Bill Oram

In fairness to the Pickles, the team sent a release claiming that "this wasn't scripted or planned" and that Steinhaus "was attending the game as a regular fan." Do with that what you will.

Turns out the “random fan” was a Pickles intern and the starting second baseman at Lewis & Clark College.

It’s an amazing story.

But like my dad always told me, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Nice swing, though. lcpioneers.com/sports/baseb...

The Ducks added a Kodiak brown bear’s worth of weight in the offseason. www.oregonlive.com/ducks/2025/0...

2025 Best of Portland Readers’ Poll: People Portland’s best people, voted by you.

I wonder what would happen if we had a revote this week on the "Best Blazer" question... www.wweek.com/promotions/2...

Damian Lillard is back but will Dame Time ever return? The questions surrounding Liillard's return to the Trail Blazers are practically endless.

🚨🎙️ New Oregonian Sports Podcast with a very 💔 programming note. This is the end of the Bill & @brennagreene.bsky.social era of the show as we at The Oregonian reimagine our approach to podcasts. More on that soon.

For now, enjoy this final discussion on a historic event: Dame's return to Portland.

Why Damian Lillard’s push to return to All-Star form is the ‘only way he knows’ | Bill Oram Lillard is setting his expectations high as he faces a year of recovery from an injury that has derailed many NBA careers.

Damian Lillard said that when he comes back from his Achilles tear, he expects to "return to form."

I asked Chauncey Billups, another Achilles victim, if that was a fair expectation for Dame to put on himself:

"If he didn't do that, he wouldn't be Dame."

Read more:

Columnist @billoram.bsky.social asked Damian Lillard about his recovery from the achilles injury.

“I know it’s going to be a long journey, I know it’s a challenge mentally.

He added: “It’s a mental battle, but I don’t lose those.”

More: www.oregonlive.com/sports/2025/...

Why Damian Lillard’s push to return to All-Star form is the ‘only way he knows’ | Bill Oram Lillard is setting his expectations high as he faces a year of recovery from an injury that has derailed many NBA careers.

Grabbed Chauncey Billups for a few minutes after Damian Lillard's press conference to get a sense of what this really could look like a year from now:

“We won’t need Dame to carry the team by himself anymore. We don’t need that anymore.”

So this is happening

Long live print!

You might be the only person who remembers Bill Oram on the Jazz beat!

For Damian Lillard and the Trail Blazers, there is a thin line between fairy tale and failure | Bill Oram Lillard's return has been widely celebrated, but it complicates the Trail Blazers' youth movement with no assurances of what kind of player the All-Star will be once he is healthy.

Damian Lillard's return to Portland has been rightly celebrated, but raises many on-court questions once he is healthy. Chiefly, what does Dame want out of this?

Column: www.oregonlive.com/sports/2025/...

‘I’ll probably never get over it’: Oregon State’s Alton Julian makes leap into coaching Julian spent three years rehabbing knee injuries before playing his final season at OSU in 2024.

Alton Julian's journey at Oregon State was tough to watch as he constantly fought to come back from injury. Now he's on to the next thing: Coaching at NAIA Eastern Oregon.

Good stuff from @ryantclarke.bsky.social:
www.oregonlive.com/beavers/2025...

From the ripcity community on Reddit: The Peak of the A mirrors Mt. Hood Explore this post and more from the ripcity community

This from the r/ripcity sub absolutely sent me www.reddit.com/r/ripcity/co...

Brandon Roy Game 4 against Dallas comes to mind as deserving to be on that list. But that was one game.

This will be years, and who knows what's in store.

Damian Lillard’s rare form of loyalty was always going to lead him back to Portland | Bill Oram Before requesting a trade two years ago, Lillard swore he was loyal to Portland. With decision to return as a surprise free agent, he backed that up.

Loyalty and love were always going to lead Damian Lillard home to Portland and the Trail Blazers.

Read more on the delicious and delirious storybook tale that is still being written: www.oregonlive.com/sports/2025/...

Damian Lillard deep in discussions with Trail Blazers about possible return | Bill Oram The 35-year-old, who is coming off of a torn Achilles tendon, spent the first 11 years of his illustrious career in Portland before requesting a trade and spending the last two seasons in Milwaukee.

BREAKING:

Damian Lillard's return to Portland as a free agent could be imminent. Sources say he and the Trail Blazers are deep in discussions about a stunning reunion as the 35-year-old rehabs from a torn Achilles tendon.

www.oregonlive.com/sports/2025/...

Not someone who messes up his words.

Agree with this. Spoke to some people today about the SLC remodel. I believe Moda Center has a bigger footprint than all three of these.

Don’t see the need for a new building unless an owner looks at costs of remodel and decides to Ballmer it out in the suburbs or, like, Vancouver.

The key question around this story is if Silver is using "new" interchangeably with "massively renovated." If so, then there's really nothing to see here.

If not...? Hoooo boy.

Is the possibility of a new arena part of the Trail Blazers’ upcoming sale? Silver held a press conference in Las Vegas, site of the 2025 NBA Summer League.

A "new" NBA arena in Portland?

Not so fast. After Adam Silver raised the prospect yesterday, the city, which owns the aging Moda Center, said it is focused on working the Trail Blazers new owners on "a major renovation" that will "create a state-of-the-art facility."

Read more:

The Portland Fire’s strength will always be the passion of its fanbase | Bill Oram The logo isn't perfect and the name has issues, but the support for Portland's WNBA franchise was overwhelming on the day the Fire officially launched.

The Portland Fire’s launch has been anything but smooth, but the overwhelming presence of this city’s fanbase means that the Fire will be forgiven for their growing pains and given every chance to recover from their mistakes.

New column with a 🎁🔗:

www.oregonlive.com/sports/2025/...

Karina LeBlanc: The Fire is ignited within us.

Oregonians: The fire is ignited around us.

I see literally zero of these supposed Easter eggs.

I would also point out that ESPN's Malika Andrews, who attended the University of Portland, guest-hosted GMA this weekend. If it had to be Disney (a league partner), then that would have been the savvier play.

WNBA Portland to announce team name Tuesday on Good Morning America; Will Reeve visits KATU News! YouTube video by KATU News

It's hard to mess up every detail of a brand launch, but the folks behind Portland's WNBA expansion effort sure are trying.

Having a host who admits he has never been to Oregon announce the name on Good Morning America while most of the state sleeps shows just a total disregard for local fans.

Can’t wait for Klay and Megan to do hometowns and to see all the posts about Megan paddleboarding on Oswego Lake and eating at Riccardo’s.

Why Portland’s new WNBA team has more riding on its success than just basketball | Bill Oram The arrival of interim president Clare Hamill gives the franchise credibility that it previously lacked, but the real question is what comes next.

We should all be rooting for Portland’s WNBA franchise to succeed (even with that 👎 name).

Column ahead of tomorrow’s brand launch:

www.oregonlive.com/sports/2025/...

So this happened.

The good news for Aiva Arquette: He was drafted by Miami.

The bad news for Aiva Arquette: He was drafted by the Marlins.