Tom Dundon is apparently leaving no stone unturned in his continued attempts to save a few bucks.
The new Portland Trail Blazers owner Dundon may target the team’s mascots, Blaze the Trail Cat and Douglas Fur, as part of his latest cost-cutting measure. Brian Berger of Sports Business Radio reported on Tuesday that Dundon does not believe the Blazers should have two mascots.
Dundon, who is also the owner of the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes, agreed in Aug. 2025 to purchase the Blazers from the estate of Paul Allen for an estimated sum of $4.25 billion. He then officially took control of the team earlier this month after the sale was formally approved by the NBA Board of Governors.
But Dundon’s time in charge has gotten off to a rough start in the eyes of many Blazers fans. The Portland fanbase has largely been turned off by the various moves that Dundon has already made to slash costs for the team.
Last week, Blazers fans were outraged at the news that they would not receive free T-shirts at games for the team’s first playoff berth in a half-decade. Then we learned that the franchise was also cheaping out on travel for their two-way players during the playoffs.
As for Portland’s mascots, Blaze was the original one who debuted in 2002 while Douglas arrived in 2023 to create a dynamic duo. But now it looks like at least one of those beloved mascots could be on the chopping block now that Dundon has taken over the Blazers.
