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All Star Week

08/07/2014 2:52 PM | 107ist Admin (Administrator)

—by Garrett Dittfurth

I shouldn't have to do this but I'm gonna.

It's finally over and we can now focus on what's important. The Timbers. We play the soon to be renamed Chivas USA squad on Saturday. We'll be back to our normal configuration in the North End and we'll have capos directing chants for the Timbers that were intended for the Timbers and not some conglomerated team made up of MLS's best players.

It was incredible to have the all-star game here. Run ins with world famous athletes happened daily and they were all actually very cool. Yo DeAndre Yedlin is incredibly hard to dislike and so is Clint Dempsey despite the fact they play for Seattle. Yes I do have personal experience. I'm still solidly club before country. Though after meeting them I am fairly certain both of those players understand that while they both may be booed by a crowd in Portland one is a national team legend and the other is probably going to be. It's ok. They get it. What struck me hugely was how others don't get it.

You've got famous MLS blowhard, Simon Borg tweeting about how he doesn't understand why Julian Green is cheered while Clint Dempsey is booed.

It almost made my head explode. He's the biggest player on the most hated team Portland plays, Simon. We have a history you probably have failed to comprehend at this point because you live in your NYC bubble. Sorry, bro. 30+ year history of hating everything related to the Seattle Sounders. Their players are going to get booed even if DeAdre Yedlin is actually a really cool dude who is a sick soccer player.

Here's how you know when MLS actually got there. It happens when people remember non-competitive matches don't mean anything and while they can be fun you don't have to pretend it's like the club you love is playing a life or death match against a competitor in a completely different league that really doesn't care about the result because they're just trying to get their players fit for the league competition they actually care about. The all-star game is a nice event that shouldn't be cared about by a league that is in the top 5. At some point the league has to grow up and realize they don't need to do celebrity stunt friendlies to attract attention. Yes I realize we don't have to do this in Portland with our team and yes I understand teams in other places in MLS aren't there yet.

Some clubs and maybe MLS needs it. They fly in some big club from Europe and they can sell out the stadium to promote the sport. Every full kit wanker will show up. It kind of works in certain cities. It was actually pretty cool a few years ago when the Kansas City Wizards beat Manchester United. Once in a while it is worth it. I get certain markets needing to bring in a gigantic club they'll probably toss 7 figures at to play there to bring attention to the sport. Portland probably isn't that place though and it's probably going to reflect better on MLS when no club is willing toss 7 figures at any club to run out mostly scrubs in a meaningless game. If a club would like to tour the US to promote their brand and play for a cut of the gate then that's fine but we all know that as it is now teams from Europe are getting PAID to come here.

To address some of the butthurt. Yes the Timbers Army didn't have tifo. Why would we? Did you want us to drop $5,000 on a tifo display for a game that meant nothing to us rather than investing it on the next Bless Field? We didn't have capos either. Did you want them to just appropriate Timbers Army chants for the meaningless all-star game? Remember how most of the Timbers Army clowned Seattle for doing Seattle Sounders chants during MLS Cup when LA Galaxy and Real Salt Lake were playing in Seattle? Oh wait that was in 2009. I'm going to be the dick that reminds you that the many of the people who have problem with this weren't there in 2009. Some people need to look inside themselves and realize that happened then and they are giant hypocrites. Yeah also we weren't going to modify a chant to say all-star in place of Timbers. We are not trained seals and do not perform on command. We have always been better than that. If you are sincerely butthurt just grow up. We have the best atmosphere in MLS. We don't need a meaningless friendly between two teams that are not named the Portland Timbers to prove that. We prove it day in and day out when the Timbers take the pitch. Who cares about anything else?

The whole week was great. If anyone walks away thinking the Soccer City USA moniker bestowed on us in the 1970s wasn't deserved I would be shocked and the denier would probably be lying. At maybe 25% power our stadium still sounded better than 75% of the stadiums across the league. The Timbers FO did everything right this week with events. MLS did everything right this week. I even saw Sunil Gulati out this week with a huge smile on his face, which I assume means US Soccer was pretty happy about this week.

Now let's get back to what's really important. The Timbers play the soon to be renamed club Chivas USA. Let's just support our club and beat Chivas.


Comments

  • 08/29/2016 9:33 PM | 107ist Admin (Administrator)
    Pablo Herrera-Fuentes says:
    Thursday, August 7, 2014 at 8:16 am

    I have a quick question sir.
    For the people who volunteered yesterday at All-Star game, how do we get the 2 free TA/GA tickets to the timbers game in September?
    Link  •  Reply
  • 08/29/2016 9:33 PM | 107ist Admin (Administrator)
    Garrett Dittfurth says:
    Thursday, August 7, 2014 at 9:47 am

    @Pablo Herrera-Fuentes

    Why don’t you email the person in charge of the volunteer program?

    http://timbersarmy.org/aboutus/contact
    Link  •  Reply
  • 08/29/2016 9:34 PM | 107ist Admin (Administrator)
    Joanne Couchman says:
    Thursday, August 7, 2014 at 8:21 am

    This. Every word of it.
    Link  •  Reply
  • 08/29/2016 9:34 PM | 107ist Admin (Administrator)
    Doug Geisler says:
    Thursday, August 7, 2014 at 9:35 am

    I really couldn’t bring myself to chant any support for the MLS. I have no respect for Don Garber, et al.Why would I blow out my throat for that pack of jackals?
    Link  •  Reply
  • 08/29/2016 9:34 PM | 107ist Admin (Administrator)
    Stephen Hattrup says:
    Thursday, August 7, 2014 at 10:07 am

    A little disappointed to not see any wood slices for the scores.
    Link  •  Reply
  • 08/29/2016 9:35 PM | 107ist Admin (Administrator)
    Garrett Dittfurth says:
    Thursday, August 7, 2014 at 10:09 am

    @Stephen Hattrup

    Were the Timbers playing? Why would you want anyone to waste their time cutting logs (and hundreds of dollars) on this?
    Link  •  Reply
  • 08/29/2016 9:35 PM | 107ist Admin (Administrator)
    Stephen Hattrup says:
    Thursday, August 7, 2014 at 4:02 pm

    @Garrett Dittfurth

    Had no idea they were so exclusive and expensive. Are trees that rare these days?
    Link  •  Reply
  • 08/29/2016 9:35 PM | 107ist Admin (Administrator)
    Travis Diskin says:
    Thursday, August 7, 2014 at 10:44 am

    So you are calling out Borg for judging people on who, what and when the crowd should cheer or jeer. Then you go on to tell people that they need to grow up and be aloof about friendlies?

    I think you should consider another dynamic in the Club>County tension. Consider that perhaps a lot of people put love of the Sport separate from the two and that watching this kind of spectacle is a rare treat. Consider also that people come to the Park to enjoy an experience and that they get excited to share and enhance that experience.

    I think that people that you call butthurt (dodgy term,) are expressing those desires from a good place. One of excitement for the sport and for the experience at the Park. I think there is a better way to channel that energy than they way you expressed here.

    Maybe there is room for everyone to learn and “grow up” from this experience.
    Link  •  Reply
  • 08/29/2016 9:36 PM | 107ist Admin (Administrator)
    Garrett Dittfurth says:
    Thursday, August 7, 2014 at 11:01 am

    @Travis Diskin

    Nah. I think Borg is an idiot. I’ve thought that since before we were in MLS. He’s the epitome of MLS 1.0. He has no comprehension of why people in Portland would boo a player from Seattle. In his mind since Dempsey is a USMNT star he should be cheered by all people in the US. Sorry but some places have evolved past that mindset.

    Nothing you’ve said past that I disagree with. The all-star game is a rare treat and spectacle. What I do disagree with is the few and vocal people who seem to be very, very upset that the TA didn’t go full game day to impress the foreign nationals who showed were paid 7 figures to play the MLS all-stars. We aren’t here to impress them or a national TV audience. We’re here for the Timbers and the Timbers weren’t playing.

    So yesterday was a nice event that was enjoyed by all. That’s as it should be…but nobody should expect a full game day experience when not going to a Timbers game. If you want that show up for something other than the leagues best players and a foreign team paid 7 figures to run out most of their scrubs.
    Link  •  Reply
  • 08/29/2016 9:36 PM | 107ist Admin (Administrator)
    Jeanette Feldhousen says:
    Thursday, August 7, 2014 at 11:13 am

    @Travis Diskin

    If people are excited to share and enhance the experience at Providence Park, great!

    But if people are expecting someone else to put their time, effort, and money into enhancing that experience for them, then it is not reasonable.
    Link  •  Reply
  • 08/29/2016 9:37 PM | 107ist Admin (Administrator)
    Justin says:
    Friday, August 8, 2014 at 12:31 am

    @Travis Diskin

    What is the more appropriate way to channel the energy than expressed here? The capos for the timbers army have TIMBERS ARMY chants. The game priced out a lot of the regular who weren’t quick enough with VISA pre-sale. Plus it wasn’t a Timbers game! If you expect the capos to come out and replace Timbers/PTFC with MLS type chants….I don’t know what to say.

    I was there in GA and the experience was just fine as almost everyone who was there agrees. Sure it wasn’t the “t.a.” experience but that’s not for a MLS all star FRIENDLY. We don’t need to “grow up” to learn from this. I didn’t meet a single person disappointed by the atmosphere except some T.A. fans on twitter who thought it should have been the usual experience.

    When I go to Chivas on Saturday, do I expect it to be like the experience at Seattle? No.
    Link  •  Reply
  • 08/29/2016 9:37 PM | 107ist Admin (Administrator)
    Scott Wilkinson says:
    Friday, August 8, 2014 at 9:28 am

    @Justin

    I think the atmosphere was incredible. To fill not only a stadium but a downtown square with thousands of people is a thing of beauty. Granted the game may have not been a World Cup match or a Timbers game, but it had a lot of people excited.

    My wife just caught the highlights this morning and immediately pointed out that the Timbers Army was quieter than usual. I reiterated to her that this was because it was the MLS All Stars playing and not the Timbers playing and the Timbers Army does not cheer for anyone besides the Timbers. I even threw out the “not trained seals” part. She didn’t buy it. And I think she has a point in not buying it.

    Overall, I am thrilled at what the city and league pulled off for this event. I am not disappointed the army didn’t show up because I just like butts in the seats and new people learning about the game of soccer. But at the same time, I think it would be awesome if the Timbers Army could have a branch that is a MLS-Supporters Group, or even a US Soccer Supporters Group (As I haven’t bought into the American Outlaws yet). Again, I am not trying to troll or say what the 107ist has done is shallow, FAR from that. Just want to ask the question.
    Link  •  Reply
  • 08/29/2016 9:37 PM | 107ist Admin (Administrator)
    Jeanette Feldhousen says:
    Thursday, August 7, 2014 at 11:23 am

    Oh, and Simon Borg? I think that my team, the Portland Timbers, got royally screwed in the Dempsey deal, because my expectation was that any returning US national team player would go through the allocation order and thus to the Timbers, who were first in that order. Instead, not only did Deuce go to the team that I hate, but the league spent money that I had given them through my season tickets to make that happen. So, whatever, MLS, you can screw my team. But I am NOT going to cheer for that player.
    Link  •  Reply
  • 08/29/2016 9:38 PM | 107ist Admin (Administrator)
    Garrett Dittfurth says:
    Thursday, August 7, 2014 at 11:27 am

    @Jeanette Feldhousen

    Well to be honest I doubt our FO would spend that much on any player. They don’t need to. Nor would I want them too. Valeri is just as good a player at a fraction of Dempsey’s cost. But yeah MLS just making up rules or “not publishing them” until they need to tell people the rule exists is pretty bush league.
    Link  •  Reply
  • 08/29/2016 9:39 PM | 107ist Admin (Administrator)
    Larry Shaw says:
    Saturday, August 9, 2014 at 12:42 pm

    @Garrett Dittfurth

    but we could have gotten some benefit (allocastion money, player…) for the rights to him. and that’s what pisses me to this day!
    Link  •  Reply
  • 08/29/2016 9:39 PM | 107ist Admin (Administrator)
    Scott Wilkinson says:
    Thursday, August 7, 2014 at 11:53 am

    I am new to Portland in 2011, therefore I’m new to the Timbers. But I am not new to soccer. I was born and raised by the game and I have almost too much passion and obsession for it.

    In my eyes, what the 107ist is and does is beyond explanation. I recently joined at the Thorns STH event and I am beyond elated to be apart of this organization. After seeing the work inside and outside the stadium, how could one not be in awe of such work and energy and volunteerism? It is fantastic stuff and something all people, not just fans of soccer should be a part of.

    My question is (and it may come off way more naive then it is meant). Why does the passion have to be only for the Timbers/Thorns? I think aside from the commercialism of soccer and professional sports in general, there is a much larger demand for a “greater good” uprising. The 107ist is about that and could be a pioneer in that way for not only other MLS, NWSL, USL, NASL cities, but US Soccer as a whole.

    My conflict inside is this. I agree that one of our roles in the 107ist currently is to support the Timbers and not be told who to cheer for and when to cheer for them. However, I also see a real opportunity for the 107ist to take a leadership role and demand more from the MLS and other cities. Invite people from outside Portland to join and learn about what has taken place and is currently taking place. I have no idea of what could happen or the details of how it could happen, but I think there’s room for the 107ist to expand. We can be leaders while keeping our core passion and support intact.

    Thanks for listening – See ya Saturday!!
    Link  •  Reply
  • 08/29/2016 9:40 PM | 107ist Admin (Administrator)
    Garrett Dittfurth says:
    Thursday, August 7, 2014 at 11:57 am

    @Scott Wilkinson

    Why do you think that hasn’t happened? We do take a leadership role through our involvement with the ISC. We helped raise the bar throughout the league years ago. What would have having capos, tifo and made up modified chants for the all stars done for us other than scream INAUTHENTIC?
    Link  •  Reply
  • 08/29/2016 9:40 PM | 107ist Admin (Administrator)
    Scott Wilkinson says:
    Thursday, August 7, 2014 at 7:02 pm

    @Garrett Dittfurth

    Garrett,

    In no way was my comment to scrutinize the impact that the 107ist has had on the community and league already. The leadership and involvement that I’ve witnessed in the 3 years I’ve lived in Oregon is a major part of why I wanted to be a part of this incredible organization.

    To respond to your question about inauthentic cheering, I agree with you, inauthenticity sucks and should definitely not be done. But for as much as I dislike the Sounders when they play the Timbers, I was authentically and whole-heartedly cheering last night for those guys as well as all the other MLS players.

    I personally would have no problem creating and/or being a part of a Pro-MLS supporters group that backed the league and its sustainable growth on and off the field. The fantasy in the back of my head of what the sport of soccer could look like in North America is admittedly bizarre and perhaps too idealistic. But it involves a type of outreach and nationwide involvement that I only see the 107ist of being presently capable of leading.

    Scott
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  • 08/29/2016 9:40 PM | 107ist Admin (Administrator)
    Daniel says:
    Thursday, August 7, 2014 at 12:01 pm

    I don’t know that I was necessarily expecting anything specific, but even something to honor the three timbers playing in the game or the coaching staff wouldn’t be out of line. It’d certainly be better than the timbers specific chants or the long periods of quiet we got. I understand not doing mls chants or tifo, but the strong stance against doing any organized support comes at the expense of honoring our own players. We had instructions to boo Dempsey (okay, mostly a joke direction and a given that we’d do it anyway) but couldn’t do any player specific stuff for our own?

    That being said, great work around the rest of the week. Back to real games this weekend.
    Link  •  Reply
  • 08/29/2016 9:41 PM | 107ist Admin (Administrator)
    Garrett Dittfurth says:
    Thursday, August 7, 2014 at 12:04 pm

    @Daniel

    Absolutely nothing was stopping anyone from honoring any player they wanted or any coach they wanted. Anyone could have stood up at any time and turned around and started capoing. There was no desire from anyone who normally does this type of stuff to do so for a team not named the Portland Timbers…so it was just left up to people individually. It wasn’t discouraged at all. And yes the Dempsey thing was a joke. If you’ve been around the TA as long as I have you’ll learn to take a joke and know when someone is taking the piss.
    Link  •  Reply
  • 08/29/2016 9:42 PM | 107ist Admin (Administrator)
    Daniel says:
    Thursday, August 7, 2014 at 12:37 pm

    @Garrett Dittfurth

    Hmm, well agree to disagree on some of these points I guess. I don’t think we’ll really get to a point where everyone is satisfied entirely even if I am the only one on here with the dissenting opinion. Even those of us who disagree with you will be ready to get back to what you said: supporting our actual club and beating chivas.
    Link  •  Reply
  • 08/29/2016 9:42 PM | 107ist Admin (Administrator)
    Caedmon Michael says:
    Thursday, August 7, 2014 at 9:12 pm

    Speaking as a 2yr 107ist young’un who’s still on the waiting list:

    This wasn’t a Timbers match. It was on our turf and we had a coach and some players on the field, but it wasn’t a Timbers match. And yet, because “sport” is important to me in general and soccer in particular, because this game was a big deal in this town to more than just the usual home crowd, and because I love the idea of a MLS/Overseas friendly for an All-Star Game, I signed up for one of the volunteer opportunities and spent hours and hours hanging out where the crowds were representing Portland and the Timbers to our guests. I’m excited this game was here and had a great time with the whole week.

    That great time extended to the game, itself. I booed Dempsey when he was introduced because this is my pitch, damn it, and I’m going to boo Dempsey on it and I laughed when he fumbled that kick in the first half right to their defender, but otherwise, I just cheered all the players on both sides because that’s the best way I know to enjoy a friendly like this. Booing doesn’t mean I don’t think Dempsey has soccer skills (though I might question whether they’re really all that the hype suggests), but that there’s a story. Would I boo him on another pitch in a non-MLS game? Probably not.

    I can see both sides of the capo/tifo/log issue. As a Timber, I’m rabbiting proud of the traditions I have joined into. I like showing those traditions off. But they are Timbers traditions, not MLS traditions, not Providence Park traditions. They aren’t for sale. You want to experience the Timbers traditions, come to a proper Timbers match – one with hardware on the line. And if you’re going to stand in the 100’s, forget the cameras, watch the people around you, and cheer. Those seats come with responsibility and the best part of the experience: cheering the team.
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  • 08/29/2016 9:43 PM | 107ist Admin (Administrator)
    Scott Wilkinson says:
    Friday, August 8, 2014 at 10:11 am

    @Caedmon Michael

    Caedmon,

    That was well said. I really appreciated what you said about about the traditions of the Timbers Army being Timbers Traditions, not MLS Traditions. That is an important aspect to remember for me because although it would be awesome for the MLS to have supporters as vast in numbers as the TA, it’s one that is not built overnight, and is not sponsored by AT&T.

    As far as booing, it’s definitely a balance for me. I grew up in Philadelphia and am a life-long Philly sport fan, turned Portland Timbers fanatic when I experienced MLS Game #1 vs. Chicago. I learned how to boo in Philadelphia (granted we booed our home team most of the time…). I want to root for the league because I want it to be superior than the Bundesliga, I want Pep to respect Caleb as he would Sir Alex or someone else. For me that involves rooting for everyone in the MLS regardless and it also involves supporters group like the Army or ECS or Sons of Ben, being Pro-MLS and asking for volunteers to come up with a few cheers (Nah, nah, nah, nah, Hey Hey Hey Auf Wiedersehen), and waving flags in support of the league. I don’t think there is anything inauthentic about that.
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  • 08/29/2016 9:43 PM | 107ist Admin (Administrator)
    Sara Smith says:
    Friday, August 8, 2014 at 12:24 pm (Edit)

    The problem I had as myself and a couple rows of my section chanted “mls, mls” was being booed and told to “shut up” and “stop trying to get on tv” by other 107ist members and regular front row people of 106/107. It was very shameful. Because wasn’t that the point didn’t we want the mls team to win? So why was it wrong for me to try to support that? If you’re going to just be angry and bitter the whole game, why even come…someone else would have been ecstatic to have your ticket. The more and more down hill the positive culture of the 107ist goes the more and more I want to get reserve seats.

    -STH since 2007, 107ish member 5+ years
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