One of the things you have to deal with when you relocate is changes to your regional sports affiliation. Yeah, Portland has the Timbers and Blazers. But what else is in our TV market?
Here are the teams we get as our homers:
- NBA: Trail Blazers
- MLS: Timbers
- NFL: Seahawks
- MLB: Mariners
- NHL: Canucks, Sharks
College football is the typical local shakedown. Ducks first, Beavers a distant second, followed by whoever is on the Pac 12 Channel. That’s usually a Washington school in the fall, then Arizona basketball in the winter.
Baseball is a bit of a puzzle, because the Mariners don’t really have an active following in PDX. I first moved here when they were really good (1995), and folks were excited. But since we returned last year it’s hard to see any interest at all.
In central Oregon locations like Bend, the Giants are the team of choice. I wonder if folks around here would see that as a favorable option.
I gues the NHL showing both Sharks & Canucks makes sense. Neither can really be considered a home team for Portland. Why not just give viewers both options.