Bill Simmons has never been one to hold his tongue, and his latest podcast rant about the Portland Trail Blazers’ arena standoff is proof. The longtime sports media personality unloaded on team owner Tom Dundon over the push for nearly $575 million in public funding for the Moda Center, making it clear where he stands on the whole thing.
“I don’t think the city should have to pay for jack sh**. It’s bull sh**. These guys are all fu***** rich. Build your own stadium! What are you doing?” Simmons said on his show. He didn’t stop there. He took a shot at Portland itself, adding, “By the way, I can’t say the city of Portland has been doing that great the last 10 years. The last thing they need to do is send money toward a basketball arena.”
The comments land right in the middle of a tense negotiation between the Blazers and Portland’s City Council over a proposed 20-year lease. Dundon has said he’ll only sign off if the city and county cough up $208 million on top of $365 million already approved by the state legislature. That’s a total ask of nearly $575 million from public pockets, and the two sides are miles apart right now.
City council president Jamie Dunphy has accused the Blazers of dragging their feet and possibly running out the clock on talks. Blazers president Dewayne Hankins pushed back, saying he wants a deal but doesn’t think negotiating through the press helps anyone. With a council vote scheduled for August 12, the clock is ticking.
Simmons goes full sports czar
Simmons didn’t just rip the funding request. He floated a hypothetical rule that would change franchise loyalty forever. “This is where, if I was sports czar, one of my rules would be, if you win a title, you can never leave the city. So you’d be protected forever with Washington. You win, you’re there for life, unless the people vote you out.”
It’s a wild idea, but it taps into a growing frustration fans have with billionaires asking taxpayers to foot the bill for stadium projects. That debate isn’t limited to Portland or the NBA. It’s happening in cities across the country, and Simmons’ rant is just the latest voice adding to the noise.
The Blazers and the city are still far from a deal. And with Simmons calling out Dundon by name, expect more pundits to chime in before that August 12 vote. The saga isn’t going anywhere soon.
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