The Roots of Holy Backboard

The term Holy Backboard is one of the many memorable catch phrases of the former radio announcer Bill Schonely used during broadcasts to cap off a tremendous play. Holy Backboard may not be as memorable as "Rip City", "Bingo, Bango, Bongo" or "You've got to make your free throws", but when asked to recall your favorite Schonely moments for his 80th birthday; one thing stood out to me. As a kid, I would often listen to the games on the radio, and Schonz would be describing the action. All of a sudden Terry Porter went up for a three, and as if on cue, Schonz yelled out "HOLY BACKBOARD!" to celebrate the three point make from Porter. Being that Schonz was one of the first memories of being a Trail Blazers fan for both Matt and I, it only felt fitting to name this blog after something he coined to be synonymous with the Trail Blazers.