Rip City Project
Fansided

‘Mr. Portland’ Jake McGrady is doing it for Rip City culture, Blazers fans

By Dayton Brown

Portland Trail Blazers (Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images)
Portland Trail Blazers (Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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PORTLAND, OR – MAY 2: Portland Trail Blazers fans hold up a ‘Rip City’ sign in the fourth quarter of Game Six of the Western Conference Quarterfinals against the Houston Rockets during the 2014 NBA Playoffs at the Moda Center on May 2, 2014 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OR – MAY 2: Portland Trail Blazers fans hold up a ‘Rip City’ sign in the fourth quarter of Game Six of the Western Conference Quarterfinals against the Houston Rockets during the 2014 NBA Playoffs at the Moda Center on May 2, 2014 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images) /

Rip Twitty Party

The massive growth of Blazers social media has been an incredible process to watch the past few years. It began when Complex named the Blazers’ Twitter account the best in basketball for three straight years.

With Mr. Portland, Nila Madison, TrillBlazin, Rip City Project, Trailcasters and many others, professional and amateur social media gurus and super fans have taken over Rip City.

It’s for the better. The entertainment and down-to-earth fan aspect is inspiring, creative and perfectly fits the PNW bill. The presence has grown so much that the section of Twitter representing the Blazers fan base was able to put on a fan event/gathering during this year’s playoffs. 

Planned out weeks before and hosted by Madison, the very first “Rip Twitty Party” took place at Twenty First Ave Kitchen & Bar in Portland on April 21. Fans got to watch Game 4 of the Pelicans-Blazers first-round playoff series (I won’t get into that), while a mega-podcast, giveaways and meet-ups also happened.

Of course, McGrady was part of that mega podcast, representing 2nd String Sports. He was joined by Brandon Goldner and Keith Feltner-Smith of the Trailcasters and the guys from Holy Backboard. And Seven Seven gave away its newest merch: a “Dame Time” Clock Tee, which sold very well during the playoffs. 

https://twitter.com/RipCitizen_NBA/status/987848694094381057

“(Rip Twitty Party) was a lot of fun to have people come up and actually repeat quotes from past podcasts to us,” McGrady says. “The community coming together was a nice touch to the end of the season.”