Bill Oram
@billoram.bsky.social
Columnist at The Oregonian. Lucky enough to write about sports for the newspaper that made me love newspapers.
"Dundon is not merely using the threat of relocation to exert his will on the city of Portland, he now effectively wants the city to pay him to flee town." -- @billoram.bsky.social
Tom Dundon and Portland’s ‘first-class’ headache | Bill Oram
The Trail Blazers are focused on lease language that would only apply if the team relocated, raising questions about how serious they are about staying.
oregonlive.com
I am a columnist. Having an opinion is literally my job.
@johnnybutler.bsky.social · last mo.Is @billoram.bsky.social going to be an opinion piece writer or a journalist? We need real answers on this going forward. You can’t claim that a person you’ve never met or had a single interaction with is just cast off as a reincarnation of “jailblazers” basketball. Write facts or don’t write.
To be clear, my opinion on the arena deal hasn't changed at all. Get the deal done with public funds or lose the Trail Blazers. I'm just acknowledging it isn't going to go over well in this market in this political climate.
Don Baldwin, Everyday Anti-fascist@donbaldwin.bsky.social · last mo.One thing that must be acknowledged is the lightning speed with which Tom Dundon made @billoram.bsky.social do an about face. www.oregonlive.com/blazers/2026...
Meanwhile, things are sailing right along in the public bodies of Portland, Oregon. www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...
Portland mayor lambasts critics of Moda Center deal as county questions investment
Tensions about the future of the Moda Center ignited Tuesday, as Portland Mayor Keith Wilson ripped outspoken skeptics of a potential pricey arena makeover while some Multnomah County leaders question...
oregonlive.com
BREAKING: Oregon football AHC/running backs coach Ra’Shaad Samples was charged with DUII/reckless driving after an April incident.
Oregon football assistant coach charged with DUII, reckless driving after April incident
Ra’Shaad Samples allegedly backed into a parked car after a late night in Eugene.
oregonlive.com
How did Tom Dundon get an arena deal done in Raleigh, North Carolina? What can Portland learn from those negotiations? Allow me to introduce "Mayor Ass." www.oregonlive.com/blazers/2026...
How Raleigh got an arena deal done with Tom Dundon — and why it’s so hard in Portland | Bill Oram
North Carolina officials provided $300 million in public money to renovate the home of the Carolina Hurricanes in 2023.
oregonlive.com
Tom Dundon has had one of the noisiest and most tone-deaf arrivals we’ve ever seen in the NBA. But The Dundon Method has undeniably worked in the NHL. Why? And can it eventually translate to Portland? From Raleigh: www.oregonlive.com/sports/2026/...
‘Give it some time:’ Inside Tom Dundon’s NHL success amid Trail Blazer uncertainty | Bill Oram
In Portland, the cost-conscious Dundon's arrival has been a shock to the system. In Raleigh, some say his NHL ownership has been a shock to the heart.
oregonlive.com
To give a sense of how your elected leaders view the role of sports in your city:
mitch (he/him)@drmitchpdx.bsky.social · 3mo agobill oram should not write about policy or anything related to the expenditure of public money. stick to the Sports as Americana folksy beat
Damon Jones, a former NBA player and assistant coach, pleaded guilty today to 2 federal counts. One count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in the NBA insider trading case and one in the rigged poker game ring. Jones is the first to plead guilty among 34 defendants in the cases.
Favorite pick of the night: Bears getting Dillon Thieneman at No. 25: “I think Dillon Thieneman is pretty special. He’s ready right now. I think he’s the best tackler I’ve seen in years, but he’s also got the speed and flexibility to turn and run…”
Anonymous NFL Draft intel: Fernando Mendoza better prospect than Cam Ward, Drake Maye? (Gift Article)
In what was once expected to be a great quarterback draft, most of the 2026 NFL Draft feels average, except for safeties and edges.
nytimes.com
Or — and hear me out — more than one thing can be happening in an organization at the same time.
Certified Blazed@certifiedblazed.bsky.social · 3mo agoGreat way to distract all the eyes focused on the owner burning the franchise to the ground 👍
Tiago Splitter’s “probably not” was more than just a tease. The Trail Blazers are open to the possibility of Damian Lillard returning this season — possibly in this series against the Spurs. www.oregonlive.com/blazers/2026...
The Blazers’ playoff run is writing its own story — Lillard’s return could rewrite it entirely | Bill Oram
Lillard still has many steps to clear before he can return to action, but sources say him joining the Trail Blazers this season is not off the table.
oregonlive.com
Tom Dundon is gonna have to pony up for a charter back to San Antonio. The Blazers won't go away quietly in this series. www.oregonlive.com/blazers/2026...
Trail Blazers’ fans needed a break from ‘El Cheapo’ Tom Dundon. Scoot Henderson delivered | Bill Oram
Who needs a T-shirt when what you get instead is a chance for the Blazers to actually win the series against San Antonio?
oregonlive.com
Anymore, if someone mentions Scoot Henderson in the same sentence as Victor Wembanyama it’s to highlight what Scoot has not achieved. As Scoot finds his footing in the NBA, Portland’s first-round matchup with the Spurs can be a reconsideration of all that. www.oregonlive.com/blazers/2026...
How confident is Scoot Henderson? He still thinks he should have gone No. 1 over Wemby | Bill Oram
Victor Wembanyama was always the probable pick to go first in the 2023 draft, but with one performance in Las Vegas, Henderson made them think twice.
oregonlive.com
41 points, a dozen assists and the game-winner, all on a night everyone agreed he didn’t quite have his best stuff. That’s what superstars do. Welcome to your moment, Deni Avdija. www.oregonlive.com/sports/2026/...
oregonlive.com
This was the season Deni Avdija became an All-Star. Tuesday may have been the night he became a superstar. Column from the Valley of the Stunned: www.oregonlive.com/sports/2026/...
Deni Avdija was already an All-Star. Play-in win was his superstar moment| Bill Oram
In the NBA there is a distinction between an All-Star and a bona fide, price-of-admission superstar. Avdija may have just moved into the second group.
oregonlive.com
The expectation in NBA circles is that Trail Blazers’ owner Tom Dundon plans to try to hire a coach far below market value. What that means and why I think it sets the wrong tone for his franchise: www.oregonlive.com/blazers/2026...
The Blazers are going to need a head coach. Will Tom Dundon pay for one? | Bill Oram
Portland's coaching conundrum could be a big opportunity, but few believe the franchise's new owner will swing for the fences.
oregonlive.com
It’s uncomfortable around here when the Blazers aren’t any good. And the last four years have sucked some of the soul out of the franchise — if not the city. Friday vs the Clippers felt like a step toward restoring that. Column: www.oregonlive.com/blazers/2026...
oregonlive.com
32 teams. Eight bowl games. A New Year's Day championship. How the eclectic creator of Big League Chew aims to fix the College Football Playoff — and why he believes his 101-word plan will work.
oregonlive.com
The Portland Fire’s first player? Bridget Carleton, taken No. 1 in the WNBA expansion draft.
Big changes may be ahead for the Trail Blazers under Tom Dundon, but on Thursday little ones were already visible. Column from Moda: www.oregonlive.com/blazers/2026...
Tom Dundon will change Trail Blazers in ways big and small. In fact, he’s already begun | Bill Oram
When it comes to trading for star players Dundon says he is "probably more aggressive than most."
oregonlive.com
In his first night in Portland, Tom Dundon dined at Nostrana. @freemanjoe.bsky.social joined him for an illuminating conversation. "I don't seek out change for change sake," he said. "I seek out improvement." Good read here. www.oregonlive.com/blazers/2026...
New Trail Blazers owner Tom Dundon says ‘hard work is enjoyed’ — and Portland is about to find out why
Inside the billionaire's whirlwind first day in Portland.
oregonlive.com
Notes from a halftime chat with new Trail Blazers’ owner Tom Dundon. “I’m not flexible about my standards,” he said. www.oregonlive.com/blazers/2026...
Tom Dundon levels challenge to Trail Blazers as he takes over as franchise’s owner | Bill Oram
The hard-driving owner of the Carolina Hurricanes says, "I'm not flexible about my standards."
oregonlive.com
There's no pretense with new Blazers majority owner Tom Dundon. Are you the hard-ass everybody says you are? “I think so,” he said. Dundon was in LA for his first day in this position, and talked to The O's @billoram.bsky.social www.oregonlive.com/blazers/2026...
Tom Dundon levels challenge to Trail Blazers as he takes over as franchise’s owner | Bill Oram
The hard-driving owner of the Carolina Hurricanes says, "I'm not flexible about my standards."
oregonlive.com