MAILBAG: Trail Blazers Business and Ownership Matters
Addressing the timing of the sale, a YouTube TV update and more.
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I guess I was overdue to have this happen again.
I published the first part of this very mailbag on Monday, and it included a question about Jerami Grant's role for the upcoming season. What I wrote—and it was clearly my own opinion, as opposed to reporting about what the team would do—is that Grant, or any other player, should not be assumed to be guaranteed a starting role based on tenure and salary.
Apparently, a prominent aggregation slop website posted it and said I wrote that it was "likely" that Grant would come off the bench next season (which I did not write), and based on that, another account on "X, The Everything App" with 2 million followers posted this:
After I called it out, they deleted the tweet with no acknowledgement, retraction or clarification and kept it moving, as they do. They got what they wanted out of it—more engagement, which leads to money if you pay for a blue check. Whether or not they accurately represented what I wrote is a secondary concern. They know that most people who see the tweet will react to it without seeking out the original source (which they didn't link, for what it's worth).
This stuff is an occupational hazard in the current media climate, and it's only getting worse. But that's a bigger conversation for a different day. Just be smart about what you read and what you believe.
Anyway, on to part two of the mailbag.
I've grouped these questions together because they all deal with things related to Trail Blazers business. Topics covered include the timing of the franchise sale, potential buyers, an update on the YouTube TV situation and the status of the Moda Center's naming rights.
Do you think the Blazers going up for sale at around the same time the legislature got serious about approving funds for the MLB stadium was a coincidence? My thinking is that be putting the team up now, perhaps they’d poach some of the MLB To PDX investors who want to own a professional sports team that is here right now rather than one that -could- be here in 5 years.
- AJ F.
