Following the Portland Timbers on the Internet

By: Bob Kellett | April 9th, 2008

It was a month ago that we began this journey of covering the 2008 Portland Timbers season on The Offside. I want to thank everyone who has stopped by to read my ramblings, left comments and corrections, and linked to various posts. I am proud to report that this little ol’ blog has been one of the top ten most visited blogs on The Offside over the past month. That is quite the feat considering this site has over 100 blogs, most of which are active and many of which have been around for more than a year. I think the level of interest speaks to the uniqueness of you, the Portland Timbers fan.

The passion of the Portland Timbers fans are on display around the Internet. For a second division club in a country that supposedly doesn’t care about soccer, our presence is felt far and wide. Here is my attempt at making a comprehensive list of sites and blogs that you should visit while you follow the 2008 Timbers. If I have missed any, please add them in the comments.

Soccer City USA - I have long believed that Allison Andrews is the unannounced commissioner of the United Soccer Leagues. She has been a fan of the league longer than some of you have been alive. Her coverage of the Timbers is excellent and her matchday photos/videos are required viewing.

Talk Timbers - If you want to find out what the team is doing before it even does it, you need to visit the Talk Timbers message board on Soccer City USA. This is where the hardcores spend their waking hours. It also is full of irreverent threads that will both amuse and horrify you.

The 107 Report - We’ve been able to follow the team through words and pictures for years, but not through sound. Bruce Eaton has stepped in to fill the void and he does a masterful job of mixing fan culture, player interviews, and music. Expect for The 107 Report to come back to life any day now.

Ax to the Road - Who has watched the most Portland Timbers matches since they came back to life in 2001? The answer is play-by-play guys Andy McNamara. He knows the club, he knows the history and his blog offers a behind the scenes look at what life on the road is like for a second division soccer player.

OregonLive Blog - There will be a two-headed monster manning the O-Live blog this year with Donald Bramlett and Bruce Eaton (busy man) combing forces. Donald is handy with a camera and he digs up stuff that you won’t find anywhere else.

A Pretty Move - Offering a wide array of soccer-related posts, Derek and Linda are entertaining writers who are passionate about the lads in green and white (and rose).

Eleven Devils - Former Willamette Week writer Zach Dundas happens to be a big Timbers fan and he writes about his love of the good guys from time to time. Word on the street is that he is currently writing a book. I like to think it will be called, “I Saw Chugger Score a Goal”.

Nasty Challenge - Timbers fan Mike isn’t afraid to offer his take on the team, the players and why MLS can take a flying leap.

True Fan - Where else in this world can you read about the Portland Timbers and competitive eating at the same time? I’m just waiting for a competitive eating contest to break out at PGE Park at halftime. My money is on Justin Thompson to win.

Dave Knows: Portland - In addition to reading Dave’s thoughts on the Timbers, you can keep up on all the things happening around the city.

Portland Timbers MLS - If the Timbers ever become an MLS team this blog is going to rank high in the Google search engines. Until then, it offers an occasional post or two about the prospectives of MLS coming to Portland.

Timbers Fan Page - Want to read about the Timbers’ NASL days? This is the site for you. Peter Bellamy also takes some excellent photos during games.

Timbers Army - Newly designed and eager to suck in more converts to the north end of PGE Park.

Portland Timbers Official Supporters Club - Not newly designed and eager to suck in more converts to places all over PGE Park.

USL Live - The place to go to watch the Timbers games in video on the Internet. Games are available both live and on demand. A season package costs $50 and is well worth it.

Portland Timbers - The official team site sometimes has things you can’t find on all the fan sites, but largely is a place to visit to look at the roster and schedule.

USL Discussions - A general discussion board for USL First Division. Otherwise known as a place to get into pissing matches with Seattle Sounders fans.

Big Soccer - A general soccer discussion board that challenges the assumption that there is intelligent life in this universe.

USL Soccer - The official league site struggles to stay on top of things, but sometimes they have statistics and other such useful stuff.