Great time to be a Portland Sports Fan

[chris_in_pdx]

Blazers in the playoffs with a realistic chance of winning a series.

Timbers breaking ground on a refurbished stadium with a rabid fan base and exciting soccer. National Exposure = Huge.

Winterhawks mowing through the WHL playoffs like a boss.

Good times!

 

[yenniedn]

I get and appreciate the spirit of this thread - but as someone who grew up in Oregon then moved out of state to larger cities, it's kind of depressing that only one of your three bullet points would even qualify as a blip on the radar in any other sports town outside of Oregon.

The Blazers are a great story but the Timbers and Winterhawks would barely make the back page of most other cities' Sports pages. I say this as a soccer fan: soccer is never going to be on the level of baseball, basketball, football . . . or, dare I say, even hockey in the US. Maybe I shouldn't say "never" but it's very, very, very unlikely in our lifetime. Even with the greater diversity we have down here in San Jose, the Earthquakes barely register on the sporting scene - and that was BEFORE the Giants won the World Series!

Anyways, my point wasn't to diss Portland sports but rather say that the city deserves at least one more "major" sports team. With so many MLB teams barely drawing a crowd, I totally think the city could support a baseball team (I don't think the NFL is ever coming to Portland).

OK, back on topic: GO BLAZERS!!!

 

[BlazerCaravan]

Soccer in general in America will always be small potatoes... however, the Timbers are going to average well over 12,000 in attendance every game with sellouts very possible for every home game. That's 18,200+ a night, which is just a couple grand short of the Blazers.

Portland soccer is big news for Portland. Last night, a baseball game would have been rained out. Soccer, though... Portland can support soccer weather-wise and people-wise. It fits Portland better, imho.


EDIT:
Got bored, decided to look at some stats. While the total attendance numbers are a bit more than 5x MLS (~21 mil versus ~4 mil - more teams and more games), NBA's average attendance numbers are about the same:

MLS YEAR-BY-YEAR ATTENDANCE AVERAGE
2007 - 16,770
2008 - 16,460
2009 - 16,037
2010 - 16,675

NBA YEAR-BY-YEAR ATTENDANCE AVERAGE
2007 - 17,757
2008 - 17,091
2009 - 17,520
2010 - 17,165
2011 - 17,323

 

[BlazerBeav]

Jeld-Wen field will be filled every night - they capped the number of season tickets at 12,500 and have a waiting list. MLS in Cascadia (Portland, Seattle, Vancouver) is going to be HUGE. Whether it grows that well elsewhere, we shall see.

 

[THE HCP]

[video=youtube;z5eFey5bYAw]

 

[HailBlazers]

Blazers in the playoffs with a realistic chance of winning a series.

Timbers breaking ground on a refurbished stadium with a rabid fan base and exciting soccer. National Exposure = Huge.

Winterhawks mowing through the WHL playoffs like a boss.

Good times!

Great Times! It's a Great Day to be a Portland Sports Fan!

I get and appreciate the spirit of this thread - but as someone who grew up in Oregon then moved out of state to larger cities, it's kind of depressing that only one of your three bullet points would even qualify as a blip on the radar in any other sports town outside of Oregon.

The Blazers are a great story but the Timbers and Winterhawks would barely make the back page of most other cities' Sports pages. I say this as a soccer fan: soccer is never going to be on the level of baseball, basketball, football . . . or, dare I say, even hockey in the US. Maybe I shouldn't say "never" but it's very, very, very unlikely in our lifetime. Even with the greater diversity we have down here in San Jose, the Earthquakes barely register on the sporting scene - and that was BEFORE the Giants won the World Series!

Funny you say that, Timbers were on sportscenter last night, and soccer made the top plays. Sure it will never be on the level of the other major league sports, but Soccer is not a game meant for TV. Soccer is all about the atmosphere of the stadium, and I'll tell you what, Jeld-Wynn was Rocking last night. I shit you not, it rivaled the Excitement of a Blazer Playoff game at the RG! Helped the Blazers (Rudy, Patti, Wes, Nik) were there too, cheering on the Timbers Put that in your cynic pipe and smoke it.

 

[THE HCP]

I get and appreciate the spirit of this thread - but as someone who grew up in Oregon then moved out of state to larger cities, it's kind of depressing that only one of your three bullet points would even qualify as a blip on the radar in any other sports town outside of Oregon.

The Blazers are a great story but the Timbers and Winterhawks would barely make the back page of most other cities' Sports pages. I say this as a soccer fan: soccer is never going to be on the level of baseball, basketball, football . . . or, dare I say, even hockey in the US. Maybe I shouldn't say "never" but it's very, very, very unlikely in our lifetime. Even with the greater diversity we have down here in San Jose, the Earthquakes barely register on the sporting scene - and that was BEFORE the Giants won the World Series!

Anyways, my point wasn't to diss Portland sports but rather say that the city deserves at least one more "major" sports team. With so many MLB teams barely drawing a crowd, I totally think the city could support a baseball team (I don't think the NFL is ever coming to Portland).

OK, back on topic: GO BLAZERS!!!

Good points, but that's what makes Portland so special! We aren't this huge mega-metropolis! I was there last night, and whether that makes a blip on the radar or not........ that shit was special!

 

[glazeduck]

Can't forget Ducks, Beavers and PSU football.

Ducks are now a perennial Natty contender. Beavs - a decade ago would've killed for 7-9 win seasons, they now look at anything less as failure. PSU football looks to be building on the increased visibility Glanville brought to the team with actual and improving substance...

 

[DaLincolnJones]

Wow man, those are some pretty impressive numbers. One would have to think that MLB would see the rabid fans we have in this area, and take that into account when there is an expansion or a team wanting to move.

 

[chris_in_pdx]

Can't forget Ducks, Beavers and PSU football.

Ducks are now a perennial Natty contender. Beavs - a decade ago would've killed for 7-9 win seasons, they now look at anything less as failure. PSU football looks to be building on the increased visibility Glanville brought to the team with actual and improving substance...

Is PSU going to be playing their games at Jeld-Wen this year?

 

[THE HCP]

Nope, Lincoln High School

 

[chris_in_pdx]

Wow man, those are some pretty impressive numbers. One would have to think that MLB would see the rabid fans we have in this area, and take that into account when there is an expansion or a team wanting to move.

Rabid fans, yes. For baseball, no. This has been proven time and time again. THere's a very vocal minority that would love MLB in Portland, but there's just too much to do in this area in the Summer to make a middling baseball team attractive for 80+ games a year.

 

[THE HCP]

Rabid fans, yes. For baseball, no. This has been proven time and time again. THere's a very vocal minority that would love MLB in Portland, but there's just too much to do in this area in the Summer to make a middling baseball team attractive for 80+ games a year.

You are correct sir! This is NOT baseball country. I worked those Beaver games and there were many nights when I swear on everything, there weren't 200 fans there!

 

[Shooter]

Jeld-Wen field will be filled every night . . .

Yikes. That's got to be one of the worst stadium names I've ever heard. What does it stand for?

 

[BlazerCaravan]

Nope, Lincoln High School

A nice little field, to be honest. I lived in the neighborhood until the restraining orders came down, and it was quite nice.

They have a pretty girls track team, too.

But that's neither here nor there.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

That's got to be one of the worst stadium names I've ever heard. What does it stand for?

Jeld-Wen is a local window company. Thus the place is nicknamed "The House Of Pane"

 

[DaLincolnJones]

No knock on the Beavers, heck I used to have season tickets to the Volcano's, but the major league would have to have more draw. Minors are always in flux, you get no continuity with the team. No names to follow etc.

OK, so how about Pro Football!

 

[chris_in_pdx]

You are correct sir! This is NOT baseball country. I worked those Beaver games and there were many nights when I swear on everything, there weren't 200 fans there!

The MLB supporters claim that was due to lack of promotion, but come on... everyone in town knew there was a baseball team in this city. If they were big enough fans to go, they would have found out. 200 people?

 

[chris_in_pdx]

Pro Football would work here. 8-10 dates a year in the Fall and early Winter? Portland sports fans would pack that stadium like crazy. However, it will never happen. The NFL considers Portland to be Seattle South.

 

[HailBlazers]

That's got to be one of the worst stadium names I've ever heard. What does it stand for?

JELD-WEN Window Manufacturers, one of Oregon's largest, most successful home grown companies. I don't care what the name is, the Stadium is UNREAL

 

[BBert]

I watched the Timbers game last night on ESPN. I'm no big soccer fan, but that was pretty cool, a great atmosphere, a great soccer stadium, and 20,000 people had a great rain soaked time. The announcers couldn't stop raving about the venue and the fans. Even my wife, no fan of spectator sports, watched the game with me and enjoyed it. I will definitely take my family to a game if I get a chance. The live experience must be unreal, and I'm sure my kids will dig it.

The most unreal part of the game: When the Timbers GM got kicked out by the ref!! That was hilarious!

 

[yenniedn]

Great Times! It's a Great Day to be a Portland Sports Fan!



Funny you say that, Timbers were on sportscenter last night, and soccer made the top plays. Sure it will never be on the level of the other major league sports, but Soccer is not a game meant for TV. Soccer is all about the atmosphere of the stadium, and I'll tell you what, Jeld-Wynn was Rocking last night. I shit you not, it rivaled the Excitement of a Blazer Playoff game at the RG! Helped the Blazers (Rudy, Patti, Wes, Nik) were there too, cheering on the Timbers Put that in your cynic pipe and smoke it.

My cynic pipe? I'll reiterate that I spent about half of my life in (Salem) OR and am a lifelong Blazers and soccer fan. But let's be honest with ourselves - unless the Blazers somehow manage to win the title, they'll just be another footnote in yet another NBA season. We'll be overshadowed by the glamour teams and cities like LAL, Miami, Chicago, etc. and even current smaller market darlings like OKC.

And soccer in the US is always going to be soccer in the US. It'll have a spike in interest every four years during the World Cup then fade away into relative obscurity the rest of the time. And it's not popular simply because it's "not meant for TV" - if so, how do you explain the popularity of baseball? The only thing more boring than baseball to watch on TV is golf (and I'm an avid golfer). Baseball's all about going to the ballpark, sitting in the sun (not so much in OR but that's why God created arenas with roofs on them), chillaxing with a $10 dog and some beers.

When the Quakes (they were the Clash at that time) started up here some years back, there was a buzz around the community but that fizzled away. Even after they won their two MLS titles in the early 2000's, there was hardly a burning car or dumpster to be found anywhere in the city. Ask your local sports fan around here and they probably wouldn't even know that the team has won a single championship much less name the years they won them in.

So whatever appeal the Timbers have now, let's hope for the team and city's sake that it has more staying power than what the Clash/Quakes got.

 

[HailBlazers]

Understandably, you gotta experience Jeld-Wen to know what I'm talking about. This town was starved for another team, and the Timbers came to the rescue. I don't really care about basking in the US spotlight, or being overshadowed, all I care about is a thriving Portland, And I know Timbers Football will thrive here in the NW.

 

[yenniedn]

Understandably, you gotta experience Jeld-Wen to know what I'm talking about. This town was starved for another team, and the Timbers came to the rescue. I don't really care about basking in the US spotlight, or being overshadowed, all I care about is a thriving Portland, And I know Timbers Football will thrive here in the NW.

Futbol.

 

[HailBlazers]

Futbol.

Futbol.

 

[maxiep]

Understandably, you gotta experience Jeld-Wen to know what I'm talking about. This town was starved for another team, and the Timbers came to the rescue. I don't really care about basking in the US spotlight, or being overshadowed, all I care about is a thriving Portland, And I know Timbers Football will thrive here in the NW.

The problem with the Timbers was never the lack of fan support in Portland, but the national lack of support for soccer. The Timbers didn't fail; the leagues they were in did.

 

[HailBlazers]

I hear ya, I just think with the Sonic's and Van. Grizzlies gone the NW soccer rivalry's will fuel the league unlike ever before.

 

[Rhal]

Really glad we have a soccer team in Portland. Can't to be able to go see them live. Soccer to me has always been a sport that isn't that much fun to watch on TV but really exciting to watch at a stadium. The big difference between attendance at Soccer stadiums and at NBA stadiums probably won't be that big but what sets the three major sports venue's aside from each other is their huge TV contracts.
Soccer won't really be big in the US until they can get a big TV contract and tens of thousands of fans watch every game and I don't see that happening anytime soon.

 

[The Professional Fan]

Around the Horn just teased a Timbers segment. I bet PTI addresses last evening as well.

EDIT: Blazers vs Mavs was the first topic of the show.

EDIT: Timbers will be the 5th topic on Around the Horn. Nice!

 

[The Professional Fan]

Around the Horn just teased the TA doing the National Anthem with "Awesome? Or just Portland? Tell me you saw this last night!" Haha!