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QRICH · 03-10-2006, 07:29 PM

http://www.nba.com/blazers/news/A_Co...171563-41.html

Quote:

Q: Do you care if the team moves?

I want the team to stay in Portland.* If this all ends up in the courts or someone buys the team and moves it, it would be a shame.

Q: So what is your bottom line?

I've really enjoyed being the owner of the Trail Blazers.* I've tried hard to bring the city a championship.* Now we are in a tough rebuilding process with a broken financial model. We have asked for help in fixing it.* If I have to sell the team or if it can’t continue, that will be sad.* But sports franchises really only work if the community and ownership are in a mutually beneficial partnership.

My original belief in Portland as a worthy market has not changed.* Our fans have proven they are among the best in the NBA.* With the help of everyone interested in forming a public-private partnership like those in other NBA cities, I believe we could rebuild and ultimately regain our place as one of the best teams in the league.

**Dan** · 03-10-2006, 07:50 PM

good find.

Quote:

The arena ownership group has received much more than the amount of their original loan. They did invest $155 million. However, they have been returned over $195 million in cash, plus they now own the arena, which a judge has said is worth over $60 million. They are also receiving millions of dollars annually in additional ongoing revenue from suites, club seats, concessions, etc. because I have continued to fund the Trail Blazers so that the team can continue to play in their arena.

daaang...

and

Quote:

Marshall Glickman, a former Trail Blazers executive, put together the original deal in early 1992 using the services of a consulting company PFM. Ultimately, I signed off on the deal. I know that similar deals at other privately financed arenas have also been restructured as we have sought to do here. The best way for teams to be healthy in today’s sports environment (especially and most importantly in small markets) is to have a publicly financed facility. That’s why we have been meeting with officials in Portland and Oregon state government to determine if there is sufficient support to help the Trail Blazers achieve a better financial footing. This would involve team ownership, the public, and the owners of the arena, PAM, which is led by Prudential.

Hm, I know that Marshall Glickman was actually more hated by a lot of people than Trader Bob. Marshall pissed on what his father built, and didn't quite understand why people hated him.

OntheRocks · 03-10-2006, 07:53 PM

Just saw the article on ESPN: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2363437

Come on let's make sure the blazers don't up and leave!

**Dan** · 03-10-2006, 07:57 PM

the only bad thing i took out of the interview was this quote (altho it's not as concrete as you'd think)

Quote:

Q: Do you care if the team moves?

I want the team to stay in Portland. If this all ends up in the courts or someone buys the team and moves it, it would be a shame.

It's bad because it kind of implies it could happen..BUT that'd be after a LONG course of events where the lenders don't budge a bit (which would probably be far-fetched...can an arbitrator handle this?)

yakbladder · 03-10-2006, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hap

good find.

daaang...

and

Hm, I know that Marshall Glickman was actually more hated by a lot of people than Trader Bob. Marshall pissed on what his father built, and didn't quite understand why people hated him.

I think, at least from what I observed in the public eye, that Marshall just appeared to be inept...especially when compared to his father.

furball · 03-10-2006, 11:24 PM

This was actually a very informative Q&A. It was also a very stupid one. Everytime the Blazers open their mouths publically they alienate more and more fans. Just shut up and negotiate behind the scenes. Allen is trying to strong arm the city like he did the state of Washington to keep the Seahawks in town. It's not going to work. The NBA is a broken product. The NFL is the model for all to follow. It's not a coincidence that the only major sport without guaranteed contracts is the most successful. If you put the Blazer's arena situation up against the voters, it will fail. The thing is, the Blazers have no options. There is not a viable city out there to move the team. Vancouver? St. Louis? Kansas City? San Diego? Give me a break. They have never been successful in Basketballl. Portland was the model franchise. Allen's lack of business acumin is the problem and bringing in losers to run the franchise is his fault. Stop blaming Marshall Glickman and Bob Whitsitt.

RipCity9 · 03-10-2006, 11:45 PM

Just sell the team already so we can move on and rebuild from your disastrous tenure you poor, poor billionaire.

zagsfan20 · 03-11-2006, 03:28 AM

I particularly liked this part:

Quote:

Q: Isn’t everything that has happened with the players and the draft ultimately your responsibility?

Quote:

Of course. Ultimately, all major decisions are approved by ownership. I, more than anyone else, feel badly that certain trades didn’t work out or that we didn’t win an NBA championship. In fact, we undertook what in retrospect was an overly aggressive spending approach without the proper consideration for character. The need for change became very apparent, so I made changes. We are still only part way through the rebuilding process, which is even more painful. And believe me, I regret taking prior management’s recommendations to trade for Shawn Kemp and trading away Jermaine O'Neal.

That shows me that Nash isn't as crappy of a GM as a lot of you are making him out to be...He's just working under unusually shaky parameters compared to most GM's, meaning he's more of a scapegoat for upper management unlike most GM's who are typically the decision makers roster wise...

zagsfan20 · 03-11-2006, 03:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RipCity9

Just sell the team already so we can move on and rebuild from your disastrous tenure you poor, poor billionaire.

What are you talking about....Allen has invested more money in the Blazers than any other owner in the NBA has for their teams...Allen cares, but what he was doing just wasn't working, instead of clinging on for 1st round and outs with players with shotty criminal records and horrible attitudes he decided what was best, was to rebuild from the ground up...He probably knew going in that the fanbase would be unpatient, but its just part of the whole deal...

The only thing I can really fault Allen for is not having a relationship whatsoever with the players that he spends big bucks on and for being out of touch with the community for many of his years as the owner....

Utherhimo · 03-11-2006, 03:58 AM

well i think many of our bad moves were allen's involvement than he is willing to admit *cough* miles * cough* and his listening to traitor bob too.

zagsfan20 · 03-11-2006, 04:25 AM

Quote:

Vancouver? St. Louis? Kansas City? San Diego? Give me a break. They have never been successful in Basketballl.

Actually the St. Louis Hawks won a championship in 1958....They also had a great coaches in Red Holzman and Ed Macaulay during there year there....Also had some great players like Bob Pettit, Clyde Lovelette, Lenny Wilkins.....After 11 years of existence they moved the team to Atlanta in 68'....So they have a little bit of a basketball history...

While spending a lot of my summers in St. Louis, it is definitely a baseball city, but there is some huge basketball followers there as well and they were making a huge run for landing the Grizzlies before they ended up in Memphis....They also have a good arena already in place, where they held the Final Four last year and it would be perfect facility for a pro team...

With that being said, I don't think the Blazers are leaving Portland anytime in the near future, nor do I ever want to see them...

ABM · 03-11-2006, 06:35 AM

Some poll responses..

http://portland.bizjournals.com/port...6/daily34.html

**B_&_B** · 03-11-2006, 07:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by furball

This was actually a very informative Q&A. It was also a very stupid one. Everytime the Blazers open their mouths publically they alienate more and more fans. Just shut up and negotiate behind the scenes. Allen is trying to strong arm the city like he did the state of Washington to keep the Seahawks in town. It's not going to work. The NBA is a broken product. The NFL is the model for all to follow. It's not a coincidence that the only major sport without guaranteed contracts is the most successful. If you put the Blazer's arena situation up against the voters, it will fail. The thing is, the Blazers have no options. There is not a viable city out there to move the team. Vancouver? St. Louis? Kansas City? San Diego? Give me a break. They have never been successful in Basketballl. Portland was the model franchise. Allen's lack of business acumin is the problem and bringing in losers to run the franchise is his fault. Stop blaming Marshall Glickman and Bob Whitsitt.

I cant help but laugh.

It's not going to end up in a vote. The Trail Blazers arent asking for taxes to be raised to fix this problem. All the Trail Blazers want is what every other city does for their sports franchises, HELP and SUPPORT! The team helps the city in major ways, the city should in return help the Trail Blazers. Did you know that the city makes a ton of $$$ off the parking at the Rose Garden? The city has paid off the bonds they took out to build the parking garages, and has since re-financed those, bringing them even more $$$. Some of that extra $$$ they get every year goes to fix the financial mess over at PGE Park.

I am glad Paul stepped up and spoke his mind, and let us fans know more of what is really going on. I am glad to hear that he did in fact try to buy the arena many years ago, but was told no, because the bold holders would rather continue to get his big interest payments every year rather than sell it to him.

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