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The Schonz: 2011 Hall of Fame Candidate

05/17/11

  1. Written by: trailblazers  / avg. rating: 5.0




    “Mr. Rip City,” aka Bill Schonely, was the voice of the Trail Blazers from their birth in 1970 through the 1998 playoffs. An icon in the Northwest, Schonely amassed more than 2,500 games behind the mic during a career that spanned nearly 30 years, an NBA Championship and acclaim as the voice of the NBA’s “FANtastic” campaign in the 1980s. “The Schonz” originated the phrase "Rip City" after a Jim Barnett jumpshot ripped through the net on February 18, 1971. The phrase has taken off since then becoming synonymous with the city of Portland. During the 2009-10 season, the team unveiled specialty Rip City jerseys.

    Undoubtedly, Schonely’s career is well-known amongst Trail Blazers fans. What is less apparent to those outside of the Portland area is the impact he continues to have more than a decade after he called his final game. Bill and his wife Dottie have remained in Portland, where Bill remains a Trail Blazers Ambassador, broadcaster emeritus and one of the most recognizable faces – and voices – in the State of Oregon. In 2009 alone, he was recognized as Portland’s “First Citizen” by Portland Metropolitan Realtor’s Association, Grand Marshaled the Rose Festival’s Starlight Parade and established a fund in his name at Providence Medical Center. In 2010, the American Sportscasters Association, chaired by Dick Enberg, recognized Bill as a Lifetime Member.

    Our hope is that this video augments an already compelling case for Bill’s enshrinement into the Basketball Hall of Fame alongside the best of the best - Chick Hearn in Los Angeles, Johnny Most in Boston, Al McCoy in Phoenix, Hot Rod Hundley in Utah, etc. – who not only entertained generations of fans, but became synonymous with their team and city.
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