Stand for the Boys in Green

By: Bob Kellett | April 21st, 2008

We’ve had a weekend to get over our hangovers, regain the use of our vocal chords and to bask in the endorphins that can only be created by a Portland Timbers victory. Now we begin the inevitable workweek slog with Monday on the calendar and Thursday on the brain. This week we get a double dose of the love with a contest against the Minnesota Thunder on Thursday and the best derby in the United States on Saturday when the Timbers face the Seattle Sounders. Here are some quick hits as we swivel in our chairs and look ahead to the week that will be.

About that attendance
Thursday night was the second largest crowd for a home opener in club history. Impressive enough, but consider this fact provided by reader Ian Rose: “In case you’re curious, that 10,977 attendance beat four out of twelve of the English Championship games this weekend, and nine out of twelve League One matches. Not too bad for the second tier in a country that generally prefers to watch cars go in circles.” It is also worth noting that it was more than Chivas USA drew against FC Dallas on Sunday.

An Eye on the Ads
One way to boost attendance is to advertise the fact that the team is playing. A novel concept, I know, but one that wasn’t always understood under the previous ownership group. So far this year I have noticed that the Timbers are running print ads primarily in the Living/A&E/Weekend Arts section of The Oregonian. It might seem odd that they aren’t advertising in the Sports section, but my guess is that they are trying reach a broader audience. Sports section readers know about the Timbers and most already have their minds made up whether or not they will attend games. The Living section has a more diverse readership that may be more swayed to go to the park if they are reminded that there is an upcoming game. As for the ads themselves, they have been pretty basic so far.

He came here from Japan, he is a mighty man
Based on the number of visitors this little ol’ blog is getting from Japan, there is plenty of interest in Takayuki Suzuki in his native country. It makes me think that the Timbers could be doing more to take advantage of his popularity. For one thing, I think it would be worth the investment for the club to hire someone to make a small, Japanese language section on the official website so that it will be easier for Japanese fans to follow their man and become Rose City Til I Die. The site could have basic information about the club, where to watch and listen to games online, ticket information, some words from Suzuki himself, and jerseys for sale with his name and number. It would be a small gesture, but one that could pay off with more Japanese fans at the stadium. It also could be the start of tradition of the Timbers bringing a player or two over from Japan every year. Why can’t the Portland Timbers be Japan’s US team?

Our man Down Under
The newest Portland Timbers player already knows what it is like to lift a trophy in 2008. Benjamin Totori helped lead Waitakere United to victory in New Zealand’s Grand Final this weekend. The Solomon Islander set up his team’s first goal in its 2-0 win over Team Wellington. Unfortunately we are going to have to wait a little longer to see the lad. Waitkere United still have a home and away left with Solomon Islands champions Kossa FC on April 26 and May 3. The winner will play in the Fifa World Club Cup in Japan in December. I guess Totori could suit up for the May 8 game against Rochester but I don’t see him playing much until later in May.

Man of mystery
Will we see the arrival of Arsene Oka this week? The midfielder from the Ivory Coast signed on March 7 but has been held up by visa issues and has not yet arrived in the Rose City.

A Nevets by any other name
The Columbus Crew have a reserve player named Steven Lenhart. Do you suppose that is the same Steven Lenhart who helped create the original supporters club the Cascade Rangers and who has been known to come up with a cheer or two in section 107 at Timbers games?

An ode to the Merritt Paulson
This might be the silliest and most wonderful thing you’ll see all week.

Double duty
Ray Burse once again was back on the bench for FC Dallas this weekend during their game at Chivas USA on Sunday. FC Dallas has a game this Thursday at home against the New England Revolution. Do you think they’ll actually make Burse miss a Timbers game to sit on the bench for another 90 minutes in Texas? My guess is that he’ll be at PGE Park.

The 107 Report
Let the sounds of the players after their victory against Puerto Rico carry you forward this week….

Rumor of the week
Timbers owner Merritt Paulson is working with Portland City Commissioner Randy Leonard to build a minor league baseball stadium in the Lents neighborhood in SE Portland. Lents is an urban renewal area, which means there is a pot of money available for development projects. In fact, it was one of the possible stadium locations mentioned a few years back when there was talk of major league baseball in Portland. The scenario would be that the Beavers would move out of PGE Park into the new stadium and the Timbers would move to MLS in 2010. Alas, after much scrambling this weekend to ascertain whether there was any truth to this rumor, the word from Paulson himself is that it isn’t true. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t other things going on behind the scenes….

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