2011 Final Record: 11W-14L-9D (42pts) Full standings here--Download a chant sheet
here!
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2/13/12 Second DateSo, think back to a first date you once had...not the disastrous ones, although those have their place in our collective histories. No, I'm talking about the one that had you trying on different outfits hours before the date started to make sure you looked current but not hipster, interested but not stalker, hopeful but not sex-starved. Then you hop in your car to go meet your date at the restaurant. You have the advantage of knowing this person for quite some time, but now things are different. There's a spark, a new feeling...a special feeling.A few hours into the date everything is going fantastic, better than you could have imagined. You've gotten past the first nerves and you're looking pretty good...she looks hot! The food is amazing and conversation flows effortlessly. You share stories of your past and you mutually respect what each other has gone through to get where you are, but realize there is more that you want out of life. The spark grows a bit and the date continues on. Deciding to go for some dessert, you head out to your '79 VW Bus only to find that (surprise!) it won't start. You sit there turning the key repeatedly hoping the engine will turn over but all you get is a limp 'rrr...rrrrr...rrr' followed by deafening silence and a dim light on the dashboard. A bit embarrassed but not discouraged, you bust out your toolbox, roll up your sleeves, grab your 13mm wrench and flashlight and pop open the back hatch. You've been here before and know that you can get her started again. Maybe the battery cable came loose or perhaps the spark plug wires need to be checked. Sometimes a good rap on the solenoid with a screwdriver and hammer is all it takes. This time however, what's needed is a good old fashioned push start. If you were parked on a hill you could do this on your own, but alas, you're on flat ground and need a hand. Your date hops out of the passenger seat and without a word knows it'll take both of you to get this started. You both give her a push and at the right point you hop in, put her in gear and pop that clutch and low-and-behold the lovely 'chugga chugga' sound echoes through the night air and all is back on... Dessert was amazing. Creme Brulee never tasted so good, and the coffee was like liquid sunshine. This was turning out to be one of the best first dates ever. So what would happen at the end of it. A hug, a kiss, a handshake and 'see ya later'? Dropping her off at her car, the tension was palpable. Saying good night, she leans over and gives you a very tender kiss that lasted well past her lips leaving yours. "Call me?" she asks. "Without a doubt!" you reply with the utmost sincerity So here it is about a month from the second date. There's a few exhibition matches under our belt, some aggressive signing's (Kris Boyd, Hanyer Mosquera, Jose Adolfo Valencia), great draft picks (Andrew Jean-Baptiste) a big trade (Kenny Cooper to NYRB) and a few big injuries (Valencia's knee surgery, Eddie Johnson's concussion and Horstache's hip surgery). If I thought last years pre-season was exciting, this year's has been a roller coaster. I've found myself glued to my twitter on many occasions for the latest word from the intrepid Merritt Paulson. I've gleaned info on our signing's and briefed my kids and wife on my findings like I was some big time sports reporter. I even went down to Jeld-Wen on the first day of training and tried to giraffe my neck over the fence to catch a glimpse of the boys. While I may not be bursting at the seams during this lead-in, I am optimistic and supremely hopeful for what we have in place. I was a bit sad to see Kenny Cooper the person leave (talked to him once and liked the guy), but I am excited to see Spencer freed up to hopefully play around with lineups a bit more. We've got so much talent at our disposal that I can't help but feel that the just-about-ripe talent on our roster from last season will be ready for the pickin' this year and everyone will be better conditioned to go the full 90'+ which in my book was one of the big hurdles we needed to overcome. Another advantage this year should be in the form of familiarity. Familiarity with the rest of the league and more importantly, with teammates. Conditioning played a big part in many late game let downs but the fact that most of our boys had never played together let alone knew each other before the season should not be taken lightly. I've said it before, what can make a good team great is intuition and knowing where your teammates are going to be. My Timbers Army family may give me shit for this, but look at RSL as a great example of a team who knows who and where they are. Yes they have lots of talent, but what sets them apart is no one tries to stand above the rest. They play as a team. So back to the boys in green...what really has my VW bus humming a sweet tune is just that. They know each other all the better this year. Perkins will have some connection to his back line, mid fielders should know where to expect the wings to be and forwards should know what to expect from Chara's accurate passing. I can see everyone playing with that special something that can't be bought or traded for or allocated... familiarity! So what happens when someone new shows up (Boyd, Mosquera)? With the majority already knowing each other, I feel that a few new faces will have an easier time jellin' because roles are known, leadership is in place and that breeds confidence which makes for a successful work place...games won! Last year I set my expectations realistically and I was rewarded with more than I hoped for...except no cheap beer nights. This year I think I'm not in the minority when it comes to a higher expectation. I expect no late game pooterin' out. I expect road wins. I expect goal scoring and a solid back line that will produce clean sheets. Playoff's? I'd never risk a jinx so I'm not going there. I expect to have a great time with my wife, kids, friends and friends yet to be. I expect to finally go to my first away game with my whole family. I'd like to expect cheap beer night so I'm just gonna float that one out there in case Merritt Paulson happens to read this... The clock's tickin' and the second date is about to begin. Will the spark still be there? Will she still think I'm cute and funny? Will I get to second base? I expect yes. Happy second date my friends, it's gonna be alot of fun! 11/24/2011 Thanksgiving Final Thoughts On The First SeasonWell, I think sufficient time has passed since the last game of the Timbers inaugural MLS season to finally give my take on things. I didn't wait this long because of distraught feelings or loss of direction in my life, although I have found myself on occasion suddenly tetris dancing in my basement for no apparent reason or saluting other drivers on the road with my middle finger while singing 'oh referee, oh referee, take another bong hit!'. No, the reason I waited this long is that I was still drinking in the feeling of being a Timbers fan and relishing the experience and as with the end of any season, I'm no spring chicken and needed to recoup a bit...So it should come to no surprise to anyone who's talked to me that I would rate this past season as a resounding success on so many different levels. I can't say enough about how appreciated the Timbers organization has made me feel. From owner Merrit Paulson's tweetbacks, to my ticket agent Dan Zussman offering my kids and I autograph vouchers because he noticed I missed the stadium tour, to the ticket checker who never fails to greet me with a hug when I arrive, I have been genuinely impressed as to how inclusive this organization is. Maybe it's because I'm one of the lucky season ticket holders, I'm not sure, but I've heard form others just how great they've been treated as well and compared to other team/supporters relations around the league, I'd say we've got a great thing going here for sure which lends itself to the game day experience. The game day experience has been nothing short of sublime in it's tifo pageantry, smoke bombs ablazing, synchronized scarf waving and tetris dancing. The oft overused analogy of tribalism to team supporter fanaticism may cause a few eye rolls but I'll use it just the same. I am from this town and even though I've left on a few occasions this is where I call home. I love Portland and all it's Portlandiness and love raising my kids (now teens) here. Going to a Timbers game connects me to my home tribe like no other event can. When I'm there, I can remember being ten years old and watching Pele at the then Civic Stadium with a crowd of over 30,000 fanatics and draw a straight line (before the beers) to the present day with me and my kids at the now Jeld-Wen Field side by side with over 20,000 fanatics...and all the times in between. I love being in the thick of the army with my kids, chanting, screaming my voice away and getting so wrapped up in the game that I can't feel my legs by the end. Just as much, I love sitting in the upper level with my wife and friends, same chants and screams but usually able to feel my legs at the end of the match. So, with the season done, my wife who usually goes to one game a year ended up at three and my kids want to someday take their kids. My daughter even said that once she's 21, she wants to have a beer at a game with me. Successful season?...Indeed! So, lastly, my take on the team itself. Going into this season I had realistic expectations. I was lamenting the loss of so many players I had come to know and love and admire but was open to the excitement of a higher level of play and player. What I hoped for was to win some games and be competitive while maintaining the working class ethics I equated with the wearing of the Timbers jersey. What we got was an amazing home opening stretch that lit this season on fire. We got wonder goal of the season and saves of the week. We had an L.A. Galaxy smack down and the Chabala karate chop. While I would never profess to being a qualified analyst, I think the team that was put together was a solid group with plenty of talent both obvious (Nagbe, Perkins, Chara) and just about ripe for the picking (Perlaza, Zizzo, Marcelin). I know there was plenty of disheartened fans who jumped on the Kenny Cooper where are you bandwagon or the lack of back line consistency criticism and I'm not saying those aren't valid. What I am saying is that when you put together a team from scratch where most of the players were not starters and had never really played together before this year, I think we turned out a quality group who were in the playoff race until the final week of the season. It was obvious to me, that conditioning would be my one criticism. Closing out games was a weak point mid season and if a few of our late game ties were wins, then we would have made the post season dance. While of course I wish our front line had hit the back of the net more and our back line had kept the opponent from finding ours, I felt a sense of team that I hoped for and got. Quality players who seemed into the team and this city. Could they harden up a bit and return a few of the elbows they received? Sure. Could they find each other out there a bit more? Sure. All these things will come to teams who know each other better and play with confidence as a team. If the final seven games of the season are any indicator, then next season holds alot of promise. Lest I forget our coaching staff with John Spencer at the helm. I give full credit to him and his assistants for never letting the word 'expansion' be an excuse and holding the team and really all of us fanatics accountable for what we have here which is really amazing and truly a gift. While today is Thanksgiving and there is plenty to be thankful for like my health (MS is still at bay), family (awesomely awesome wife and three teens who I'd put as the new world standard), my brother who survived a massive heart attack and the great job I have, I would also put the Portland Timbers on my list of thanks. In this world of societal stresses, deadlines, money woes, world unrest, climate change, etc. (chin up, yo!), the hours spent rooting for the Timbers is a reminder of community (even though there are a few spats here and there) and a break from the everyday. More than a few times I have shown up stressed out and overly concerned about life and have left in a better mind set. Thank you Merrit Paulson and your vision of what a sports franchise can be and thank you for all the community effort you put forth. It does not go unnoticed believe you me from a native of this great town. Now, wipe the tear from your eye, as teacher says 'every time someone visits jimmymack.org, an angel get's it's wings'... 7/2/2011 The Timbers Army and 'Operation Pitch Invasion'So I want to take this moment not to talk about the Timbers, but their supporters group the Timbers Army and the latest community project that is about to come to fruition...'Operation Pitch Invasion'. One of the reasons I love being in the Timbers Army besides the infectious fanaticism, friendships forged and the beautiful game in it's global glory, is the community support put forth. See, the Timbers Army is not just a supporters group who drink, chant, stand for hours and...well drink, but it is a group who, like this great city we call home, has strived to break from the conventional. The hooligan impression that so many supporters groups around the world seem to be cloaked in has been shed here in favor of the 107ist, the non-profit trust that fuels their community projects and outreach. Through membership dues and the sale of merchandise like the infamous 'no pity' scarves, the 107ist has been able to raise money for projects like 'Harper's Playground' and the Jefferson HS soccer program. With plenty of future endeavors like the AC Portland project, it's easy to see why this group is different than any other supporters group out there. So that brings me to 'Operation Pitch Invasion' (OPI). This project, simply put, is about building, fixing and maintaining soccer fields throughout the Portland area. In fact, Shawn Levy (Timbers Army elder, capo emeritus, and board member of Operation Pitch Invasion) states "It’s not too much of an exaggeration to say that 107ist was created in order to realize that vision." OPI, in my humble opinion, has every ingredient needed to produce one of the best community gumbos ever. Imagine if you will what it would be like to be a kid sitting in a run down neighborhood park, weeds unchecked, ground in a condition that would sprain even veteran ankles. Then, from a distance you see a group of green-clad strangers approach armed with shovels, rakes and an array of other gardening implements. They set to task on your wanna-be field and when the dust finally settles, you have a place to play and be a kid. As a parent, I would have no words to express how this would make me feel. Being a parent of three teens, I would want this community feeling to infect my kids and others and grow like the best garden ever. You can read the official press release for the OPI here. The first
'dry run' will take place on July 16th and at this stage, volunteering is limited to 107ist members,
so if you are a member, this would be a great thing to do. If you are not a member, join up now. You don't have to be from
Portland or even a Timbers fan (why wouldn't you be, though) just a fan of doing good things in a local community.
If you are interested in joining, go here and do good and as we say...
RCTID! (Rose City 'Till I Die!)
6/27/2011 hrmph.....'nuff said... 5/13/2011 8 games in and it's pretty damn awesome!!So for the April 30th Real Salt Lake game here at Jeld Wen Field, my wife attended her first game in nearly three years. The main motivation was that some friends of ours from Utah, one of whom she went to high school with, were flying in to see the game. We managed to secure a pair of extra army tickets at the pre-sale mayhem so they could envelop themselves in the atmosphere full and unabridged. Not only was I excited to show off what we have to our friends and have a great time, I was also REALLY into sharing this amazingly pulsating football frenzy with my wife. What happened was supremely eventful, refreshingly raucous and beard-pullingly tense...and smoky. Now anyone who knows me and my kids are very aware of our level of devotion and support for our boys in green. My first game was back in the mid 1970's (my hero was a goalkeeper nicknamed 'Bigfoot'). I remember seeing the legendary Pele, Timber Jim climbing a pole by the Mac club and waving a chainsaw at the top and playoff games with over 30,000 people. Also, the first home game of this season, being now in the MLS, I would put up against the greatest games I have ever had the privilege of being at (more on that later). So where am I getting at with this? It's that this game against Real Salt Lake was a great memory unto itself. What made this game so memorable? Was it because it was against one of the MLS powerhouses I consider to be a class organization who understands how to build a team? Was it the superb defensive play on both sides which held the score line to a 1-0 finish (in our favor I might add)? Was it that the weather was clear and warm after what seemed like years of rainy cold weather? All of these reasons and more. The Timbers now seem to be playing with a familiarity and intuition that so many other clubs take for granted. It's fresh and riveting and joyous at every pass, back heel and overlapping run. While they may not have the one touch finesse of some teams, they are playing with intention and focus. They have managed to put up a clean sheet against not just RSL but also Philadelphia. Now they need to take what they've accomplished on the road and get some results which, amazingly, is next in...Seattle! So with all that being said, there is still one major reason this game will stand out for me...Being there with my beautiful wife and two great friends from Utah. My friends came away with a new passion for the game and a hope that there could someday be a supporters fervor in Salt Lake like we have here. They just mentioned to me that they were taking their kids to their first game this weekend. And my wife,...well she wants to go to more games! I couldn't be happier. I love what we have here and am proud of the environment we have helped to build. We have a quality team with hard working players run by an organization that exudes class and mutual respect. The army, and all the fans for that matter, show integrity, passion and stamina. Case in point is the moment of silence and then bagpipes playing Amazing Grace for one of our own who passed away earlier in the week. Everyone from the top down came together to celebrate a life. We are blessed here! Rose City Till I Die! 3/6/2011 Pre-season underway, team roster filling upWith the season opener less than two weeks away, the pre season games have started to whet the appetite of this hungry Timbers fanatic, most recently the Cascadia Summit that took place in Tukwilla, Washington between the Timbers, Vancouver and Seattle...the great Cascadia derby returns! Final results from the 3 day round-robin were Portland 2:0 Seattle, Portland 1:1 Vancouver and Seattle 2:3 Vancouver...4pts for both Portland and Vancouver and 0pts for Seattle...a good weekend in my book. As for the rest of the pre-season games, the Timbers have yet to lose a game. With a record of 2-0-5 and 4 clean sheets, this is encouraging as one concern is always how an expansion team will gel together going in to their first season. With an impressive roster shaping up (follow the progress here) I gotta was impressed by what I saw during the web stream of the Seattle game with strong ball handling, quick passing and a confident back line. Apparent also was some caution early and a bit of playing on their heels but what I saw was encouraging. It's only pre-season and logic states one shouldn't get too confident, but then again, a fanatic isn't always strong on logic... 10/17/2010 The end of an era and the beginning of a new oneSooooo...the playoff's ended with a less than desirable result yet again, aaaaand...just like last year it came at the hands (feet) of the Vancouver Whitecaps. After losing 2-nil in Vancouver in the first leg of the two game series, our boys in green fought hard and won 1-nil back here at home, but we still lost the series 2-1 on aggregate goals. With that, the USL era Portland Timbers came to a close. This was yet another unforgettable season that had memorable moments (sunshine goal, Manchester City, Boca Juniors) and lots of new talent to pledge our allegiance to. This season I feel cemented my kids love of the team too. I took them (ages 15, 14 and 13) to nearly all the home games this year and recently had discussion with them about who they think should make it to the MLS squad. We lamented potential unsigned good guys and dreamed of future epic matches. At the end of the day, I gotta say thank you Portland Timbers for all you have done as a team and an organization. You have donated money to my kids high school and have been role models to believe in. You have allowed us fanatics to cheer you till we have no voice and let us on to your pitch so that we could pretend for a day that we were on the same level. You've provided a venue to build lasting memories for me and my kids to share (and some colorful chants as well) and have cultivated friendships that will move onward with your rise to the top flight. It's no secret that I love Portland and even less of a secret that I love the Timbers. I can't wait to experience what comes next....RCTID! (rose city till I die) 9/10/2010 The Sunshine Goal and a Birthday to Remember!Well here we are, in the home stretch of the season. Four more games to go and the Timbers have secured a playoff spot with the remaining question being, will they finish in the top four and get to choose which game of the two game series will be played at home. The last home game also took place on September 2nd (my birthday) and it was a game for the ages. Puerto Rico was the guest and the tempo was painfully slow from the get go. The Timbers managed to not play into that slow pace and remained patient until the 83rd minute. The scene: Timbers army and a sellout crowd signing 'You are my Sunshine' as tradition has dictated. Thousands of Sunflowers waving, Timber Jim dressed to the nines leading the faithful...then the low cross by DeMartin to a diving Ryan Pore for his 15th goal of the season...the crowd erupts in a frenzy and Sunflowers fly...I still get goosebumps...a great birthday gift indeed! Now PGE park will go under it's final renovation to be ready for MLS 2011 and the question I have is where will the home playoff matches be held? 8/12/2010 New coach named!This week the Portland Timbers named their new coach for their MLS debut next year. John Spencer will be tasked with taking the helm, guiding the Timbers as they enter the next level of their evolution. John comes with an incredible resume including a stint playing with English clubs Chelsea and Everton. Most recently he has spent the past five years as assistant coach for the Houston Dynamo where he helped lead them to an MLS championships in 2006 and 2007. Overall a good decision. You can read the official news release here. 2/22/2010 CITY COUNCIL APPROVES TIMBERS/PGE PARK PLAN! MLS IS FINALLY A GO!!It's been an 18 month process that has had many supporters wondering and an amazing owner in Merrit Paulson tested and tried, but in the end, a 4-1 vote finalized the partnership between the city and the Timbers over the plans to renovate PGE park. It's a great plan that has protected the taxpayers and truly puts Portland on the global stage and seals the 'Soccer City, USA' moniker once and for all! SO, yours truly was interviewed by no less than 2 news stations the night of the final vote. Merrit threw a thank you party for the Timbers Army, the Timbers organization and even the Mayor and some of the city council showed up. Here's a link to the raw news video of the interview. I come on about halfway through. A great night overall! So, if you're interested in finding out about the Timbers and the Timbers Army, then Check out Talktimbers message board to hear feedback and a Timbers Army point of view on all things Timbers, plus alot of other fun stuff, and don't forget to visit the Portland Timbers official website. To see the 2008 season results, click here. To see the 2009 season results, click here 2010 season results, click here 2011 season results, click here |