So nothing throws off co-workers like wearing clothes that you don't normally wear to the office. Our dress code is business casual, although many of them take a lot of liberties with the things they wear. I've resorted to wearing nice shirts with jeans, so when I showed up today in a shirt and tie with slacks, it was noticed. Quite a bit, actually, as I fielded a lot of questions about whether I had a job interview or not.
Uh, OK, so apparently, I need to dress up more just to mess with people. I mean, I like to wear nice clothes, but since I don't work face to face with customers and I'm in a secure area of the bank, nobody really sees what I wear and I hadn't thought about it much. But I had a good reason for my choice of clothing, as I attended General Timber Howie's service this morning at Willamette National Cemetary in Happy Valley. He served in the military, and so the funeral was done with full military honors.
And since Memorial Day was yesterday, the cemetary was in full decoration as girl and I drove up. Every grave stone had a small American flag on it, and there were flowers and larger flags all over the place in honor of the fallen, and it was quite a sight to see rows and rows of flags as far as the eye can see. While I'm not a military person myself as mentioned in my last blog, I am patriotic and love seeing the flag displayed and I do sing our anthem as much as possible. I think it's great to show pride for your country, even if you don't personally agree with the direction it is taking. But since the new administration has come in, I'm feeling a lot more optimistic about our future, and optimistic that many of the people enlisting in the military won't end up being honored at the cemetary before their time.
There was at least 80 people waiting for the service, many of the Timbers Army present and many of Howie's coworkers and some family there. It was great to see many of my friends there, dressed up for the occassion, and while it was very solemn in some of the tone, it was still interested to see the pagentry of a military funeral. The gun salute and the playing of Taps was something I'd seen in movies and television, but to see it live was rather moving. And then the flag presentation was truly a sight, as the soldiers unfolded and refolded the flag in precision before presenting it to Howie's sister. It was true pagentry, and something that I was moved by, the precision of the moves, the deliberate motions, it was a sight to behold. A chaplin said a few words which were nice, and then Drumman shared a few Howie stories that put a smile on our faces. But as we left, I saw the grounds crew removing all the flags, with their ball caps, torn shorts, and cigarettes hanging out of their mouths, and it seemed odd that something that was done so respectfully would be taken away in such a cavalier manner. I suppose that after seeing such precision and honor, it was odd to see the near opposite afterwards, but then again, we live in a world of very stark contrasts.
I can imagine the wake for Howie on Saturday is going to be a bit more jovial and there will be a lot more laughs. I'll be bringing a surprise that girl and I have been keeping safe, and it's all to do with Howie and one of our road trips. We will be spreading some of his ashes at the park, and celebrating the life of a truly great man. I already miss you, Howie, but I feel like you've never left because you're watching over us and smiling.
Timbers News: So in talking about promotion and relegation in soccer, Burnely was one of the teams promoted this weekend after winning a playoff with Sheffield United. Well, today it was announced that Burnley is coming to PGE Park on July 25th to face the Timbers in a friendly match. And it was announced today that Burnley is giving their most passionate fans a special discount for season tickets in the Premiership for next season.
Burnley has quite a bit of history in English soccer, as they haven't played in the top level of English soccer since 1976, and have been relegated to the bottom level of the leagues a few times over the years, and they now become the 43rd different team to join the Premier League this coming season, and they will be coming to Portland. This is close to the same situation that we had in 2005 when Sunderland came to visit after they were promoted to the EPL and played a friendly match in Portland that ended in a draw. That was a magical night, and led to some of us traveling to England in 2006, and then me and girl making a return trip in 2008 as part of my honeymoon. Sunderland fans were some of the greatest fans I've ever encountered, and that day in 2005 was true magic. While I'm not expecting the Burnley match to really match the same intensity or passion level, I would love to be wrong. Let's face it, Burnley hasn't been in the Premiership before, and I would expect many of their fans to make the trip to celebrate the honor. And for some of us TA, we'll be making a double header of it as we are providing some support to friends in their match earlier in the day.
And to John Strong, well done on the Talking Timbers show, this week's edition was really good, and in response to your question, Vancouver is a great city to visit, their fans are very respectful, they play in a nice park, and their teams are pretty good, but there is only one rival to the Timbers, and that is the team from the city that shall not be named. As if there could ever be any doubt.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Monday, May 25, 2009
Timbers Updates and Interesting Sports Weekend
The Timbers come back from Puerto Rico with 4 points in hand, after drawing on Friday night 1 to 1 and winning last night 2 to 1. Mandjou Keita headed in a nice cross from David Hayes to level the game Friday, although the adventure on Friday was actually getting the game feed. Sitting with abou 15 Timbers Army at the Cheerful Bullpen, we kept trying to get video for the game for the entire first half, and turns out it never happened. We finally found an audio feed for Andy Mac, and listened to the game and it was a back and forth affair. We've traditionally never done well in Puerto Rico, only getting 1 draw in 5 games down there previous, so getting a draw was pretty impressive. Since I only heard what was going on, I don't have much to really comment about, but did find a match report from the team.
Sunday's game was a lot better, as the Internet feed did work and USL Live actually did have a game to show. Since I had a few deadlines here, I watched the game from home while working, and it was another physical battle, with lots of long passes, quick shots, and dangerous set plays. Keita got his second goal in the 24th minute, similar to the goal on Friday apparently, as it was Keita knocking in another wicked cross from David Hayes. The Islanders leveled it in the 35th minute after a big pileup in the box, and Steve Cronin couldn't corral a deflection and it was put past him by John Krause. Two minutes later, a pileup happened in the Timbers box, and after a deflection, the ball ended up at Mamadou Danso's feet, and he knocked it past Islanders keeper Bill Gaudette to put the Timbers up 2 to 1. The Puerto Rico announcer kept saying it was Keita, but apparently, he missed the number, and Danso did come up limping after the goal celebration, but he stayed in the game.
The rest of the first half and second half was a defensive struggle, as Puerto Rico kept attacking and trying to get set plays where they seemed to be dangerous, and Portland fought off every attack. There were a couple of late offensive pushes, courtesy of Alex Nimo and Jason McLaughlin, but Gaudette wasn't seriously threatened by any shots after the two goals. Cronin got a lot of help from his midfielders and defenders, and kept the Islander attack at bay until the final whistle, after 5 minutes of extra time instead of the 1 minute announced. Apparently, they use metric time down there.
Overall, it was a great win as it was the first time Portland had won in Puerto Rico, and we used our speed and depth to our advantage. We did get 4 yellow cards in the second half (McManus, Nimo, Danso, and McLaughlin), but we were playing very smart while being physical. A couple of the challenges were aided by some flopping, and really only Danso's situation I felt warranted consideration for a card. He was trying to get the ball with a bicycle kick and got the PR player off the side of the head, and I really don't think Danso saw him. McManus and McLaughlin played physical in their situations, and the official felt they had crossed the line, although I'm not sure. Nimo's card was simply trying too hard to keep the ball away from a PR player, and he didn't stop at the whistle. Overall, though, I'm pleased with our efforts, as we have really used the depth to our advantage, and we have good overall team speed and defensive strength that will keep us in most games. Our next match is Saturday versus the Vancouver Whitecaps (or Wankouver Craps for most of the TA) at 7 PM at PGE Park, hope to see you all there.
The interesting sports weekend had little to do with the traditional sporting events happening this weekend. I've lost interest in the NBA Playoffs after the Trail Blazers were eliminated, even though the quality of basketball this year has been better. I just don't like the Lakers, and could care less to see Lebron or Kobe be crowned this year's king. There's a compelling story that the Nuggets and Magic are attempting to crash the party, and the Magic even have a lead in their series with the Cavs right now, but it's not enough to make me want to watch. I used to like the Indy 500 race when it meant something, but after the troubles in racing, it's just not the same any more. And it's a bit too early to worry about baseball yet, as it's early in the season. Plus, while I like hockey, there's something unusual about playing a winter sport in May even though playoff hockey can be quite compelling. What I found interesting this weekend was English football, as they dealt with their promotion and relegation this weekend.
It's a unique thing to club soccer, as the good teams will get promoted to better leagues as they do better, and teams that don't do well could be dropped from the top tables. No other sport has such an arrangement, and I think it's a rather interesting thing to have in your league. Think about having it in the NFL, where you could banish the Detroit Lions to another league for their continued years of ineptitude, or the NBA, where the Clippers couldn't sleep walk their way through a 15 win season. America would never endorse such a concept because of the money and prestige of professional sports, and we don't quite have any sports with such a league structure outside of baseball, and I wouldn't depend on MLB to do anything this progressive. What this does is give teams something to play for all year, as you don't want to see your team dropped from the Premiership, and nothing is as satisfying as seeing a team promoted that hasn't played in the top flight for years.
Watching yesterday's matches, there were 4 teams in danger of being relegated in the Premier League: Sunderland, Hull City, Middlesborough and Newcastle. Sunderland and Hull City were clear, but needed to get points or hope that Borough and Newcastle lost and didn't get points to stay up. 4 different matches in 4 places, and all with implications of staying at the top flight or dropping down. While Sunderland played well and lost to Chelsea 3 to 2 and Hull lost a tough match to Man United 1 to nil, West Ham sealed Middlesborough's fate by winning 2 to 1 and Newcastle lost 1 to nil to Aston Villa on an own goal. Newcastle has some amazing and passionate fans, but their team really never put it together on the pitch. Middlesborough, meanwhile, had been in the Premiership for 14 previous years, but they had Timberitis, a disease we dealt with in 2008 where we couldn't score goals or keep players healthy. West Brom had already sealed their relegation fate last weekend, so 3 teams moved down, and the Premiership will be welcoming Wolverhampton, Birmingham and Burnley, who won a playoff this morning. While Birmingham has been in the EPL recently, both Wolverhampton and Burnley are new teams to the top flight, and now play on a whole other level.
I get that other sports try to incentive teams to play the string out, whether it's a weighted lottery for players next year, or higher draft picks, but I see the benefits of making teams earn their top flight status year in and year out. I realize that professional athletes should have enough to play for in pay and prestige, but at the same time, nothing can be more dreary than watching a meaningless end of season game between two 1 win teams in the NFL, who are simply going through the motions. I'm smart enough to realize that this idea would never be accepted in the US, though, because as I mentioned, there's too much money and influence in sports, and leagues are happier if teams make money even if the results on the court/field are crap. The NBA doesn't mind the Clippers stinking if they are doing well financially, and at least for now, they are. But there's hope that perhaps leagues here could learn something from this, and give more incentive for teams to play hard throughout the year rather than just pin hopes on highly coveted college players who may or may not pan out or the fallings of ping pong balls.
Sunday's game was a lot better, as the Internet feed did work and USL Live actually did have a game to show. Since I had a few deadlines here, I watched the game from home while working, and it was another physical battle, with lots of long passes, quick shots, and dangerous set plays. Keita got his second goal in the 24th minute, similar to the goal on Friday apparently, as it was Keita knocking in another wicked cross from David Hayes. The Islanders leveled it in the 35th minute after a big pileup in the box, and Steve Cronin couldn't corral a deflection and it was put past him by John Krause. Two minutes later, a pileup happened in the Timbers box, and after a deflection, the ball ended up at Mamadou Danso's feet, and he knocked it past Islanders keeper Bill Gaudette to put the Timbers up 2 to 1. The Puerto Rico announcer kept saying it was Keita, but apparently, he missed the number, and Danso did come up limping after the goal celebration, but he stayed in the game.
The rest of the first half and second half was a defensive struggle, as Puerto Rico kept attacking and trying to get set plays where they seemed to be dangerous, and Portland fought off every attack. There were a couple of late offensive pushes, courtesy of Alex Nimo and Jason McLaughlin, but Gaudette wasn't seriously threatened by any shots after the two goals. Cronin got a lot of help from his midfielders and defenders, and kept the Islander attack at bay until the final whistle, after 5 minutes of extra time instead of the 1 minute announced. Apparently, they use metric time down there.
Overall, it was a great win as it was the first time Portland had won in Puerto Rico, and we used our speed and depth to our advantage. We did get 4 yellow cards in the second half (McManus, Nimo, Danso, and McLaughlin), but we were playing very smart while being physical. A couple of the challenges were aided by some flopping, and really only Danso's situation I felt warranted consideration for a card. He was trying to get the ball with a bicycle kick and got the PR player off the side of the head, and I really don't think Danso saw him. McManus and McLaughlin played physical in their situations, and the official felt they had crossed the line, although I'm not sure. Nimo's card was simply trying too hard to keep the ball away from a PR player, and he didn't stop at the whistle. Overall, though, I'm pleased with our efforts, as we have really used the depth to our advantage, and we have good overall team speed and defensive strength that will keep us in most games. Our next match is Saturday versus the Vancouver Whitecaps (or Wankouver Craps for most of the TA) at 7 PM at PGE Park, hope to see you all there.
The interesting sports weekend had little to do with the traditional sporting events happening this weekend. I've lost interest in the NBA Playoffs after the Trail Blazers were eliminated, even though the quality of basketball this year has been better. I just don't like the Lakers, and could care less to see Lebron or Kobe be crowned this year's king. There's a compelling story that the Nuggets and Magic are attempting to crash the party, and the Magic even have a lead in their series with the Cavs right now, but it's not enough to make me want to watch. I used to like the Indy 500 race when it meant something, but after the troubles in racing, it's just not the same any more. And it's a bit too early to worry about baseball yet, as it's early in the season. Plus, while I like hockey, there's something unusual about playing a winter sport in May even though playoff hockey can be quite compelling. What I found interesting this weekend was English football, as they dealt with their promotion and relegation this weekend.
It's a unique thing to club soccer, as the good teams will get promoted to better leagues as they do better, and teams that don't do well could be dropped from the top tables. No other sport has such an arrangement, and I think it's a rather interesting thing to have in your league. Think about having it in the NFL, where you could banish the Detroit Lions to another league for their continued years of ineptitude, or the NBA, where the Clippers couldn't sleep walk their way through a 15 win season. America would never endorse such a concept because of the money and prestige of professional sports, and we don't quite have any sports with such a league structure outside of baseball, and I wouldn't depend on MLB to do anything this progressive. What this does is give teams something to play for all year, as you don't want to see your team dropped from the Premiership, and nothing is as satisfying as seeing a team promoted that hasn't played in the top flight for years.
Watching yesterday's matches, there were 4 teams in danger of being relegated in the Premier League: Sunderland, Hull City, Middlesborough and Newcastle. Sunderland and Hull City were clear, but needed to get points or hope that Borough and Newcastle lost and didn't get points to stay up. 4 different matches in 4 places, and all with implications of staying at the top flight or dropping down. While Sunderland played well and lost to Chelsea 3 to 2 and Hull lost a tough match to Man United 1 to nil, West Ham sealed Middlesborough's fate by winning 2 to 1 and Newcastle lost 1 to nil to Aston Villa on an own goal. Newcastle has some amazing and passionate fans, but their team really never put it together on the pitch. Middlesborough, meanwhile, had been in the Premiership for 14 previous years, but they had Timberitis, a disease we dealt with in 2008 where we couldn't score goals or keep players healthy. West Brom had already sealed their relegation fate last weekend, so 3 teams moved down, and the Premiership will be welcoming Wolverhampton, Birmingham and Burnley, who won a playoff this morning. While Birmingham has been in the EPL recently, both Wolverhampton and Burnley are new teams to the top flight, and now play on a whole other level.
I get that other sports try to incentive teams to play the string out, whether it's a weighted lottery for players next year, or higher draft picks, but I see the benefits of making teams earn their top flight status year in and year out. I realize that professional athletes should have enough to play for in pay and prestige, but at the same time, nothing can be more dreary than watching a meaningless end of season game between two 1 win teams in the NFL, who are simply going through the motions. I'm smart enough to realize that this idea would never be accepted in the US, though, because as I mentioned, there's too much money and influence in sports, and leagues are happier if teams make money even if the results on the court/field are crap. The NBA doesn't mind the Clippers stinking if they are doing well financially, and at least for now, they are. But there's hope that perhaps leagues here could learn something from this, and give more incentive for teams to play hard throughout the year rather than just pin hopes on highly coveted college players who may or may not pan out or the fallings of ping pong balls.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Long Holiday Weekend! WEEEEEE!!
It's a long holiday weekend, and I'm really happy about it. Memorial Day always starts the summer holiday season, as the cookouts and camping trips start up, and people talk about their planned trips out of town. Girl and I aren't going out of town, but we'll be plenty busy as is usually the case...
Timbers Update:
Timbers Update:
http://www.oregonlive.com/timbers/index.ssf/2009/05/portland_timbers_at_puerto_ric.html - Match Preview
The Portland Timbers make their annual trip to Puerto Rico to play the Islanders, and this year, it's a bit of a different traveling agenda. Like with Carolina here a few weeks ago, the Timbers are playing their two games in Puerto Rico this weekend on Friday at 5 PM PT and Sunday at 4 PM PT, then they are done with traveling there. It's a cost saving measure not having to travel there twice, especially since the Timbers have struggled a bit playing there. But the team is coming off an impressive late win last week against Rochester, and everyone is healthy at this point, so I would expect a good effort and for us to get some points from the weekend. Puerto Rico is usually a solid team, attacking from the midfield with flash and creativity, and they usually have steady goalkeeping, and this year's group seem to follow that trend. They've also been busy playing as one of the USL representatives in the CONCACAF Championship League, and winning matches, so they've got talent. And Puerto Rico does have a pretty crazy home crowd apparently, which keys up the home team. They are viewing parties this weekend all about town for the matches (Beulahland in SE Portland, Rogue Pub in the Pearl, Cheerful Bullpen near the Park, St. Johns Pub for Sunday's game), so if you are up for some Timbers come on out. Check the SCUSA site, http://www.soccercityusa.com/, for more details about viewings.
The Holiday:
I understand the significance of this holiday, and have a great deal of respect for those in the military that choose to sacrifice for their country so that many of us can enjoy our freedoms at home. While I still don't agree with our decisions in the Middle East made before our current President was elected, I understand that we have a job to do and I'm glad that there are those that choose to hear the call. It's important to remember those that have served, either in the past, currently, or in the future, because it truly is honorable. I took one ROTC class in college, mostly because some friends had signed up and it seemed like fun, and part of me wanted to understand the whole military mindset. While some of the skills were interesting and I enjoyed myself in learning new things, I just couldn't get or understand the military vibe, so I decided to take my talents elsewhere. I'm glad I have that choice, and understand that veterans have had influence in allowing me that right.
Update from Last Post:
Finally, I was listening to Strong at Night on 95.5 the Game, and John spent a great deal of time talking about the subject of my last post, our friends from Wilsonville who were upset about language. He had a great take about exactly who should the team market towards, families with limited disposable income and potentially many competing interests or single people without those influences. Soccer has tried to market itself under the family banner for years, as the common convention was that kids that played soccer would become soccer fans. Suffice to say that hasn't happened, as soccer has remained relatively obscure in television ratings although attendance figures are up this year for the MLS.
Part of that phenomenon is Toronto, who has continued to sell out like crazy with its passionate fan base, and Seattle, who is riding the new team factor to record crowds and attention. I have issues with the team up north for them not supporting their old USL team very well, but it's hard to ignore what's happening up there now. I expect crowds to level out a bit, but both teams have done a good job successfully marketing to a lot of different groups to get them in the park. Toronto went after the soccer fans that had disposable income and marketed the chance to sing, chant, and have an authentic football experience, while Seattle used their website to help fans pick which section fans wanted to sit in based upon their fan preferences of standing, singing, chanting, or the like. It's a smart move.
The TA does distribute chant sheets for each match in the PG version without swear words, and many members alter words based on their own preferences. And the team and the TA meet regularly to discuss things, and we've even killed off one of the more offensive chants that the team specifically said they didn't like. It's not like we can't be reasonable about the situation, but all the TA ask is that it's important that the team respect everyone's fan experience and we'll try and do the same thing. I get that families should feel welcome to come to PGE Park and watch the Timbers, but if they are expecting a Disneyfied, homogenized, bland fan experience where you'll be prompted to make noise and show support, it's not going to happen. I'm not anti-family, I want to have one, but I also don't feel that every experience has to be family inclusive. It's OK for Dad to hang out with the boys and play golf, or Mom to visit her friends and go dancing without the kids now and then, and if you go out as a family, not everything is going to be family friendly. That's why teaching kids about correct behavior and expectations is so important, especially if you want them to behave.
My expectation is that the Timbers will find a way for everyone to co-exist in the park and everyone will be able to enjoy their fan experience. The fan sign marking section 107 as supporters is a great start, and the park employees also do a great job of laying out what to expect if you sit near 107, and the TA will do our part to help in that cause. But as much as we want to help, we also want the ability to cheer and chant and do what we do, and the fact that MLS management was in the stands for the Rochester game and loved what we did and want it to grow to other teams means that football culture is growing, and people understand what we have here. It's special, it's unique, and it's definitely Portland.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
This Year's Obligatory Complaint About Language in Section 107
Unknown fan from Arizona, Teresa S, or Andrew and Laurie from Wilsonville. Those names ring legend in the Timbers Army as the fans of the Timbers who object to the antics of section 107 (actually now sections 105 through 109). While some fans may not like our language or object to some of the actions of the group, the folks above have actually written to the Timbers or the local media to express their concerns:
http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/oregonian/john_canzano/index.ssf/2009/05/open_letter_to_the_timbers_arm.html - John Canzano's article after receiving an email from Andrew and Laurie
http://theoffsiderules.blogspot.com/2009/05/some-people-do-not-like-timbers-army.html - The Offside Rules talks about it.
http://theoffsiderules.blogspot.com/2009/05/timbers-army-responds-to-oregonlive.html - The response from one of our members, Finn.
I get that the Timbers Army fan experience isn't for everyone, it's a chaotic, crazy, mind blowing experience at points, and it can be the most frustrating time as well when things don't work right. I personally cringe when idiots in our section pull out our most infamous chant YSA and still do it, even after being told numerous times that the chant is dead. There's songs we sing that I choose to alter the words, mostly because I just don't like them. That's my right, and that's why our chant sheets are done in PG version and the more salty English footy version. We try and cater to all tastes as best as we can, as long as you show up and show passion for the Timbers.
And I also understand that the Timbers' fan base needs to be diverse between the hardcore and casual fans. Hardcore fans show up week in and out, buy merchandise, and live and die with the team, and they are constants. You can count on them always, but yet even the best teams in the world can't 100 percent rely on the hardcore fans to support them to survive. You have to draw in fans of all walks to watch matches, which is why the Timbers have other sections of the park and label section 107 as Timbers Supporters Section. Even the security and ushers point out to fans wandering around that this section is where the crazies hang out, so if you are easily offended, this might not be the best area to be in.
It's a balancing act for sure, but yet the team and its owner get it. Merritt Paulson realizes the vocal, organic group of TA is showing passion and commitment for the game, and MLS wants more of that, which is a big reason why we were tagged as an expansion city. I'm not going to pretend for a minute to be objective about this topic, because I love what the TA does. I've been going to Trail Blazers games for years, as well as other sporting events, and the language at PGE Park for Timbers is not any worse than I've heard there, even after being in England watching football. And while the Trail Blazers games are loud and boisterous, it's also very controlled and manipulated by the game operations, as people cheer when prompted and the environment is very scripted. There's something to the spontaneity of creating atmosphere simply from voices, instruments, and passion, and what you see on match nights is simply amazing. In talking with players this weekend at a meet and greet, they love the energy from our group, and many of them chose to come here simply because of what the TA does.
And this group means something to me because they propped me up when I lost my mom to cancer, and wasn't sure how I would deal with it all. I met my wife in the section back in 2005, and she went from being a woman hanging out with soccer fans to being my best friend to becoming my wife during a wedding last year done Timbers Army style. I've stood with these people at Habitat for Humanity working on projects, tossed teddy bears for kids, contributed to Doernbechers, marched in the Starlight parade, gave money to various causes to help others including a young cancer patient that lost her beloved Timbers memorabilia to victims of identity theft cheated by a former Timbers player. As with any group, I consider this bunch a family, and I've met some of the best people here although at times, I'm infuriated at times. But yet, that's what happens in a family. You love them no matter what.
My hope is that anyone that wants to come to Timbers matches finds their own fan experience, whether it's part of a rowdy group, sitting in the beer garden drinking a few, or sitting in a family section just watching. It's important that everyone find their place, and we respect what each other brings to the match. Personally, I wouldn't trade what the Timbers Army brings, no matter what. I'm glad that the team and its ownership get what a special commodity we have.
http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/oregonian/john_canzano/index.ssf/2009/05/open_letter_to_the_timbers_arm.html - John Canzano's article after receiving an email from Andrew and Laurie
http://theoffsiderules.blogspot.com/2009/05/some-people-do-not-like-timbers-army.html - The Offside Rules talks about it.
http://theoffsiderules.blogspot.com/2009/05/timbers-army-responds-to-oregonlive.html - The response from one of our members, Finn.
I get that the Timbers Army fan experience isn't for everyone, it's a chaotic, crazy, mind blowing experience at points, and it can be the most frustrating time as well when things don't work right. I personally cringe when idiots in our section pull out our most infamous chant YSA and still do it, even after being told numerous times that the chant is dead. There's songs we sing that I choose to alter the words, mostly because I just don't like them. That's my right, and that's why our chant sheets are done in PG version and the more salty English footy version. We try and cater to all tastes as best as we can, as long as you show up and show passion for the Timbers.
And I also understand that the Timbers' fan base needs to be diverse between the hardcore and casual fans. Hardcore fans show up week in and out, buy merchandise, and live and die with the team, and they are constants. You can count on them always, but yet even the best teams in the world can't 100 percent rely on the hardcore fans to support them to survive. You have to draw in fans of all walks to watch matches, which is why the Timbers have other sections of the park and label section 107 as Timbers Supporters Section. Even the security and ushers point out to fans wandering around that this section is where the crazies hang out, so if you are easily offended, this might not be the best area to be in.
It's a balancing act for sure, but yet the team and its owner get it. Merritt Paulson realizes the vocal, organic group of TA is showing passion and commitment for the game, and MLS wants more of that, which is a big reason why we were tagged as an expansion city. I'm not going to pretend for a minute to be objective about this topic, because I love what the TA does. I've been going to Trail Blazers games for years, as well as other sporting events, and the language at PGE Park for Timbers is not any worse than I've heard there, even after being in England watching football. And while the Trail Blazers games are loud and boisterous, it's also very controlled and manipulated by the game operations, as people cheer when prompted and the environment is very scripted. There's something to the spontaneity of creating atmosphere simply from voices, instruments, and passion, and what you see on match nights is simply amazing. In talking with players this weekend at a meet and greet, they love the energy from our group, and many of them chose to come here simply because of what the TA does.
And this group means something to me because they propped me up when I lost my mom to cancer, and wasn't sure how I would deal with it all. I met my wife in the section back in 2005, and she went from being a woman hanging out with soccer fans to being my best friend to becoming my wife during a wedding last year done Timbers Army style. I've stood with these people at Habitat for Humanity working on projects, tossed teddy bears for kids, contributed to Doernbechers, marched in the Starlight parade, gave money to various causes to help others including a young cancer patient that lost her beloved Timbers memorabilia to victims of identity theft cheated by a former Timbers player. As with any group, I consider this bunch a family, and I've met some of the best people here although at times, I'm infuriated at times. But yet, that's what happens in a family. You love them no matter what.
My hope is that anyone that wants to come to Timbers matches finds their own fan experience, whether it's part of a rowdy group, sitting in the beer garden drinking a few, or sitting in a family section just watching. It's important that everyone find their place, and we respect what each other brings to the match. Personally, I wouldn't trade what the Timbers Army brings, no matter what. I'm glad that the team and its ownership get what a special commodity we have.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Gee, Doesn't This Sound Familar?
Courtesy of the San Francisco Gate, the San Francisco 49ers are working on getting a new stadium to replace Candlestick Park, or Monster Park, or 3com park, or whatever they are calling it this week.
OK, so this is all about pointyball, but the theme of this sounds really familiar. As a matter of fact, if you take any stadium debate over the past 15 years, the theme of the conversation is the same. I could simply outline it in the following way, just change the sport and city name, and it will follow this path.
Cities and sports teams must work together to ensure that all sides are happy, and that you don't have the team leaving in the middle of the night for some destination. Whether you like it or not, sports is something that many people put in the livability category of an area, and what sport experiences are available do play into decisions to move to an area or not. And so these discussions will continue for years to come, and my hope is that the talks get more and more civil in discourse instead of the drop-down, drag out fight that often occurs.
And now..Some other random thoughts:
The Timbers have two matches in Puerto Rico this weekend. Normally, I don't do match preview for matches that I watch on TV, but I will make an exception for this weekend. It's a long weekend, which helps, but I also like the stories from this team. There will be viewings all over town, and to learn about the latest locations, check out http://www.soccercityusa.com/, and visit the Game Day Chat section for Away Game Viewing Locations. At this point, we know Beulahland and the Rogue Pub in NW are showing games, the Cheerful Bullpen is getting set up (I actually get to check out the location tomorrow), and the St. John's Pub is showing Sunday's game. There's rumours of other locations as well, so check out the site for the latest information.
I spent some time getting to know the Timbers on Saturday during the Fan BBQ/Meet and Greet, and the players I did talk with were great. David Hayes is one of my new favorites, as he was extremely personable, charming, and he's happy to be in Portland playing in front of a passionate group of fans. Plus, I got to play a little bit on the PGE Turf in a 7 vs. 7 tournament, and I appreciated the opportunity to run about with an audience. I made a few good plays, and messed up a few points, but it was a good time. Thank you to the team, players and to my friend yabollox for putting it together.
The Timbers Army Football club got its first point by drawing on Sunday afternoon, and I played my best game of the year. Well, the entire team played really well, and we matched up well versus our opponents. And not even the 85 degree temperatures, hot and sticky turf, or the 60 or so opposing fans were going to stop us from getting points. Way to go, dudes!! Although now, our keeper is busted up, so we'll have to resort to plan B.
Isn't it great to not be in the NBA Draft Lottery this year?? Well done, Trail Blazers!!
But in sad news, Brian Grant is dealing with the early stages of Parkinson's disease, as he shared this news earlier this week with ESPN. One of the truly great Trail Blazers of the modern teams and one of the most well likely, this is sad news. But knowing the Rasta Monsta, this disease has no idea who they are dealing with here, and I know he'll do everything possible to beat it.
Finally, 95.5 The Game is debuting a new show tonight, Talk Timbers, in the Portland area. John Strong will host the weekly show, starting at 7 PM, and talk nothing but Timbers for one hour. Gavin Wilkinson, Andy McNamara, and various players will appear on the show, talking about upcoming matches, MLS topics, current season, and other great stories. If you are a Timbers fan, remember to tune in and participate. If you are outside the area, visit 955thegame.com to learn more about broadcasts, or to download a podcast. Oh, and they will be broadcasting some games on the Game, too.
Ok, talk to you all later this week!
OK, so this is all about pointyball, but the theme of this sounds really familiar. As a matter of fact, if you take any stadium debate over the past 15 years, the theme of the conversation is the same. I could simply outline it in the following way, just change the sport and city name, and it will follow this path.
- The current team is dissatisfied with the current stadium for whatever reason, be it the stadium is old, lacks certain amenities, they want something more centrally located, they want to make more money, lather, rinse then repeat.
- The city wants to get involved because they either own the current facility, or want to ensure that the team doesn't cut out of town for the big shiny competing town, whether it is a real threat or implied threat.
- The city can't very likely spend money targeted for other services on a stadium for a bunch of athletes, so they get creative with their financing, be it targeted taxes, urban renewal districts, private investment, or other revenue streams. Once the plan is announced, there's canned lines about "not threatening vital services" or "protecting the taxpayers"
- A group of organized or disorganized NIMBYs will step up, saying this is the worst investment ever, and if it was such a good idea, why wouldn't the team finance it themselves. Never mind that if it was financed by the team, the team would find the location that allowed them maximum revenue with minimal restrictions without concern for the city or the fans, and they could leave them high and dry at any given point. Or the fact that sports now is considered part of the livability for certain cities, and put on the same level as arts, entertainment, parks, and other amenities by some citizens.
- Other NIMBYs will quote exhaustive economic studies about the waste of money sports is for an investment, and talk about potholes, schools, or the like. Never mind that even most economists realize that any authoritative study only covers actual revenue streams directly related to the team, and they can't account for things like secondary businesses being affected by the team (say restaurants in the area getting more business during game day) or how a successful team makes people feel.
- Either the original plan survives after a ground swell of discussion, or a fallback plan mysteriously appears that actually works in the situation, and then Plan B is the best plan for what we need to do.
- Repeat these steps until nauseated, the team and city work out a deal, or the team moves to greener pastures.
Cities and sports teams must work together to ensure that all sides are happy, and that you don't have the team leaving in the middle of the night for some destination. Whether you like it or not, sports is something that many people put in the livability category of an area, and what sport experiences are available do play into decisions to move to an area or not. And so these discussions will continue for years to come, and my hope is that the talks get more and more civil in discourse instead of the drop-down, drag out fight that often occurs.
And now..Some other random thoughts:
The Timbers have two matches in Puerto Rico this weekend. Normally, I don't do match preview for matches that I watch on TV, but I will make an exception for this weekend. It's a long weekend, which helps, but I also like the stories from this team. There will be viewings all over town, and to learn about the latest locations, check out http://www.soccercityusa.com/, and visit the Game Day Chat section for Away Game Viewing Locations. At this point, we know Beulahland and the Rogue Pub in NW are showing games, the Cheerful Bullpen is getting set up (I actually get to check out the location tomorrow), and the St. John's Pub is showing Sunday's game. There's rumours of other locations as well, so check out the site for the latest information.
I spent some time getting to know the Timbers on Saturday during the Fan BBQ/Meet and Greet, and the players I did talk with were great. David Hayes is one of my new favorites, as he was extremely personable, charming, and he's happy to be in Portland playing in front of a passionate group of fans. Plus, I got to play a little bit on the PGE Turf in a 7 vs. 7 tournament, and I appreciated the opportunity to run about with an audience. I made a few good plays, and messed up a few points, but it was a good time. Thank you to the team, players and to my friend yabollox for putting it together.
The Timbers Army Football club got its first point by drawing on Sunday afternoon, and I played my best game of the year. Well, the entire team played really well, and we matched up well versus our opponents. And not even the 85 degree temperatures, hot and sticky turf, or the 60 or so opposing fans were going to stop us from getting points. Way to go, dudes!! Although now, our keeper is busted up, so we'll have to resort to plan B.
Isn't it great to not be in the NBA Draft Lottery this year?? Well done, Trail Blazers!!
But in sad news, Brian Grant is dealing with the early stages of Parkinson's disease, as he shared this news earlier this week with ESPN. One of the truly great Trail Blazers of the modern teams and one of the most well likely, this is sad news. But knowing the Rasta Monsta, this disease has no idea who they are dealing with here, and I know he'll do everything possible to beat it.
Finally, 95.5 The Game is debuting a new show tonight, Talk Timbers, in the Portland area. John Strong will host the weekly show, starting at 7 PM, and talk nothing but Timbers for one hour. Gavin Wilkinson, Andy McNamara, and various players will appear on the show, talking about upcoming matches, MLS topics, current season, and other great stories. If you are a Timbers fan, remember to tune in and participate. If you are outside the area, visit 955thegame.com to learn more about broadcasts, or to download a podcast. Oh, and they will be broadcasting some games on the Game, too.
Ok, talk to you all later this week!
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