Major League Soccer Talk - Latest Comments in Portland should be a “slam dunk” for MLS

Re: Portland should be a “slam dunk” for MLS

Garrett — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 14:09:27 -0000

In USL, this rivalry has been the most intense around: in fact it has been openly speculated for many years that Portland has been passed over for MLS expansion because of the type of fans the USL Sounders have attracted: loud, passionate and committed.

???? HUH ????

The Sounders attracted loud, passionate and committed fans? Everytime I've seen their supporters section it's about 40 fat dudes with a smoke machine. Compare that with 2,000-3,000 screaming chanting Timbers Army members.

Re: Portland should be a “slam dunk” for MLS

Dave — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 11:30:01 -0000

Pay no attention to the troll. He's been making up numbers and spreading lies on every soccer and Portland forum. You're just wasting your time. Let the trolls have their internet victories while we win at City Hall.

Re: Portland should be a “slam dunk” for MLS

Dave — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 11:28:37 -0000

Thanks for that pearl of wisdom, Lars Larson. Any other ways you want to show off your total ignorance of the situation?

Re: Portland should be a “slam dunk” for MLS

Dave — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 11:27:04 -0000

"In USL, this rivalry has been the most intense around: in fact it has been openly speculated for many years that Portland has been passed over for MLS expansion because of the type of fans the USL Sounders have attracted: loud, passionate and committed. "

WHAT?

Re: Portland should be a “slam dunk” for MLS

Maxon — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 01:16:17 -0000

Classic propaganda. Focus on what Merritt Paulson isn't saying. He also isn't saying the Timber's uniforms would be lined with kitten pelt.

But actually you're the one that's off. Sam Adams said the plan needs to be a net benefit for taxpayers for it to be approved and Merritt supports this goal. Last I checked, most people considered 'benefit' to mean something like the opposite of 'cost'.

You neglected to mention that you were somehow against this plan without knowing what it actually is. Where is your bias coming from?

Re: Portland should be a “slam dunk” for MLS

Spreading the Truth — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 18:30:02 -0000

Your comment neglects to mention that the city will borrowing the money and repaying it with the increased revenue , therefore costing the taxpayer nothing.

Re: Portland should be a “slam dunk” for MLS

BishopvilleRed — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 14:58:58 -0000

gotta get out of PGE park. Soccer Specific is the way to go.

A guy like Paul Allen would be acutely aware of the need for a strong rival for Seattle and probably could be tempted to help do something about it. Obviously, his involvement in Seattle is not a stumbling block to potentially assisting Portland.

Maybe in a few years Allen could be tempted to jump from Seattle to Portland and stoke the rivalry even further.

Re: Portland should be a “slam dunk” for MLS

BishopvilleRed — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 12:50:36 -0000

Well, they're gauging everybody, true. But the fee is skyrocketing - Don't forget, TFC paid all of $10 million 3 years ago, and the league admission isn't exactly a license to print cash.

Montreal has negotiated with MLS for a few years now, and are so far the only one to say "Thanks, but no thanks" to the $40 Million price tag.

And I'll admit, it remains to be seen just how wise that decision will prove to be. Nevertheless, MLS got too greedy. Not only did they lose an excellent market, they also lost out on the chance to cripple USL (I'm not a fan of that, but MLS wold be well interested) in the process.

Re: Portland should be a “slam dunk” for MLS

undrafted — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 12:49:04 -0000

Portland will eventually be in MLS. Fix up PGE Park first. Give them a team and the owner loses all leverage. See Houston Dynamo.

Re: Portland should be a “slam dunk” for MLS

Cavan — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 10:49:05 -0000

Gouged Montreal? Wasn't the fee preannounced and the same for all?

Re: Portland should be a “slam dunk” for MLS

BishopvilleRed — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 09:59:59 -0000

Portland is an excellent soccer city, but the MLS "braintrust" seems to be intent on taking the biggest cheques, not the best footy markets. Otherwise they wouldn't have price gouged Montreal to the point where the Saputos said, "screw it".

One other concern for Portland - while it may be a venerable old stadium that's a massive part of Portland sport folklore, PGE park looks like total shit on TV. I have a suspicion that, as a soccer stadium, it falls short.

Re: Portland should be a “slam dunk” for MLS

Seybold — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 00:10:59 -0000

You're 100% correct about the prospect for a Seattle-Portland derby in MLS, that one dates back to the 1970's in the NASL.

MLS should not make the mistake of thinking Seattle and Portland's soccer fans overlap. They do not at all and never have--the number of people in Portland who will cheer for the Sounders in MLS is zero--they are two completely separate and unrelated markets, despite physical proximity, and have been for nearly 40 years.

This is different than other sports where some people in Portland might cheer for the Seahawks and Mariners, and some of us in Seattle are starting to cheer for the Blazers now that we don't have an NBA team. But cheer for the Timbers? Sure, when hell freezes over.

And bring in Vancouver while you’re at it! The soccer culture in all 3 cities is solid—all three teams have retained their NASL names from the 1970’s, and drew traveling fans back then. The Sounders-Whitecaps rivalry goes back as just as far as Seattle-Portland.