The Portland Trail Blazers have been in the media spotlight this offseason, albeit for the wrong reasons. Although the offseason additions of players like Ja Morant were particularly noteworthy, the franchise has gained infamy for its massive cost-cutting practices implemented by owner Tom Dundon.
Tom Dundon is known as a shrewd businessman, which would largely be viewed as a positive trait. However, when gauging some of the drastic cost-cutting moves he has made over the last few months, from denying travel for two-way players during the playoffs to letting go of 70 employees, Dundon’s approach has been viewed in a negative light.
Although the Trail Blazers’ owner justified his measures as a means of maximizing efficiency, his latest decision has raised more eyebrows. According to a report by Forbes’ Maury Brown, the Blazers’ broadcasting team has become the latest victim of Dundon’s downsizing approach. He wrote:
“Earlier this year, the Portland Trail Blazers made significant cuts to the front office, laying off 70 employees as cost-cutting measures. Now, Blazers Broadcasting is getting the axe, either through layoffs or contracts not being renewed.”
“After 19 seasons with the Blazers broadcast team, TV analyst Michael Holton has been let go, as well as statistician Tom Haberstroh, former ESPN legend and Blazers’ TV host Neil Everett, and TV host Jamie Hudson. Several other broadcasters’ contracts have lapsed, with deep pay cuts being expected in some places. The status of TV play-by-play man Kevin Calabro and radio play-by-play man Travis Demers is unknown, but both have contracts up for renewal.”
Brown reported that, along with several notable members of the Trail Blazers’ broadcasting team, it is largely expected that the TV crew and graphics team will also be reduced. Given how vital these individuals were in providing a meaningful experience to fans at home, these moves are bound to have consequences.
Surprisingly, however, this isn’t out of character for Dundon in the slightest.
Brown observed that when Dundon took over the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes in 2018, the owner let notable radio personality Chuck Kaiton walk when he refused to take a pay cut to stay with the team. Given his preference for the TV simulcast, Dundon appears to be approaching the broadcasting problem in a similar fashion.
From one perspective, Dundon’s ruthlessness with cutting costs is almost impressive, especially since there are alternatives in place to prevent a drop-off in efficiency. From a humanistic perspective, however, his approach raises some eyebrows.
For the most part, Tom Dundon has justified that his cost-cutting approach will not extend to the players, who will be treated in the best way possible to ensure they are in an ideal condition to win. However, it appears that the remaining Trail Blazers’ staff will have to compensate for those luxuries.
As things stand, Dundon’s financial outlook could prove even more concerning for Blazers’ fans. With reports indicating that the Trail Blazers are actively looking for new arenas, the possibility of the franchise relocating seems to be growing. Although many are against the team moving out of Portland, there is no telling what lies in store for the Trail Blazers.
