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Big thanks to one of our many readers, Michael, for pointing this out.
According to Brad Schmidt at the Oregonian (click here for the original and all the details), “sports team owner Merritt Paulson told Beaverton officials that the future of Major League Soccer in Portland hinges entirely on whether he can find a new home for his minor league baseball team, the Portland Beavers.”
“Yes,” Paulson responded. “But it’s conditional on finalizing the deal with Portland. And if I don’t get a baseball deal done, I’m not going to finalize the deal with Portland. So MLS will not come to Portland unless I do a deal for a new baseball park.”
What do you think? Really irritated if you are a member of the Timbers Army? Kind of scary that bids are pulling out or not living up to their hype? Should Garber step in? Does Paulson have a fair point? Posturing or sincerity?
-Patrick Beatty
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Sounds like Paulson is posturing to me.
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Selfish prat. Timbers fans deserve better.
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Paulson should privately finance it.
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Personally, I think PGE can be renovated for MLS soccer and still be home to the Beavers.
(just look at CommunityAmerica Park’s job as the Wizards’ temporary home, or the Earthquakes potentially sharing a new stadium with a relocated Oakland A’s franchise)
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MLS requires a soccer specific stadium proposal. So the Beavers and Timbers sharing PGE Park is not an option.
This has a chance of blowing up in Paulson’s face
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Joey probably called the DON as soon as he herd this.
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A lot of Portlanders really hated Merritt Paulson and his dad Henry Paulson to begin with. Then Merritt Paulson said and did a lot of stupid things this year, such as writing threatening op-eds in the newspaper and reacting angrily to council members and citizens. Most of us still supported him despite his obvious flaws and background because he was trying to bring the MLS to Portland. Now I am just fed up, and I think many others are too. The MLS needs to find another owner who wants to take a chance on Portland. The Paulsons don’t really belong here.
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HAHAHAHAHA!!! Oh the drama, I can’t help but love it.
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ooooo, im shaking in my boots. portland needs mls more than mls needs portland. with st louis and montreal on the waiting list, id have no problem sending portland to the back of the line.
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MLS should obviously NOT come if PGE isn’t made suitable.
This shouldn’t even be a debate. MLS has spent too much time and effort getting quality facilities on line to put up with club owners who can’t get their ducks in a row.
It’s bad enough that SJ ownership is playing a game of “just hang with us, we swear, this time we’ve got it all figured out,” KC’s people are playing a shell game with location, DCU is sticking with their crumbling hulk and New England insists on playing with a 3/4 empty stadium and football lines.
The last thing MLS needs is yet another team playing in a facility designed for a different sport that looks awful on TV. Give the expansion team to Montreal, where they already have a decent stadium.
I’m the first to say Portland would be great for MLS, but NOT with a ballpark that pretends it’s a soccer pitch on Saturdays. And has been said, this is a RED FLAG that this ownership isn’t suitable to develop community partnerships.
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Soccer City USA?
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Pete, it’s a tough name to live up to, and one which we probably shouldn’t flaunt too much. It is a holdover from our first year in the NASL when we made it to the championship game. Soccer was new to Portland, and we thought that since we had such a great year that we were the best soccer city in the country. Little did we know at the time that soccer already had a rich history in this country, especially in New England, New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, and St. Louis.
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Portland is Soccer city USA! Go Check it out!
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Portland out…Montreal in…oh well. Stop at 18.
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Jesus Portland, get your shit together.
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Just relocate the baseball team or pause that team for a while, Timbers is more important than baseball. But Timbers better watch out, Montreal and St.Louis and Miami and so many other cities are looking in, dont be surprise if a USL team jumps in with money a good looking stadium since USL is having trouble. MLS right now has a buffet of cities to pick from………..its just who wants it more. By the way future stadiums, make them with a roof cover for winter and summer climate, we need roof cover because truth hurts, and its better MLS future
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Um, baseball is NOT more important than soccer, because the importance of a sport varies from person to person. Of course, WE think it’s more important, but there are a lot of people in Portland that absolutely LOVE the Beavers. I actually love going to baseball games, and I can understand why people are upset about all of this. That said, a new stadium with a bit less capacity would serve the Beavers better than PGE is right now.
Thing is, they should try and cut costs for the baseball stadium…make it no frills.
Also, MLS wants Portland pretty badly right now. Montreal looks like a lock, REGARDLESS. St. Louis and Miami are desirable markets for MLS, but the league wants a solid ownership group to emerge. I don’t think Portland is going to get replaced. Any city that gets into MLS from now on would probably get in anyway.
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We may not have always been in the past, and it might change in the future.
But right now, Seattle is “Soccer City USA”.
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Seattle fans only option is to try to rip off stuff that belonged to other cities and fan groups. First they can’t develop original chants so they steal their whole repartoire from other clubs, then they want to take Portland’s Soccer City USA. Embarassing.
Seattle wants to be Portland. Maybe try developing your own culture instead of relying on others, even your arch rivals.
And even when you chant those chants or call yourself soccer city, everybody knows they don’t really belong to you.
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Portland, maybe after you climb into the MLS on our backs you can talk shit. But while you’re still riding piggyback, perhaps a little appreciation is in order.
I feel the same about Seattle fans talking shit about the teams like United, NE, LA, Chicago, and Columbus that got us here. It’s good to want to beat them, but important to remember they built the league we’re enjoying and suffered through a lot of years of weird MLS decisions before we showed up.
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Paul, no disrespect bro but you are a complete dipshit. I am from Chicago, I have been to both Seattle and Portland. Seattle for vacation and Portland to go to my friends cousin’s wedding. Seattl is a world class city. Its so beautiful and Qwest field is awesome and so are their fans. When I was in seattle I didnt want to leave, when I was in Portland leaving was all I could think about. No foffense but its a dump and there is simplpy no diversity. I am part black so it is not a great city in my mind de to the lack of african americans. I have family in seattle and there are more black people there so I just feel more at home. Also when I was at the sounders vs. fire game and I saw the fire supporters section. I thought it was cool to see fellow chicagoans made the trip to support the fire so I went to say hi to them and show my support and how I also made the trip. Heres the catch, they were all from portland! What does that say about being good fans. You guys were wearing the gear of a future opposing team? Thats weak, and you were doing this to root against seattle. My friend here in chicago who moved from Tukwila, WA (Just south of Seattle) said you guys are basically like the younger brother of seattle and that you all go up and try to root for their seahawks and mariners as if they are your teams. It really seems to me like Portland is obsessed with Seattle and want to be Seattle and you have them to thank for your getting in to the MLS which may not happen now.
Go Fire!
PS. Portland, please get off our nuts. And Seattle’s nuts too.
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Derek Portland is not getting into the MLS on anyone’s back
on there knees maybe…
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@ James,
I loved your comments. Here’s more evidence of the Timbers Army hanging with Section 8.
http://sterlinho.blogspot.com/2009/07/section-8-and-timbers-army-really.html
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