Honk if you support the Timbers

By: Bob Kellett | May 7th, 2008

Without much fanfare
From the club’s Tuesday press release: “The Timbers announced today the club has signed goalkeeper Steve Reese and midfielder Tom Taylor for the 2008 season, pending USSF approval. Both were members of the Timbers in 2007.”

Trivia Time
How many A-League/USL clubs has Andrew Gregor played for? Answer below

A Model Franchise
Want a glimpse of how the Mickey Mouse USL operates? The league is trying to court investors in Tulsa, playing up its attendance figures, low costs and model franchises like Portland.

Mr. Weibe mentioned the Portland soccer franchise prominently in our conversation and that the Timbers’ USL-1 team is actually owned by the same people who own the Portland Beavers AAA baseball club, implying Tulsa could emulate Portland’s business model…

A message to the good people of Tulsa: DON’T DO IT. The baseball/soccer model did not work the first six years in Portland and now the baseball part is making it difficult for the soccer part to join MLS. A real model is to admit that you are going to lose money on a professional soccer club, but to invest in an organization that is run well and that respects/cultivates its fans. Only in the last two years have the Timbers done that and lo and behold they are no longer losing money. I will fully support the use of the nickname Roughnecks, however.

Butt Rock, Bad Hair, and Dark Soccer Days
Goal Seattle continues the build up to Saturday’s Cascadia Cup clash by taking a look back at the Portland-Seattle rivalry during the inglorious 1980s. Seattle Storm vs FC Portland…*shudder*

Trivia Answer
Gregor has played for four A-League/USL clubs. You know about Seattle, Vancouver and Portland. What you might not know is that he was loaned for two games to the Pittsburgh Riverhounds by the Kansas City Wizards back in 2001. Bonus question: how many A-league teams were there back in 2001? Answer: 21. R.I.P. Hersey Wildcats, Connecticut Wolves, Long Island Rough Riders, Toronto Lynx, Nashville Metros, San Diego Flash, et al.

Timbers Billboards
That image up top comes from one of the Timbers billboards that are sprouting up around town. I dig it even though I swear that the shadow supporter on the left is holding a rifle Charlton Heston-style instead of a scarf. Billboard Image