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150-739: Root Sports Northwest , sometimes branded simply as Root Sports , is an American regional sports network owned by the Seattle Mariners . Headquartered near Seattle in the city of Bellevue, Washington , the channel broadcasts regional coverage of sports events throughout the Pacific Northwest , with a focus on professional sports teams based in Seattle and Portland . It is available on cable providers throughout Washington , Oregon , Idaho , Montana , and Alaska and nationwide on satellite via DirecTV . Root Sports Northwest

300-658: A National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise for Portland as far back as 1955 when he proposed two new expansion teams, the other to be located in Los Angeles. When the Memorial Coliseum was opened in 1960 Glickman saw the potential it could serve as a professional basketball venue but it was not until February 6, 1970, that the NBA board of governors granted him the rights to a franchise in Portland. To raise

450-446: A " rotisserie-league manager". Fans were publicly disapproving of Whitsitt; one fan even attending a game with a banner reading "Trade Whitsitt" that they displayed in the crowd before eventually getting ejected from the venue. Tensions continued to rise within the franchise and media outlets started reporting on the teams internal personnel issues and the criminal activity that players were involved in. Mainstream media began referring to

600-402: A "regional sports network fee" as a separate item on their bills. In response to high and increasing surcharges for RSNs and local broadcast channels, on March 22, 2023, FCC chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced a proposal to require television providers to advertise only "all-in" pricing, including all programming fees. In Canada, Sportsnet operates four regional sports networks, and

750-585: A 2002 interview: "We're not really going to worry about what the hell (the fans) think about us. They really don't matter to us. They can boo us everyday, but they're still going to ask for our autographs if they see us on the street. That's why they're fans, and we're NBA players." Wells was fined $ 50,000 by the Blazers for the statement. Later in 2005, Woods pleaded guilty to first-degree animal abuse for staging dog fights in his house, some involving his pit bull named Hollywood. Woods' dogs were confiscated, and Woods

900-601: A 30-day grace period to make the payment. During this grace period, Diamond Sports also missed a rights payment to the Arizona Diamondbacks . On March 14, 2023, Diamond Sports filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy . In October 2023, following the loss of airing Phoenix Suns and Arizona Diamondbacks games during the year, Bally Sports Arizona dropped coverage of the Arizona Coyotes during the preseason, which subsequently led to Bally Sports Arizona being

1050-469: A 92–90 victory. However, despite the Blazers remaining among the playoff contenders for most of the season, injuries to starters Batum, LaMarcus Aldridge , and Matthews, as well as a losing streak of 13 games – the longest in the franchise's history – led to the 11th position in the West, with a 33–49 record. Averaging 19.0 points, 6.5 assists, and 3.1 rebounds, Lillard was unanimously named Rookie of

1200-519: A Los Angeles Lakers team led by Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant . In that series, the Trail Blazers lost 3 of the first 4 games but came back to win games 5 and 6, forcing a game 7 . The Blazers had a 15-point lead at the start of the fourth quarter, but eventually lost their lead when the Lakers had a 25–4 run. The Trail Blazers lost game 7, 89–84 and the Lakers won the championship. One of

1350-731: A career-high 43 points. Four days later, Lillard hit a three-pointer to tie the game and force overtime against the Thunder en route to 40 points and a 115–111 victory. Three Blazers went to New Orleans for the All Star Weekend : Matthews for the Foot Locker Three-Point Contest, Lillard as a reserve to the All-Star Game, and Aldridge as a starter to the All-Star game. More injuries appeared around

1500-435: A carriage agreement with Comcast (NBCSNW's parent company). In June 2021, it was announced that Root Sports had acquired the regional television rights to the Trail Blazers beginning in the 2021–22 season ; the network's wider carriage, especially on streaming services and satellite, in comparison to NBCSNW was a factor in the acquisition. Dish Network dropped all AT&T Sports Networks, including Root Sports, just before

1650-517: A centralized media rights model in the 2023 season ; all match telecasts are now produced in-house and carried internationally on the MLS Season Pass subscription service under a ten-year digital rights agreement with Apple Inc. , and blackouts are not enforced. In March 2023, Bally Sports parent company Diamond Sports Group filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, while Warner Bros. Discovery Sports (WBD) announced its intent to exit

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1800-441: A dedicated channel; in contrast to other sports channels, it was distributed free-to-air as a digital multicast television network , and eventually subsumed its syndication of individual telecasts. In 2017, the channel was relaunched as Stadium as part of a joint venture with Silver Chalice , which expanded its programming and added a focus on distribution via free ad-supported streaming television (FAST). Starting in 2023, amid

1950-505: A failed courtship with Henry Bibby of Southern California. More transactions followed as the Blazers traded Steve Smith to the Spurs for Derek Anderson , but issues began when Shawn Kemp checked himself into a rehab for cocaine use in April 2001. That same season, Whitsitt made one of his most controversial moves in signing free agent Ruben Patterson , who had previously pleaded no contest to

2100-402: A felony sexual assault charge and was required to register as a sex offender. In 2002, police responded to a security alarm alert at Damon Stoudamire's house, though no intruders were there. After smelling marijuana in the home, they searched the premises and found a pound of cannabis located in a crawlspace; the search was later declared illegal and all charges were dropped. In 2003, several of

2250-535: A game 7 back in Houston, down by two points with 0.9 seconds left in the game, Damian Lillard hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer to close out the series (the moment was later nicknamed "Rip City Revival", as Portland advanced to the semifinals for the first time since 2000, where they lost to the eventual champion San Antonio Spurs in five games). During the 2014 off-season, Olshey signed center Chris Kaman and two-time former Blazers' guard Steve Blake to bolster

2400-481: A game more than once in a season. Lillard was voted in as a reserve to his first All-Star game, joining Aldridge to represent Portland at the game. Portland finished 54–28, securing the fifth seed in the playoffs against the Rockets. The team also shot 81.5% at the free throw line, made 770 three-pointers, and started four players for all 82 regular season games, all franchise records. The first-round series against

2550-609: A group that shared programming and national TV rights. During the 1990s, some teams experimented with pay-per-view or premium television broadcasts of games, which were generally unpopular. The Portland Trail Blazers ran BlazerVision, which charged a fee for every game, and which blacked out NBA on TNT coverage of Trail Blazer playoff games for fans within 40 miles (64 km) of Portland. The Chicago Blackhawks broadcast games exclusively on Hawkvision between 1992 and 1995. As sports fans began to prefer watching their favorite teams on television rather than in person, RSNs became

2700-604: A higher programming tier or a specialized sports tier to receive local and out-of-market regional sports networks. National Football League games (outside of preseason games) are not shown on regional sports networks as its TV deal is centralized and local games are broadcast on TV in a team's local area. In 2023, Major League Soccer also switched to a centralized broadcasting model, with all games carried nationally via streaming. Viewership and advertising revenue on RSNs are highest during live broadcasts of professional and collegiate sporting events. These broadcasts are often

2850-544: A manner similar to Sportsnet. These feeds are primarily used to broadcast regional NHL games, but may also be used to provide alternative and common national programming. While each region has a primary TSN channel, due to overlaps in NHL territories it is possible in some parts of Ontario to access additional regional games from one non-primary channel. Prior to the launch of these channels, regional NHL games whose rights were held by TSN (which, at that point, consisted solely of

3000-530: A network of broadcasters that may consist of either individual over-the-air stations, regional sports networks, or a mixture of both. Jefferson-Pilot Communications and Raycom Sports were well known as syndicators of college sports on broadcast television, having previously held agreements with the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and Southeastern Conference (SEC). By the late-2000's. both packages began to wind down after ESPN acquired

3150-403: A new division formed when the split off from Liberty Media was completed on November 19, 2009. On December 17, 2010, DirecTV Sports Networks announced that its four Fox Sports Networks-affiliated regional outlets would be relaunched under the " Root Sports " brand. The network officially rebranded as Root Sports Northwest on April 1, 2011, with The Dan Patrick Show as the first program under

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3300-506: A pre-season knee injury requiring microfracture surgery and missed the entire 2007–08 season. Oden's injury woes and Durant's success drew comparisons to the Blazers' selection of Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan in 1984. Despite this, the Trail Blazers had a 13-game winning streak starting in early December, resulting in an NBA-best 13–2 record for the month. Nate McMillan won NBA Coach of the Month, and Roy earned NBA Western Conference Player of

3450-511: A small number of subscribers in Manhattan in May 1969. By the late 1970s another version of this network would launch and be made available to other cable systems in the metropolitan area and it would finally receive the name Madison Square Garden Television in 1980. Another early network considered by many to be an RSN is Philadelphia 's PRISM which launched in 1976 offering coverage of three of

3600-899: A strategy of launching RSNs, particularly in markets where its stations have state-wide coverage. This strategy began with Arizona's Family Sports , which features Phoenix Suns and Mercury basketball, and auxiliary programming for the Arizona Cardinals of the NFL. It has since established similar networks, such as Peachtree Sports Network (which is carried on the digital channels of multiple Gray stations in Georgia), Matrix Midwest in St. Louis, Missouri (a rebranding of its MyNetworkTV subchannel), Rock Entertainment Sports Network in Ohio (in partnership with Dan Gilbert 's Rock Entertainment, owner of

3750-407: A team of his choice ( Clippers , Knicks , Warriors , or 76ers ), because he was unhappy with his medical treatment in Portland. Walton was never traded, and he held out the entire 1978–79 season and left the team as a free agent thereafter. The team was further dismantled as Lucas left in 1980. During the 1980s, the team was a consistent presence in the NBA postseason, failing to qualify for

3900-480: A very important source of revenue for professional teams and collegiate conferences. By 2011, regional sports networks were integral to the financial health of many U.S. sports ventures. Teams in smaller media markets were often disadvantaged by their reliance on RSNs, whereas teams in larger markets could negotiate more lucrative media rights deals. In the 21st century, the rise of cord-cutting has led to decreasing cable and satellite television subscriber numbers in

4050-466: A veteran NBA executive, was hired as general manager, and Steve Patterson as team president. The new management promised a focus on character while remaining playoff contenders; the team soon published a "25-Point Pledge" to fans. Troublesome players including Wells, Wallace, and Jeff McInnis were traded. However, the team failed to qualify for the 2004 NBA playoffs , ending a streak of 21 consecutive playoff appearances. The following year in 2005,

4200-926: Is also a shareholder in Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE), which owned Leafs Nation Network , a channel devoted entirely to the Toronto Maple Leafs and its farm team, the Toronto Marlies (and is restricted to the Leafs' broadcast territory). MLSE also operates NBA TV Canada , which is distributed nationally but has featured programming focused on the MLSE-owned Toronto Raptors and its NBA G League affiliate Raptors 905 . On August 25, 2014, The Sports Network (TSN), another Canadian sports channel, split its singular national feed into four regional feeds in

4350-441: Is considered a national channel with multiple feeds for regulatory purposes, in practice its four main channels act as a set of RSNs, albeit with a significant portion of common national programming. Through the separate Sportsnet One licence, Rogers also operates three regional overflow channels—Sportsnet Flames, Sportsnet Oilers, and Sportsnet Canucks—for Calgary Flames , Edmonton Oilers , and Vancouver Canucks games. Rogers

4500-481: Is majority-owned by the Seattle Mariners . This deadline quietly passed with no changes in operations; it was later reported that WBD had been negotiating an agreement with MLB to ensure that the networks would continue operating as normal through the end of the 2023 regular season . In October 2023, AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh was acquired by the Pittsburgh Penguins (with NESN —a sister via

4650-608: Is mostly owned by the Seattle Mariners – under the AT&;T SportsNet banner on July 14, 2017. In September 2018, AT&TSN was transferred to the WarnerMedia News & Sports division . In February 2020, the New York Post reported that AT&T had abandoned a plan to divest the channels, after only receiving bids in excess of $ 500 million (rather than the $ 1 billion valuation it had expected). In May 2021, it

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4800-588: The 1983 draft , the team selected University of Houston guard–forward Clyde Drexler with the 14th pick; "Clyde the Glide" would become the face of the franchise for over a decade, and the team's second-most decorated player (after Walton). In the next year's draft , the Trail Blazers landed the No. 2 pick in the NBA draft. After the Houston Rockets selected Drexler's college teammate Hakeem Olajuwon at No. 1,

4950-482: The 1985 draft , the Blazers selected point guard Terry Porter with the last pick of the first round. Porter would go on to become one of the top point guards in the league, and the Blazers' all-time leader in assists. However, the Blazers continued to struggle in the postseason, and in 1986, Ramsay was fired and replaced with Mike Schuler . Despite this, they were the only team to beat the Boston Celtics on

5100-615: The 1986–87 season , missing the next two and a half seasons. During Schuler's brief tenure, the Blazers failed to advance out of the first round of the NBA playoffs. In 1988, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen purchased the Blazers for $ 70 million. At the time of the purchase, Allen, then 35, became the youngest team owner in the Big Four professional sports. His first season as owner was one marked by turmoil, as conflicts erupted over who should start at several positions. Both Vandeweghe and Johnson suffered injuries; they were replaced in

5250-479: The 1995 expansion draft . In an effort to quickly rebuild the team's roster, they acquired several players who were highly talented but had negative reputations for off-court troubles. Isaiah Rider was traded to the team by the Minnesota Timberwolves for a draft pick, and was considered to be a problematic player due to his previous arrests for assault, gambling and marijuana possession. He

5400-772: The 2014–15 season , RDS could air Canadiens games on a national basis, as it was also the national French-language rightsholder of the National Hockey League in Canada. With Rogers' acquisition of the exclusive national media rights to the NHL, and its decision to sub-license French rights to Quebecor Media 's TVA Sports , RDS and RDS2's coverage of the Canadiens and Senators are now restricted to parts of Eastern Ontario , Quebec and Atlantic Canada. Some telecasts (especially in U.S. college sports) are broadcast by ad-hoc syndicated packages, which can be picked up on

5550-691: The Atlanta Hawks for guard Steve Smith . In one of their biggest acquisitions yet, the team added six-time champion and seven-time All-Star Scottie Pippen from the Houston Rockets. In the 1999–2000 season, the team advanced to the Western Conference finals, where they beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 3–1 in the opening round and the Utah Jazz 4–1 in the semifinals. They advanced to the conference finals where they faced

5700-527: The Boston Celtics five days later, because he did not want to play in Canada for the 3 year old franchise. The team found success and eventually returned to the Western Conference finals in 1999 under head coach Mike Dunleavy . They beat the Phoenix Suns in the first round, sweeping them 3-0 and made history as it was the first time the Blazers had advanced from the first round since 1992. In

5850-559: The Cleveland Cavaliers and Buffalo Braves (now Los Angeles Clippers ), the Trail Blazers entered the NBA in 1970 as an expansion team, under coach Rolland Todd . Geoff Petrie and Sidney Wicks led the team in its early years, and the team failed to qualify for the playoffs in its first six seasons of existence. During that span, the team had three head coaches (including future hall-of-famer Lenny Wilkens ); team executive Stu Inman also served as coach. The team won

6000-551: The Cleveland Cavaliers ), and Gulf Coast Sports & Entertainment Network (which will carry New Orleans Pelicans basketball beginning in the 2024–25 season, with WVUE-DT as flagship). Sportsnet (formerly known as CTV Sportsnet and Rogers Sportsnet) is owned by the Rogers Media division of Toronto -based Rogers Communications . Sportsnet carries all of the Toronto Blue Jays baseball games. Although it

6150-949: The Dallas Mavericks . The Trail Blazers are the only NBA team based in the Pacific Northwest , after the Vancouver Grizzlies relocated to Memphis and became the Memphis Grizzlies in 2001 and the Seattle SuperSonics relocated to Oklahoma City and became the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2008. The team has advanced to the NBA Finals three times, winning the NBA championship once in 1977 . Their other NBA Finals appearances were in 1990 and 1992 . The team has qualified for

Root Sports Northwest - Misplaced Pages Continue

6300-825: The Dallas Stars took its media rights to an in-house streaming platform. Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers ) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon . The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference . The team played its home games in

6450-538: The Flyers and 76ers . Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia, the first CSN channel, launched on October 1, 1997. CSN purchased a small number of RSNs previously owned by Fox Sports Networks, and acquired the local rights to professional teams that FSN regional networks carried. In two markets, the latter situation resulted in Fox Sports shutting down their networks. Comcast's 2011 acquisition of NBC Universal allowed

6600-555: The Golden State Warriors in five games in the Conference Semifinals. In May 2017, the team revealed their new logo, an update of the pinwheel design with a new wordmark. According to Chris McGowan, president and CEO of the Trail Blazers, "Together, we landed on subtle changes that provide a nod to our past while allowing us to modernize other aspects of our creative assets." The 2017–18 season saw

6750-608: The Indiana Pacers for Dale Davis . Brian Grant signed with the Miami Heat , and was replaced with ex-Seattle forward Shawn Kemp . The team started off well and had a 12-game winning streak in February and March in the regular season. The team signed guard Rod Strickland mid-season to augment their point guard corps. The team finished as 6th seed in the Western Conference with a 49–33 record, which qualified them for

6900-594: The Memorial Coliseum before moving to Moda Center in 1995 (called the Rose Garden until 2013). The franchise entered the league as an expansion team in 1970 , and has enjoyed a strong following: from 1977 through 1995, the team sold out 814 consecutive home games, the longest such streak in American major professional sports at the time, and which has only since been surpassed by the Boston Red Sox and

7050-1011: The Sinclair Broadcast Group to air games throughout the Oregon and Washington areas called the Rip City Television Network . Root Sports carries shoulder programming for the NFL 's Seattle Seahawks , airing head coach Pete Carroll 's weekly press conference, branded as Seahawks Press Pass , and the team's weekly magazine program, Seahawks All Access. Until 2023, Root Sports carried Vegas Golden Knights games and related programming produced by then-sister network AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain on cable providers in Idaho and Montana. DirecTV and streaming providers had access to those games by tuning to AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain. On October 25, 2023, Sinclair and

7200-504: The playoffs in 37 seasons of their 54-season existence (through the 2023–24 season ), including a streak of 21 straight appearances from 1983 through 2003, tied for the second longest streak in NBA history. The Trail Blazers' 37 playoff appearances rank fourth in the NBA only behind the Los Angeles Lakers , Boston Celtics and San Antonio Spurs since the team's inception in 1970. Six Hall of Fame players have played for

7350-637: The $ 9.42 rate ESPN charges. RSNs justify these high prices by citing demand for the local sports teams they carry, particularly those in Major League Baseball , the National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League , as well as college teams that have large and loyal fanbases. Carriage disputes between distributors and RSNs are often controversial and protracted. Since 2013, television providers such as Charter Spectrum and Verizon FiOS have charged customers

7500-477: The 2002–03 season, replacing the unpopular BlazerVision pay-per-views and team-run Action Sports Cable Network. This lasted until 2007, when the team signed with Comcast SportsNet Northwest (now NBC Sports Northwest ). When the Trail Blazers' contract was up for renewal in 2016, Root Sports outbid NBC Sports Northwest for the rights through the 2020–21 season. However, the team declined and renewed with NBC Sports Northwest instead, as Root Sports could not guarantee

7650-526: The 2008–09 season, Greg Oden finally debuted, playing in 61 games. Portland also added international talent with Spanish swingman Rudy Fernández and French-native Nicolas Batum, who emerged as a skilled defensive forward. Roy made his second straight All-Star Game appearance, and Fernández competed in the Sprite Slam Dunk Contest during All-Star Weekend. Roy had a career-high 52 points against the Phoenix Suns and hit game-winning shots against

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7800-430: The 2010–11 season was plagued by injuries. Jeff Pendergraph and rookie guard Elliot Williams suffered knee injuries, sidelining them for the season. In November, Oden underwent microfracture surgery on his left knee, ending his season. Brandon Roy also underwent double arthroscopic surgery on January 17, 2011, to repair both knees, casting doubt on his future. Days later, Marcus Camby had arthroscopic knee surgery. Despite

7950-591: The 2012 NBA draft lottery on May 30, the Blazers secured the number 6 pick via the Brooklyn Nets and the number 11 pick due to their own record. Neil Olshey became the new GM in June, ending over a year of interim management. On June 28, 2012, the Blazers selected Weber State guard Damian Lillard and University of Illinois center Meyers Leonard with the 6th and 11th picks overall, respectively. They also selected University of Memphis guard Will Barton with

8100-546: The 40th pick overall, and traded the rights of the 41st overall pick, University of Kansas guard Tyshawn Taylor , to the Brooklyn Nets for cash considerations. Headed by their new general manager Olshey, the Trail Blazers front office further made a few changes during July 2012. The Blazers signed their 30th pick from the 2006 draft, Joel Freeland , and their 22nd pick from the 2009 draft, Víctor Claver , as well as re-signing Hickson and Nicolas Batum . They also signed veteran point guard Ronnie Price to back up Lillard, who

8250-686: The AT&T SportsNet closure by abandoning the RSN model entirely, in favour of a mixture of regional syndication via free-to-air television, and paid streaming services. After having opted out of its contract with the Arizona Coyotes (who signed with the E. W. Scripps Company 's newly-formed Scripps Sports division and would themselves leave Arizona the next year ), and losing the Phoenix Suns to Gray Television , Bally Sports Arizona shut down entirely in October 2023. For more than 20 years,

8400-522: The Blazers faced several setbacks: Brandon Roy announced his retirement due to chronic knee problems, Greg Oden had yet another knee setback, and LaMarcus Aldridge underwent heart surgery. Interim GM Chad Buchanan signed three free agents: Kurt Thomas, Jamal Crawford, and Craig Smith. In the shortened 2011–12 season, the Blazers started 7–2 but quickly collapsed as starting point guard Raymond Felton and others struggled with McMillan's new running-style offense. Despite Aldridge making his first All-Star Game,

8550-717: The Blazers roster; this included dismantling the aging Drexler-led team that had twice been to the finals. Drexler requested to be traded to a contender, and the Trail Blazers traded him to the Houston Rockets . In the fall of 1995, the team left the Memorial Coliseum for a new home, the 20,000-seat Rose Garden Arena . The sellout streak ended in the new building. Several players left in free agency, including Terry Porter (1995), Buck Williams (1996), and Clifford Robinson (1997). Meanwhile, Trail Blazer management decided to leave Jerome Kersey unprotected in

8700-546: The Blazers selected Arizona forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and subsequently traded him to the Brooklyn Nets along with Steve Blake for center Mason Plumlee and the 42nd pick, Pat Connaughton . After losing four of their five starters at the end of the 2015–16 season, the Blazers won 44 games, were the 5th seed in the Western Conference, and beat the Clippers in six games in the first round, but were eliminated by

8850-406: The Clippers for Steve Blake and Outlaw. Despite these challenges, the Blazers finished 50–32, securing the 6th seed in the West. Roy underwent surgery for a torn meniscus but returned for Game 4 of the first-round series against the Phoenix Suns. However, the Blazers lost the series 4–2 to the Suns. During the 2010 off-season, the Blazers' front office saw significant changes with Rich Cho becoming

9000-484: The Colorado Rockies foregoing a new television deal and moving under MLB Local Media. Spectrum Sports is the collective name for a group of regional sports networks that are primarily owned and operated by Charter Communications through its acquisition of Time Warner Cable in May 2016. In 2018, Sinclair relaunched its Reno MyNetworkTV station KAME-TV as Nevada Sports Net, with a focus on Nevada Wolf Pack college sports and Reno Aces baseball. It later acquired

9150-434: The Houston Rockets and New York Knicks. The Blazers clinched their first playoff berth since 2003 with a 54–28 record, their best since 2002–03, but lost in the first round to the Houston Rockets in six games. In the 2009 off-season, the Blazers traded the No. 24 pick to Dallas for the No. 22 pick and selected Víctor Claver. They also picked Villanova forward Dante Cunningham, Jon Brockman, and guard Patrick Mills. Brockman

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9300-581: The Jazz announced a territory expansion where Root Sports will continue to air Utah Jazz games produced by KJZZ-TV . Prior to the 2023–24 NBA season , Jazz games were also produced by AT&T Sports Rocky Mountain. Due to territory rights, neither Portland Trail Blazers nor Seattle Kraken games will air in these areas of Idaho and Montana. Golden Knights games left Root Sports in 2023 to pursue over-the-air broadcasting in partnership with Scripps Sports , as well as an OTT subscription service called KnightTime+; this arrangement covers Root Sports' territory. However,

9450-490: The Jazz continue to air games on Root Sports Northwest, simulcasting broadcasts produced by the team for KJZZ-TV and the Jazz+ streaming service. The network is the regional home of Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball , producing and airing all regular season contests not picked up by a national network, as well as the team's coaches show, The Mark Few Show . The network also airs Talkin' Huskies , Talkin' Cougars , Talkin' Ducks and Talkin' Beavers , insider programs featuring

9600-402: The Jets and Canadiens) were broadcast on special part-time channels exclusive to the team's television region. Bell Media also owns Réseau des sports (RDS) and RDS2 , French-language sports networks that are licensed to serve all of Canada, but in practice focus on the predominantly French-speaking province of Quebec (as there are relatively few francophones outside that province). Prior to

9750-428: The Mariners would acquire full control of Root Sports at the beginning of 2024, and that WBD would no longer produce Mariners telecasts. Root Sports holds the regional television rights to the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball , producing and televising over 150 live regular season games (out of 162 total), along with 30-plus-minute pregame and post-game shows that air before and after all telecasts produced by

9900-539: The Mariners, Kraken, and Blazers. Also that month, Root Sports, along with sister networks AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh, and AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain, was removed from Dish Network satellite and Sling streaming TV services. After the announcement that Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) would leave the regional sports network business in March 2023, Patrick Crumb, Seattle-based president of AT&T SportsNet operations, said that Root Sports would not be affected. In December of that year, The Seattle Times reported that

10050-466: The Memphis Grizzlies. Injuries, which had not been significant the previous season, started to inflict themselves on various players. Starting center Lopez fractured his right hand in a game against the Spurs on December 15, 2014, and missed the next 23 games. Initially, the Blazers were much unfazed, winning 129–119 in triple overtime against the Spurs on December 19, a game that saw Lillard and Aldridge combine for 75 points on 29 field goals; Lillard netted

10200-454: The Month honors. On December 12, 2013, Aldridge scored 31 points and pulled down 25 rebounds in a home game against the Rockets, the first time a Trail Blazers' player recorded a 30-point, 25-rebound game. On December 14, 2013, the Blazers made a franchise-record 21 three-pointers against the Philadelphia 76ers . They tied the new record 19 days later against the Charlotte Bobcats, becoming the first NBA team to make 20 or more three-pointers in

10350-408: The NBA draft, the Blazers selected guards Nolan Smith from Duke with the 21st pick and Jon Diebler from Ohio State with the 51st pick. On the same day, the Blazers made a three-team trade with the Denver Nuggets and Dallas Mavericks, sending Andre Miller to Denver and Rudy Fernández to Dallas, and acquiring Raymond Felton from Denver. The 2011 NBA lockout halted transactions until early December, when

10500-399: The Rockets was a tight one, with three of the six games going to overtime. The Blazers fared well in the first two games despite not having home-court advantage, beating Houston 122–120 and 112–105 in Games 1 and 2 respectively, fueled by Aldridge's 46 points and 18 rebounds in game 1, and 43 points and three blocks in game 2. In the sixth game of the series with the Rockets threatening to force

10650-407: The Semi-finals, they defeated the two-time defending Western Conference champions Utah Jazz with a 4–2 victory series. In the Western Conference Finals, they faced the San Antonio Spurs , led by Tim Duncan, and were subsequently defeated in a 4–0 sweep. After the failed championship run, Whitsitt sent Rider, who was the leading scorer that season with 13.9 points per game, and guard Jim Jackson to

10800-555: The Trail Blazers ( Lenny Wilkens , Bill Walton , Clyde Drexler , Dražen Petrović , Arvydas Sabonis , and Scottie Pippen ). Bill Walton is the franchise's most decorated player; he was the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player in 1977 , and the regular season MVP the following year . Four Blazers' rookies ( Geoff Petrie , Sidney Wicks , Brandon Roy and Damian Lillard ) have won the NBA Rookie of

10950-563: The Trail Blazers selected Kentucky center Sam Bowie . Drafting third, the Chicago Bulls selected Michael Jordan . The selection of the injury-plagued Bowie over Jordan has been criticized as one of the worst draft picks in the history of American professional sports. That summer, the Blazers also made a controversial trade, sending Lever, Cooper, and Natt to the Denver Nuggets for high-scoring forward Kiki Vandeweghe . In

11100-547: The U.S., which in turn has reduced the revenue that RSNs receive from television provider subscriber fees and advertising. These have resulted in an increasing erosion to the RSN market, and attempts to launch over-the-top (OTT) services at RSNs. These services require broadcasters to obtain in-market streaming rights to teams, and have a high cost due to RSNs usually being subsidized by subscribers that are not interested in sports. Major League Soccer , which previously broadcast most of its matches regionally on RSNs, switched to

11250-529: The United States, DirecTV offers all regional sports networks to all subscribers across the country, but live games and other selected programs are blacked out outside their home markets. Regional sports networks are generally among the most expensive channels carried by cable television providers. A typical RSN, as of 2024 , carries a monthly retransmission fee of $ 3.50 to $ 8 per subscriber, double to triple what they charged in 2012 and second only to

11400-603: The Week honors in back-to-back weeks—the first Blazer to do so since Clyde Drexler in 1990–91. Roy was selected to the 2008 NBA All-Star Game, the first Blazer All-Star since Rasheed Wallace in 2001. The Blazers finished the season 41–41, their best record since 2003–04. Following the season, they became the only NBA team in the Pacific Northwest after the Seattle SuperSonics moved to Oklahoma City. During

11550-752: The Year award. Three players have earned the Most Improved Player award: Kevin Duckworth (1988), Zach Randolph (2004), and CJ McCollum (2016). Three Hall of Fame coaches – Lenny Wilkens , Jack Ramsay , and Rick Adelman – have patrolled the sidelines for the Blazers, and two others, Mike Schuler and Mike Dunleavy , have won the NBA Coach of the Year Award with the team. Sports promoter and Trail Blazers founder Harry Glickman sought

11700-528: The Year, joining Ralph Sampson , David Robinson , and Blake Griffin as the only unanimous selections in NBA history. Going into the 2013 NBA draft , the Trail Blazers held four picks: the 10th pick in the first round and three second-round picks. The Blazers selected guard CJ McCollum out of Lehigh University with their 10th pick, and also selected center Jeff Withey from Kansas , power forward Grant Jerrett from Arizona , and Montenegrin big man Marko Todorović . In addition, Cal guard Allen Crabbe

11850-466: The bench. Expectations by sportswriters and analysts were high for the Trail Blazers going into the 2015 NBA season given their surprise success in 2013–14. The Blazers beat the reigning Northwest Division Champion Oklahoma City Thunder, 106–89, in their season opener at home on October 29, 2014. Like the season before, the Trail Blazers dominated the month of November, at one point winning nine straight games from November 9 to 26 before being defeated by

12000-630: The broadcast rights to the National Football Conference (NFC) and sought to create a group of regional sports networks, acquired a 50% interest in the Prime Network from Liberty. Later that year on November 1, News Corporation and Liberty Media relaunched the Prime Network affiliates as part of the new Fox Sports Net group, with the Seattle-based network officially rebranding as Fox Sports Northwest . The channel

12150-414: The city's major sports teams and movies. In 1976, Cablevision launched a new service providing coverage of Long Island sports (originally called Cablevision Sports 3). This channel would be renamed SportsChannel New York in 1979 and became the first channel to resemble a modern regional sports network. Other SportsChannels were launched in different cities and in 1988, they were formally organized into

12300-480: The company upon the completion of the merger, but his successor Chris Licht would only oversee CNN. The merger was completed the following day. On February 24, 2023, Warner Bros. Discovery announced that it would leave the RSN business, and informed that the networks' respective teams had until March 31 to reach an agreement to take their rights back or acquire the networks. Those teams with deals with Root Sports Northwest are not affected because that channel already

12450-508: The company. On May 4, 2009, DirecTV Group Inc. announced it would become a part of Liberty's entertainment unit, part of which would then be spun off into the separate company under the DirecTV name, in a deal in which Liberty would increase its share in DirecTV from 48% to 54%, with Liberty owner John Malone and his family owning a 24% interest. DirecTV would operate its newly acquired FSN-affiliated networks through DirecTV Sports Networks ,

12600-561: The dismantling of AT&T SportsNet and the Diamond Sports bankruptcy, multiple NBA and NHL teams have pivoted away from the pay television RSN model and returned to primarily carrying their games on free-to-air television via regional syndication, with supplemental distribution via paid OTT services. The NBA's Phoenix Suns signed a deal with Gray Television , and Utah Jazz signed with Sinclair Broadcast Group -owned station KJZZ-TV (which had formerly aired Jazz games while under

12750-431: The dispersal draft. That summer, they also hired Jack Ramsay as head coach. The two moves, coupled with the team's stellar play, led Portland to several firsts: winning record (49–33), playoff appearance, and an NBA championship in 1977 . Starting on April 5 of that year, the team began a sellout streak of 814 straight games—the longest in American major professional sports history—which did not end until 1995, after

12900-459: The first Bally Sports-related regional sports network to shut down. In October 2024, the networks were renamed again to FanDuel Sports Network, as part of an agreement with online gambling company FanDuel . Cable conglomerate Comcast began creating Comcast SportsNet (CSN) after their March 1996 purchase of a 66% stake in Philadelphia -based event organizer Spectacor , which owned

13050-463: The first pick in the NBA draft twice during that span. In 1972, the team drafted LaRue Martin with the number one pick. In 1974 the team selected number one pick Bill Walton from UCLA . The ABA–NBA merger of 1976 saw those two rival leagues join forces. Four ABA teams joined the NBA; the remaining teams were dissolved and their players distributed among the remaining NBA squads in a dispersal draft . The Trail Blazers selected Maurice Lucas in

13200-423: The first round by the eventual champion Dallas Mavericks in six games. In the 2011 off-season, the Blazers released Cho, reportedly due to communication and "chemistry issues" with owner Paul Allen. Chad Buchanan took over as interim GM. Cho's dismissal was criticized as "illogical" by Sports Illustrated, though they noted that Allen had made many questionable moves during his tenure as owner. On June 23, 2011, in

13350-488: The first round in 1993 and 1994 . Adelman was fired after the 1994 season, and replaced with P. J. Carlesimo , which led to the resignation of executive vice-president Geoff Petrie , a close friend of Adelman's. In July 1994, the Trail Blazers announced the hiring of a new team president, former Seattle SuperSonics general manager Bob Whitsitt . Whitsitt, known as "Trader Bob" for his penchant for engaging player-exchange transactions, immediately set about revamping

13500-535: The first streaming-only television provider to offer the channel, after neither Hulu nor YouTube TV signed a carriage agreement. Comcast told customers on October 10, 2023, that it moved Root Sports Northwest to its highest-priced "Ultimate" tier, angering many sports fans. The carrier offered a discounted upgrade fee for six months. When the Mariners' First Avenue Entertainment acquired majority control of Root Sports in 2013, Comcast had 3.4 million subscribers in

13650-418: The front office. In the 2005–06 season , the Blazers posted a historic 21–61 record, the worst league record at the time. Attendance to games decreased, and the year was not free of player incidents. Players such as Miles, Patterson, Randolph, and Sebastian Telfair were involved in either on-court bickering or off-court legal incidents. Nash was fired at the end of the season, with Steve Patterson assuming

13800-488: The general manager role in addition to his duties as president. In addition, the team had a poor relationship with the management of the Rose Garden, frequently complaining of a "broken economic model". It was widely speculated by the end of the year that Paul Allen would sell the team, and the team was offered for sale that summer, with several groups expressing interest. However, Allen was willing to spend money and urged Pritchard to make draft-day trades. He subsequently took

13950-686: The group's assets subsequently being spun off as a separate company under the DirecTV banner; the Fox Sports Networks outlets that became part of the Liberty Sports unit (which was renamed DirecTV Sports Networks on November 19, 2009) were rebranded under the new name "Root Sports" on April 1, 2011. DirecTV Sports Networks would be acquired by AT&T Inc. in 2015, as a byproduct of its acquisition of DirecTV. The renamed RSN unit, AT&T Sports Networks , rebranded its regional sports networks – excluding Root Sports Northwest, which

14100-567: The injuries, the Blazers remained competitive, with LaMarcus Aldridge emerging as the focal point of the team. Wesley Matthews also proved his worth in Roy's absence. Believing the team could make a playoff run, Cho made a trade on February 24, 2011, sending Dante Cunningham, Joel Przybilla, and Sean Marks to the Charlotte Bobcats for former All-Star Gerald Wallace. The Blazers won 48 games, securing another playoff berth but were eliminated in

14250-571: The joint venture company operated by News Corporation and Liberty Media, purchased a 40% interest in the Cablevision -owned SportsChannel group. As part of a rebranding effort, the collective branding of the networks – which eventually became "FSN (Region/City)" in 2004 – was extended to Fox Sports (Region/City) (also used from 1996 to 2000) with the start of the 2008 college football season. The FSN networks were acquired by Diamond Sports Group from The Walt Disney Company in 2019, as Disney

14400-441: The locker room in which Patterson slammed Randolph onto the floor, an incident that later became known as the NBA's "The Slam Heard Around The World." The feud between players continued and they later got in a fight during practice, with Randolph sucker punching his teammate and fracturing Patterson's left eye socket, an injury which took Patterson out of their playoff run. Guard Bonzi Wells famously told Sports Illustrated in

14550-618: The majority owner of the service. Nonetheless, Root Sports still introduced a rebranded version of AT&T SportsNet's new on-air graphics. Ahead of their 2021–22 seasons, Root Sports Northwest acquired the regional rights to both the Portland Trail Blazers of the NBA, and the Seattle Kraken , a new NHL expansion franchise which began play that season. In October 2021, Root Sports added an overflow channel, known as Root Sports Plus, to avoid scheduling conflicts with

14700-504: The media rights to both conferences; ESPN initially maintained a syndicated package known as " SEC Network ", while Raycom was given a sub-license to continue its syndication package (subsequently renamed " ACC Network "). Both packages ended when ESPN launched dedicated cable channels for both conferences. ESPN was originally intended to focus on sports in Connecticut , but chose to broadcast nationally when it debuted in 1979 when it

14850-419: The money for the $ 3.7 million admission tax, Glickman associated himself to real estate magnates Robert Schmertz of New Jersey, Larry Weinberg of Los Angeles and Herman Sarkowsky of Seattle. Two weeks later, on February 24, team management held a contest to select the team's name and received more than 10,000 entries. The most popular choice was "Pioneers", but that name was excluded from consideration as it

15000-403: The most infamous periods in Trail Blazers history is the era of the "Jail Blazers." Though the team had experienced its fair share of controversy and issues in prior seasons, many consider the "Jail Blazers" saga starting during the 2000–2001 season. The team made a series of personnel moves in the 2000 and 2001 off-seasons that failed to produce success. Forward Jermaine O'Neal was traded to

15150-469: The network. Other Mariners programming on the network includes live Spring Training games, Mariners All Access , which includes both weekly editions during the regular season and several other in-season and off-season specials each year, and Mariners Mondays , a three-hour weekly program that airs during the winter months that highlights memorable games and moments from the past season. Prime Sports Network began Mariners' broadcasts in 1994 , with sixteen of

15300-467: The networks to be merged into its NBC Sports division. In April 2017, Comcast SportsNet's California and Bay Area networks were rebranded under the NBC Sports brand; NBC Sports Regional Networks adopted the "NBC Sports" moniker on its other regional channels on October 2, 2017. In May 2009, DirecTV Group Inc. announced that it would become a part of Liberty Media's entertainment unit, with some of

15450-612: The new Root Sports branding. For nominal purposes, the Root Sports networks continued to carry programming distributed mainly to the Fox Sports regional networks to provide supplementary sports and entertainment programming. In April 2013, the Seattle Mariners announced that they would acquire controlling interest (a 71% stake) in Root Sports Northwest, as part of a long-term extension of its contract with

15600-526: The new general manager, succeeding Kevin Pritchard. Cho became the first Asian-American GM in NBA history. On August 12, the Blazers signed two new assistant general managers, Bill Branch and Steve Rosenberry, replacing Tom Penn, who was released in March. The organization also made changes to McMillan's coaching staff, hiring Bernie Bickerstaff, Bob Ociepka, and Buck Williams. Similar to the previous season,

15750-469: The otherwise nationally distributed TSN also maintains some regional operations. This differs from the operational structure of RSNs in the United States, which are independently operated from national sports networks. Some sports teams own some or all of their respective RSNs. For example, the New York Rangers and New York Knicks have long co-owned their RSN, MSG ; they also have purchased

15900-733: The ownership of then-owner Larry H. Miller ). Both the NHL's Arizona Coyotes and Vegas Golden Knights signed with the E. W. Scripps Company 's newly-formed Scripps Sports division for the 2023–24 season. For the subsequent 2024–25 season, Scripps also signed with the Florida Panthers , and retained its association with the Utah Hockey Club (which acquired the Coyotes' hockey operations and relocated them to Salt Lake City ). The Seattle Kraken similarly made an agreement with Tegna Inc. and Amazon Prime Video , and

16050-464: The players, including Wallace, Stoudamire, and Qyntel Woods , were cited for marijuana possession. That same year, Wallace was suspended for seven games for threatening a referee - one of many incidents in his tumultuous relationship with NBA referees, which at the time stemmed from his belief that some of the referees were fixing the games against him and his teammates. Also during the 2003 season, Zach Randolph and Patterson got into an altercation in

16200-542: The playoff finals for the 20th consecutive year. They were eliminated in the first round, losing 0–3 to the Los Angeles Lakers. Some media outlets began to criticize the team, and questioned Whitsitt's decisions and position as manager. A popular criticism was that Whitsitt was attempting to win a championship title by assembling a roster of stars, without paying attention to team chemistry. Longtime NBA coach and analyst, Doug Collins , referred to Whitsitt as

16350-616: The playoffs only in 1982. However, they never advanced past the conference semifinals during the decade. The Pacific Division of the NBA was dominated by the Los Angeles Lakers throughout the decade, and only the Lakers and the Houston Rockets represented the Western Conference in the NBA Finals. Key players for the Blazers during the early 1980s included Mychal Thompson , Billy Ray Bates , Fat Lever , Darnell Valentine , Wayne Cooper , T. R. Dunn , Jim Paxson , and Calvin Natt . In

16500-490: The playoffs. That off-season, the team traded Sam Bowie (who had returned to the team to end the season) to the New Jersey Nets for forward Buck Williams , and Adelman was given the coaching job on a non-interim basis. The addition of Williams, and the replacement of the defensively challenged Vandeweghe with the defensive-minded Kersey, turned the team from a poor defensive squad into a good one. Led by Drexler,

16650-508: The primary RSN in many markets was owned by Fox Sports . Fox Sports Networks, which launched on November 1, 1996, as Fox Sports Net, was created through former parent News Corporation 's October 1995 purchase of a 50% equity stake in Liberty Media -owned Prime Sports Networks , co-founded in 1988 by Bill Daniels and Liberty's then-sister company Tele-Communications Inc. The group expanded further in June 1997, Fox/Liberty Networks,

16800-422: The production of Padres regional games, distributing them via an in-market add-on to MLB.tv, and making agreements to carry the games on local access channels, such as Cox Cable 's YurView California . The broadcasts maintain team-contracted staff, such as commentators. In July 2023, MLB Local Media took over the rights to the Arizona Diamondbacks , after Diamond was granted a motion to decline its contract with

16950-497: The regional sports market by divesting its AT&T SportsNet channels. Major League Baseball established a local media department prior to the 2023 season, using resources from MLB Network , to produce telecasts for teams whose RSNs would become unable to broadcast their teams' games. In May 2023, when the rights to the San Diego Padres reverted to the team after Diamond missed a payment, MLB Local Media took over

17100-471: The rights to the Golden Knights' syndication package with Scripps Sports. Some regional sports networks have been formed as digital multicast television networks . BEK Communications Cooperative operates BEK Sports, an RSN focusing on North Dakota high school sports, across several stations in the state. In 2023, Gray Television (the current owner of sports syndicator Raycom Sports ) began

17250-807: The rights to the Rangers' local rivals, the New York Islanders and New Jersey Devils . MSG also owns the rights to the Buffalo Sabres , but the Sabres produce their own games for MSG Western New York , a separate channel managed by MSG and Pegula Sports and Entertainment , owners of the Sabres. The first regional sports network is considered to be the Madison Square Garden Network . An early unnamed version of that network started broadcasting Knicks and Rangers to

17400-541: The road that season. That following off-season, the team drafted two players from behind the Iron Curtain , Arvydas Sabonis and Dražen Petrović , and sent Thompson to the San Antonio Spurs for former Oregon State University star Steve Johnson . Johnson was a high-scoring forward-center who the team intended to pair with Bowie on the frontline. It was not to be, as Bowie broke his leg five games into

17550-650: The ruggedness of the Pacific Northwest and the start of a major league era in our state". Despite initial mixed response, the Trail Blazers name, often shortened to just "Blazers", became popular in Oregon. While not directly connected, the Portland Trail Blazers do bear the namesake of the Salem Trailblazers who played in the Pacific Coast Professional Basketball League (PCPBL). Along with

17700-587: The scheduled 88 televised games; the remainder were broadcast over-the-air on KSTW . A players' strike canceled the last quarter of the 1994 season and the first several weeks of the 1995 season. Root Sports held the regional television rights to the Seattle Kraken of the National Hockey League . Root Sports was announced as the team's inaugural regional television partner on January 26, 2021. Coverage included live broadcasts of 70-plus regular season games each year, as well as preseason and first-round playoff contests, pregame and postgame shows, game replays, and

17850-477: The second half, the Blazers regressed to a 21–20 record, allowed 100.2 points, and let opponents shoot 37.9% from three. The Blazers clinched a return trip to the playoffs on March 30, 2015, defeating the Phoenix Suns, 109–86. Finishing the season 51–31, they clinched their first Northwest Division title since 1999 but fell to the Grizzlies in five games in the first round of the playoffs. In the 2015 NBA draft ,

18000-419: The source content for out-of-market sports packages . During the rest of the day, these channels show news programs covering local and national sports, magazine and discussion programs relating to a team or collegiate conference, fishing and hunting programs, and in-studio video simulcasts of sports radio programs. RSNs also rerun sports events from the recent and distant past. Some RSNs air infomercials . In

18150-500: The start of the new year, which caused Aldridge, Batum, and Joel Freeland to miss various amounts of time, but none greater than Wesley Matthews' season-ending Achilles tendon tear on March 5, 2015. Called "the heart and soul" of the team by Aldridge, Matthews was in the midst of a career year when the injury occurred. In the first half of the season, the Blazers had a record of 30–11, allowed opponents to score an average of 97.0 points, and held them to 29.7% shooting on three-pointers; in

18300-473: The start of the season on September 30. All Trail Blazers telecasts are produced in-house by the team. Additional team content aired on the network includes pre- and post-game shows, game replays, and the weekly magazine program The Trail . On August 14, 2024, the Trail Blazers announced that they would be leaving Root Sports, though a replacement broadcaster had not been named at that time. The Trail Blazers would later create their own thing in collaboration with

18450-482: The starting lineup by Jerome Kersey and Kevin Duckworth . Several players, most notably Drexler, were accused of undermining Schuler. The team went 25–22 to open the 1988–89 season, and Schuler was fired. He was replaced on an interim basis with assistant coach Rick Adelman , and Vandeweghe was traded to the New York Knicks . Under Adelman, the team went 14–21 to finish the season, and barely qualified for

18600-408: The team as "The Jail Blazers" because of all these problems. That off-season, Dunleavy was fired and replaced with Maurice Cheeks , who was considered a "players' coach" because he was a former player in the NBA. The hiring of Cheeks was thought to be a positive decision as many believed he would relate more to the players than Dunleavy did. Cheeks brought on Dan Panaggio as assistant coach after

18750-470: The team moved into a larger facility . The team started the 1977–78 season with a 50–10 mark, and some predicted a dynasty in Portland. However, Bill Walton suffered a foot injury that ended his season and would plague him over the remainder of his career, and the team struggled to an 8–14 finish, going 58–24 overall. In the playoffs, Portland lost to the Seattle SuperSonics in the 1978 conference semifinals. That summer, Walton demanded to be traded to

18900-419: The team off the market. In the 2006 NBA draft, the Blazers traded Viktor Khryapa and the draft rights for Tyrus Thomas to acquire LaMarcus Aldridge . They also traded for the sixth pick, which became Brandon Roy. In the spring of 2007, Steve Patterson resigned as team president, and Paul Allen repurchased the Rose Garden. On the court, the team finished with a 32–50 record, an 11-game improvement, and Roy

19050-521: The team plummeted to a 27–55 record. The bankruptcy of the Oregon Arena corporation resulted in the Rose Garden becoming owned by a variety of investment firms. Cheeks was fired that season and replaced on an interim basis by director of player-personnel Kevin Pritchard . That summer the team hired Nate McMillan , who had coached the Sonics the prior season, as head coach and Pritchard returned to

19200-422: The team posted a league-best 63–19 record before losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference finals, including a heartbreaker in game 6 where, in the final seconds, Cliff Robinson dropped a pass while standing directly under the basket, and then, with a few seconds left, Terry Porter's desperation wide-open 20-footer bounced out. However, the team failed to win an NBA title, and failed to advance past

19350-521: The team reached the NBA Finals in 1990 and 1992 , losing to the Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls . Possibly inspired by the 1985 Chicago Bears ' " Super Bowl Shuffle ", during the run-up to their 1990 Finals appearance, the Blazers recorded two songs: "Bust a Bucket" and "Rip City Rhapsody" (with music played and recorded by Josh Mellicker, "Rip City" being a reference to the city's nickname). The year in between their two finals appearances,

19500-400: The team remained inconsistent. On March 15, 2012, the Blazers made several moves, trading Marcus Camby to Houston and Gerald Wallace to New Jersey for expiring contracts and draft picks. They also released Greg Oden and fired head coach Nate McMillan, naming Kaleb Canales as interim head coach. The team finished with a 28–38 record and missed the playoffs for the first time in three years. At

19650-401: The team through the 2030 season. DirecTV remained a minority stakeholder (29% stake) and controlling partner, and the network continued to operate under the Root Sports brand. DirecTV was subsequently acquired by AT&T ; on July 14, 2017, its sister networks were re-branded as AT&T SportsNet. Root Sports Northwest did not adopt the AT&T SportsNet brand, likely because AT&T is not

19800-415: The team's home market. As of December 2023, according to an industry source, Comcast had about 1.2 million subscribers in the same market. Regional sports network Some RSNs originated as premium channels. Since the 1990s, they have commonly been distributed through the expanded basic tiers of cable television and IPTV services. Direct broadcast satellite providers may require subscribers to purchase

19950-489: The team's parent Fenway Sports Group —assuming day-to-day operations) and renamed to SportsNet Pittsburgh. The Pirates later bought a stake in the network as well. The Houston Astros and Rockets acquired WBD's shares in AT&;T SportsNet Southwest and rebranded it as Space City Home Network . AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain closed in October 2023, with the Utah Jazz moving to Sinclair Broadcast Group 's KJZZ-TV , and

20100-670: The team. The Colorado Rockies also joined MLB Local Media for the 2024 season amid the closure of AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain . In October 2024, MLB Local Media announced that it would begin producing and distributing broadcasts for the Cleveland Guardians , Milwaukee Brewers , and Minnesota Twins beginning in the 2025 season; it also announced that the Texas Rangers would end their relationship with Bally Sports Southwest and explore local television options for 2025 and beyond. Some NHL and NBA teams handled

20250-456: The teams of Washington , Washington State , Oregon and Oregon State , respectively. On September 30, 2021, Dish Network 's carriage agreements for Root Sports Northwest, and AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh and Rocky Mountain expired. Shortly thereafter, DirecTV announced an agreement to carry the channel on its satellite TV service and on DirecTV Stream , its streaming service. FuboTV added Root Sports Northwest in October 2021. It became

20400-420: The weekly magazine program Inside Kraken Hockey . On April 25, 2024, The Kraken announced that they would be leaving Root Sports in favor of broadcasting over-the-air through a deal with Tegna and its Seattle stations KING-TV and KONG-TV , along with streaming through Amazon Prime Video . The Portland Trail Blazers of the NBA reached an agreement to carry games on Fox Sports Net Northwest beginning in

20550-700: Was a successor to the previous Raycom Sports-produced SEC package. In 2014, television station owner Sinclair Broadcast Group established its own sports syndicator known as the American Sports Network (ASN), primarily syndicating broadcasts of college football and basketball from mid-major conferences (some of which were previously associated with ESPN Plus) to stations that it owns and operates. In 2015, Sinclair also acquired regional rights to Major League Soccer 's Real Salt Lake , with ASN handling production and distribution of team telecasts within its designated market. ASN later began to operate

20700-479: Was acquired from the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for two second-round picks, in the 2015 and 2016 drafts. The Blazers finished the 2014 season with 21 more wins than the previous season, which amounted for the largest single-season improvement in franchise history. This included a period in November when they won 11 straight games, and 13–2 in the month overall, for which coach Terry Stotts took home Coach of

20850-403: Was already used by sports teams at Portland's Lewis & Clark College . The name "Trail Blazers" received 172 entries, and was ultimately selected by the judging panel, being revealed on March 13 in the halftime of a SuperSonics game at the Memorial Coliseum. Derived from the trail blazing activity by explorers making paths through forests, Glickman considered it a name that could "reflect both

21000-409: Was announced that AT&T would instead divest the entirety of WarnerMedia, and contribute it into a joint venture with Discovery Inc. , forming a new company later announced as Warner Bros. Discovery . Discovery announced on April 7, 2022, that Patrick Crumb, president of AT&T Sports Networks, would report to the yet-to-be-named Chairperson for Warner Bros. Discovery Sports; Jeff Zucker departed

21150-615: Was arrested for marijuana possession just two days before his expected debut with the Blazers. Rasheed Wallace , who had garnered a reputation as a hot-tempered player since college, was also acquired in a trade with the Washington Bullets . Point guard Kenny Anderson was signed as a free agent, and subsequently traded to the Toronto Raptors for Damon Stoudamire in February 1998; the Raptors traded Anderson to

21300-538: Was discovered by the network's founders that it would be less expensive to broadcast nationwide on satellite as opposed to regionally through microwave transmission. ESPN formerly served as a college sports syndicator via ESPN Regional Television —formerly branded on-air as ESPN Plus, but later using conference-oriented brands such as SEC Network (not to be confused with the SEC Network cable channel which succeeded it), and Big East Network. The SEC Network package

21450-568: Was given eighty hours of community service. He also agreed to donate $ 10,000 to the Oregon Humane Society. In the summer of 2003, attendance to games was steadily declining alongside the team's reputation. With an exorbitant payroll, Whitsitt announced that he would leave the team to focus on Paul Allen's other franchise, the Seattle Seahawks . To replace Whitsitt, the team hired two men at new positions. John Nash ,

21600-498: Was launched in late 1988 as Northwest Cable Sports , by Tele-Communications Inc. and Viacom . Early programming included games from Washington and Washington State Universities and Tacoma Stars soccer games. By 1989, it affiliated with the newly formed Prime Sports Network and was rebranded Prime Sports Northwest . In 1996, News Corporation , which formed a sports division for the Fox network two years earlier after it obtained

21750-414: Was marred by injuries. Reserves Batum and Fernández started on the inactive list, and forward Travis Outlaw followed with a serious foot injury. Centers Oden and Joel Przybilla suffered season-ending knee injuries, while Roy and Aldridge played through various injuries. Head Coach Nate McMillan also ruptured his Achilles tendon during practice. To fill the void at center, the Blazers acquired Marcus Camby from

21900-457: Was named the 2006–07 Rookie of the Year. That summer, Kevin Pritchard was promoted to general manager, and former Nike executive Larry Miller was hired as team president. The Blazers won the 2007 NBA draft lottery and selected Ohio State center Greg Oden with the No. 1 pick. Some speculated they might choose Kevin Durant instead; Durant was picked at No. 2 by the Seattle SuperSonics. Oden suffered

22050-766: Was rebranded as Fox Sports Net Northwest in 2000, as part of a collective brand modification of the FSN networks under the "Fox Sports Net" banner. Subsequently, in 2004, the channel shortened its name to FSN Northwest , through the networks' de-emphasis of the "Fox Sports Net" brand. On December 22, 2006, News Corporation sold its interest in FSN Northwest and sister networks FSN Utah , FSN Pittsburgh and FSN Rocky Mountain to Liberty Media, in an asset trade in which News Corporation also 16.3% traded its 38.5% ownership stake in satellite provider DirecTV for $ 550 million in cash and stock, in exchange for Liberty Media's stake in

22200-411: Was required to divest them by U.S. Department of Justice as a condition of their own acquisition of 21st Century Fox . The channel group was renamed Bally Sports on March 31, 2021, as part of a naming rights agreement with casino operator Bally's Corporation . On February 15, 2023, Diamond Sports Group , the parent company of Bally Sports, failed to make a $ 140M interest payment, instead opting for

22350-414: Was selected as co-MVP of the 2012 Las Vegas Summer League. Dallas Mavericks assistant coach Terry Stotts was hired as head coach on August 7, 2012. Under the reins of Lillard, the Blazers played well into January 2013, posting a 20–15 record. On January 11, 2013, at home against the Miami Heat , Wesley Matthews made two consecutive three-pointers late in the fourth quarter to help the Blazers secure

22500-453: Was traded to the Kings for No. 31 pick Jeff Pendergraph. Free agent Channing Frye signed with Phoenix, and Sergio Rodríguez was traded to the Kings. The Blazers attempted to sign free agents Hedo Türkoğlu and Paul Millsap, but Türkoğlu signed with Toronto, and Utah matched the offer for Millsap. On July 24, the Blazers signed point guard Andre Miller. Despite a winning record, the 2009–10 season

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