I wasn't planning to write about this because these days, the thought of people I grew up with, passing away, only brings me closer to my own fears of passing some day in the not-too-distant future, but ....
Bill Schonely passed away earlier today. If you're not from here (Oregon) you might say: "Who?"
Well Bill Schonely was the radio voice for the Portland Trail Blazers from the time they became a member of the National Basketball Association and then for the next 28 years. I grew up with his radio calls of the games. In the years when only 10-15 games were on television each season, he was there for every game on the radio. I often shot baskets in the driveway of my home, with the radio playing, recreating the game from his descriptions ..... his words.
He originated the phrase: "Rip City!" Exclaimed at key points in games when long jump shots would swish through the basket, only touching net. It eventually became an alternate identity for Portland. And I'm sure, shouted out often, in driveway games across the state.
He was 93 years old.
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