The Blazers Balcony

Latest Episodes:

The First Week Of The 2025-26 Season On The Blazers Balcony, Episode 146 Oct 28, 2025

Show notes

On this edition of The Blazers Balcony, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Trail Blazers sideline reporter Brooke Olzendam and Trail Blazers digital reporter Casey Holdahl discuss...

• The Trail Blazers starting the 2025-26 season 2-2 and how they're weren't far off from starting 4-0

• Portland following through on changing their style of play

• The "new look" Trail Blazers drawing praise from their opponents

• Changing perceptions about a team takes some time

• Matisse Thybulle has been unleashed

• Jerami Grant thriving off the bench, accepting his role and being honest when it would be easier to lie

• Deni Avdija having a historic start -- at least in terms of franchise history -- to the season

• Jrue Holiday is just what the Trail Blazers needed

• Young Donovan Clingan taking a considerable step forward in his second season

• Being starstruck by Instagram chefs, too old for Apple Pay, someone let Calabro buy a sandwich, eating Golden State's post-game locker room spread

Contract Extensions And Season Predictions On The Blazers Balcony, Episode 145 Oct 20, 2025

Show notes

On this edition of The Blazers Balcony, sideline reporter Brooke Olzendam and digital reporter Casey Holdahl discuss...

• Shaedon Sharpe and Toumani Camara signing four-year contract extensions

• Feeling great about both teams which reward the players for what they've already done while also expecting continued improvement

• What it means to have a wing rotation featuring Shaedon, Toumani, Deni Avdija and Jerami Grant all under contract for the next few seasons

• Toumani's waffle mix

• Inflatable Halloween decorations and how long unattended candy lasts

• Defining your own worth

• How much money is enough? (answer: there's no such thing)

• Javonte Cooke getting the third and final two-way spot with the Trail Blazers, who now have the max number of players under contract

• An increase in enthusiasm going into the 2025-26 season

• The Holiday family settling into life in the Pacific Northwest

• Predicting various stats such as "How many assists will Scoot Henderson average?" "How many minutes will Yang Hansen play?" and "How many charges will Toumani Camara take?"

The Midway Point Of Preseason On The Blazers Balcony, Episode 144 Oct 13, 2025

Show notes

On this edition of The Blazers Balcony, Brooke Olzendam and Casey Holdahl discuss...

• The Pacific Northwest being the center of the sporting world at the moment

• Brooke's Mariners fandom (If you are watching the Mariners on tape delay, skip this podcast)

• Thoughts on the Trail Blazers' first two preseason games versus the Warriors in Golden State and versus the Kings at Moda Center

• The Trail Blazers looking like a team that is ready for the regular season

• Chauncey Billups is pushing the right buttons

• The play of Jrue Holiday, Shaedon Sharpe, Yang Hansen and Blake Wesley

• What to watch for in the last two preseason games versus the Warriors (again) and Jazz

• You don't get to complain about "spoilers" in live sports

Recapping Fan Fest And Previewing Preseason Versus Warriors On The Blazers Balcony, Episode 143 Oct 06, 2025

Show notes

On the latest edition (which is the 143nd edition, not the 142nd) of The Blazers Balcony, Trail Blazers sideline reporter Brooke Olzendam and beat reporter Casey Holdahl discuss...

• Takeaways from the 2025 Fan Fest, presented by Toyota, held last Saturday at Moda Center

• What they're seeing at training camp matching what was seen at Fan Fest

• Bill Kennedy and other NBA referees at training camp practices

• Thoughts from training camp after a week of drills and scrimmages

• Wednesday's preseason opener versus the Warriors in San Francisco

• Brooke's review of the new Taylor Swift album

• Casey gets hit in the head and no one flinches

The 2025-26 Season Begins On The Blazers Balcony, Episode 142 Sep 30, 2025

Show notes

On this edition of The Blazers Balcony, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Brooke Olzendam and Casey Holdahl discuss...

• Returning to the podcast game

• Takeaways from the Trail Blazers' 2025 Media Day

• The Damian Lillard Reunion Rally and the enthusiasm around the team heading into the upcoming season

• The first day of practice at the Trail Blazers' facility in Tualatin

• Defense, defense, defense

• Jrue Holiday, Yang Hansen and the other new additions

• Respect but confusion for streamers

• Congrats to the Mariners, celebrate your victories (even though no other sport gets to)

Back Home, Staying Ready And Fastbreak Dunks On The Blazers Balcony, Episode 141 Jan 13, 2025

Show notes

On the latest edition of The Blazers Balcony, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Brooke Olzendam and Casey Holdahl discuss...
• Playing well on the now-completed five-game road trip, even if it didn't always result in wins
• Starting off a five-game homestand with a "closer than the final score indicated" loss to the Miami Heat
• The injuries of Robert Williams, Deandre Ayton and Matisse Thybulle
• Kris Murray, Duop Reath and the rest of the players on the fringes of the rotation doing a great job of staying ready when their number is called
• The Deni to Toumani To Shaedon To Donovan fastbreak versus the Heat
• Local tire shops, the social implications of a decline in the number of bowling alleys, Brooke forgets her headphones, trying to get in pickleball matches on the road and NBA heating pads

A Good Game In LA, A Great Win In Milwaukee And A Close Loss In Detroit On The Blazers Balcony, Episode 140 Jan 07, 2025

Show notes

On this edition of The Blazers Balcony, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Brooke Olzendam and Casey Holdahl discuss...
• The Trail Blazers starting 2025 with an eight-point loss to the Lakers in Los Angeles
• Bouncing back with a three-point victory versus Damian Lillard and the Bucks in Milwaukee
• Hitting the midway point of a five-game trip with a three-point loss to the Pistons in Detroit
• Kris Murray's consistency, Shaedon Sharpe sets a new mark in assists and Deni Avdija does finger guns
• Zora Stephenson and Jason Benetti filling in for Kevin Calabro on the television broadcast
• Brooke's back pain, recording on the campus of Tulane University, running in the cold, avoiding talking to opposing teams' fans in the arena and driverless cars don't care about police escorts

Another Year In The Books, New Nicknames Needed, Country Crossover And Greg Oden On The Blazers Balcony, Episode 139 Dec 31, 2024

Show notes

On this edition of The Blazers Balcony, Brooke Olzendam and Casey Holdahl discuss...
• The Trail Blazers going 2-1 in the last week of 2024
• The recent play of Shaedon Sharpe and Deni Avdija
• The changing landscape of college football
• The return of the Guerschon Yabusele's of the world
• Brooke sees a fight
• Nicknames are not creative enough anymore
• Frustration with timeout game contestants
• The "miss two free throws in the fourth quarter" promotions and why the Trail Blazers need one (or don't)
• Brooke meets Kato Kaelin at Nobu
• Nancy Kerrigan turns down Brooke for an autograph
• Tonya Harding is a TRUE Oregonian (and would have signed an autograph)
• Ice skating is hard and let people sleep in Lloyd Center
• Scratch-off tickets and why the crossword versions are the worst
• Staind/Disturbed vs. Jelly Roll
• Happy Gilmore 2 and whether "Shooter" is a good name Brooke's next child
• Greg Oden's great return to Moda Center

A Tough Loss In San Antonio And A Good Practice In Dallas On The Blazers Balcony, Episode 138 Dec 22, 2024

Show notes

On this edition of The Blazers Balcony, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Brooke Olzendam and Casey Holdahl discuss...
• Ending a losing streak at home with a win versus the Nuggets
• The road losing streak continuing with a loss to the Spurs in San Antonio on Saturday
• The Trail Blazers holding practice in Dallas Sunday afternoon before Monday's game versus the Mavericks
• "Season" versus "Year"
• Shaedon Sharpe getting to the rim on the regular
• What Brooke and Casey would give the Trail Blazers for Christmas
• Locking in
• The necessity of having a short memory in pro sports
• The mystery of Casey's missing carnitas taco
• Spirit Mountain Casino New Year's Eve celebration
• Leaning into what is comfortable on the road
• Ohio State vs. Oregon and Brooke's cabin neighbors

The Blazers Balcony, Presented By Spirit Mountain Casino, Episode 137 Dec 12, 2024

Show notes

On this edition of The Blazers Balcony, presented by Spirit Mountain Casino, Brooke Olzendam and Casey Holdahl discuss...
• A historic lull in the Portland Trail Blazers' schedule
• Getting back in the gym, getting healthy and getting away from the team
• Enthusiasm for the NBA Cup
• Scoot returns, Toumani avoids the worst, Donovan is close and Rob is nearing the end of the concussion protocol
• En Vogue at Spirit Mountain Casino on December 13
• Spurs on Friday, Suns on Sunday and Nuggets on... Thursday a week from now
• Brooke gets a haircut, not meeting Dorit, Clash of the Titans got stars, The Fugitive is too slow, when parents don't want your senior photos anymore, Hearth socks, Brooke goes to Japan, They're All Bad People, Danny DeVito and Jack Nicholson spill coke at Memorial Coliseum and the three tallest players in the NBA

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