Portland Isn't Getting the NBA All-Star Game, Hyatt or No Hyatt

[SlyPokerDog]

Peter Watts, an attorney representing project opponents led by downtown hotelier Gordon Sondland, now retorts that Portland's bid is hopelessly short of hotel rooms—Hyatt or no Hyatt.

"Despite what Tom Hughes and Metro say, Portland has no realistic chance of getting the NBA All-Star Game, regardless of whether the hotel is built," Watts tells WW.

Watts points to a 2013 report in Forbes magazine that quotes a league executive saying an all-star game host city needs 6,000 rooms in four- or five-star hotels.
Watts says even if Metro built the Hyatt, Portland would be at least 3,205 rooms short of that mark.

"Portland has less than half the total rooms required by the NBA, even after the hotel," Watts says. "In my view, it’s intellectually dishonest for Metro to claim that we are one convention center hotel away from landing the all-star game. It’s simply false."

http://www.wweek.com/portland/blog-...ting_the_all_star_game_hyatt_or_no_hyatt.html

 

[BlazerWookee]

Whew! I could only imagine how embarrassing that would be...

 

[jlprk]

I'd like to see a sorted list of NBA cities with the number of satisfactory hotel rooms in each city.

Then the process might become objective. Until then, it's just another political process, with the winner being who can best shmooze with NBA bigwigs in cigar smoke-filled backrooms.

 

[riverman]

It's Portland, bring on the yurts...we can fill the parking lots and food cart areas with yurts. Problem solved. I'd also contest that most of the hotels listed in bigger markets are infested with bedbugs and junkies. Not a fair compairson.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Bring in a few cruise ships. Cities have done it for the world cup and olympics.

 

[HailBlazers]

Willamette Week.... Lol.

More like Willamette Weak.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Willamette Week.... Lol.

More like Willamette Weak.

Willamette Week has taken down two governors. They exposed Goldschmidt and Kitzhaber.

 

[HailBlazers]

Just doing my best Wookie impression. But I also believe WW to be overly sensational.

 

[santeesioux]

This is a complete waste of time for such a lame event, especially since it sounds like Charlotte of all places is going to get it anyway. They should focus on trying to steal an NHL team again instead.

 

[julius]

 

[SheedSoNasty]

We have an apartment listed on air B n' B. Could sleep up to 6 and isn't too far from the arena. Anything to chip in.

 

[ripcityboy]

Don't they watch Portlandia? We do things differently here. They need to realize that you enter a different country here called Cascadia. When you go to Iceland you eat fish. When you go to Portland you sleep in a Motel 6.

 

[OneLifeToLive]

I'm tired of hearing this same excuse. Grrrr.

 

[PDXFonz]

Whew! I could only imagine how embarrassing that would be...

This mildly, you dont see much of the fans during all-star, just the celebrities who would likely be there anyways. You would probably get a lot of people from seattle down here to watch it.

 

[maxiep]

I remember All Star Weekend here in Denver a few years ago. It's not worth it.

The only time I want the NBA focused on Portland is in early June.

 

[magnifier661]

Anyone that believed the All-star game would come to Portland is just kidding themselves.

 

[e_blazer]

Don't they watch Portlandia? We do things differently here. They need to realize that you enter a different country here called Cascadia. When you go to Iceland you eat fish. When you go to Portland you sleep in a Motel 6.

When you go to Iceland, you have to wash your fish down with one of the local brews made with whale testicles. Well, YOU do, I think I'll take a pass.

http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-30777516

 

[BlazerWookee]

This mildly, you dont see much of the fans during all-star, just the celebrities who would likely be there anyways. You would probably get a lot of people from seattle down here to watch it.

You don't see the fans during the game, but we'll see no end of hipster douchebags, hip hop thugs, smelly hippies, religious zealots, millionaire pseudo-philanthropists, hookers, strippers, tweekers, panhandlers, drug dealers, gang bangers, corrupt politicians, GLAAD weirdos, activist pinheads, and spotted-owl-tongue-kissing wusses on the news day and night...

 

[BrianFromWA]

so....normal Tuesday night outside Powell's?

 

[Strenuus]

You don't see the fans during the game, but we'll see no end of hipster douchebags, hip hop thugs, smelly hippies, religious zealots, millionaire pseudo-philanthropists, hookers, strippers, tweekers, panhandlers, drug dealers, gang bangers, corrupt politicians, GLAAD weirdos, activist pinheads, and spotted-owl-tongue-kissing wusses on the news day and night...

How is this any different than a thursday night on ash st?

 

[BrianFromWA]