Ep. 114 - Lamar Hurd of the Portland Trail Blazers TV broadcast joins the pod to talk about his approach to broadcasting, the full story being his vociferous defense of (and empathy for) The Grinch, how maintaining humility and using his platform to lift up others centers his work, taking in feedback (even if it's critical) from Blazers fans, and more! Then Conor and Brandon discuss the Blazers' recent stretch, their fading play-in hopes, and praise for Deni Avdija and the return of Matisse Thyb...
Mar 29, 2025•1 hr 23 min
Ep. 113 - Washington Post reporter and Blazer's Edge legend Ben Golliver joins the pod to talk about his approach to reporting on the Blazers, working a national beat and balancing discretion with reporting the story, and his stark view where he sees the Blazers as a franchise, plus a TON more! Find us at WeLikeTheBlazers.com and ALL podcast and streaming apps. We Like the Blazers is a proud member of the Rogue Media Network and the Blazer’s Edge Family of podcasts, which includes Trail Daddy wi...
Feb 26, 2025•57 min
Ep. 112 - Oregon's US Senator Ron Wyden is back, and he talked with us about Bill Walton: his life, his politics, and what people might be surprised by. Wyden also talked about his book, It Takes Chutzpah, before Brandon and Conor talk about the Blazers at the All-Star Break (both as a team AND the players in the Rising Stars game, Donovan Clingan's dominance, whether the Blazers are stuck in a failed rebuild, and MORE! Find us at WeLikeTheBlazers.com and ALL podcast and streaming apps. We Like ...
Feb 15, 2025•1 hr 3 min
Ep. 111 - The Blazers are winners of six in a row and 10 of their last 11! How are they doing it? We talk about their transformed defense, plus the value of Toumani Camara, and the curious decision by Joe Cronin to do nothing at the trade deadline when 26 other teams made moves. Find us at WeLikeTheBlazers.com and ALL podcast and streaming apps. We Like the Blazers is a proud member of the Rogue Media Network and the Blazer’s Edge Family of podcasts, which includes Trail Daddy with Dave Deckard ...
Feb 08, 2025•59 min
Ep. 110 - The Blazers have won more games than they've lost lately... is this a disaster?? Conor and Brandon talk about it, plus the lack of a certain je ne sais quoi in Dame's latest return to Portland, some light free agency banter, and MORE! Find us at WeLikeTheBlazers.com, now on BlueSky at @WeLikeTheBlazers.com, and ALL podcast and streaming apps. We Like the Blazers is a proud member of the Rogue Media Network and the Blazer’s Edge Family of podcasts, which includes Trail Daddy with Dave D...
Jan 31, 2025•41 min
Ep. 109 - Scoot Henderson has been balling out... but it's not all about stats! Conor and Brandon talk about that, plus the Blazers having a two-game win streak, DeAndre Ayton's big game and why consistency can be so tough, a bold idea for balancing 82 games with player rest... and more! Find us at WeLikeTheBlazers.com, now on BlueSky at @WeLikeTheBlazers.com, and ALL podcast and streaming apps. We Like the Blazers is a proud member of the Rogue Media Network and the Blazer’s Edge Family of podc...
Jan 23, 2025•45 min
Ep. 108 - This episode's magic word(s) is "role clarity." Could Jerami Grant's absence actually be HELPING the Blazers? Conor and Brandon talk about that, whether Anfernee Simons might be traded specifically to the Orlando Magic, Kris Murray's improved play, and MORE! Find us at WeLikeTheBlazers.com, now on BlueSky at @WeLikeTheBlazers.com, and ALL podcast and streaming apps. We Like the Blazers is a proud member of the Rogue Media Network and the Blazer’s Edge Family of podcasts, which includes...
Jan 17, 2025•55 min
Ep. 107 - HAPPY NEW YEAR! The Blazers were 2-0 under Nate Bjorkgren... can we take anything from it? Plus Greg Oden returns to Portland, Deni Avdija is playing like the Blazers' best player, whether Scoot Henderson showed anything in a recent stretch of good games, and MORE! Find us at WeLikeTheBlazers.com, now on BlueSky at @WeLikeTheBlazers.com, and ALL podcast and streaming apps. We Like the Blazers is a proud member of the Rogue Media Network and the Blazer’s Edge Family of podcasts, which i...
Jan 01, 2025•1 hr 7 min
Ep. 106 - Conor and Brandon are unwrapping gifts... given in the form of questions by YOU! We talk about whether the Blazers are developing their young talent, what gift you would give to Blazers players, whether Sharpe could be a first option, the Lore of Ships, and MORE! Find us at WeLikeTheBlazers.com, now on BlueSky at @WeLikeTheBlazers.com, and ALL podcast and streaming apps. We Like the Blazers is a proud member of the Rogue Media Network and the Blazer’s Edge Family of podcasts, which inc...
Dec 24, 2024•1 hr 1 min
Ep. 105 - Anfernee Simons had a 24-point third quarter against Dallas and has been averaging well above his career averages over the last three games! Is Simons BACK? Does this mean he'll be traded? We talk about that plus the NBA Cup and whether it matters, how there are no Blazers jerseys in the Basketball Hall of Fame, and MORE! Find us at WeLikeTheBlazers.com, now on BlueSky at @WeLikeTheBlazers.com, and ALL podcast and streaming apps. We Like the Blazers is a proud member of the Rogue Media...
Dec 05, 2024•48 min
Ep. 104 - Donovan Clingan hurt his knee twice in Portland's win against Houston, yet was allowed to come back into the game... and now he's out for the foreseeable future! Whose fault is it? Hint: maybe nobody's. We also talk about Rodney Hood's retirement, Deni Avdija passing the eye test, and MORE! Find us at WeLikeTheBlazers.com, now on BlueSky at @WeLikeTheBlazers.com, and ALL podcast and streaming apps. We Like the Blazers is a proud member of the Rogue Media Network and the Blazer’s Edge F...
Nov 26, 2024•38 min
Ep. 103 - US Senator Ron Wyden joined to talk about his connection to the game of basketball growing up, his love of the Portland Trail Blazers, his encouragement for the Blazers to build a Bill Walton and Maurice Lucas statue, his work to support the Albina Vision Trust as it helps the Lower Albina District near the Moda Center in becoming a thriving neighborhood, the nuclear athleticism of Shaedon Sharpe, and more! We also welcome Blazer's Edge Associate Editor and Reporter Conor Bergin as he ...
Nov 22, 2024•32 min
Ep. 102 - The Blazers are on a three-game winning streak, and Blazers fans actually have something to root for! With Ryan taking an extended leave because the job that actually pays him demands his attention, Brandon chats with Cory Dickman of the Rip City Roundtable to talk about Shaedon Sharpe's ascendence, the Blazers' logjam of veterans, how Toumani Camara's defense is transforming the team, and more! Find us at WeLikeTheBlazers.com, now on BlueSky at @WeLikeTheBlazers.com, and ALL podcast a...
Nov 19, 2024•40 min
Ep. 101 - The Blazers have started 1-3... should they be starting Donovan Clingan? That and much more on this week's pod! This week, we are also asking to please make a donation to Ryan's cousin Gillian who unexpectedly required a liver transplant, and who is recovering but still needs support! Any amount helps, and thanks in advance. https://gofund.me/548c2545 Find us at WeLikeTheBlazers.com, on “Twitter” at @LikeTheBlazers, and ALL podcast and streaming apps. We Like the Blazers is a proud mem...
Oct 29, 2024•40 min
Ep. 100 - Episode 100, episode 100 episode 100 episode 100! Episode, 100 episode 100 episode 100 episode 100 episode 100; episode 100? Episode! 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100... 100 100, 100 100 100 100. Find us at WeLikeTheBlazers.com, on “Twitter” at @LikeTheBlazers, and ALL podcast and streaming apps. We Like the Blazers is a proud member of the Rogue Media Network and the Blazer’s Edge Family of podcasts, which includes Trail Daddy with Dave Deckard and Rip City Roundtable with Cory Dickman...
Oct 18, 2024•31 min
Ep. 99 - Summer is over, and the 2024-25 season is (almost) here! We talk about what we heard on Media Day, the Blazers' new TV deal, Robert Williams III getting hurt (again), Zach Lowe and Woj no longer being at ESPN, why the Blazers don't need to worry about maximizing losses, and MORE! Find us at WeLikeTheBlazers.com, on “Twitter” at @LikeTheBlazers, and ALL podcast and streaming apps. We Like the Blazers is a proud member of the Rogue Media Network and the Blazer’s Edge Family of podcasts, w...
Oct 05, 2024•35 min
Ep. 98 - I gotta be totally honest... we recorded a podcast on August 9 and for some reason I couldn't log into the podcast distribution platform... I was in a hurry... and I never got back to it 😭 So TUNE IN to what we were talking about back in August!! I'm uploading this just to not break the chain of episodes. Find us at WeLikeTheBlazers.com, on “Twitter” at @LikeTheBlazers, and ALL podcast and streaming apps. We Like the Blazers is a proud member of the Rogue Media Network and the Blazer’s...
Aug 09, 2024•38 min
Ep. 97 - As summer drags on, the guys talk about the NBA rejecting TNT's "match" of Amazon's offer on the new TV deal, and whether the Blazers can clear the 21.5 wins that Vegas expects them to eek out next season! Find us at WeLikeTheBlazers.com, on “Twitter” at @LikeTheBlazers, and ALL podcast and streaming apps. We Like the Blazers is a proud member of the Rogue Media Network and the Blazer’s Edge Family of podcasts, which includes Trail Daddy with Dave Deckard and Rip City Roundtable with Co...
Jul 25, 2024•35 min
Ep. 96 - Brandon and Ryan try to make sense of if we should be ecstatic or concerned about Donavan Clingan’s Summer League debut. While he showed off his skills on the defensive side of the ball, his offense left something to be desired. From there, the guys break down what they expect to see from the team for the remainder of their Summer League games and also get into a heated debate about some comments from Chauncey Billups on a recent podcast appearance with Sheed and Bonzi. Find us at WeLik...
Jul 16, 2024•46 min
Ep. 95 - With the NBA draft behind us and the free agency period in full swing, the Blazers had themselves quite the week. Ryan and Brandon start from the top, reacting to the trade of the 14th pick for a young, proven player at a position of need. Then they discuss their thoughts and feelings about the selection Donovan Clingan with the 7th pick and whether it provides any clues to the direction of the team. Finally, with free agency seeing a flurry of big names changing teams, the guys check i...
Jul 03, 2024•45 min
Ep. 94 - It’s finally the week of the NBA draft, and the Blazers are on the clock with a pair of lottery picks. With Brandon out (moving to east coast), Ryan sits down with friend of the pod and Blazer's Edge writer Steve Dewald to discuss the names most associated with the team. Who are these players, do they make sense for the Blazers, are there any sleepers to be excited about, and should Portland even use their picks? All these, plus a fun draft-themed rapid fire question session to wrap thi...
Jun 26, 2024•36 min
Ep. 93 - Brandon and Ryan decide to break the seal on a topic they have put off talking about… COACHING! After discussing where the Blazers rank in terms of being a desirable coaching job, the guys ponder why the team seems to be slow-playing filling out their assistant coaching ranks. Is it intentional? What’s the end game? Then they wrap things up by debating the morals behind some of the biggest news breakers in the sport having direct ties to sports betting companies and if it impacts your t...
Jun 20, 2024•46 min
Ep. 92 - We're joined by friend of the pod and all around awesome human being Brandon Sprague of 1080 The Fan! We talked about how he has shifted his coverage of the Portland Trail Blazers on his radio show now that the team is in the full throughs of a rebuild before he threw cold water on the idea of the media protecting their access to the team. We also take a quick dive into who we think will come out on top of the NBA Finals and wrap it up with a fun discussion of statues. Find us at WeLike...
Jun 06, 2024•51 min
Ep. 91 - We are beyond blessed to be joined by the Portland Winterhawks PA Announcer, one Mr. Michael Burles! He loans his golden baritone to help us discuss the sudden and shocking passing of Portland Trail Blazer great Bill Walton, as well as discuss the secret sauce behind hyping up an arena full of rabid hockey fans, the Blazers' upcoming draft, whether it's okay to root for Luka Doncic, and more! Find us at WeLikeTheBlazers.com, on “Twitter” at @LikeTheBlazers, and ALL podcast and streaming...
May 29, 2024•1 hr 3 min
Ep 90 - The NBA's All-Rookie teams were announced, and Scoot Henderson was left off! We talk about whether he got short shrift, plus an update on the NBA Playoffs, the conundrum of access to NBA games and why it's so hard for fans to just watch the games they want to watch, and MORE! Find us at WeLikeTheBlazers.com, on “Twitter” at @LikeTheBlazers, and ALL podcast and streaming apps. We Like the Blazers is a proud member of the Rogue Media Network and the Blazer’s Edge Family of podcasts, which ...
May 25, 2024•46 min
Ep 89 - The Blazers' lottery luck ran a bit dry as three teams jumped them and they fell from 4th to 7th. We talk about that, plus the NBA's coaching carousel - and whether it might impact Blazers Head Coach Chauncey Billups. That and MORE this week! Find us at WeLikeTheBlazers.com, on “Twitter” at @LikeTheBlazers, and ALL podcast and streaming apps. We Like the Blazers is a proud member of the Rogue Media Network and the Blazer’s Edge Family of podcasts, which includes Trail Daddy with Dave Dec...
May 16, 2024•41 min
Ep. 88 - Ryan and Brandon debate whether the NBA is over-marketing its biggest stars - the LeBron James’ and Kevin Durant’s of the league - in an attempt to appeal to casual fans who might not yet know who the next generation of stars like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Anthony Edwards are. If you want to skip to that discussion, it starts by framing the results of the first round so far at about 6:50. We also talked about a bunch of other stuff, including: How the Blazers make it VERY hard to actu...
Apr 30, 2024•56 min
Ep. 87 - Brandon is joined by his wife and lifelong baller Dr. Cassie Mullen to briefly talk about the NBA playoffs, how Cassie as a basketball player approaches pickup games, the pressures of "representing your gender" when you're just trying to ball, the impact of women's basketball on recreational fans, whether we want our kids to skip college to go directly to the WNBA / NBA, and MORE! Find us at WeLikeTheBlazers.com, on “Twitter” at @LikeTheBlazers, and ALL podcast and streaming apps. Proud...
Apr 24, 2024•33 min
Ep. 86 - The 2023-24 season is in the books! As the Blazers give their exit interviews, we talk about Coach Billups' comments about him saying he's "light years ahead of where I was" as a coach, the Blazers backing into a tie for 3rd-best lottery odds, whether we're excited for the Playoffs, and MORE! Find us at WeLikeTheBlazers.com, on “Twitter” at @LikeTheBlazers, and ALL podcast and streaming apps. Proudly part of the Rogue Media Network and the Blazer’s Edge Family of podcasts! Learn more ab...
Apr 17, 2024•44 min
Ep. 85 - First: Please click the link to donate to Mike Lynch and his family in his fight against ALS. https://www.gofundme.com/f/t4yrzf-help-mike-fight-als?qid=f4512a84baa1ed4a7eb4957fb12660ed In this weeks' episode, Ryan and Brandon talk about the Women’s College Basketball Championship, the factors behind why women’s basketball is finally becoming more mainstream, and whether the WNBA's season schedule will change in the future to reach more people. Meanwhile in Portland, the Blazers have fou...
Apr 09, 2024•46 min
