The Portland Trail Blazers have lost another familiar voice. Longtime play-by-play announcer Kevin Calabro resigned this week after calling the team’s contract renewal offer subprime. That choice of words was not an accident.
Calabro, whose deal was up for renewal, told The Oregonian’s Joe Freeman that he feels great about walking away. He also has conversations lined up with other teams. The move comes right after Blazers owner Tom Dundon gutted the team’s broadcast department, laying off TV hosts Neil Everett and Jamie Hudson, analyst Michael Holton, and statistician Tom Haberstroh. The team also said it won’t simulcast the radio broadcast anymore.
The Subprime Dig
Calabro made his feelings clear on X, calling the offers subprime. Dundon built his estimated $2.3 billion fortune on subprime auto loans. He also owns the Carolina Hurricanes. So the jab landed. Calabro did not say it directly, but he did not have to. Fans and media connected the dots fast.
Dundon has developed a reputation for cutting costs hard. In a statement, he said he is trying to make the Blazers business operations more efficient. But the timing of these layoffs and Calabro’s exit has people questioning how far the cuts will go.
Calabro said he was grateful to have one of 30 jobs in the league and to work close to his Seattle home. He said he will always be part of Blazers history and made great memories and friends. But he also made clear he was not taking a discount to stay.
Dundon’s Broader Fight
This broadcast mess is not the only thing Dundon is dealing with. He is in a public fight with the Portland city council over renovating Moda Center. He has refused to put any money into it and wants taxpayers to cover the cost instead. That has not gone over well locally.
Dundon bought the Blazers in 2023 and has made changes fast. Some of them have not sat well with fans or staff. Losing Calabro, a beloved figure in the broadcast booth, feels like another sign that the new owner is willing to let tradition go if it saves a buck.
Calabro is now free to talk to other teams. For a guy with his resume and following, that should not take long. The Blazers, meanwhile, have a lot of empty chairs in their broadcast department and no clear plan to fill them.
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