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A whole slew of news rumor out of the Pacific Northwest today. We received this mass mailing in our email box about an hour and a half ago:
For immediate release: Oct. 7, 2008
The following statement is issued by Shortstop, LLC President Merritt Paulson regarding today’s submission of a formal bid to Major League Soccer (MLS) for the acquisition of a Portland franchise:
“Today, on behalf of the greatest soccer fans in America, we submitted our formal application to bring Major League Soccer to Portland. We expect to get a response to our application no later than March of next year. In the meantime, we will continue to work with MLS, city officials and the community to turn this exciting idea into reality for Portland and Oregon.”
We at MLSR as frequent readers know, fully support the Portland 2011 bid. For more, see MLStoPDX.com.
W00t w00t!!!
UP THE TIMBER'S ARMY!!
UP ROSE CITY!!
This is absolutely great news! Paulson has his stuff together and Portland will bring so much culture and passion to the league.
Bring MLS to Portland!!!!!!!
Portland is ready, let's do this!
no converting an old, beaten down stadium into a soccer venue. C'mon, hopefully that's not what MLS is about
Hmm, so instead of Portland, you would have MLS expand to a city that wants to play in an old, oversized football stadium, or one that locates a new stadium way out in the burbs.
Most of us hope that appropriately sized downtown stadiums near bars, nightlife and transit IS what MLS is about. Actually, based on the Toronto model, that's what MLS is about these days.
And if that stadium has a history of soccer ranging from Pele to MNT and Womens World Cup games, I actually don't see that as a drawback, especially when tens of millions would go into optimizing it.
The 1-2 Sara Palins out there that are trying to create a stadium issue out of one of the best stadiums in play for 2011 are simply embarrassing themselves.
You betcha.
Portland should NEVER get in before St Louis.
Great news!!! Portland is the best of the options, with a great stadium, awesome fanbase, authenticity and history.
Bring portland to MLS!!!
MLStoPDX
You're talking about the stadium like it's a done deal. MLS will want guarantees that the city is going to foot that bill for the renovation and the new baseball stadium. No renovation guarantees then no MLS. Garber has enough options that he can play hardball with Portland and make them sort out the funding first and foremost. Without that guarantee Garber will never take the risk of giving Portland a team only for the city to reject the renovation proposal later.
The stadium funding is already nearly a done deal and will be guaranteed before MLS makes a decision of course.
There is really no issue with the stadium funding. Formalities yes, but the council has already written a unanimous committment to MLS and these are the same 5 people that will vote in January, in time for MLS to make a decision by March as stated in the press release.
Don't worry about Portland's stadium funding.