Interesting (Troubling?) Quote From Tod Leiweke

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PapaG

PapaG

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I'm trying hard not to read between the lines here, but with Blazer operations based in Seattle, this caught my eye.

Then, on Thursday, Tod Leiweke, the head of Vulcan Sports and Entertainment said: "Paul Allen shouldn't subsidize the Blazers to be in Portland and we're getting closer and closer to that magical break-even number which Paul's asked for."

Allen has asked his team of analysts and advisors to cut costs, see. He's given the basketball enterprise a two-year window to make "break even" happen, and the hope here is that the Roy negotiations haven't broken down because someone at the Seattle-based headquarters is missing the bigger point -- the break-even point won't last without Roy around to cut down the nets.
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http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/or...f/2009/07/canzano_roy_should_get_anythin.html
 
Re: Interesting (Troubling?) Quote From Tod Keiweke

What the fuck is that guy talking about, I thought the Blazers came back to making money this last year?
 
Re: Interesting (Troubling?) Quote From Tod Keiweke

hasoos said:
What the fuck is that guy talking about, I thought the Blazers came back to making money this last year?
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Lots of weird decisions by the Vulcans. Why sign a local TV deal that leaves half of your base in the dark, yet allows Seattle access on their largest cable system? It seems to me that a good way to drive up ad rates, and subsequently revenue, would be to make your advertisers' messages availabe to as many people in the local area as possible.

Why talk about "subsidizing" the team to be in Portland? Is that a veiled threat to local/state government? The RG sold out every game last year, yet Allen is "subsidizing" the team? Seems like the people of Portland are doing more than their part, doesn't it?

WTF is going on in the Vulcan offices?
 
Re: Interesting (Troubling?) Quote From Tod Keiweke

They want our Blazers in Seattle! Desperate for a team again, and a city that wont pay for them! HAHA
 
Re: Interesting (Troubling?) Quote From Tod Keiweke

*Leiweke* :)
 
Re: Interesting (Troubling?) Quote From Tod Keiweke

Well if it's any consolation, the Warriors are officially for sale.
 
Re: Interesting (Troubling?) Quote From Tod Keiweke

Seattle fans know we have a good thing going here and want in on it. Brandon is a home town guy for them.... Paul Allen is based out of Seattle... kind of all makes sense in a projecting kind of way...
 
Re: Interesting (Troubling?) Quote From Tod Keiweke

You worry wort.
 
Re: Interesting (Troubling?) Quote From Tod Keiweke

You know I really don't know why people continue to bring this up. If Allen was going to move the team, he would have tried long ago. The agreement with the city of Portland is bulletproof. David Stern even said so, and he has an army of lawyers workng for him and would love to move the franchise to a bigger city, you can just see the $$$ in his eyes. It's not going to happen.
 
Re: Interesting (Troubling?) Quote From Tod Keiweke

I'm just saying it's wishful thinking, not that it could happen!
 
Re: Interesting (Troubling?) Quote From Tod Keiweke

When I hear about this kind of stuff it makes me worry that we might lose Kevin Pritchard to a team were he doesn't have to deal with this kind of crap. Having Paul Allen as an owner is great. But this middle management group he created to pretty much protect him from himself is uber-annoying.

Pritchard would never tell anyone anything about it, but I wonder how much he really thinks about what it would be like to be a GM for a team in a bigger city. A city where the owner actually lives there and cares about it.
 
Re: Interesting (Troubling?) Quote From Tod Keiweke

Nice troll food, well done. This will probably only keep them fed for around two or three months with the "Blazers moving the Seattle" bullshit.
 
Re: Interesting (Troubling?) Quote From Tod Keiweke

Sug said:
Nice troll food, well done. This will probably only keep them fed for around two or three months with the "Blazers moving the Seattle" bullshit.
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Don't address the post at all, attack the poster. Well done. How is Paul Allen "subsidizing" the Blazers being in Portland when the fanbase is doing everything that is asked of them? When I see phrases like "break even", I see an out for the team somewhere down the line. Why is Tod Leiweke the one saying this? Where is the owner?
 
Re: Interesting (Troubling?) Quote From Tod Keiweke

maxiep said:
Um, business?
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Obviously. What in terms of offering Brandon Roy is going on in the Vulcan offices? Good business doesn't usually include alienating your top talent.
 
Re: Interesting (Troubling?) Quote From Tod Keiweke

PapaG said:
Lots of weird decisions by the Vulcans. Why sign a local TV deal that leaves half of your base in the dark, yet allows Seattle access on their largest cable system? It seems to me that a good way to drive up ad rates, and subsequently revenue, would be to make your advertisers' messages availabe to as many people in the local area as possible.

Why talk about "subsidizing" the team to be in Portland? Is that a veiled threat to local/state government? The RG sold out every game last year, yet Allen is "subsidizing" the team? Seems like the people of Portland are doing more than their part, doesn't it?

WTF is going on in the Vulcan offices?
Click to expand...

It's just good common business sense for the blazers to market the team in the Seattle/entire northwest. With the Sonics gone, it's the intelligent thing to do. Is Vulcan really a bad guy here?... or you just being paranoid?
 
Re: Interesting (Troubling?) Quote From Tod Keiweke

hasoos said:
What the fuck is that guy talking about, I thought the Blazers came back to making money this last year?
Click to expand...

We were close, but were operating at a deficit of less than $1 million, which is pretty good considering where we were.

http://portland.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2009/04/20/story1.html

The magazine estimates the team had an $85.1 million operating deficit in 2003-04. It’s now slightly less than $1 million.

That means the Blazers, after meeting their team goal of making the playoffs this season, could reach their business goal — profitability — in the next two years after more than $100 million in losses this decade.

“We’re still trying to get there, but we’re much closer to it than we were,” said Larry Miller, the team’s president. “We’re making progress, and that’s testament to improvements to the on-court brand. Our goal is to get to profitability over the next couple of years, and I think it’s realistic that we can accomplish that.”

There’s plenty of other good news.

...
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And they'd regret moving to Seattle with no arena. All hell would break loose in Portland.
 
The Blazers are NOT coming to Seattle... at least not any time soon. I think we can put that to bed.

As for Paul Allen not wanting to lose money: I don't blame him. I wish he'd be willing to lose tens of millions of bucks--and I think he might be willing to as we get closer to winning a championship--but I can't really blame him for not wanting to.

As for Vulcan and BRoy... I don't think we should read too much into it and look for a pattern based on such limited information. It's too early to tell if negotiations are even going poorly, let alone to ascribe blame for some kind of breakdown that hasn't happened.

Ed O.
 
Ed O said:
The Blazers are NOT coming to Seattle... at least not any time soon. I think we can put that to bed.

As for Paul Allen not wanting to lose money: I don't blame him. I wish he'd be willing to lose tens of millions of bucks--and I think he might be willing to as we get closer to winning a championship--but I can't really blame him for not wanting to.

As for Vulcan and BRoy... I don't think we should read too much into it and look for a pattern based on such limited information. It's too early to tell if negotiations are even going poorly, let alone to ascribe blame for some kind of breakdown that hasn't happened.

Ed O.
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Ed: I'm not thinking about the Blazers heading up North to Seattle....but is there any possibility of sending your Avatar up to British Columbia? :pimp:
 
Re: Interesting (Troubling?) Quote From Tod Keiweke

PapaG said:
Obviously. What in terms of offering Brandon Roy is going on in the Vulcan offices? Good business doesn't usually include alienating your top talent.
Click to expand...

Do we really have any idea what's going on in those negotiations?
 
Ed O said:
The Blazers are NOT coming to Seattle... at least not any time soon. I think we can put that to bed.

As for Paul Allen not wanting to lose money: I don't blame him. I wish he'd be willing to lose tens of millions of bucks--and I think he might be willing to as we get closer to winning a championship--but I can't really blame him for not wanting to.

As for Vulcan and BRoy... I don't think we should read too much into it and look for a pattern based on such limited information. It's too early to tell if negotiations are even going poorly, let alone to ascribe blame for some kind of breakdown that hasn't happened.
Ed O.
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Quick directly quoted Roy's agent in today's Oregonian saying that Brandon is "frustrated", and relayed that Roy wants 5 years, and the Blazers are offering 4 years. Unless Roy's agent is flat-out lying, in print, with his name attached, I don't see at all how this is good business considering Hedo F**KING Turkoglu was wined, dined, and offered 5 years.
 
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Re: Interesting (Troubling?) Quote From Tod Keiweke

maxiep said:
Do we really have any idea what's going on in those negotiations?
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Why would Myers be lying about Roy wanting 5 years? Hell, when your All-Star player has to beg for five years, and you're only going to give him 4 years, something is seriously messed up in the process.

http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/2009/07/blazers_confirm_talks_with_uta.html

Note: Bob Myers, the agent for Blazers guard Brandon Roy, has been tight-lipped throughout negotiations for Roy's contract extension, but on Thursday, Myers said "we are frustrated a deal has not been reached." Roy is asking for a maximum contract in both years (five) and money (estimated $82 million). However, the Blazers have been willing to only grant a four-year contract. The Blazers have until Oct. 31 to sign Roy, and Aldridge, to extensions. If they don't reach agreements, the players can become restricted free agents next summer.
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A conspiracy! :ohno:

Then, on Thursday, Tod Leiweke, the head of Vulcan Sports and Entertainment said: "Paul Allen shouldn't subsidize the Blazers to be in Portland and we're getting closer and closer to that magical break-even number which Paul's asked for."

Allen has asked his team of analysts and advisors to cut costs, see. He's given the basketball enterprise a two-year window to make "break even" happen, and the hope here is that the Roy negotiations haven't broken down because someone at the Seattle-based headquarters is missing the bigger point -- the break-even point won't last without Roy around to cut down the nets.
Click to expand...
 
Bob Myers, the agent for Blazers guard Brandon Roy, has been tight-lipped throughout negotiations for Roy's contract extension,
Click to expand...

And the plane that went down in PA on 9/11? The passengers were calm and relaxed throughout the flight.

barfo
 
PapaG said:
Unless Roy's agent is flat-out lying, in print, with his name attached,
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A sports agent would never lie. They always tell the press the whole truth and nothing but.

barfo
 
PapaG, I can see you're worked up about this issue. I'm sorry I can't match your level of concern. We'll get a deal done and Brandon will be happy.
 
maxiep said:
PapaG, I can see you're worked up about this issue. I'm sorry I can't match your level of concern. We'll get a deal done and Brandon will be happy.
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I'm not worked up. I am discussing the possibilities of what Roy saying "they aren't close to a deal" could mean. It's pretty relevant. What's the purpose of this board if the idea is to not speculate? It sure beats 39 threads about how bad Travis Outlaw sucks and how he has a low basketball IQ.
 
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