Just spoke with one of our friends at the Blazer mother ship and they are going to try and set up a Bill Schonely interview. He's either seen or created much of the Blazer's history. Ask your questions here!
Who are your favorite NBA play-by-play announcers, both active and all-time (excluding yourself and Wheeler)? What are the keys to calling a basketball game? Who is and was your favorite player to watch? What one rule change would Commissioner Schonz seek to implement?
Who is the all-time funniest Trailblazer? If you could plug any former Blazer in his prime into the current lineup, who would it be? Why? I second PP's question: Which player name did you find hardest to pronounce? What's the most absurd event you've ever had to describe on the air?
Which non-star of the past, Blazer or non-Blazer, would improve the most because of the current rules?
If newer fans had a time machine and could visit the league before Stern, describe the differences they would see. For example, without free agency teams didn't just give away players, owner personalities loomed larger than the Commissioner, players were freer to argue with referees.
Were you ever close to being "Mike Rice'd" (thrown out of a game)? How did it feel to sit behind the microphone one more time during the Suns/Blazers exhibition at the Coliseum a few years ago? Do you still get those chocolate chip cookies in the press room before each home game? Which golf course is your favorite to play around Portland? This isn't a question, but rather a thank you. Thank you for everything, "wherever you may be." Thanks also to SPD!
What is your opinion of SlyPokerDog stalking your wife? How many free tickets did SlyPokerDog get this season?
Which sport do you enjoy PBP more, hockey or basketball? On a more personal note, we've run into each other in Lake Oswego over the years, and you have always been very gracious in our encounters. Whether the role is official or not, you have always been the team's ambassador.
What kind of research did you do before each game? Who did you emulate? They are different sports, but I always thought you were a lot like Vin Scully when he did radio baseball. Which organizations treated you the best on the road? (I won't ask which ones were the worst)
How often to you travel with the team these days? Do you ever have the urge to "get back in the saddle", perhaps not in a PBP capacity, but participating in one of the pre- or post-game shows? Does Brian Wheeler have the chance to become a "Franchise Ambassador" to the community like you have, or is that not his type of personality? What do you think of this year's team?
Agree. He is a true gentleman, a term I rarely use but justified in this case. My friend who used to work as an usher at the Rose Garden said that both Schonz and his wife Dottie were the kind of people who treat everyone from the GM to the janitor with the same courtesy. My votes for most absurd events: 1) the time when the Blazers and Lakers each had a Clifford Robinson on the roster, both were in the game at the same time and Schonz was going nuts trying to explain who was who 2) The infamous game vs. Houston when Mad Max went into the stands to punch out a fan, Dudley and Otis Thorpe tried to thorttle each other, a couple of others got into it, and of course 2 weeks later the Blazers trade for Thorpe.
It's an obvious question, but what was the game you had the most fun announcing? It doesn't have to be a special playoff moment, just a game that stands out in your memory. And what made it so fun?
Other than having the right voice for the job, and familiarity with the sport, league, and home team, what is the main thing a rookie announcer has to learn? My guess is, looking up and down at both game action and stats. Describing floor events while simultaneously rattling off stats.
Another question, how do you keep interest up in a game when the Blazers are getting their butts kicked?
