Jul
07
Trail Blazers Memorabilia Stirs Interest In History
By sarahhecht Posted in: mychalthompson
Look what I found...
As I wandered around the Stars Antique Mall in Sellwood I spotted a glass adorned with the faces of former Portland Trail Blazers Mychal Thompson and Peter Verhoeven. It was an ’83-’84 “Blazers’ Favorite Pizza” glass issued by Sunshine Pizza Exchange.
I bought it, of course. Finding different Trail Blazers memorabilia around town is always a welcome surprise and usually triggers adventurous thoughts like going on a hunt for the coolest/oldest/most interesting items I can find. Most often it’s the Dairy Queen glasses from the early 90s, but there are many permutations.
Finding Trail Blazers treasures also tends to trigger my curiosity. In this case I wondered, was there an entire line of Trail Blazers glasses that I didn’t know about? Off I went to learn as much as I could.
Here are the fruits of my labor:
Sunshine Pizza Exchange is a company based out of Clackamas, Oregon and it’s still there today.
There were multiple Trail Blazers glasses made by the company with the likes of Mychal Thompson, Peter Verhoeven, Jeff Lamp, Darnell Valentine, Kenny Carr and Audie Norris all members of the team in the ’83-’84 season.
Mychal Thompson was a power forward and center for Trail Blazers from 1978-1986. He was taken as the number one pick in the 1978 draft and spent his time on the floor setting records that still stand today. He’s the franchise leader in blocks and defensive rebounds. Jason Quick did a
fantastic story on him last year during the 40th Anniversary Celebration and ranked him as the No. 11 Trail Blazer of all time.
- Peter Verhoeven was a forward selected by Portland in the 1981 draft and played for the team from 1981-1984.
I find it incredibly interesting how a random find in an antique store, or anywhere for that matter, can spark so much interest in a single topic. I saw the cup and I had to know everything about it.
Have any of you seen these glasses before? Do you collect them? What else have you found around town? I’m anxious to hear your stories of unexpected encounters with Trail Blazers gear. I’ll share my finds as my adventures continue.