According to early reports, Neil Everett, who left ESPN co-anchor slot to join the Portland Trailblazers broadcast team is apparently our, despite back-to-back Emmy wins as best sportscaster in the PNW. Local Seattle guys like Chris Egan of KING and Niko Tamurian of KOMO have not welcome him as a competitor in the awards entries. He never showed up at the awards dinners either. Carpetbagger.
In addition to Everett, Michael Holton,Tom Haberstroh and Jamie Hudson out as the new owner puts the hammer down.
Everett had a great run on the late SportsCenter from L.A. teaming with Stan Verrett before leaving for PDX.
This appears to be just another example of the type of behavior Tom Dundon, the new owner, has been engaging in which has shown him to fans and the movers and shakers down there to be very cheap, and it is causing concern on a couple of levels down there about the future of the team in Portland. But Dundon has been known to do this as well with his NHL team he owns (the Carolina Hurricanes). John Forslund, the Kraken TV announcer, can most likely attest to this. Part of why he is now here in Seattle is he and Dundon could not agree on a new deal several years ago for Forslund to stay as the Hurricanes announcer. And worse, he also eliminated separate radio and TV broadcasts for that team so with respect to the Blazers, if I am someone like Kevin Calabro, I'm paying close attention to all this.
ReplyDeleteWell said. Very foreboding.
ReplyDeleteYup. It is. Portland radio host John Canzano discussed this on his BaldFacedTruth Unfiltered YouTube show/podcast today. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IYc2IetWwU&t=147s
DeleteI'm sorry to hear of Everett's ouster from the Portland Trailblazers, as well as the ousters of Hudson, Holton, and Haberstroh. It is evident that Dundon wants to completley reshape the broadcast team, which he has the right to do as the team's new owner. However, in doing so, he is letting go of good people and leaving a sour taste in the mouths of fans.
ReplyDeleteI would refer you to my comment above IDC but I am in full agreement with this. I should add there have been additional developments. Longtime Blazer beat guy Jason Quick from The Athletic is reporting on X that both Calabro and the radio PxP guy, fella by the name of Travis Demers, are also out. https://x.com/jwquick/status/2080014031864406124 for Calabro and https://x.com/jwquick/status/2079990778580058295 for Demers. Demers could be back but Calabro for sure is gone in the same fashion it appears Forslund left the Hurricanes to ultimately come work for the Kraken
DeleteHi Rhett! I saw your comment above, and I do share your concerns about what Dundon is doing. Just because he can run things on the cheap and reshape the broadcast team doesn't mean he should.
DeleteI'm also sorry to hear that Calabro and Demers have now also lost their jobs. A very dark day for sports broadcasting in Portland.
You nailed it. Gonna refer to your comment in post.
ReplyDeleteThank you and FYI Wayne it's Tom, not Tim Dundon
DeleteO and I too close on the keyboard for fat thumbs.. Thanks.
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