Fans of the Portland Trail Blazers can show their team pride in a new way starting Thursday. That's when Oregon license plates highlighting the team go on sale.
The plates feature the Trail Blazers pinwheel logo and have the phrase "Rip City" in red and black along the bottom. That's set against a white background with the word Oregon along the top. DMV spokesman David House says the state expects strong sales.
David House: "Typically when a new plate is introduced, we might order the manufacture of 10,000 sets. But we ordered 20,000 this time."
The Trail Blazers plate will cost an extra $40 above the normal plate fee. The extra money goes to a charitable foundation operated by the team. If you want a plate and don't own a vehicle in Oregon, you're out of luck. The DMV says it does not sell "sample" versions of license plates to collectors.
If the initial sales projections are correct, the Trail Blazers plate would take its place among the most popular specialty plates in Oregon. The current specialty plate leader, based on 2015 sales, is one that honors Crater Lake National Park, with 15,192 sold.
In second place is a throwback plate called "Pacific Wonderland." That sold 9,176 last year. That's followed by a plate honoring Oregon's wine industry, a plate that supports cultural programs, and a plate featuring a bicyclist with the phrase "Share the Road." Less popular specialty plates in Oregon include one that features a salmon, and plates that honor certain colleges and university.
Far and away the most popular license plate in Oregon, however, is the standard issue "Tree" plate that has served as Oregon's default license plate since 1988.
On the web:
Trail Blazers Foundation: http://www.nba.com/blazers/community/foundation/
Information about license plates in Oregon: https://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/DMV/Pages/vehicle/plates.aspx