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As Portland's only major-league sports team, the Trail Blazers are making a comeback as one of the NBA's top teams. They aren't fully there yet, but for many, this Blazer playoff return evokes memories of the euphoria of 1977, the only time the team won the championship.
But is another championship in their future? Portlanders aren't the only ones who believe this team has what it takes to dominate the NBA in coming years. This Friday, we're taking a look back at the storied 1977 team — you can re-live the triumphant final minutes here — and thinking about what the future could hold for the franchise.
Do the Blazers hold a special place in your heart? What were you doing in 1977 when the Blazers won the championship? What did you do to celebrate their big win? Did you become a fan at a
later time? Have you been a fan ever since?
GUESTS:
- Eli Davis: Lifelong Blazers fan
- Bill Schonely: Play-by-play announcer for the Portland Trail Blazers from 1970 to 1997.
- Dave Deckard: Author of Blazersedge.com
- Harry Glickman: Trail Blazers founder; former general manager, vice president and president
- Jerome Kersey: Former forward for the Blazers from 1984 to 1995
Tagged as: nba · sports · trailblazers
Photo credit: Garik Lawson Asplund / Flickr Creative Commons
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Doesn't anyone remember how little regard Paul Allen had for this area in recent years? It is his team and not "ours" or "your Blazers" and he demonstrates this at every turn. Think about the TV broadcast issue.
It is nice that they are doing better and getting arrested less often.
But I thought that this was a "news" show and not an unpaid advert for the Blazers.
Or to put it crudely -- aren't you embarrassed about pimping for one of the richest people in the world?
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Give the guy some credit for keeping this franchise afloat. He put together a team that should have had at least one title and he's always poured money into this franchise. Yes, his judgment has not always been great, but he stayed with it and now has a team that may bring multiple championships to Portland.
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Thanks. I was in a hospital in St Louis, MO at this time. My Doctor having a good sense of humor allowed me to have all the beer I could convince my nurses to give/buy me, as I had my femoral artery cut and couldn't get out of bed and it was my birthday in May. Basically, it was 2 beers and a meatloaf sandwich every night with the Blazers and led me to bring my family here in 81 and have been following them since. Still watching.
Eric from Redmond, OR
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I was also at a graduation ceremony on the day of the championship game. I was at Mt. Hood CC watching my mother graduate from nursing school. I was 14 and she was 51. She died of cancer the next summer. I'll never forget the day or the achievement my mother and the Blazers made that day.
Kerry Rose
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I have been a Blazer fan since the early 90's when they went to the Finals. I remember listening to games with father on the radio and watching them on TV and have a very good memories of that team.
My parents shared stories of Bill Walton buying groceries from my mom when she was working at a local store in SE Portland at the time. It sounded like a really exciting time.
I think this current team is great and I think they are going to be good well into the future.
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It's my understanding that the sculpture of the crown on it's side to the south of the rose quarter will be set upright if and when the Blazers win the title. Is this true¿
Jonathan
NE Portland
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You know when you're a kid, and you pull a sticker out of your sneakers, and you can run so much faster than ever? That's how current Blazermania feels to me. So much of it is relief!
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Hi OPB...
i grew up on a cattle ranch near Salem, and the day the Blazers won the championship we were supposed to be out vaccinating cows. it was one of those days where nothing went right, and my dad was beyond frustrated...finally he said, give it up, let's go inside...so we did and got to see the game. otherwise we would've missed it. i'm really glad he lost his temper that day. i've been a fan ever since, probably was before, and am really happy that we have a team back with good guys and good characters. it makes it fun to watch! here's hoping they can go deep into the playoffs!
Rhonda Studnick
Hillsboro, OR
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I moved to Portland as an 8 year old the summer after Portland beat Philly for the NBA title. I have fond memories of sitting with my Grandmother listening to Bill Schonely call the games on the radio. Back then, and through most of the 80's, Portland nevery put home games on TV, so I became a huge fan of Schonely. His call of the games was so wonderful, and I still get goose bumps when I listen to clips of him calling some of the pivotal playoff games in the early 90's. I always turned down the TV sound and listened to "The Schonz."
Tony - Sherwood
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The clip played earlier was not from Bill Schonley's radio call. I think the Blazers founder pointed that out but the main host (sorry I do not remember your name) may not have picked up on that.
According to Schonley's book, there was no recording of the original radio call of the final seconds of the '77 championship. It had to be re-created. Just a bit of trivia.
Schonley's call is from about 5:37 onward on this clip. this ought to send shivers up the spine of anybody who remembers.
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Hi OPB,
I was fortunate enough to attend the championship game in 1977 with my family. The day game 5 was scheduled in Philadelphia, a friend and I went directly from Whitford Jr. High to Meier and Frank at Washington Square after school to stake out a place in line for tickets that would go on sale the following day _if_ the Blazers beat the Sixers that night. Our parents brought us food, sleeping bags and money.
Needless to say the game was a once in a lifetime experience. (To date, anyway.) The city went wild! It was amazing to be caught up in such a frenzy of joy.
The following day we skipped school and went to the Blazer parade. The day after _that_ all the students that missed school were called into the cafeteria. Those that went to the parade were given an F for any assignments or tests that were due. Ask me if I care!
I'm hopeful the current Blazers will treat this city to that same euphoria. It's a pity that on-line sales for playoff tickets are now the norm. I think fans that will camp out for tickets are better representatives of the Blazer spirit.
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5.36 of this clip is the Schonz's call of the final seconds of the game. Sorry I forgot to include it earlier
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5EDdBSwmCE
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5.36 of this clip is the shonz's call. sorry I am just now using think out loud for the first time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5EDdBSwmCE
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Comments are now closed.
Hi OPB,
I'm a filmmaker here in Portland and in November I completed a feature length documentary, called Mania, about the Portland Trailblazers which covers the origin of the team to present. The film includes as many as 60 interviews featuring many of the players, members of management, and fans that have contributed to the team's history. You can see a more detailed description of the film at www.filmbaby.com as well as a trailer. Let me know if you would like to talk about it.
Thanks,
Dan Schaefer
danvschaefer@msn.com
503-381-0489