45 Comments
User's avatar
Rick monger's avatar

Wondering if the Seahawk away games will be broadcast from Burt Kolde's garage?

John Canzano's avatar

With a hand-held cam?

Mark D Sanchez's avatar

Calling the away games from a monitor?? Why not do it from my home -- and I won't charge for refreshments.

A truly bush league solution by the Blazers. Just sell the club to Phil Knight.

John Canzano's avatar

It's such a small-time move.

Noury's avatar

Maybe we could have a club and rotate the games at all of your home? 41 regular season games so it shouldn’t be too difficult. We could call it the ZanoCast. John, you have go to pull this together 😅😀😛

Charles A Roseberry's avatar

Keep after 'em, John.. A little personal "throwback;" I just read your last Monday column, and wanted to give you a shout out for taking me "around the horn" swiftly and precisely. A lot of good info well packaged. Wing man, indeed. Thanks.

DW's avatar

Isn't it time for Adam Silver to weigh in here? Has the "Zoom economy" ... and future of remote work ... also disrupted the way teams do NBA broadcasts. I believe there should be "minimum standards" rule for broadcasting NBA games live and in person.

John Canzano's avatar

I expect the team will walk this back... right?

Bruce Watkins's avatar

It is becoming more and more difficult to remain a Blazer fan as long as Vulcan is in control. Games in any sport with remote broadcasters are obvious and painful to watch. Thanks for calling the Blazer organization out on another bush league move.

Babs's avatar

This brings up a larger issue. The underinvestment in the Moda Center. The building is starting to look ratty. From what might now be the oldest and smallest video scoreboard screen to broken seats, the place isn't keeping up with the times. Feels like Jody is trying to just spend the minimum until she sells.

John Canzano's avatar

Needs a couple hundred million in improvements.

David Gulickson's avatar

“Clearly, this is a franchise that doesn’t understand the value of connection with its fan base.”

John, that statement pretty much sums it up. Ownership needs to open their eyes to the fact that the Blazers are a unique property in this big mess of professional sports and act appropriately…

Fat chance

GO DAWGS

DFY's avatar

As a (finally) lapsed A's fan, I feel like it's happening all over again--indifferent ownership (who nonetheless is fully committed to retaining the stranglehold they have on the team), tone-deaf cost cutting, death by 1,000 cuts alienation of the fan base...

John Canzano's avatar

You are astute.

Zig Zakovics's avatar

When I was a boy in the 50’s, the Portland Beaver broadcasters, Rollie Truitt & Bob Blackburn, would recreate the games using Western Union telegraphic transmission and a microphone. That method would save the Blazers even more money, without the need of all the sophisticated electronic and visual equipment they’ll need in the studio.

Michael Sears's avatar

John, why not start a petition drive to leverage sale of the Blazers to Phil Knight? Paul Allen must be very disappointed by what his sister is letting happen.

John Canzano's avatar

This -- is my petition. Thank you for being here for it.

Patrick Logan's avatar

Splashy free agents are not likely to be attracted to small town organizations that won't even send their broadcasters on the road.

Chip Hilton's avatar

advertisers will take note and revenue will decline making this move a false economy. I suspect ownership knows this so there must be other dark motives at work.

Charlie Payne's avatar

What a bush league operation. My old friend and neighbor, Paul, must be rolling over in his grave with disgust.

Tom Marinaro's avatar

Love your columns, John, but hate the idea of no broadcasters on the road. Don't the Trailblazers have an appreciation of the emotional link between their fans and the team that broadcasters help to foster?

Jim Stewart's avatar

No, they obviously don't.

John Canzano's avatar

Way overdue. Franchise deserves someone who will love it, nurture it, appreciate it. Current regime is pulling an Oakland A's act.

Clyde Carrick's avatar

I agree. Allen doesn't gain anything by doing this.

Chip Hilton's avatar

You might be on to something about Jody Allen and Vulcan. This is starting to read like a script from Ted Lasso, where the estranged ex wife get's the English soccer club and is determined to destroy it because it's the only thing her ex-husband truly loved.

John Canzano's avatar

As Ted once said: "Taking on a challenge is a lot like riding a horse, isn't it? If you're comfortable while you're doing it, you're probably doing it wrong."

Mark Waldroop's avatar

Great analogy! It also sounds like the move, Major League.

Harry  Novick's avatar

Jody and Bert are amateurs. I will not be spending any time watching the Blazers until a competent ownership group is in place. Enough.