—by Andrew Brawley

Earlier today, Prost Amerika Editor Steve Clare posted a great piece about the future of MLS as it ventures into the “post-Beckham” era. Like him or hate him, it’s hard to argue that the “Beckham experiment” wasn’t a success. Attendance is up. TV viewership is up (slightly…more on that later). Combined with the Cascadian expansion and NHL lockout, MLS is in prime position for continued positive growth, while other pro sports leagues look to have steeper hills to climb.

After proclaiming NBC Sports commentator (and former Sounders voice) Arlo White to be the something along the lines of a soundtrack for the advancement of soccer in America (insert obligatory anti-Sounders rant here), Clare uses the second half of his article to say that the role of David Beckham as the unofficial face and ambassador of MLS is likely to be filled by the fans, particularly supporters groups.

If you think about it, supporters groups are a major factor of the MLS experience that helps the league stand out from the American pro sports pack. We’re numerous. We’re fun. We’re loud. We’re diverse. We’re organized. We make clever signs. And, to the delight of big name advertisers and media buyers, we’re young and have disposable income.

Clare further states that supporters groups and the suits at respective teams’ front offices, as well as at MLS headquarters, will need to collaborate on a frequent basis in order to protect this forward momentum. Clare then uses a word that tends to strike fear in the hearts of supporters groups: “compromise.”

While Portland’s front office staff and supporters can talk a big game within the realm of MLS, something tells me that both sides of the negotiation table (front office on one side, 107ist board members on the other) will need to go even further when it comes to compromising in the future. Today’s announcement of a 96% season ticket renewal rate, plus a waiting list of about 6,500, reveals that the Timbers front office will have to go to great lengths to screw this thing up (no, I’m not challenging them to that). It also reveals that Portland sports fans might be gluttons for punishment.

Considering the 2012 season was one of the most emotionally painful sports journeys I can remember, a 96% renewal rate, plus a deep waiting list, does give the front office a bit of negotiating advantage over the TA when it comes to things like game day operations, post-mortem incident reviews, away travel issues, etc. (In summary: “if you don’t like it, there’s someone else behind you waiting to buy your seats.”) However, owner Merritt Paulson has gone on record plenty of times saying that the Timbers Army is a large part of what makes every Timbers match special. I can’t imagine him having the gall to implement major restrictions that would alter this experience.

We’re quite fortunate with what we’ve got here in Portland, likely to the point where most other MLS teams and supporters groups would label us as “spoiled.” And I think I have to agree with that sentiment. When fans line up too early on match days and scratch and claw against line cutters for prime general admission seats, a wristband solution is developed. When food options get slightly repetitive, local food carts are invited into JELD-WEN Field on match days. Don’t care for Budweiser? Why not have one of many local microbrews (let’s just forget about that one-time Spiced IPA thing, ok?). Oh, and so what if our team has spent all season hovering around the bottom of the table…we’re still gonna see camera crews from ESPN and NBC (that’s right…not just NBC Sports, but NB-MF’n-C) at JWF!

In Portland, this is status quo. For most other teams in MLS, these are situations that both fans and front office staff would sell their eternal souls for.

Speaking of TV, this is one area where we could probably use a slight amount of compromise amongst ourselves. We seem to have appointed ourselves to be the “keepers of cool,” especially with regard to “sticking it to the Man” by going out our way to defy any act that might resemble an endorsement of Walt Disney and Comcast (owners of ESPN and NBC, respectively). That’s an admirable stance to take considering you probably already pay them money to watch Timbers away matches on TV, but I digress. God forbid we see a camera boom whip around 10 feet in front of us in the North End and resist the urge to extend 20 middle fingers into the air, or unleash the fury contained within what you perceive to be the most mind-blowing hand-made two-stick ever. Hate to break it to ya’, but Portland’s status of cool-by-default left town once Portlandia season two began production. National TV networks are gonna be at Timbers matches whether we like it or not, so you might as well get used to it, Occupiers.

Granted, the support of national TV networks toward American soccer in recent years has been lackluster at best. Putting a Saturday afternoon marquee match (such as our 9/15 match hosting Seattle) on NBC to compete against Lord-knows-how-many college football games was a terrible idea. The fact that it pulled even a 0.4 rating is amazing. Meanwhile, last weekend’s MLS Cup match drew an also-terrible 0.7 rating. This is actually below the 0.8 rating that the 6/24 Portland-Seattle match drew on ESPN, which also happened the be the third-highest-rated regular season MLS match on cable ever.

While we strive to never kowtow to the demands of the suits representing the front office, MLS, and TV networks, we must recognize that unless the TV numbers improve over the next few years, this current forward momentum could be greatly reduced. If that happens, the sport suffers.

In addition to TV issues, when MLS touts their average attendance figures becoming larger than those of the NHL, threatening hockey’s place as the number four pro sport in America, they usually forget to mention that NHL seasons consist of 82 games, half at home, half on the road. That’s 41 home games for season ticket holders, families of four, local businesses, temporary workers, etc. to attend over about seven months, not counting playoffs. MLS currently remains at a 34-match season (17 home games), with more days of rest between matches over eight months, not counting playoffs.

Plus, hockey’s a bit more of an expensive sport to grow up in (skates, pads, ice rink rental, etc.) and/or follow compared to soccer. It’s a much larger revenue stream to manage, and that’s without corporate logos on players’ chests. I could go into my unmowed backyard on this rainy night and start a pick-up soccer game with my dog right now if I wanted to. There’s far more money to be made (and lost) with hockey in this country. With soccer, if the MLS Players’ Union threatens to strike at the next round of negotiations with team owners, I’d be surprised to see it anywhere near the front page…of the sports section. Yes, soccer is growing in this country, and could become #4 soon, but that just means that soccer is in 4^th place. That wouldn’t even qualify for a medal at high school track meets.

While MLS and the American soccer scene are on the right path, it’s still on fragile ground, and even the slightest bump in the road could derail the entire thing. As members of the Timbers Army, arguably the largest and most under-the-microscope supporters group in this country, we must acknowledge that our actions (both positive and negative) will have an impact far beyond our city limits.

A wise man named Uncle Spiderman once said “with great power comes great responsibility.” We didn’t go out of our way to become this phenomenon. We just happened to become it, simply by being our unique weirdo selves. As a result, we must recognize that it’s in our best interest to act as leaders in all aspects of our support.

• Have spirited fun in the North End, but snuff out those whose idea of fun includes language or actions that are sexist, homophobic, racist, etc.
• Volunteer and/or donate to the TA’s charitable causes and other community initiatives like Harper’s Playground, Operation Pitch Invasion, AC Portland, etc.
• Avoid looking foolish in front of anyone holding a camera. Just be yourself…a Timbers supporter. (While you're at it, don't get involved with any Nickelback-wannabe bands. Seriously.)

We can’t use the 2012 Timbers season as a measuring stick to compare future awesome seasons against if the league ceases to exist. By acting as leaders, both inside and outside of JWF, this sport has no option but to grow within the United States.

 

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

And history has repeated itself...welcome to the AEG Cup! Er, um, we mean MLS Cup featuring Los Angeles Galaxy and Houston Dynamo.

Join the Timbers Army and AC Portland for the 2012 MLS Cup Viewing at Alberta Substation. This family-friendly locale features numerous televisions and big screens, as well as great food and drinks. There will be a $5 suggested donation, the benefits of which go to AC Portland.

The match starts at 1:00 PM, so come a bit early for a prime viewing spot and decent parking in the Alberta Arts District, which can be a bit tricky. See you this weekend!

—by Chris Rifer

Kings of Cascadia! But seriously, that was mostly wretched. In any case, it’s over now.

From a league-wide perspective, the end of 2012 feels an awful lot like the end of 2011. Galaxy-Dynamo in the MLS Cup Final! Is David Beckham leaving MLS?! Fredy Montero, no means no postseason goals! But we’ll deal with the MLS in a couple weeks.

This week, it’s about our team, the mighty PTFC. There were reasons for optimism after a 2011 campaign that saw a fast start, a muddled middle, and a strong finish. Finishing four points out of a playoff spot, the obvious expectation for 2012 was to qualify for the postseason. We all know how that worked out.

Nonetheless, there are reasons to think that 2012’s ineptitude was as much a mix of bad luck and bad mentality as it was a bad roster.[1] First, as we’ve discussed ad nauseum, the Timbers luck in 2012 was awful. Moving on. Second, the 2012 Timbers showed a remarkable ability to ship points to bad teams while playing up to quality opposition. Don’t believe me? 24 of the Timbers’ 34 stinking points this past year came from playoff teams. Finally, many of the most cringe-worthy performances came from that midsummer nightmare wherein the Timbers’ wheels came completely off the wagon. So, as I’ve discussed previously, I think this team was poor, but perhaps not as bad as their position on the table suggests.

That said, clearly serious changes are in order this winter. While it’s unlikely further changes are going to be made at the top, there should be a number of 2012 faces missing from the practice pitch when the Timbers come back together in 2013. Who will those be? Glad you asked.

Former Timbers

Freddie Braun – Showed flashes of being a guy that could break into the lineup in one capacity or another, but apparently wasn’t improving at the necessary rate to stay with the team. Of the three already announced departures already announced, the former U-23er is emotionally the toughest loss. All the best to Freddie.

Charles Renken – If Braun was the toughest loss, Renken was the biggest surprise. Considering he looked halfway decent for his age in a handful of reserve matches, you have to wonder if something in his contract was a bigger problem than his potential. Still, surprised he didn’t get one more year to show some development.

Ian Hogg – Not the Kiwi many supporters wanted to see on the waiver list.

Imminently Former Timbers

Lovel Palmer – Obvi.

Steve Purdy – If he couldn’t make a case to be in the team at right back this year, he never will.

Mike Fucito – There’s more to soccer than running a lot and being small. In 2012, Fucito found that out the hard way.

Kosuke Kimura – The fact that he didn’t lose his job a right back is a testament to how desperate that whole situation was.

Kris Boyd – Objectively, seven goals in 26 appearances isn’t as disastrous as it felt. But it’s hard to shake the impression he quit on the team after John Spencer was shown the door. While his contract may make him difficult to move, I would be surprised if the Timbers didn’t find a way to offload him, even if it means eating a substantial portion of his wages.

Chris Taylor – The fact that the team brought in Ian Hogg for a glorified trial doesn’t bode well for Chris.

Rodney Wallace – He’s clearly lost his spot at left back to Steven Smith, and there are a number of better options at left mid on the roster already. With his salary number, there is no way he should be back as a backup left back or – at best – third-choice left wing.

Futty – This makes me sad, but it’s probably the right thing to do.

One Bad Year Away from Being a Former Timber

Kalif Alhassan – Kalif’s 2012 season eerily mirrored the Timbers’. It started with tremendous promise, and was quickly derailed by inconsistency and bad luck. There is absolutely no question Kalif has the talent to be an impact MLS player. There is substantial question about whether he has the maturity and durability. If he doesn’t show some of the latter in 2013, he may find himself putting his hands up for a new club.

Jake Gleeson – Had his 2012 club season put on ice by injuries, but even when he was healthier toward the end of the year, it looked like Joe Bendik had become the undisputed #2 keeper. A working class hero, maybe, but a #3 keeper isn’t something to be.

Eric Brunner – Perhaps the safest of the bunch, and this was also largely injury related, but David Horst and Hanyer Mosquera emerged as the clear top choice centerbacks in 2012. With Andrew Jean-Baptiste showing potential behind him, if Eric has another lackluster year, he could find himself on the outs.

Ryan Kawulok – He looks an awful lot like 2013’s Freddie Braun. That said, considering the desperate right back situation, if he can develop he might find himself in the team.

Eric Alexander – He led the team in assists in 2012 with a grand total of 24 appearances and 12 starts. So there’s a strong case that he’s undervalued. But with Franck Songo’o and Sal Zizzo having the inside track to start on the wings, and Kalif Alhassan always lurking, Eric may have to find a way to ply his trade in a more central role if he wants a long-term place with the Timbers.

So, if that’s who is on the outs – or at least on notice – what should the Timbers be looking to bring in before camp opens?

Offseason Priorities

Right Back – The clear top priority. Ryan Kawoluk is the only 2012 right back with a snowball’s chance of returning in 2013, and he’s not a legitimate starting XI candidate at this point. The Timbers will have to bring somebody in here or you can write the story on 2013 before it begins.

Defensive Central Midfield – This isn’t as pressing a need, as Jack Jewsbury is still passable at this spot. But the captain is getting on in years, and Diego Chara is The Sidler, not a destroyer. The Timbers will need one to take Jack’s spot at some point in the fairly near future, and nobody on the roster is an obvious candidate. While some have mentioned Jonathan Bornstein as a candidate at fullback upgrade, I think it is more likely he could step into this role if he returns to MLS, even if he is an imperfect fit for Caleb Porter’s system.

Striker – The Timbers have lots of interesting young pieces at this position, but nobody proven. Bright Dike made a surprisingly compelling case for being a legitimate MLS striker late in 2012, and the roster still features well-compensated youngsters Danny Mwanga and Trencito Valencia, but no veteran presence to bring the young guns along. Kris Boyd was a serious disappointment in that respect. Accordingly, don’t be surprised to see Portland bring on a veteran striker, perhaps from the MLS ranks, this offseason. Would Merritt Paulson throw crazy money at Chris Wondolowski? I’m only 80% sure the answer is no, and 52% sure he shouldn’t. After all, in many ways, Bright Dike is a Steven Lenhart with dignity.

Onward, Rose City!

At the Sunday board meeting, the board voted unanimously to send the next issue of the Whipsaw out to all members. The deadline is fast approaching, so please submit original stories, art or photos to whipsaw[AT]timbersarmy.org

This is the off-season issue so stories about the past season or predictions for the next are welcome. Write up your Seattle Away experience, muse on the future of the roster, or write about your reaction to the fanladen. We're always open to new stories, so send em in before November 22nd for inclusion in the next issue.

Cheers!

We all had a great time introducing you to the Fanladen and snuggling up to the Cascadia Cup. It was a fantastic afternoon and also a landmark moment in the evolution of 107ist and Timbers Army. Thank you to everyone who came out and shared the day.

We must thank our exceptional photographers. They are all pros who volunteered their time and talent: Steven Lenhart, Liv Schelly and Colleen Sparks. Please consider using them the next time you want any sort of portraits or sessions done.

Steven Lenhart's website

Liv Schelly's website

Colleen Sparks's website

And for those that missed out...should we do another photo shoot?

Last month we held an informal open house at the Timbers Army fanladen, when a few of you had a chance to get a sneak peek at our new space. Since then a lot of extra work has taken place, and we are ready to declare the place officially open.

The fanladen allows us to better meet our members’ needs, have safe storage of inventory, and provide ample creative space for us to continue to lead the way with our expressions of support for the boys. And, as it’s located at SW 17th and Alder, it’s just a dodgy keeper’s goal kick away from the stadium.

We invite you to join us to socialize with your Timbers Army brothers and sisters and enjoy some of the festivities we have planned.

What: Official Fanladen Opening

When: Sunday, November 11th from 1pm to 6pm

Where: The Fanladen, 1633 SW Alder St.

• Come have your photo taken with the Cascadia Cup, thanks to Steven Lenhart, Liv Shelly, and Colleen Sparks
• Renew your membership for 2013
• • A special gift will be provided to the first 350 who join or renew on site November 11
  • Plus ALL members who join or renew by December 31, 2012 will receive a 107ist t-shirt in addition to the normal membership packet and swag in early 2013
• Enjoy free refreshments, including beer, soft drinks and snacks, with a special shout out to Jerry for donating a keg from Lompoc
• Limited edition box set scarf purchase auction (see below for details)—A beautiful box set of scarves will be available for purchase during the grand opening
• Special limited edition merchandise (see below for details)—No Pity Originals has cooked up some great limited edition merchandise fitting for this momentous occasion. Many of these items will never be sold again, so don't miss out!
• Last season merch sale and 'look what we found when we cleaned the van' bargain bin

LIMITED EDITION: Rose City 'Til I Die/Bury Me In Green & Gold Scarf Set

Limited to 107 pieces. This box set includes a gorgeous red/burgundy "RCTID" bar scarf, and green/gold "Bury Me In Green & Gold" bar scarf. Completing the set is a special Timbers Army display box, featuring Timbers Army and No Pity Originals imagery, along with a special map of the area surrounding the Fanladen. A portion of these box sets will be pre-sold to those that helped build the fanladen and the top volunteers in the 2012 volunteer tracking database. The majority will be allocated through a raffle to be held as part of the opening event.

If you are interested in purchasing a limited edition box set of scarves, request your raffle ticket upon arrival at the fanladen. Winning tickets will be pulled periodically throughout the event. If your ticket is drawn, you have the right to purchase a single box set. Winners must either be present to win or must be available to answer the phone when their tickets are drawn.

Box sets are $50 each (one-per-person limit)

Heritage Collection

Portland has a rich footballing history that stretches back to the late 1800's. What began as locals battling British sailors quickly evolved into coordinated teams and leagues. Our Heritage Collection pays tribute to this strong heritage with two limited edition t-shirts. Honor the first official football club in Portland with our "Portland Association Football Club" shirt.

Shortly after Portland's first football club came Portland's first football league. All six participants are featured on our "Portland Football Association" shirt: Multnomah Red & White, Oregon Railroad & Navigation, The Cricketers, The Crescents, Caledonians, and Columbias.

Shirts are $15 each

Limited Edition Headwear

To mark this momentous occasion, No Pity Originals has re-issued all of our classic headwear in a traditional 1970's colorway. This will be the first and probably the last time you'll see the classic colors on these hat designs.

Hats are $20 each

It's finally happening!

What: The official Harper's Playground Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

When: Saturday, November 3 - 11:00 am

Where: Arbor Lodge Park, 6825 North Delaware Avenue

Three years ago, the Timbers Army and the 107IST weren’t what they are today. In those three years we have grown, both as a group and as an organization within the community. Your membership alone gets you priority on away travel, discounts at our partner businesses, and the knowledge that in some way you helped with amazing tifo displays. And in many ways, your membership in the 107IST also has a direct return in the community.

Three years ago, the 107IST donated the $3,500 in profits from the original sunflower scarves to Harper’s Playground. In 2011 we designed the Harper’s Playground Everybody Plays scarf and generated $20,375 to Harper’s Playground.

This year, through various fundraisers, the 107IST has raised $47,500 for Harper’s Playground in the final push to complete the playground.

We’re very happy and excited to invite every single member of 107ist and the Timbers Army to the ribbon cutting on Saturday November 3rd at 11:00 am at Arbor Lodge Park. This is your membership making a positive impact in your community. Come on down to celebrate our town with Harper’s family and friends.

Win a Car

In the final push to tie up some loose ends, Harper’s father Cody is also auctioning off his 1976 Cadillac Golden Fleetwood. Purchase raffle tickets here. Join us at the Radio Room on Friday November 2nd at 10:00 pm for the official raffle giveaway (winner does not have to be present).

Help Still Needed

Additionally, Cody has requested 6-8 people come to the playground on Saturday morning at 8:00 am to help spruce the site up prior to the ribbon cutting ceremony. If you have interest please contact garrett.dittfurth@107ist.org for further details.

I was looking at the calendar and realized that there hadn’t been a post about the Timbers Army Football Club results in a while. It’s not that I didn’t want to put something together, but it’s a bit more difficult when life and your club get in the way. I'm not going out to get myself one of those Franklin-Covey systems either to help, but perhaps as you read this, it will make more sense why it's been a while since our last aggregate post.

I hadn’t traveled to support the Timbers yet this season, but was able to be in Seattle and Vancouver for both October road matches, and while that’s good from the fan perspective, the other side of being on a Timbers Army Football Club team is that the league doesn’t necessarily stop for events like this.  As evidenced by many of the messages on the TAFC HQ page, TA clubs were scrambling to find eligible players to fill many roles for matches that just couldn’t be rescheduled.  With ten clubs in the Greater Portland Soccer District under the TA umbrella and many other clubs having people interested in the Timbers, you would think this would come under some thought when they were setting up the master schedule.  While I understand there is a limited about of time and fields available, it doesn’t make sense to me to have Timbers Army matches on weekends with Timbers matches.  But that’s a soapbox that I don’t want to go down.

The second thing that has delayed the recaps has been the update to the website for team pages and results.  It’s still under process at this point, and while the news feed is listing some of the games being played in the Fall 2012 term, it’s not listing everything. I use the pages as a backbone of the amalgamated report that I do, and it’s a lot more difficult to do that when you have no reference links.  I know the technical team is working very hard to get everything set up and sorted, and when it’s done, it’s going to be fabulous for anyone to keep track of what’s going on with the TAFC clubs.  I’m even somewhat impressed with the website updates that GPSD has done to the league pages because it’s easier navigation and better to read.  As we say, though, all good upgrades take time.

The third bit of news and probably the one that has stuck with me the most is the events at the Old Growth FC match on October 14.  By now, most of the Timbers Army knows what happened at halftime and what actions various members of OGFC did to save a life.  The incident spurred a lot of attention towards getting CPR classes set up and processes to ensure that AEDs were available at all fields just in case, and I applaud those who are giving their time and efforts to these endeavors.  Strategic planning is a wonderful skill, but often, many of us don’t plan for things until a true emergency situation hits.  The outcome of the day could have been far different without the team effort displayed by many, though.  I have to admit that when OGFC finally took the field again this past weekend after our October 20 match was moved, it felt like years had passed since our previous match even though it had been just three weeks.

We can add the distractions of the Timbers along as well because there’s certainly a lot going on there even though the team has started their offseason.  The biggest reason behind that is I expect this to be a season of tremendous change within the Timbers.  I know that’s to be anticipated when you bring on a new coach and there’s questions about which players will return, but at the same point, I believe there will be a big move or trade sometime this offseason.  I’m not basing that on any inside knowledge due to my other role with Oregonlive.com, but more of a premonition looking at the months ahead.  Granted, it’s a bit easier for me when I have facts and figures to fall back on with my statements, so this is new territory for me to rely upon my gut.  If I’m right, well, then I suppose I can trust it more often as I probably should have over the years.  If I’m wrong, well, the stomach goes back to its primary role of food consumption and I return to the land of facts and figures.

I promise that this column will eventually become a regular feature once the website updates are completed, and the process to get results out to the readers becomes more streamlined.  Perhaps by that point, I’ll have figured out if my gut instinct was right.  Until then, have a great rest of your day and Go Timbers!

—by Garrett Dittfurth

Every once in a while I find myself shaking my head at the league. This is one of those times. Here's a screen cap of MLSSoccer.com.

That may seem pretty innocent to you. Upon further inspection it doesn't get so innocent. First of all that's a picture of neither LA's or Vancouver's supporters groups. That's a picture of the Timbers Army in Salt Lake City last year. Second of all, and more specifically, that's a picture of the Timbers Army lighting flares in Salt Lake City.

If the league is going to insist on bans for people who light flares, smoke, and is so inept they can't get a universal flag/tifo policy in place that works league wide the least they could do would be to talk to the marketing department and tell them not to use pictures of supporters doing things that will get them banned by the league. It's a gigantic double standard that for some reason the suits at the league just don't understand. On one hand the marketing folks think it looks awesome and really shows how edgy the league is. On the other hand they've hired outside consultants from all over the world to tell them how to discipline supporters groups for lighting flares/smoke and actively discourage it.

So I can't wait for the homepage of MLSSoccer to be updated for Houston's second round match against KC. Here's the picture MLS marketing/design folks. Just grab it from a screen cap of this video. It seems to fit the bill for something that you guys would use in a promo video.

And so begins the off-season. A time for reflection, a time for change, and a time for drinks with friends.

Join your Timbers Army brethren for First Thursday at the Bitter End. Though it’s only been a few days since the last match, First Thursday falls THIS THURSDAY, November 1st. The festivities, as usual, begin at 7:01 PM.

Timbers Army First Thursdays and Third Saturdays are great ways to meet folks and make in-roads to get involved with Timbers Army activities. Plus, we don’t have that much time left at the Bitter End, so come ready to see the old pub off. Translation: BE THERE!

What: Timbers Army First Thursday

When: Thursday, November 1st 2012 at 7:01 PM

Where: Bitter End Pub, 1981 W Burnside St

You can even RSVP for the event on Facebook.