The news of Portland Trail Blazers owner Paul Allen’s death yesterday hit the NBA hard. Among the memorials and memories, questions are arising about the future of the franchise. Allen’s passion for the Blazers was well-chronicled, and his billions kept the smaller-market team in business even during lean years. Understandably, people are asking who the new owners are going to be, since Allen’s sister and heir, Jody, does not want to retain his sports franchises.
We’ll talk more about this issue at Blazer’s Edge over the next couple days. For openers, KGW TV in Portland ran an interview with Brian Berger, host of the Sports Business Radio Podcast, who also worked in communications and marketing for the Blazers in the 1990’s.