKETBALL.
BASKETBALL. SO, PART OF BEING A PORTLAND OR
IS LOVING THE PORTLAND TRAIL
BLAZERS.
BLAZERS.
BLAZERS. >> AND IT REFLECTS IT SO WELL
HERE DURING THIS RUN.
YOU COULD WALK INTO COSCO OR GO
TO THE STORE AND EVERYONE IS
SAYING, RIP CITY.
THEY WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT
IT.
IT.
IT. WHEN
IT. WHEN YOU GO TO A RESTAURANT,
EVERYONE WANTS TO TALK ABOUT
IT.
IT.
IT. IT
IT. IT IS
IT. IT IS BLAZERS FEVER AND IT
ENCAPSULATED THE ENTIRE CITY
AND TOOK EVERYONE BY STORM.
IF I LIKE EVERYONE HAD BLAZERS
FEVER.
FEVER.
FEVER. >>
FEVER. >> MORGAN ROMERO CAME FROM
BOISE AND YOU CAN SEE FOLLOWING
HER AND TWITTER, HOW SHE GOT
MORE AND MORE INVESTED IN THE
BLAZERS WITH EVERY GAME.
THAT IS WHAT HAPPENS.
YOU CANNOT HELP TO GET SWEPT
INTO THIS.
INTO THIS. >> YOU CAN TELL THAT THESE GUYS
ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT THE
BLAZERS.
BLAZERS.
BLAZERS. YOU HAVE A PODCAST, CALL 3-ON-3.
WAS IS IN.
>> IMAGINE IF THEY HAD HEALTHY
JUSUF NURKIC AND THAT CALIBER.
WHATEVER THAT MIGHT BE.
IF YOU PUT THAT TEAM AGAINST
THIS VERSION OF THE WARRIORS
TEAM THAT THEY DISPLAYED IN THE
WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS, I
THINK IT IS AN INCREDIBLY
COMPETITIVE SERIES.
COMPETITIVE SERIES. THE BLAZERS COULD WIN THE
SERIES.
SERIES.
SERIES. >> TO TELL US, WHAT IS IT ALL
ABOUT.
ABOUT.
ABOUT. >>
ABOUT. >> THIS IS JARED'S IDEA.
HE HAS PRODUCED THE SHOW AND
PUT TOGETHER.
PUT TOGETHER. OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF SEASONS
WE HAVE SEEN A GROWN A LOT OF
DIFFERENT WAYS.
DIFFERENT WAYS. IT HAS TAKEN A STRONGER FORMAT.
IT IS OUR CHANCE TO TALK AT
LENGTH ABOUT THE PORTLAND TRAIL
BLAZERS.
BLAZERS.
BLAZERS. BECAUSE WE ARE SO LIMITED ON
KGW.COM ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF
CONTENT WE CAN PUMP OUT.
THIS IS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR US
TO DO THIS.
A LOT OF OUR EXPERIENCES,
ESPECIALLY THIS YEAR, COVERING
THE TEAM, WE HAVE A DIFFERENT
PERSPECTIVE IN DIFFERENT
PERSONALITIES WITH HOW WE SEE
IT.
IT.
IT. A
IT. A LOT
IT. A LOT OF IT IS POSITIVE BUT WE
ARE NOT AFRAID TO CALL THE TEAM
OUT OR SAY, THIS IS WHAT IS
GOING WRONG.
GOING WRONG. >> ONE THING IS THAT IT IS
DEFINITELY AUTHENTIC.
DEFINITELY AUTHENTIC. WE DO NOT TO SAY THINGS THIS IS
A. WE SAY WHAT WE BELIEVE AT
THAT TIME.
THAT TIME. SOMETIMES, OF COURSE, COMES
BACK TO BITE YOU A LITTLE BIT
LATER.
LATER.
LATER. >>
LATER. >> AND WE HEAR ABOUT IT.
WE DO HEAR ABOUT IT.
WE THOUGHT THAT THE THUNDER
WOULD BE THE BLAZERS.
>> I PICKED UP THE BLAZERS.
>> IT IS GOING TO BE AUTHENTIC
AND IT IS THREE GUYS WHO HAVE
REASONABLE MINDS AND WE ARE
JUST TALKING ABOUT SPORTS AND
TALKING ABOUT THE BLAZERS.
IT IS A REALLY EASY LISTEN FOR
PEOPLE WHO ARE HARD-CORE FANS
OF THE BLAZERS, AS WELL AS
THOSE WHO JUST TUNE IN HERE AND
THERE.
THERE.
THERE. >>
THERE. >> WHERE CAN PEOPLE FIND IT?
>> YOU CAN FIND ANYWHERE THAT
YOU FIND PODCAST.
APPLE PODCAST.
APPLE PODCAST. STITCHER.
STITCHER.
STITCHER. YOU CAN FIND IT ON GOOGLE PLAY.
ANYWHERE THAT YOU GET YOUR
PODCAST, IF YOU SEARCH 3-ON-3
BLAZERS, YOU WILL FIND IT .
>> WHAT WE BE WATCHING NOW THAT
THE SEASON IS OVER ?
>> THE DRAFT IS COMING UP
PRETTY SOON.
PRETTY SOON. I THINK THAT THE DRAFT IS NEXT
AND THEN FREE AGENCY, AND THEN
POTENTIAL TRADES DURING THE OFF-
SEASON.
SEASON.
SEASON. THE BLAZERS HAVE THE 25th PICK
IN THE DRAFTS, SO IT IS NOT A
HIGH DRAFT PICKS I DON'T KNOW
IF THEY WILL GET IT IMPACT
PLAYER, BUT IN FREE AGENCY,
THEY ARE LIMITED THE AMOUNT OF
MONEY THEY HAVE, BUT YOU KNOW
THAT NEIL O'SHEA IS GOING TO TRY
TO GO OUT AND GET OTHER STAR
TO PAIR WITH DAMIAN LILLARD AND
C.J.
C.J.
C.J. McCOLLUM AND JUSUF NURKIC.
YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU WILL
HAPPEN.
HAPPEN.
HAPPEN. >> WILL HAVE A FEW SECONDS
LEFT.
LEFT.
LEFT. FINAL THOUGHT ?
>> WHAT A RIVALRY THIS WAS.
FOR SOMEONE WHO IS NOT PARTIAL
TO THE TEAM IT IS COVERS IT ON
A DAILY BASIS, IT WAS A ROLLER
COASTER OF EMOTIONS.
YOU MENTIONED THE HEARTACHE AND
THE TOUGH TIMES THAT THEY WENT
THROUGH AND HOW THEY WERE ABLE
TO BATTLE BACK AND REDEEM
THEMSELVES AT TIMES.
AND WHAT IT CREATED WERE
LASTING MEMORIES FOR THE TEAM
AND FOR THE FRANCHISE AND FOR
THE CITY OF PORTLAND.
PEOPLE WILL NOT FORGET.
>> 10 SECONDS.
>> THIS SEASON WOULD NOT HAVE
BEEN THE SAME IF THEY DO NOT
HAVE THE DOWNS.
THAT IS WHAT MADE THE SEASON SO
SPECIAL.
SPECIAL.
SPECIAL. THEY HAVE NEGATIVES AND CAME
BACK AND MADE IN THE BIGGEST
POSITIVE WE'VE SEEN LONGTIME.
>> A SEASON TO REMEMBER, FOR
SURE.
SURE.
SURE. JARED COWLEY, NATE HANSEN, ENES
KANTER, THANK YOU FOR BEING
HERE.
HERE.
HERE. CHECK OUT THEIR 3-ON-3
PODCAST.
PODCAST.
PODCAST. THANK YOU TO THE BLAZERS FOR A
MEMORABLE