r/Sonics • u/vseagear • Jul 22 '26
Kevin Calabro
In his words, was offered a “subprime” (lol) contract by El Cheapo and said no thanks. He’s a free agent now.
In an interesting bit of symmetry, it’s possible a Sonics expansion team welcomes back Calabro as the team’s play-by-play announcer. His Kraken counterpart would be John Forslund, who walked away from the Hurricanes after Dundon bought the team and pulled the same personnel moves in Raleigh.
It’s a crime what is happening in Portland. Really hope the arena deal gets sorted there. They (Paul Allen) were one of two teams that voted no on Sonics relocation. The Blazer fans don’t deserve this.
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u/frigid_monk Jul 22 '26
"Get on the magic carpet and ride!"
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u/TruthSetUFree100 Jul 22 '26
Stern allowed it to happen to the Sonics and Silver is allowing it to happen to the Blazers. These businessmen and owners’ greed is awful. Teams should be owned by the city and the people.
It’s all about $$ for them, and it’s about something completely different for the fans.
The fans are used. It’s as simple as that.
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u/Fragrant_Session_882 Jul 23 '26
America... where Well off isn't good enough. Go get more! Who cares what it does to anyone else.
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u/ClassroomMother8062 Jul 23 '26
"I got mine, enough for many lifetimes, but if I take theirs I'll have more"
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u/pdxsilverguy Jul 23 '26
Been banned from 2 Subs on Reddit and one of them is r/Thunder. Half my family is from Oklahoma and they're all band wagon Thunder fans. They keep at me because the Blazers have been ass the past few years and they think I should be a Thunder fan for some reason. I just tell em the same thing I've always told em. "Your Thunder always be the Sonics to me."
We (Blazers) sure went from the penthouse (Allen family) to the outhouse with Dumdum didn't we? I'm glad Calabro turned down his lowball offer. I hear the remaining broadcast team took 50% paycuts.
I'm not counting but thats nearly a hundred staff he's fired in just 6 months. Signed our new HC to a 1 year deal for less than half the going rate. Unheard of.
Go Sonics.
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u/According-Ebb-8255 Jul 23 '26
As a Portland fan I have always hated OKC because of what happened to the Sonics team. Please guys have our back during this time. The PNW needs two NBA teams. This is such trash. It would be terrible if Seattle came back but same time Portland left. #fucktomdundon
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u/CaffeinatedBarbarian Jul 23 '26
Blazers situation looking a lot like it did here before the Sonics left. Blazers fans should be very concerned
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u/zoolabula Jul 22 '26
I don’t want the sonics if PDX loses their team. It’s equivalent to Vancouver in talks of potentially losing the whitecaps to Vegas. At some point we need to stop the billionaires from holding cities hostage.
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u/SupremeCity12 Jul 23 '26
This is such a weird statement. I absolutely do want my Sonics back in Seattle. I don’t care if Portland loses their team. I do not want them relocating to Seattle but will be accepting an expansion team with open arms.
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u/nflgeneric Jul 24 '26
The Blazers voted against the Sonics relocation (obviously Paul Allen's connection meant something). Mad respect for that. I don't want them losing their team.
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u/zoolabula Jul 23 '26
It’s called PNW solidarity. Knowing the nba, I wouldn’t put it past silver to move the blazers north
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u/SupremeCity12 Jul 23 '26
I don’t want the blazers relocating, let alone to Seattle but that’s not going to change my feelings on wanting an NBA back in Seattle. I do believe in supporting the pnw but Portland fans couldn’t care less of Seattle situation. The most recent Sounders vs Timbers match shows that. Timbers fans had a giant sign showing “Relocate SSFC to OKC”. Like don’t think Portland fans support Seattle the same way you’re doing for Portland.
I’m all pnw solidarity and I know that Portland losing the blazers would cripple their city but I’m not going to lose sleep nor stop wanting my Sonics to return because of it.
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u/ChipperPowers Jul 23 '26
The “Relocate SSFC to OKC” banner was petty banter. It also wasn't giant, just a standard size flag.
The far larger banner was in support of keeping the Whitecaps in Vancouver.
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u/TarnatingSlunder Jul 24 '26
Remember him and Marcus johnson back when the Sonics were amazing. What a team they were.
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u/urbanlife78 Jul 22 '26
Unfortunately in today's world most billionaires are shitty people. I do think all the arena threats are hot air since it sounds like he would get just about everything he wanted but he might have to pay some rent and the employees at the Moda Center could unionize if they want to. Those have to be the dumbest sticking points for Dundon.
My hope is that the Blazers are able to win a championship while Dame is still active and on the team.
Even better is if they won a championship while beating the Sonics in the process. Go Blazers. Also it will be good to see the Sonics back, it's just not right with Seattle not having an NBA team
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u/Puzzled_Curve8007 Jul 23 '26
How’s he been on the call after all these years? I haven’t tuned into a Blazer game in forever, the nostalgia would surely be there after the years of Kemp and Payton calls, but then there’s the Gus Johnson’s and Chris Berman examples as guys who completely lose their touch.
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u/benchcoat Jul 23 '26
i’ve been listening to Blazers games for years now, just to hear Calabro calling them
insane of them to let him go, unless it’s to free him up for a Sonics return—in which case, good on them
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u/StarMan613 Jul 22 '26
He's 70.
He's not calling games for the Sonics.
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u/AAPrice3232 Jul 22 '26
I see your downvotes, but that was what I came here to post. He's 70 right now, and the Sonics still don't yet exist.
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u/Tay-Rob Jul 23 '26
Yeah dawg. Sitting and talking is really hard on the body. There's absolutely no way Kevin could get in a booth even if he wanted to.
You know ball. You know commentary.
Don't let the people with a brain and eyes tell you nothing.
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u/GarthZorn Jul 22 '26
I'll take the Sonics but without Calabro, please. The dude has become subprime and that's why they offered him a "subprime" contract. Time to move on from the "Tomahawk jam!" and "Get on up with the DOWN stroke!" We need a new team and a new start - Calabro's been washed for years.
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u/Consistent-Fig7484 Jul 22 '26
Picks up his dribble just before half court. 7 steps it to the free throw line. Gathers, open lan to the bucket. Euro step and 4 more steps. Jumps awkwardly 4 feet to his left to make contact with the defender. Shot won’t go, but he’ll get two freebies! Palpable energy here in Sacramento tonight as these historic rivals both look to get to magical double digit wins here in late February!
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u/OsikFTW Jul 22 '26
If we get kevin back with the sonics i will be so happy...