Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports
The Portland Trail Blazers waved goodbye to their beloved Rose Garden this week. The arena was re-named the Moda Center Tuesday as the organization struck a 10-year deal with Moda, a health insurance company.
The Blazers open the season November 2nd against the San Antonio Spurs, and team president Chris McGowan said he expects there to be a brand new logo on the floor in the coming weeks, probably in time for the opener. There will also be plenty of new signage around advertising the new logo as well.
Paul Allen, the team’s owner, made a special request for the new logo. Allen asked for a rose to be incorporated into the logo in remembrance to the arena’s previous name; sort of a sentimental additive to the new design.
“The Rose Garden is not going away. It’s going to be a part of our history and heritage,” McGowan said. “The Moda Center is going to take us into the future.”
Allen may have a hard time switching to a new name, as he said back in April he was very attached to it because he attempted to name the arena with other big-time stadiums in mind.
“I understand people’s investments in a particular name. I tried to pick a name, the Rose Garden, that was something like the Boston Garden or Madison Square Garden, there was something in those names that appealed to me as having some permanence,” he told reporters at the time. “We’ll see what happens.”
With a new name and new logo, the team appears ready to keep the legacy and history that came with the previous Rose Garden name. If Allen has anything to do with the organization, don’t expect that rose to leave anytime soon.
Ryan Heckman is a Senior Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @ryanmheckman, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
