MLS?

Rob's Jacket wrote:As someone who stands in Section 108, Row J at Timbers matches...

Maybe I'll be meeting someone from Pilot Nation this summer...

Portland vs. Vancouver vs. Seattle? My head might explode.

DaTruRochin wrote:BUT I don't see all three of those getting it... the MLS doesn't want to "oversaturate" a region it hasn't ever really been in before... It would be cool, but from everything I've heard with the MLS inside dealings, it will be Portland OR Vancouver, no way there is both

Why don't they just share the team? They could build a stadium in the the middle of the Columbia River and call the team Portcouver, or even better...Vanport.

And yes, I do realize...

aw, c'mon.

If the team was Vanport, they'd be the Vikings, wouldn't they?

Um... Vancouver BC would have a heck of a commute.

I was thinking they could build a stadium as part of that fancy new I-5 bridge they keep talking about...

Oh dear....

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2009/03/major_league_soccer_talks_brea.html

DaTruRochin wrote:Oh dear....

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2009/03/major_league_soccer_talks_brea.html

I'm praying that this is posturing, nothing more. Over on the Timbers board, some people who have spent some time in City Hall are saying that it isn't as dire as the press is making it out to be. I hope they're right, because if Leonard submarines this . . .

On the 4 pm update on the Game today, there was a report that Merritt has agreed to pick up any contruction cost overruns. No confirmation yet, but I have my fingers crossed.

Wow. That just is like deja vu of the Sonics' situation in Seattle all over again. I never understood how people taxpayers claimed that money spent on sports arenas could potenially be used for social services instead. I contribute a lot of time and effort into supporting social services of any city where I live, and at the same time sports help make life more bearable and can really unity a city or town. Plus, the players of model franchises always contribute to the fabric of the city...like how Stoudamire helped out the schools in Portland several years ago or Ray Allens' Ray of Light foundation here in Seattle. I could go on and on...

The above wasn't the main point of the article, but, the comments of some of the blogs reminded me of the Sonics' situation.

If the arena thing keeps the MLS out of Portland, it will be a sad day...even for Sounders FC fans. I want the rivalry.

This city council just passed the MLS vote... I've been following Ryan White's live blog about the proceedings all day... Pretty damn entertaining...

http://www.oregonlive.com/tailgate/index.ssf/2009/03/live_blogging_city_government.html#preview

From Ryan White's liveblog, it looks like the City Council has initially approved the financing plan 3-2. Yes: Adams, Leonard, Saltzman (the swing vote here). No: Fritz, Fish.
http://www.oregonlive.com/tailgate/index.ssf/2009/03/live_blogging_city_government.html

Not a guarantee of a team, but Merritt now has a plan he can present to MLS. This was a HUGE step.

That had to be a long day for someone to live blog at... If I was in town I would have brought Ryan a beer, he deserved it...

Nice. Let's get this rivalry started. 8 days until the UP Alumni Club of Seattle attend the Sounders FC opener. (Obviously, I'll be there...the event was my idea. )

I'm guessing that people read this already... Maybe not:

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2009/03/soccer_deal_okd_short_some_gre.html

DaTruRochin wrote:That had to be a long day for someone to live blog at... If I was in town I would have brought Ryan a beer, he deserved it...

http://photos.oregonlive.com/oregonian/2009/03/city_council_gives_mls_the_gre_1.html

we were both there for 7 hours... she was kissing the timbers army badge...

Awwww....

I want to thank you and all the other TA who wrote and called to the councilors and task force members, and came to meetings to show support for this. When we get MLS it will all be worth it.

MLS announcement Friday?
March 18th, 2009 by Dwight Jaynes | 5 Comments | Filed in Soccer, small-town Portland


The buzz is that there will be a news conference Friday morning here, announcing that the MLS has officially granted an expansion franchise to Portland.

Tags: MLS, Portland Timbers, Soccer

"Portland Timbers and MLS Press Conference to be held @ 9:30AM at the Downtown Portland Hilton on Friday!"

This leaked last night over at SoccerCity USA. And the Portland Business Journal quoted someone on Facebook.

Anyone on Twitter can search "#RCTID" to see all the Timbers Army chatter.

KFTC wrote:. . . the Portland Business Journal quoted someone on Facebook.

If that doesn't tell you that the media world is upside down!

Dare I hope?...

I mean, is MLS going to have a press conference in Portland to say, "nice try, we really liked the bid, but we're going to look elsewhere"?

It kind of makes sense... press conference in Vancouver BC Wednesday, first Sounders game in Seattle Thursday, press conference in Portland Friday...

Sources at City Hall have confirmed privately that MLS will award Portland an expansion franchise

Sources on Pilot Nation predict the Timbers message board crashes due to too many visitors sometime Thursday.

Proof that soccer co-existing in Seattle and Portland will work. From Shawn Levy: According to Seattle MLS front office, only 120 seasons tickets out of 22000 were bought by Portlanders.