The Aporia · Trail Blazers hire temporary TV voice after Braiden Bell tweet controversy

Trail Blazers hire temporary TV voice after Braiden Bell tweet controversy

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Lemoncelli, J. (2026, October 14). Trail Blazers hire temporary TV voice after Braiden Bell tweet controversy. New York Post. https://nypost.com/2026/10/14/sports/trail-blazers-hire-travis-demers-as-temporary-tv-voice-after-braiden-bell-controversy/

Dated from the outlet's own feed. Check the original for its byline.

Quick Summary

The Portland Trail Blazers have temporarily replaced their recently fired play-by-play announcer Braiden Bell with radio voice Travis Demers due to Bell’s controversial past tweets. Demers, who impressed during a preseason game, will work alongside color analyst Lamar Hurd and courtside reporter Brooke Olzendam on a game-by-game basis while the team evaluates its broadcast options. The article highlights the recent turnover in the Blazers’ broadcasting team, including the departure of long-time announcer Kevin Calabro over contract disputes.

Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-15, using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the same event (that is the story summary below).

AI analysis runs on qwen2.5:14b, locally

Story summary

As of October 14, 2026, the Portland Trail Blazers hired Travis Demers as their temporary TV play-by-play voice after firing Braiden Bell for past misogynistic and racist tweets. Bell was hired and fired on the same day due to resurfaced posts from his teenage years that included derogatory remarks about women and Asians. Demers, who has been the team’s radio play-by-play announcer for seven seasons, will call games alongside color analyst Lamar Hurd and courtside reporter Brooke Olzendam on a game-by-game basis. The decision came after Bell beat out 10 other candidates, including veteran Kyle Draper, to secure the position initially. The Blazers are currently assessing their television broadcast options moving forward.

Written for “Trail Blazers Hire Temporary TV Voice” on 2026-10-15, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

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Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted

sentences that state something as happening or true

Uncertain

58%

7 of 12 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")

Leaning

not political

takes no side on a contested political question

Publisher signals

67/100

New York Post's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.

Outlets on this story

Sports

Same framing elsewhere

articles that frame the event the way this one does

Who wrote this

Jenna Lemoncelli

56 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction

🔮 Travis Demers, the Blazers’ radio play-by-play voice for the last seven seasons, will take over television duties on a trial basis, according to OregonLive, which citied league and team sources.

2026-10-14 · speculative framing · Trail Blazers hire temporary TV voice after Braiden Bell tweet controversy

🔮 “Recovery will take time, but I’m incredibly fortunate to be surrounded by amazing people who continue to lift me up, encourage me, and remind me that every challenge is an opportunity to grow.

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🔮 Shaq, who also DJs under the stage name Diesel, is in agreement a long-term deal with TNT Sports that will pay him over $15 million per year, Front Office Sports reported early last year.

2026-10-14 · assertive framing · Shaq’s TikTok workout video has fans going crazy: ‘Call me’

🔮 “I have a confession to make as a WAG, and that is that every game day I will get on Twitter and search my husband’s name and see what dumbass, idiot, worthless, stupid piece of s–t, unrespectable, fat, ugly, dumb losers are tweeting negatively about him

2026-10-12 · assertive framing · NFL player’s wife makes ‘WAG rage’ confession: ‘Is this normal?’

🔮 “… I also regret that the segment may have left viewers with the impression that Iman had publicly disparaged the mother of his children.

2026-10-12 · assertive framing · Stephen A. Smith forced to offer ‘special’ apology after $25 million Teyana Taylor-Iman Shumpert divorce claim

🔮 “Our union is a testament to the fact that God has seen every tear I’ve cried and answered every prayer that I had regarding the type of man that would be a perfect help mate for me (if God saw that it was in his will for me to remarry)!

2026-10-09 · assertive framing · Steph Curry’s mom, Sonya, married in whirlwind romance after divorce from former NBA star

🔮 In the middle of his deepest grief, he reminded me that we would not face it alone.

2026-10-09 · assertive framing · NFL widow shares heartbreaking story of telling son about husband’s suicide: ‘World shattered’

🔮 “He is presumed innocent and we will address this matter in Court.

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🔮 “I thought it was a pimple that wouldn’t go away, turns out it was cancer.

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🔮 “Over the last two months and after multiple visits to the Mayo Clinic, Lisa is getting her CAR-T infusion today.

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Also by Jenna Lemoncelli

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2026-10-14 · New York Post

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Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.

All 56 articles by Jenna Lemoncelli →

Narrative

Claims (12 extracted, 7 hedged)

The Portland Trail Blazers have reportedly resolved their television broadcast debacle — for now — after firing play-by-play voice Braiden Bell for past tweets that included misogynistic and racist remarks about women and Asians. uncertain

that → resolve → women

Travis Demers, the Blazers’ radio play-by-play voice for the last seven seasons, will take over television duties on a trial basis, according to OregonLive, which citied league and team sources. uncertain

which → take → sources

Demers will call games on a game-by-game basis alongside feature color analyst Lamar Hurd and courtside reporter Brooke Olzendam. asserted

Demers → call → Hurd

Demers, who previously filled in on the TV broadcast, reportedly impressed decision-makers when he called Portland’s preseason opener against the Golden State Warriors last week. uncertain

he → fill → Warriors

The Blazers reportedly are keeping their options open as they assess their television broadcast. uncertain

they → keep → broadcast

The shakeup comes after 29-year-old Bell was hired and fired in the same day due to resurfaced posts made as a teenager. asserted

Bell → come → teenager

Bell reportedly beat out 10 different candidates, such as veteran play-by-play voice Kyle Draper, for the job, in part because the team felt he was a “rising star.” uncertain

he → beat → part

The Blazers reportedly considered replacing Bell with Draper, and instead decided to go with Demers on a trial basis. uncertain

Blazers → consider → basis

Demers has called games for the Hillsboro Hops and University of Portland as well as hosting radio programs for SiriusXM College Sports Nation and NBC Sports Northwest. asserted

Demers → call → Nation

The Blazers also lost legendary television play-by-play broadcaster Kevin Calabro this offseason after 10 years. asserted

Blazers → lose → years

Calabro wanted to return to Portland in a part-time role and decided to leave in July after receiving what he deemed a “subprime” contract offer from the Blazers and new owner Tom Dundon, The Oregonian previously reported. asserted

Oregonian → want → Blazers

Calabro reportedly was hired by the Minnesota Timberwolves in a limited role in September. uncertain

Calabro → hire → September

Trail Blazers hire temporary TV voice after Braiden Bell tweet controversy

Quick Summary

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Narrative

Claims (12 extracted, 7 hedged)