—by Andrew Brawley

“Well, that happened.”

--Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, January 31, 1948

Today was one particularly trying day in a never-ending series of tests for Portland sports fans. For a city full of counter-culture hipsters, outskirted tea party enthusiasts, and once-cool-now-boring suburbanites, today was that rare day when you could go to your nearest non-corporate coffee shop and/or food cart, see the person next to you, eyes closed, with their finger and thumb gently grasping the bridge of their nose and know exactly what they’re thinking.

They’re thinking “well, that happened.”

The only reason they’re not clenching their fist and hitting their forehead is because they’ve become accustomed to this feeling and no longer need to numb themselves from this pain. It’s generally known as “being a sports fan in Portland.”

If you weren’t casually grasping your nose, you were likely following the developing story lines on Twitter…all while likely delaying that thing you were supposed to be working on (not the case for me ;)). The media-savvy in this town, all of them, will serve up an opinion just as quickly as they’ll absorb one. Today, the opinions, conspiracy theories, and predictions were flowing like indescribable items in the Willamette.

For Timbers fans, the inevitable finally went down. Original MLS coach John Spencer was relieved of his duties. While many were offering opinions on whether or not it was the right thing for owner Merritt Paulson to do, nobody could say it was a surprise.

For Blazers fans, news of Pacers all-star center Roy Hibbert likely remaining in Indiana hit just a few hours before the Blazers introduced this year’s draft picks at a press conference. Hibbert’s lynchpin status means that forward Nicolas Batum might be in a Timberwolves uniform by the end of this week, and the entire 2012-2013 season may have gone from “reload” to “rebuild” in a matter of hours.

For fans of both teams (and believe me when I say the percentage of crossover fans is huge), this was not a fun day. Portland is a passionate city, and the two local pro sports teams get to reap the rewards that come with that passion. Both JELD-WEN Field and the Rose Garden are known throughout their respective leagues as being incredibly difficult places for opponents to play in, regardless of how good the home team might be. Portland is proof that fans can actually contribute (more or less) to the outcome of a game.

In the announcement of Spencer’s departure, it was evident that Paulson did not come to this decision lightly. Both of them appeared (publicly, at least) willing to go to great lengths to see the other succeed. Anyone questioning Paulson’s devotion to winning prior to watching today’s press conference has been rightfully quieted. While many had chosen sides on Spencer’s tenure (and, to some degree, Wilkinson’s) long ago, those calling for him to be sacked could not have watched today’s press conference with a smile. It was a somber moment, so much that even the tone on Twitter was rather subdued by even the most vocal of fans.

So Portland sports fans, here we go again…again. As the Timbers try to replace a boat engine from the middle of the river, the Blazers just had their prized boat bought out from under them and have to find a new one altogether, not to mention they still need an engine as well. (For non-Portlanders, we have lots of boats and water here, hence that analogy.)

If you’re looking for answers on what to do from here, I’d advise you to search within. I’m not the Confucius you’re looking for, and I worry I’m starting to become the Andy Rooney of the TA (eyebrows and all). I imagine my method of healing will involve our generous bounty of local microbrews, specialty donuts and some carefully selected Slayer tracks. Anyone is welcome to tag along, as long as we remember that healing and looking forward are the main objectives.

Our title(s) will come one day, perhaps even within our lifetime. In order to appreciate the highs, you have to experience the lows. This is a concept our rivals will never understand as we do, and I am (mostly) thankful for that.

PS – best wishes to John Spencer and his family on their next adventure. Your tenure here will not be forgotten.

This is an opinion piece and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the 107ist or the TA.