FAQs
Below we have included a cross-section of FAQs to help people better understand the Buy The Blazers effort.
Frequently Asked Questions
The portions of profits distributed back to community investors will be changed year to year based on the team's performance. Depending on the organization's performance, we hope to allocate at least 25% of our profits back into the community through strategic donations, grants, or revolving loans based on the democratically decided areas of focus.
Alignment across several organizations is required to enable a new ownership model in one of the most powerful and profitable US professional sports organizations in the World. Those organizations include the new Ownership Group (led by Tom Dundon), the Blazers organization including Trail Blazers, Inc., and the NBA.
First and most importantly, for the Buy The Blazers (BTB) case, it is fan engagement. Fans who have a vested stake in the business, have been proven to have a high level of interest, support and investment in the franchise over time (see: Green Bay Packers). The ownership and support is generational, passed down to create lasting, long-term fan and franchise value.
As NBA franchises grow in overall value, the prospect of finding singular owners who have both the financial means and interest in owning an NBA franchise will continue to shrink. Newer ownership is already trending towards ‘ownership groups’, led by a lead majority investor, and usually backed by other private investors and/or private equity or venture capital funding.
Community ownership fits well within the ownership group model, specifically for those groups who intend to re-invigorate the franchise through strong community connection and optionally a give-back element with the revenue management.
This approach is also good for civic pride, creates wealth for the citizenry, and bonds fellow citizens to one another.
Native Portlanders know, they’ve always been a bit… different. Willing to try new things before anyone or anywhere else, create their own identity, and above all else…blaze new trails. Coupling that innovative mindset with a deep-seated, passionate fan base provides the ideal proving grounds for a new model of this nature.
The company will consist of a Board of Directors who will meet regularly to discuss and vote on key decisions and ongoing financial management of the business. During the initial investment stage, a Board of Advisors will include the original founding members, and Advisors across a number of disciplines (legal, financial, PR/media, etc.), who will support the organization through all the phases of start-up, fractional team purchase and business operations. The Board may also appoint a qualified representative.
Buy The Blazers was founded by Jon Toorock (linkedin.com/in/allfantastic/). Jon enlisted his Advisors; Scott Dylag (Ex-Nike Global), Chris Lustrino (CEO of Kingscrowd.com), and Malcolm Manswell (TheIPO.co). Additionally, other helpers include; Rowan Anderson, Jonathan Pulvers, David Gluck, and Jordan Clavon.
Rip City is on the rise. Portland boasts one of the youngest teams in the league. The Blazers had a record of 23 - 18 in the second half of the season (prorates to a playoff spot if projected over a full season). The city itself is in the process of a monumental rebound that is palpable, but continues to need a spark. With the change of ownership and recent sale – and the declaration by the Allen Estate that all proceeds from the sale will go towards the community and non-profits – the stage is set to embed this model for the benefit of the city and the community for years to come.
There are both short-term and long-term benefits. A community stake will dramatically increase both the odds and scale of community investment available to the team and their facilities. It will also formalize a core of fans even more invested than typical superfans - owners will be the team's best evangelists.
• The Green Bay Packers, who went public over 100 years ago, are the only community-owned major professional sports franchise in the United States, within the spectrum on the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL. MLS has many clubs that have minority share community ownership.
• The Atlanta Braves, however, do have publicly traded stock that enables some degree of fan/community ownership. There are also a number of minor league baseball teams that offer community ownership
• Minority community ownership is quite common in Global Football (Soccer) around the World (and in the United States). Many Football Clubs across various levels of professional affiliation have community ownership components.
Financials as a whole would be shared based on our ownership groups total equity stake in the team. Based on our equity stake, a relative percentage of profits will be distributed back to investors. This distribution percentage (payout share) is typically based on what available capital needs to be reinvested back into the team for expenses such as player salaries or new arena expenses. So, your investment would be contributing to the available capital to put a successful team on the floor with potential for dividends to vary year-over-year.
• The NBA is relatively young at barely 80 years of age, by comparison to other US and European professional leagues.
• There are many complexities with the model that have no precedent in the NBA specifically, and the groundwork alone has likely prevented prior attempts from gaining traction. Coupled with the relative infrequency with which NBA franchises changed hands, there simply haven’t been very many opportunities to vet through all the details. Until now. Many believe fractional community ownership within the NBA is ‘only a matter of time’.
It's an opportunity for the league to support its community-building initiatives by creating long-term wealth for disadvantaged communities through both ownership and related charity initiatives. It also creates a gigantic new pool of future revenue to draw from in team sales, which ought to appeal to all current owners.
Yes, we are looking at annual dividends to be distributed amongst shareholders. This will be based on the percent of earnings allocated back to owners and may vary year-over-year. Because of our model, allocating a % of earnings distributed back to the community, dividends will be small relative to your initial investment each year. However, our models still indicate positive returns over the long-term as the value of your investment will increase over time.