Well that's what happens when you have the worst team in a sport with an already dwindling fan base. Don't you people know anything!?

Yeah pretty obvious this team has been dead for a while. They've been nothing but an excuse for fathers to take their kids to get a hot dog and watch some guys get struck out for a long time.

Bring on the Timbers and send this lousy excuse for a ball team to Beaverton where it belongs!!! W00t!!

And if Mr. Cornett can't see the good in rebuilding the I-5 Rivalry (albeit with pro soccer clubs in lieu of pro bball squads), then I don't think he understands what it means to be a Portlander.

I like Jesse. A lot. I'm probably voting for him. But damn, buddy. Get a clue. Seattle sucks. Portland rules. We need a team to help us enforce that ruling every year. We had that up until the Zombie Sonics got traded to OKC (oh, the horror) last year. Now we'll have that again with MLS. That's about all there is to it.

That MAC club isn't THAT swank. They've got, what, 8,000 members?

Want to see an engaged appreciative crowd at a city-owned ballpark? The PSU Vikings play Oregon State at Erv Lind Stadium at NE 57th Ave & Hassalo St 6 PM April 21 and a doubleheader starts Noon April 24 against Idaho State.

But the highlight of softball in Portland this year? It's August at Alpenrose Stadium for the Little League World Series - FREE. See - http://www.softballworldseries.com

The problem with the Beavers is that they're the minor league affiliate of one of the worst teams in baseball, the Padres. Who we have little geographic or cultural relation to. At least other teams in the PCL (Colorado Springs:Colorado Rockies, Fresno Grizzlies:SF Giants, Sacramento River Cats:Oakland A's, and so on) that are more successful give the fans of nearby cities with major league ballclubs something to look at when they're thinking about the future. The Pacific Northwest is very isolated in pro sports; the closest team to the Mariners is down in the Bay Area, some 800 miles away- more isolated than any other team in the majors. Hell throw in football and basketball while we're at it as well... not to mention hockey where we've never had an NHL franchise in the American PacNW as well.

Basically most "hometown" MLB fans in Portland will have grown up cheering for the Mariners and their minor league affiliate is the Tacoma Rainiers, so people who are into that team will watch them for their prospects and such instead. There's nothing appealing about the Beavers other than just going out to enjoy the ballpark, grabbing a hotdog and a beer on a sunny summer day. Which we're far off from at the moment.

Seriously, if Portland builds an MLB stadium, they will come. I really want the A's to move here. Great franchise with a currently shitty stadium, little fan support, and rebuilding with some young promising guys. Perfect for relocation.

The problem with Minor League Soccer in Portland is just that it's minor league. It will fold.

@el cubano

I challenge you to find an MLB owner that would want to move their team here after watching what happened trying to secure a $31 million remodel on an existing stadium. Discount MLB stadiums run about $450 million these days to give perspective. You're going to have to find one willing to be called some of the worst names you could think of, wither constant personal attacks, probably be accused of things they didn't have anything to do with, and all this is done by people they've never met.

Please let me know when you find one. I'd love to meet someone with that kind of thick skin.

@ Tony Columbo -

Minor League Soccer in Portland doesn't exist (anymore). You might've missed the memo, but we went Major League Soccer (which is what "MLS" stands for, not "minor").

get ready to revisit this scene in four or five years when Paulson pulls his failing MLS team outta Portland.....

I don't think that'll happen, Chunty. The Timbers are set to win, and win LOTS. We're all ready a hugely dominant force, having won against most MLS teams before we even became one ourselves.

And if there's one thing I know about Portlanders, it's that they love them a homegrown professional sports team (particularly when that sport is a popular one in town, a la soccer).

@Jackattak

I have no idea what you're talking about in regards to beating "most MLS teams." That's not even close to true.

@Chunty

Would you care to place a bet on that? It sounds like all the people who said MLS wouldn't make it 5 years 15 years ago.

I'm having a hard time finding stats on the website from years past (it's not terribly easy and I'm at work) but as far as I can tell we've certainly done quite well against the MLS teams we've played in exhibition games. We own Seattle, that's for sure.

we got knocked out in Open Cup play two years in a row to the quakes, had an Open Cup loss to the fuckers up north last year, plus an exhibition blowout of Toronto in '08(?), and this year's preseason win at Qwest. oh, there was that exhibition against the quakes at merlo, too, don't remember how that turned out. But no, we haven't even played, much less beat most of the teams in MLS.

but like it fucking matters. we average 10,000 per game already before we even step up a level, so surely that's just going to tailspin into bankruptcy because... um... americans don't like commie sports, or something?

Thanks for the clarification, Mr. Dude. I thought we were a lot better than we are, but as you said, it doesn't make any difference because we're all ready largely popular and haven't even been upgraded.

I was at the game last night, and I counted 237 "fans". The announced attendance was 1,296! I guess I need to learn how to count.

You counted 237 people??

They're all watching soccer apparently:

http://deadspin.com/5518071/where-are-all-…