Early last year, some guy named Merritt Paulson showed up in town and bought the Portland Timbers and the Portland Beavers from a Sacramento Real Estate consortium. Not many people had an opinion of him, and the Timbers faithful quickly noticed that the company formed to take ownership was called Shortstop LLC. As a group of people who care deeply about a sport that has struggled to survive in Portland, and of a team that dropped out of existence for 25 years recently, we weren’t exactly thrilled. You know what happened? He made some friends.

Paulson reached out to Beavers fans and Timbers fans, to city government, to state government and to anyone in the community who wanted to listen. He decided to make a run at a Major League Soccer expansion franchise, and did so in a transparent and public manner not in recent memory, in Portland or anywhere. At the beginning, Portland was maybe fourth out of eight bids. As the PDX bid gained steam, other bids faltered.

As of last week, we had the City Council on board to fund a stadium plan that will bring MLS2PDX in PGE Park and a new stadium for the Beavers, likely in the Rose Quarter. Two scarf-waving ‘soccer fanatics’ looked a little silly claiming to love the sport they refused to help succeed in the city they were elected to improve. No matter now, as the decisions have been made.

Here’s the ‘press release’ floating around the Timbers Interweb:

It has come to our attention that there will be a very important announcement this Friday with the Portland Timbers and and MLS representatives.

What: Rally and Press Conference Announcement

When: 9:30 a.m., Friday March 20

Where: Portland Hilton
921 SW Sixth Avenue, Portland Oregon
…
Be a part of history.

See you all there!

Here’s what I can add. Vancouver BC won an MLS expansion franchise for 2011. There’s one spot left, and as far as I can ascertain, there are no MLS press conferences scheduled in St. Louis or Ottawa.

If you plan to jump on this bandwagon ASAP, the Timbers face New York Red Bulls at Merlo Field at the University of Portland after the press conference. Tickets are cheap and the students are Catholic. YEEEEEEEEEE – HAAAAAAH!

I want to quote myself from early on in my Blogtown career, to make sure anyone who made this public debate acrimonious, and did or does now oppose this stadium plan:

If all goes well, you won’t hear another word or pay a cent for an MLS team to come to Portland, or a new AAA baseball park. Oh, and you are totally invited onto the bandwagon when the Timbers are the talk of the town. We promise not to embarrass you in front of your friends when you show up to a game with the tag still on your jersey asking where to get a Timbers Army scarf. Pinkie swear! We love everyone who loves the Timbers, no questions asked.

The future is now. TIme to get excited!

19 replies on “MLS2PDX: this is it!”

  1. Evans, you’re a tool. The fact that you write about the Timbers like its epic poetry is lame. Your scarf is gay.

    “If all goes well, you won’t hear another word or pay a cent for an MLS team to come to Portland, or a new AAA baseball park.”

    What’s your point? That you were wrong and we’re going to pay a ton for it?

  8. Ohhh, I think Blabby needs a hug. Careful though, he’s obviously got some serious psycho-sexual issues to deal with regarding his sexuality.

    Hey, Blabmaster B, homophobia is often times the outward portrayal of interior sexual orientation questioning. Please seek a little counseling and stop spreading your sexual orientation hate speech.

    Also, scarves can’t be gay (in either the happy or homosexual sense)…they are inanimate objects (much like your brain, it appears).

    Thanks! Looking forward to seeing you at the MLS Timbers games!

    Great job, Mark…keep up the good work!

  9. Blabby actually has a good point: of all the quotes Mark could have cited, why pick one that turned out to be completely wrong? Maybe the pickings were slim, I don’t know, but it seems like a pretty weak effort.

    And the word “gay” has many meanings, only one of which is “homosexual.” We also would have accepted “happy” or “douchebag-ish.” I suspect he was going for the latter.

  10. Hey Daaaaaave, I got something salty and bitter for you to suck on right here!

    Psychoanalyze that, Cap Ap.

    Also, all of you suck it. Your scarves ARE gay, as evidenced by the disconcerting man-love the Timber’s Army feels for the suspiciously well-groomed Merritt Paulson.

  11. Uh-oh, Blabby is throwing a tantrum…clear the way. It’s okay, stud, I’m sure you will work out that confusion soon and will be much better for it.

    I have faith in your ability to grow as a person (even if your posts and seeming maturity level suggest otherwise).

    Oh, and GLV, gay doesn’t mean ‘douchbag-ish’ in anyone’s dictionary but the homophobes!

    Have a gay old time, everyone!

  12. Sore losers are funny. If there’s one thing being a Timbers fan has taught us, it should be that being on the losing side doesn’t mean you can’t have fun.

    So hey Blabby, chillax & come let your frustrations out at the pitch this weekend. Friday, UP, Merlo Field, Timbers v. NY Red Bulls, $10 at the gate.
    Trust me, there’s nothing like screaming at blind, deaf ref to take your mind off your losing battles.

  14. Blabby, if you show up on Friday, we can sneak under the bleachers and I’ll let you touch my cock. No teeth though you naughty boy.

  15. I have a friend who is as gay as they make ’em (as in, he enjoys engaging in sexual activities with people of the same gender). He uses “gay” to mean “douchebag-ish” all the time. Is he a homophobe? Let me guess: you don’t actually know any gay people, so you throw around accusations of homophobia so liberally simply because you don’t know any better?

  17. Oh, do you have a friend, GLV? That’s as ‘gay’ as they make them? Does that make his as ‘douchbaggy’ as they make them, too? According to your ‘logic’…it does.

    Or is this like having a black friend who magically gives you the ability to make racist jokes in an acceptable manner?

    And don’t worry, I know and am friends with quite a few gay people (oh, and by gay I mean homosexual, not “douchebag-ish”)…not that that matters in the conversation of slurs.

    Now, please, get back to class…you’re going to be late for study hall.

  18. Blabby = Andrew “Dice” Clay?

    Know what it feels like to get your boondoggle green lit? Boondogglicious! Daaaaave boondoggled Blabby! Daaaaave boondoggled Blabby!

    In the butt!

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