Not only have the Portland Trail Blazers started the season off with great hopes, but they have accomplished a first in NBA history! That's right, our very own local professional basketball team has pulled off a feat that no other NBA franchise has done before. All 15 games that are on KGW's Broadcast schedule will also be available to watch via streaming live video off of the Blazers website. Fans have the option to either pick and chose games to watch by purchasing single game access for $3.99 per game or there is an option for a season pass for all 15 broadcast KGW games for
$39.99.
"We are extremely excited to once again be on the cutting edge of a new technology that provides our fans with another way to access Trail Blazers games,” Trail Blazers President Larry Miller said.
The live streaming video will also include audio commentary with the voice of the Blazers, Mike Barrett and Mike Rice, and will also feature real time stats. Fans will also be able to connect in game with live blog commentary, fan feedback, and a fantasy basketball application where fans can chose their starting five.
The teams online viewers will be able to see this year are the Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, Golden State Warriors (twice), Utah Jazz (twice), Miami Heat, Sacramento Kings (twice), Denver Nuggets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns and the New York Knicks.
Thanks to the rapid speed of the growth of technology the Blazers were able to be the first team in NBA history to be able to offer this option for their fans in KGW's broadcast territory of Oregon and South West Washington.
I believe that this is such a huge step forward not only for the Blazers, but for the NBA as well. I can only imagine that other NBA franchises will try and capitalize on the Blazers breakthrough idea as well. The Blazers are also in negotiations for allowing their 60 game Comcast schedule online for viewers by the 2010 year the Blazers website reports.
I look forward to being able to see the Blazers grow this year not only on the court as a basketball team, but in the options they continue to give their viewers making their games easily and widely accessible. Hopefully now Portland can bring home an NBA title! Go Blazers!
If your looking for a little more in-depth look into this you can also check out these sites:
http://www.nba.com/blazers/news/trail_blazers_finalize_plans_s_2009_10_20.html
http://www.nba.com/blazers/news/stream_video_faq_2009_10_13.html
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
Chappelle's Show
It was a typical summer night. It was around 10PM and nothing really was planned, and there was nothing really exciting to do. Until one text message that I received changed it all. A friend of mine messaged me and had told me that the comedic genius Dave Chappelle, himself, was doing a live and free performance in Portland's own Pioneer Square. Kind of taken back by this, I logged on to facebook to check and see if this was really true. Sure enough there were a few people talking about Dave Chappelle's live performance arranged at midnight in the square that evening. I quickly texted a few friends to inform them about it and we found ourselves in the Square at around 11:30PM.
This was Dave Chappelle's first live performance and public appearance since leaving Comedy Central's hit show, The Chappelle's Show, a few years ago. Arriving at Pioneer Square was a surreal feeling. The square was packed full of people. One of my friends that I was with said that the turn out for Dave Chappelle's alleged performance was bigger than any Blazer rally held in the same square.
As minutes passed by, it seemed to take forever for him to take the stage. No sign of Dave was in sight, let alone a proper stage with equipment for a performance. Fans began to get antsy as some climbed to the top of the Starbucks that over looked the square and flashed the mob of people awaiting Dave Chapelles arrival below. Some climbed on top of the stage and began dancing. Others tried pulling apart the stage as the poles that help up the roof of the stage swung back and fourth.
"If Chappelle dosent show up, lets start a riot!" I overheard a fan say in anger.
Finally, around 12:50AM Dave Chappelle climbed on top of the stage as the crowd roared in excitement. Not nearly prepared for such a large turn out, Dave came with only a small amplifier and microphone to broadcast his performance. Fortunately for my friends and I we managed to slide up to around the 5th row from the stage so we could hear everything the comedic god was saying. A good amount of the performance was trying to get a better sound system for all to hear since only about the first 12 "rows" of people could hear him on the amp.
This was the view of the stage from where my friends and I were standing.
Dave Chappelle stated "One thing I learned today, is to never tell a secret in Portland!" Chappelle only told three people about his performance at the square, the reason why he only brought a small amplifier for his improv stand up. The estimated total attendance was around 5,000 people. Chappelle thanked the power of friends telling other friends, mainly over twitter and facebook for such a large turn out.
The evening was full of confusion, chaos and comedy. Dave Chappelle never seems to let me or his audience down, and I have to thank the internet for such an amazing event which led me to randomly meeting him outside his hotel after the performance! Without the use of twitter, word would not have spread so fast in one day. Without confirmation on facebook, I dont know if I would have even gone. The saying goes once its on facebook- THEN its official! So thanks to those social networking sites, I was able to see and even meet the amazing Dave Chappelle live in person!
Here is a little more info you can find on this event:
http://videos.oregonlive.com/oregonlive/2009/07/dave_chappelle_in_pioneer_squa.html
http://www.comedycentral.com/shows/chappelles_show/index.jhtml?source=SEO_SSP_Y&intcmp=SEO_SSP_Y&extcmp=SEO_SSP_Y
This was Dave Chappelle's first live performance and public appearance since leaving Comedy Central's hit show, The Chappelle's Show, a few years ago. Arriving at Pioneer Square was a surreal feeling. The square was packed full of people. One of my friends that I was with said that the turn out for Dave Chappelle's alleged performance was bigger than any Blazer rally held in the same square.
As minutes passed by, it seemed to take forever for him to take the stage. No sign of Dave was in sight, let alone a proper stage with equipment for a performance. Fans began to get antsy as some climbed to the top of the Starbucks that over looked the square and flashed the mob of people awaiting Dave Chapelles arrival below. Some climbed on top of the stage and began dancing. Others tried pulling apart the stage as the poles that help up the roof of the stage swung back and fourth.
"If Chappelle dosent show up, lets start a riot!" I overheard a fan say in anger.
Finally, around 12:50AM Dave Chappelle climbed on top of the stage as the crowd roared in excitement. Not nearly prepared for such a large turn out, Dave came with only a small amplifier and microphone to broadcast his performance. Fortunately for my friends and I we managed to slide up to around the 5th row from the stage so we could hear everything the comedic god was saying. A good amount of the performance was trying to get a better sound system for all to hear since only about the first 12 "rows" of people could hear him on the amp.
This was the view of the stage from where my friends and I were standing.
Dave Chappelle stated "One thing I learned today, is to never tell a secret in Portland!" Chappelle only told three people about his performance at the square, the reason why he only brought a small amplifier for his improv stand up. The estimated total attendance was around 5,000 people. Chappelle thanked the power of friends telling other friends, mainly over twitter and facebook for such a large turn out.
The evening was full of confusion, chaos and comedy. Dave Chappelle never seems to let me or his audience down, and I have to thank the internet for such an amazing event which led me to randomly meeting him outside his hotel after the performance! Without the use of twitter, word would not have spread so fast in one day. Without confirmation on facebook, I dont know if I would have even gone. The saying goes once its on facebook- THEN its official! So thanks to those social networking sites, I was able to see and even meet the amazing Dave Chappelle live in person!
Here is a little more info you can find on this event:
http://videos.oregonlive.com/oregonlive/2009/07/dave_chappelle_in_pioneer_squa.html
http://www.comedycentral.com/shows/chappelles_show/index.jhtml?source=SEO_SSP_Y&intcmp=SEO_SSP_Y&extcmp=SEO_SSP_Y
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Zombie'ing Out Reser
As the college football season progresses, the Oregon State Beavers have yet another home game next weekend. But next Saturday's game could possibly be a little more unique than the others. Oregon State students are attempting to "Zombie Out Reser" for their next home match up against UCLA.
Facebook invites have spread like wildfire to people all across campus. Students are trying to encourage others to dress up in Halloween costumes as the game falls on a Halloween afternoon on October 31st.
"The UCLA game is on Halloween so lets zombie out Reser, any costume can turn into a zombie costume with a little face paint and some fake blood." The facebook event states. So far, according to the event website, there are 855 confirmed guests. There are also a number of students in limbo with the number of undecided guests being at 1,218, and another 1,470 who have yet to reply.
The Zombie Out is quite similar to other student organized "Color Outs" from previous years. Two years ago in 2007, Oregon State students came together for a controversial and notorious "Black Out" game vs. Arizona. Facebook was the center piece of it all. A writer from the Barometer, however, a local school newspaper, claimed it was racist and created controversy that even led to protesters outside of Reser Stadium the following home game. Last year in 2008, once again a Facebook organized event, found the Stadium to be full of nothing but Beaver Orange in the nationally televised game. That game Oregon State pulled off a huge upset over then the #1 ranked team in the nation in USC. Clips from that game ran on Sports Center the rest of the college football season. The theme behind the Orange Out was: "Because there are no orange people" referring to the previous years controversial Black Out game.
Without the power of Facebook, students wouldn't be able to coordinate such large events like the Zombie Out that is being attempted next Saturday. Because of Facebook, the orange out was also a huge success and replayed all season long not only on ESPN but was also shown in youtube videos thousands of times to people across the nation.
Here are a few links that you might find interesting that closely relate the Zombie Out at Reser Stadium:
The Facebook Event- http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=176914661809
Oregon State Football Home Page- http://www.osubeavers.com/sports/m-footbl/orst-m-footbl-body.html
Although I am obviously a huge fan of Facebook and the color outs that students have organized via Facebook, I cant see myself dressing up for next Saturdays game vs UCLA. I unfortunately don't have a Halloween costume yet, and will probably just stick to normal game day attire for that day. I do, however, approve of the unity within the student section with these Facebook oriented events in attempts to show school spirit and have a little fun in the stands as well. Either way or not, do not be surprised to see people in the stands resembling close to a Zombie in next weekends Halloween game.
Go Beavers!
Facebook invites have spread like wildfire to people all across campus. Students are trying to encourage others to dress up in Halloween costumes as the game falls on a Halloween afternoon on October 31st.
"The UCLA game is on Halloween so lets zombie out Reser, any costume can turn into a zombie costume with a little face paint and some fake blood." The facebook event states. So far, according to the event website, there are 855 confirmed guests. There are also a number of students in limbo with the number of undecided guests being at 1,218, and another 1,470 who have yet to reply.
The Zombie Out is quite similar to other student organized "Color Outs" from previous years. Two years ago in 2007, Oregon State students came together for a controversial and notorious "Black Out" game vs. Arizona. Facebook was the center piece of it all. A writer from the Barometer, however, a local school newspaper, claimed it was racist and created controversy that even led to protesters outside of Reser Stadium the following home game. Last year in 2008, once again a Facebook organized event, found the Stadium to be full of nothing but Beaver Orange in the nationally televised game. That game Oregon State pulled off a huge upset over then the #1 ranked team in the nation in USC. Clips from that game ran on Sports Center the rest of the college football season. The theme behind the Orange Out was: "Because there are no orange people" referring to the previous years controversial Black Out game.
Without the power of Facebook, students wouldn't be able to coordinate such large events like the Zombie Out that is being attempted next Saturday. Because of Facebook, the orange out was also a huge success and replayed all season long not only on ESPN but was also shown in youtube videos thousands of times to people across the nation.
Here are a few links that you might find interesting that closely relate the Zombie Out at Reser Stadium:
The Facebook Event- http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=176914661809
Oregon State Football Home Page- http://www.osubeavers.com/sports/m-footbl/orst-m-footbl-body.html
Although I am obviously a huge fan of Facebook and the color outs that students have organized via Facebook, I cant see myself dressing up for next Saturdays game vs UCLA. I unfortunately don't have a Halloween costume yet, and will probably just stick to normal game day attire for that day. I do, however, approve of the unity within the student section with these Facebook oriented events in attempts to show school spirit and have a little fun in the stands as well. Either way or not, do not be surprised to see people in the stands resembling close to a Zombie in next weekends Halloween game.
Go Beavers!
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