In the season that will see franchise legend Damian Lillard return, the Portland Trail Blazers will have head coach Micah Nori do his job on an unprecedented one-year contract. On top of all of the penny-pinching moves from last spring, it turns out that owner Tom Dundon's brazen, cost-cutting ways somehow extend beyond the coaches and players on the court. The only people the latest gambit will hurt are Trail Blazers fans.
On Wednesday, The Oregonian reported that the Trail Blazers had hired Travis Demers, the team's radio voice for the past seven seasons, as their new lead TV play-by-play broadcaster. The Trail Blazers had been in a scramble lately after they fired their first choice for the open job over old racist and misogynistic posts on his social media. (This, after playing hardball with the legendary Kevin Calabro in the first place.)
So, it's nice that they managed to find someone so quickly with the new NBA season just about a week away. Right? Ah, but there's a key and weird caveat here. Demers will only work Trail Blazers games on a game-by-game basis. That is not a typo. Technically speaking, Demers can indeed hold the job for the entire season, but he is being considered on a "trial" basis, and it sounds like his nightly status is being treated on a whim.
Oh, come on. More from The Oregonian:
He [Demers] will be given a chance to hold the job all season, a league source said, but the [Trail] Blazers are keeping their options open as they evaluate the broadcast moving forward. It’s possible the Blazers will bring in a temporary play-by-play voice for four or five games in spots during the season, which would afford them a chance to try out other personalities and give Demers a break. But it’s also possible Demers holds the job the entire season.
I don't know who needs to hear this, but the main TV voice of a professional sports team should not be treated like a rental or an independent contractor. I understand the Trail Blazers were in a tough spot and had to adapt on the fly, but the very least they could've done is give Demers a full-time, one-year contract (which also would've been crazy, but more understandable) where he is the voice for every locally broadcast game. The lead announcer for a local broadcast is, generally speaking, the primary way most fans find a way to connect with their favorite team. Beyond the star players on the court, they are the most important conduit to building a lasting relationship with fans. Full stop. Having a loophole in place where it may or may not be Demers' voice every night is just so silly on its face.
If this doesn't read as a cheap move to you, taking Demers off the radio broadcast means the Trail Blazers will start the season, for now, without a radio announcer. The most likely outcome seems to be simulcasting the TV call on the radio for the time being. Welp.
I don't know what's next for the Trail Blazers' TV or radio presentations, but I'll say this: Trail Blazers fans deserve so much better.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Trail Blazers owner’s latest cheap move is treating new TV announcer like a rental