The Trail Blazers are "likable on the court, they work hard and they're easy to root for," but it is the "business side of the operation currently giggling with joy," according to John Canzano of the Portland OREGONIAN. Blazers President & CEO Chris McGowan has "begun personally calling" season-ticket customers who "balked at the hike in renewal prices for next season." With the Blazers' 137-105 win Friday against the NBA-leading Warriors, McGowan's "reception next week will be warmer." Canzano noted the basketball operations side of the Blazers "hasn't always meshed with the business side," but under McGowan, the fan experience has "improved." The organization "stopped posturing and started genuinely soliciting feedback from fans." The franchise also "stopped perpetrating the long-running sellout streak myth," and it "stopped making excuses when it failed." The nickel and dime marketing and sponsorship approach that the prior regime "had become dependent upon stopped." McGowan instead "directed his staff to make fewer, larger scale, sponsorship deals." Canzano: "Transparency improved. Internal drama dissipated. And McGowan preached to his lieutenants that Trail Blazers, Inc. was now an 'Entertainment Company,' responsible for running the arena and team as one." Blazers President of Basketball Operations Neil Olshey "did what he's always done." He "evaluated players and sold" Owner Paul Allen "on his vision." The organization has "pulled itself together -- business and basketball -- in a way that has fans engaged," and it "helps that McGowan has loads of humility." McGowan "feels like a guy who might decide to stay in Oregon forever." Canzano: "The organization has become about basketball again over the last four years. Win or lose, the basketball leads and the business follows. What the Blazers have is a pair of leaders who work very closely together promoting vision, talking strategy, and organization messaging" (Portland OREGONIAN, 2/21).
MARKET PUSH: In Seattle, Geoff Baker reports locally based KJR-AM this month "began airing the first of seven live broadcasts" of Blazers games. The team is experimenting with a "push into what it considers an untapped Seattle market of Blazers fans." Blazers Senior VP/Brand Strategy & Digital Dewayne Hankins said that the team's research has found 13% of single-game ticket sales "come from the Seattle area" (SEATTLE TIMES, 2/22).
