More poor decisions in the Land of Dum-Dum

Kevin Calabro is leaving after nine years as TV play-by-play voice of the Blazers

Since his purchase of the Trail Blazers in late March, Tom Dundon — who made his fortune in subprime auto lending primarily in Dallas — has given every indication that penny-pinching will be a high priority of his ownership.

After several recent personnel moves that have decimated the Blazer Broadcasting lineup, I am wondering if a different surname would be appropriate. (See headline)

Kevin Calabro, Neil Everett, Michael Holton, Jamie Hudson and Tom Haberstroh are among those from the Blazers’ broadcasting crew who won’t be back for the 2026-27 season.

Lamar Hurd has one year remaining on his contract as TV analyst and will evidently be back. Brooke Olzendam, whose contract as sideline reporter and studio host is up, seems likely to return for next season.

Travis Demers will probably be back doing radio play-by-play, but not as an employee of the team.

Hudson, who had served as a studio host for five years, and Haberstroh, offering analytics on TV broadcasts for the past three seasons, were not retained.

While executives handled negotiations, Dundon is behind all of this. Señor Subprime’s low-ball offer is what cost the Blazers the services of one of the NBA’s most respected broadcasters in Calabro, who has adroitly called Portland games for nine years (he sat out the Covid season) after 21 years with the Seattle SuperSonics.

(A story I wrote on Calabro for the Portland Tribune in 2019:)

https://portlandtribune.com/2019/04/30/behind-the-mic-for-the-trail-blazers/

Calabro’s contract expired on June 30. For months prior to that date, Calabro and his agent pursued a new deal, first with Kevin Kinghorn, executive VP/chief marketing officer. And after Kinghorn was let go by the Blazers in May, with Dewayne Hankins, president/business operations.

A year ago, Calabro’s contract was set to expire, but he exercised a one-year option.

“When I opted in, I asked for an extension,” Calabro tells me. “We talked all year about it. A bunch of one-way conversations. We were speaking and not a whole lot coming back.”

Finally after the past season, the sides got together.

“We talked about different scenarios,” Calabro says. “We set a number we wanted. June 30th came, and we didn’t have an offer in hand. When (a new contract) was offered 14 days after my deal was up, it was not worth my time.

“For a long time, we were knocking on the door over there, trying to get something going that would keep me around. But it just never happened. That’s the thing I would like the fans to know. It’s not like I am up and running away when things get a little hot in the kitchen. That wasn’t the case at all. We worked extremely hard on our end, and it just wasn’t going to happen.”

Calabro harbors no hard feelings toward Hankins.

“I have no ill will toward Dewayne,” he says. “He doesn’t own the team.”

Calabro never dealt directly with Dundon.

“I don’t even know him,” he says. “Met him and talked to him for roughly 30 seconds after a game in LA when the Blazers beat the Clippers (on March 31). As he left the locker room, I extended my hand and introduced myself. He thanked me for everything I had done for the organization, and he kept walking. That was the extent of it.

“I never felt like I needed to reach out to him, but it would have been nice to have a conversation. I don’t feel like I ever worked for him.”

Calabro’s thoughts on Dundon’s track record through his first four months as owner?

“It’s a strange way to treat the market,” he says, “if you want to stay in the market.”

Such behavior gave Calabro pause about working for the Blazers moving forward.

“I have been pretty good at divorcing myself from all the other stuff that goes on and focusing on the basketball,” he says. “But I wasn’t sure I would be able to do that based on the experience I had in Seattle.”

The reference was to Clay Bennett’s purchase of the Sonics in 2006. Two years later, the Oklahoma venture capitalist moved the franchise to Oklahoma City.

Calabro, who turned 70 on June 27, and wife Sue will live full-time in Seattle after dividing time between Seattle and Portland for the past decade. They have four children and a granddaughter all living in the Seattle area. Calabro would seem an obvious choice if Seattle is granted an expansion franchise as expected ahead of the 2028-29 campaign.

“I would like to have some association with the NBA, do some work,” he says. “I am not looking to relocate full-time, but I am still spry enough that I could jump on a plane and do assignments.”

Calabro says he is going by an adage he heard delivered by former Sonics coach George Karl.

“George used to say, ‘The basketball gods have treated us pretty well,’ ” Calabro says. “I think they are guiding me along a different path right now. I am going to flow with it. I have nothing but great memories of the team and the people I worked with in Portland. I worked with some extraordinarily talented people, some of whom are no longer with the organization.”

► ◄

Neil Everett is done after five seasons as TV studio analyst for Blazers road contests

One of those people is Everett, the revered former ESPN SportsCenter anchor who spent the past five years working as Blazers’ studio host for road games.

(A story I wrote on Everett for the Portland Tribune in 2013:)

https://portlandtribune.com/2013/01/17/this-is-neil-everett-from-oregon-to-espn/

“What a great five years,” Everett tells me from Sunriver, where he and wife Stephanie are vacationing with relatives. “I did 15 years (as a sportscaster) in Hawaii, 23 years with ESPN and five years with the Blazers. That’s a pretty good combo meal right there.”

That his contract wasn’t renewed did not surprise Everett, 64.

“I loved the job,” he says. “It was fun. But they have business decisions to make. I understand that.

“I left a message with Dewayne. It was the greatest five-year gig. I enjoyed the heck out of it. I got to work with Calabro and Lamar and Holton and Francis Williams and Jamie and Brooke and Haberstroh — I got to work with some real pros. It was a family feeling. That is what it means to Portland and everybody who is in that building.”

Everett’s thoughts on Dundon?

“He has his ways of doing things,” he says. “He who has the gold makes the rules.”

The loquacious Everett lives in Marina del Rey, Calif., but has a vacation home in Seaside and relatives who live in Oregon. He says he will make regular visits to the state to see family and friends. He will also be open to broadcast opportunities.

“I think my fastball is still popping,” he says. “I am not going to work that hard to look for work, because I don’t want to work that hard.”

► ◄

Holton has another job, as an insurance agent for State Farm, so he is OK financially. That may be part of the reason why, when he was told a few weeks ago that he wouldn’t be rehired after 19 years as a TV studio and radio game analyst, he took the news calmly.

(A story I wrote on Holton and his sons with the Portland Tribune in 2015:)

https://portlandtribune.com/2015/01/20/basketball-is-in-the-blood/

“I am fine with it,” says the popular former Blazer guard, who turns 65 on Aug. 4. “I am not surprised by it. Nineteen years is a good run. With the changes and transition, I understood it. It wasn’t performance-based; it was cost-cutting. They didn’t renew my contract and they eliminated my position.”

That means that Demers, or whoever, will work solo. And Olzendam, or whoever, will work with whatever TV talent is available on the pregame and halftime studio shows.

I have to ask: Would this have happened under the old ownership?

“No,” Holton says emphatically. “Because the old ownership had an affinity for the quality of the broadcast, and for controlling the product and the message in a way that appears to be different than the current ownership.”

► ◄

Demers, a capable, hard-working, loyal employee who manned the Blazer radio booth for the past 7 1/2 years, is in limbo. His contract expired on June 30. Looking to — surprise — reduce costs, the Blazers have decided to not pay for a radio broadcaster, leaving that decision to iHeart Radio, which carries the Blazer games. So Demers is no longer a Blazer employee.

Travis, 44, would love to fill the void left by Calabro on TV, but the Blazers evidently aren’t interested. Sources say iHeart has presented Demers a verbal proposal — but as yet no written offer — to do radio next season on what amounts to a per-game basis. It would be by far the lowest salary for a radio play-by-play voice in the NBA and calls for no health benefits. He would not travel for road games, calling them remotely from a Portland studio (joining Toronto TV and radio as the only broadcasters in the NBA to not travel). Demers would also be asked to perform other broadcast duties for iHeart, including filling in for Chad Doing on Blazer pre- and post-game shows.

It is likely, my sources say, that Demers will accept the job under those conditions.

► ◄

I have mostly reserved comment on the Blazers’ new skinflint owner, who seemingly has gone out of his way to offend city officials and fans. But man, the titanic tightwad is low-hanging fruit on this one.

All Dundon had to do was show his face at a recent meeting with councilors and tell them why the Blazers need $120 million from the city to complete funding for renovation of Moda Center. And that if the expenditure is approved, he has no intention of moving the franchise. Heck, declare that in the media.

Instead, he has thumbed his nose at all by his absence and his silence on the subject.

It is understandable to make changes, to have some layoffs, perhaps some cutbacks, when a new owner takes over. But there is absolutely no appreciation being shown by Dundon for history and tradition and people who have meant a lot to the franchise and its followers. And there is no sign that is going to change.

The Blazers mean a great deal to the Portland community and to their legions of fans throughout the state, stretching to Medford and Bend and Pendleton and Corvallis and Lincoln City and also Vancouver, Wash. Few NBA franchises have a more loyal fan base. But it is being sorely tested by the hockey franchise owner who last month cheapskated (I know, cheesy play on words) his way to a Stanley Cup title. Unfortunately, the city has no leverage in negotiations for a Moda deal. Blazer fans have lost most of their beloved broadcasters. City councilors can’t let them lose a franchise, too.

► ◄

Readers: what are your thoughts? I would love to hear them in the comments below. On the comments entry screen, only your name is required, your email address and website are optional, and may be left blank.

Follow me on BlueSky.

Follow me on X (formerly Twitter).

Like me on Facebook.

Find me on Instagram.