Tensions between the Portland Trail Blazers front office and the local community have reached a boiling point. While the city is still bristling from backhanded comments during increasingly bitter negotiations for public funding to renovate the Moda Center, the Blazers’ latest move has left Rip City frustrated.

On Tuesday morning, a private mass email sent by Dewayne Hankins, the President of Business Operations for the Blazers, surfaced online, urging fans to pack Portland City Hall for a pivotal City Council hearing. Instead, fans feel it was audacious to expect them to support a potential campaign to relocate their beloved team.

With fans, analysts, Portland media, and locals alleging that the Blazers are stalling these negotiations to ultimately relocate the Blazers, the team’s leadership has actively called on the public to rally behind their vision.

In the email sent directly to supporters, Hankins appealed to nostalgia and civic pride, asking fans to attend in person wearing team gear or sign an online petition to influence city officials in the Blazers’ favor:

Dear Rip City,

This Wednesday, August 5, the Portland City Council will be taking public testimony about the future of Moda Center. Make your voice heard, by testifying or showing up in Blazers gear:

City Hall, Council Chambers

1221 SW 4th Ave.

Wednesday, August 5 at 9:30 a.m.

Can’t attend in person? You can still make your voice heard by signing the We are Rip City petition here: https://weareripcity.org

There is a lot of noise right now on this issue: online, in the media, and all across town. That’s why it’s so important that Portland’s City Councilors hear what Rip City means to you.

Whether you show up in person or send a message online, your voice matters.

Tell the Council about your first Trail Blazers game. Your first Fire game. Your favorite moments on the court, or the concert you’ll never forget. Tell them what this team means to you, and about the lifelong memories you’ve made in Moda Center.

I truly believe that you are the best fans in the world. The passion you bring to Rip City basketball and the Fire Pit every game night is unmatched.

That’s why it’s so important that the City Council hear from you. This is bigger than basketball. It’s about Portland’s future.

Thank you,

Dewayne Hankins

President of Business Operations

The email arrives during a critical window in negotiations over a proposed $575-$600 million overhaul of the city-owned Moda Center, which is designed to secure the Trail Blazers’ long-term future in Portland for at least another 20 years.

The city and the team have an August 12 deadline for the City Council to vote on a preliminary, non-binding term sheet that outlines a $120 million municipal contribution, $365 million from the State of Oregon, and $101 million from Multnomah County.

Fans find the outreach attempt ironic on the heels of strained dialogue between team executives and city leaders. In recent public hearings, Blazers officials insisted on removing a “first-class” arena-standard provision from their bridge lease, a clause that gives the city legal leverage if the team attempts to relocate.

Reports claim that the team hasn’t shared specific renovation plans for the public funding they’re demanding.

While the new owner, Tom Dundon has become instantly unpopular for publicly stating that he does not intend to invest his own capital into the arena upgrades, framing his decision to keep the franchise in Oregon as sufficient financial sacrifice, Hankins’ recent comments have alienated the fanbase.

Rip City calls out Trail Blazers’ grassroots lobbying effort

Only last week, Hankins reportedly told the city of Portland, “Portland’s current stagnant business climate, high income taxes, and divisive political environment make this a tough city to invest in. It makes it harder to sell tickets, secure corporate partnerships and … recruit players.”

The remarks already hurt Portlanders. So an email blast asking them to show their loyalty to the Blazers didn’t inspire enthusiasm. Their call to action was met with immediate backlash. Many supporters felt the email was a transparent attempt to leverage emotional fandom into free lobbying.

One fan expressed anger over the team asking for grassroots assistance after Hankins criticized the city, stating:

“Hey Portland, I know we just publicly said you suck & the city is trash, but we need you to come out and do some free lobbying for us now my billionaire boss can get a bunch of public money for arena upgrades that will generate profit for him without investing any of his own $.”

The entire messaging reads to fans like, “Yeah I saw that, and it feels like they’re trying to weaponize us no?”

Most repeated the weeks-long frustration with the financial chokehold between wealthy team owners and taxpayers, noting, “I truly hope his anti-Portland diatribe lost the team enough public support that Dundon actually commits to some kind of investment on his own behalf. A broke state shouldn’t be held ransom by a rich individual who knew what he was getting into when he bought the team.”

The timing of the email also struck many observers as manipulative, given that city leaders were already actively working on funding. Local reporters have indicated it’s the team that’s dragging its feet.

A fan pointed out the contradiction, “I’d understand this message if it didn’t already look like the city was poised to fund the renovation. But since they are, this reads more like, ‘can you help me get my sc*mbag, heartless boss more money using your love of the team that we’re kind of threatening to relocate?’”

Similarly, another supporter highlighted the awkward position the organization has placed its fans in: “Trying to get the fans to be on Dundon’s side…feels odd knowing how the team has been burning bridges with the fans”.

With the City Council already examining the term sheet and preparing for a formal vote, fans questioned the target of this PR campaign altogether.

“At this point I don’t think the city council are the ones that need to be convinced to keep the team in Portland.”

As the Portland City Council prepares for the August 12 meeting, the friction surrounding the email reflects a growing divide in Rip City. While residents overwhelmingly want to retain both the Trail Blazers and the WNBA’s Portland Fire, many remain hesitant to serve as leverage in these negotiations.