Today was the first meeting of the MLS2PDX AAA Baseball Stadium/PGE Renovation Task Force (that Amy J. Ruiz introduced originally). She and I live blogged the whole meeting, and Amy posted her thoughts within her mammoth OMG TOO MUCH CITY HALL SOMEONE GIVE ME A SANDWICH post, and I'll be quoting that liveblog.

mark evans: someone just said 'doing my google'

I need to learn that dance to keep up with the cool kids.

Reflections on the significant and insignificant details from the first Task Force meeting, after the jump

The Timbers Army showed up in force for tonight's meeting, far beyond what I expected. Our presence may have helped the Commissioners realize the amount of public interest in MLS2PDX, but I got the feeling most of the Task Force didn't have a clue who the fuck we were (more on this later).

Nevertheless, the TA presence seemed useful throughout Merritt Paulson and Don Garber's presentation. Paulson talked about the economic benefits of a new baseball stadium, and how a Square Sports Specific PGE Park is key to the MLS effort but also will help PSU sports and local high school and youth sports.

The only truly new information I detected from Paulson's presentation is that Providence wants to build a sports medicine facility into the revamped PGE Park. This had been mentioned previously as part of the new baseball stadium, so Paulson either got his facts mixed up (he'd been up for 30+ hours while his wife had their first child, congratulations to them), or he's talked them into investing in the MLS effort directly. It's unclear if the Providence will add significant money to the renovation coffers (relieving the City), but it is a huge demonstration of private interest and a promise of future investment in the MLS team, at the very least.

I mentioned to Amy that the Philadelphia MLS team (to begin playing in 2010) brokered a similar deal with a local health care company. I think this is when she thought I was speaking of Rhode Island.

Garber, during his bit, talked about the MLS as a growing, healthy organization. He mentioned that they are mindful of FIFA's 18 team limit on leagues, which they will meet after this round of expansion, intimating that this may well be Portland's best, if not last chance to get an MLS team. I have to call a bit of Bullshit on this Tostada: the FIFA mandate is but a strong suggestion, and there isn't really much stopping the MLS from expanding past 18 teams (except perhaps a desire not to end up like the NASL).

It pains me, at a certain level, that the relocation of a AAA team to a new stadium is the crux of the MLS2PDX effort, but this much was confirmed tonight. Don Garber said so in so many words. When queried about the criteria for MLS expansion, Garber listed four things:
1) strong ownership
2) strength of the market (portland is smaller, but has soccer experience, passion and history)
3) competition (only one other major league team in the market)
4) No Soccer Specific Stadium, no team.

Perhaps most salient comment from Garber's talk was:

"We want to have a team in Portland"

He backed off this a little at the end, but it's out there now. He also winked at me, which was a little weird.

My favorite moment came toward the end of the Q&A with Garber and Paulson, when (quote from the liveblog):

Amy J. Ruiz: "We're pretty close to Seattle, have you had franchises this close together?" asks Elisa Dozono. And suddenly the crowd of Timber fans audibly seethes.

Yeah. Merritt quieted the rabble and Garber closed their remarks by mentioning that in Soccer, regional/local rivalries are often what soccer fans cherish. Cue discussion on the liveblog:

Amy J. Ruiz: What's that all about?
mark evans: we fucking hate the sounders
Amy J. Ruiz: Ah.
Amy J. Ruiz: "A Seattle-Portland rivalry would be absolutely fantastic for us all," says Garber.
...[Comment From captain haddock] well, they are just terrible people. really, quite awful.

As the Q&A rolled, it became clear to me that the people asking questions hadn't done their google, so to speak. The questions ranged from wildly under-informed (see above) to downright snarky. Mike Williams, who presided over the last PGE Park renovation essentially asked Paulson if he was the second coming of Marshall Glickman. For those who don't recognize the name, Glickman was the head of the Portland Family Entertainment company who talked Williams and the City into the first PGE Park renovation, only to default on the bonds.

It was clear to me that Williams' ego and career were still sore from the beating he received after PFE went belly up, but no one mentioned that Paulson is paying back the debt related to the original bonds, despite not actually being responsible for those debts. I think Paulson would have mentioned that, if he'd, y'know, SLEPT recently.

In summary: I hope the people who didn't talk know more about what's going on, because the people talking (from the task force) haven't done any due diligence. The suggestion of getting PSU grad students to do all the work is laughable, and makes me wonder why this Task Force exists: with no actual help/money/support from the city in terms of information or logistics, it's either lip service to public involvement and the deal is already set, or the city is going to make this decision based on the recommendation of a task force that won't actually have an educated opinion. Neither makes me particularly happy. The discussion of private listservs/email conversations amongst Task Force members raised my (and Amy's) cackles as well.

I, for one, can think of a dedicated group of citizens willing to do all sorts of background research for free *cough* timbers army *cough*.

Amy also mentioned that she's uncomfortable with the City opening the wallet for a new stadium, so let me remind everyone that Paulson and Co. are asking for city backed bonds that will be paid back through revenue sources directly related to the operation of the two facilities. While it's possible that the city might decide to pay for these projects outright, I say that risk is minimal. No public money people, only bonds, and $85 million, which is less than the $125 million we gave to the Zoo to make the animals look less sad.

On an unrelated note: Merritt, if you're reading, your first latte and Coffeehouse North West or Stumptown or Albina press or Ristretto or anywhere else local, is on me. I'm tired of you drinking Starbucks when you're preaching your love of Portland. Seriously dude, call me.

That's all folks, I'm out. Daddy needs some whiskey.