Thursday, December 30, 2010

Portland Timbers Over 10,000 Season Tickets Sold?

In a recent article on EPSN entitled Looking ahead to 2011 for U.S. soccer, Jeff Carlisle has this to say concerning season ticket sales in Portland. We haven't heard much front the FO concerning sales lately, but I expect an update after New Years.

"MLS got it right with the league's expansion in Seattle and Philadelphia. Can that enthusiasm be duplicated in the Pacific Northwest? So far, the signs are positive. Already, both Portland and Vancouver have topped the 10,000 mark in season-ticket sales, and the proximity to Seattle should allow for some healthy rivalries to emerge."

Pitch Black Court Surface: Eclipse

I gave my designer (my pops) a few design elements I wanted to incorporate into the court. First of all I thought it would be cool to use the image of a solar eclipse as the center circle. The eclipse makes sense considering the name of my facility and it could serve as a striking image making the court memorable for players. I also wanted to mess around with the use of dashed lines resembling street lane markings. These are only mock-ups and I will continue to think of other options for the court. Let me know what you think of the eclipse theme.

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

The Monk: Mean Machine

Most people out there have probably never heard of this movie. Mean Machine is a 2001 British comedy that is an adaptation of the 1974 film The Longest Yard. Only in this instance the prisoners are playing soccer against the guards rather than American football. The movie stars Vinnie Jones as an ex-England captain that is locked up for assault on a couple police officers.

This is where he has the pleasure of meeting The Monk. Ever wonder what a psychopath killer who studied martial arts would look like in between the pipes? Look no further. The Monk is played by Jason Statham, and every scene of his is pure gold. Without him the movie wouldn't really be worth seeing. You should all find yourself a copy of this film to watch, but for your sake I tracked down some of The Monk's best moments from the film. I could watch the video of him dancing with the ball forever and it would still crack me up. Enjoy!






No One Should Have to Play Alone


Friday, December 24, 2010

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE

I hope you all have a wonderful time with your family and friends the next few days. I will have some great content for you after the holiday. While I'm over at my parents I will begin the design work on the Pitch Black t-shirts, so stay tuned for that. I also hope to have concept art of the court surface soon. I've got a design in my head and will leave it to my artist to get it drawn out. It will be a surface unlike anything you have seen before.

In other news I will be playing in a indoor soccer tournament the day after Christmas at SoccerPlex in Beaverton. I will try to take some video and pictures for you all to enjoy. Once again have a Happy Christmas and I will see you all very soon!


Thursday, December 23, 2010

Nike Terra Humara: Coming Soon... Again

New colors of the Terra Humara are coming out Spring 2011. 15 years after the original release and these shoes are still getting new colorways. Very proud of you dad!

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

One of the Greatest US Soccer Ads


Help Name the Widmer Brothers Party Deck

Yesterday the Portland Timbers and Widmer Brothers Brewery announced a founding partnership for the 2011 season. The deal will give Widmer the exclusive rights to sell beer inside the stadium. In addition, they will have a new beer garden behind the south end seating. This new area will help populate this end of the stadium because there will only be 4 rows of fixed seating.

The featured drinks at PGE Park will include Hefeweizen, Drifter Pale Ale, Broken Halo IPA, Drop Top Amber Ale, and other seasonal beers.

Widmer is asking the Timber's fan base for help in naming the new 9,250 sq foot party deck. There are a list of options or you have the ability to submit your own name. Click on over to the Widmer Facebook page to vote.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Pack Your Bags! Road Trip to Colorado


March 19th, 2011
Portland Timbers Vs. Colorado Rapids

Who is in?

Black / Circuit Orange Superfly II

Nike is getting ready to release the black and circuit orange Superfly II. These boots are Pitch Black approved. It's simple and flashy at the same time. I was never a huge fan of the pink or purple Mercurial boots that came out in the past. What do you think of the boots?

Thursday, December 16, 2010

No Gold Cup in Portland...Yet

The wait will be a little bit longer for all you Portlanders excited about the possibility of USA National team games. The venues for the upcoming 2011 Gold Cup were announced and the Portland is out of luck. For a full list of the locations to watch games click over to SoccerByIves. It's bound to happen eventually, but I think the US soccer federation will wait to see the response the Timbers have in their inaugural season before gifting our city a fixture.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Features of the New Timbers Jersey

Official: Portland Timbers Jet

A little less elaborate than the concept design I posted earlier... but tell me another MLS team that has a jet at all! I'll try to add some better images soon.

Portland Timbers 2011 Jersey Leaked?

We will find out in about one hour if the leaked images are real. If you want to see the leaked image of the short sleeve men's jersey click on over to OregonLive.

Some believe this could just be 1 of the 60 prototypes that were created in the design process. If you want to see a thumbnail of the women's shirt or the long sleeve click on over to Dropping Timber.

Man Utd + Vodka = Purity


Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Dreaming of a Portland Timbers Jet

Tomorrow the Portland Timbers will be holding a special event at the Portland Airport in the Horizon Hanger to unveil the 2011 MLS jersey. Fans are eagerly awaiting the release of the shirt design and the opening of the team store on Friday. I am equally excited about the possibility of a jet painted in Timbers colors being unveiled tomorrow. Here is a mock up done by my father using the old logo (obviously the newer logo will be used). Can you imagine going on trips to away fixtures with a select group of Timbers fans on this plane?

If I were in charge of the jersey/jet unveiling this would be my rundown of events:
  1. Speech from Mr. Paulson about the state of the organization as we move towards the new year. Topics can include recent player signings, expansion draft recap, and a ticket sales update.
  2. Then either a giant screen will open or a curtain will be pulled to unveil the new Timbers jet sitting directly ahead of the crowd.
  3. Players will then walk off the plane and down the runway wearing the new jersey and team apparel. Fans will have the opportunity to snap photos with players in front of the new plane wearing their new jerseys purchased after the show.

No Pity: Portland Timbers MLS Commercial



New Spring 2011 Portland Timbers commercial has started airing on local television and the website has just released the ad for all to view. Commercial features the No Pity chant and makes use of the images recently used on the billboards around town. Let us know what you think of the ad.

Soccer House Hallway Game

Our Hallway Game is simple.

Each player stands on opposite sides of the hallway. One ball is used in the game. The aim of the game is to one touch pass the ball back to your opponent without the ball touching the walls. If you hit the ball against the wall the other player gets a point. It can be incredibly challenging to return a serve.

First player to score five points is the winner. You can score points whether you are serving or not. You have to win by two and we have a rule that you can't lose on your own serve. This allows you to be aggressive with your serve if you are about to lose the match.

We take all challengers. So come on over and get ready for some hallway action.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Beach Soccer in Hillsboro

Thanks to a tip from a coworker I came across White Sands Beach: Sports and Activity Center. It appears they may be the only indoor center in the area that offers year round beach soccer leagues. This is definitely a spot I will need to visit soon. Let me know if you have been there and tells us what you think of the facility.

Nike 5: Become the Master


Sunday, December 5, 2010

1 v 1 Challenge: Round Two


I managed to turn the tables in round two. I threw an assortment of tricks at my opponent and he was left dazed. Be sure to check out the FoggMachine move (10 second mark), the nutmeg aka "through the wickets" (21 seconds), and the game winning shot from an impossible angle (26 seconds). This will go down in history as one of my greatest achievements in the game of soccer. I'd like to give thanks to my CTR 360s for giving me the total control I needed to make this possible!

1 v 1 Challenge: Round One


We went over to the soccer field nearby the house today for some 1 v 1 action. My roommate jumped out to the early lead with his quick cuts and step-overs. The aim of the game is to beat your man and hit a shoot into the side netting for a point. Check out the dynamic camera angle as I get left in the dust.

Friday, December 3, 2010

Jose Torres to Portland?

Could Torres be the center midfielder that Gavin and Spencer have been talking about? Trading Dax away seemed like a big mistake at first until they alluded to a player outside the states that would be the "perfect fit" in the center. Lets all hope that Torres is currently in talks with the Timbers.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

NEW Timbers Team Store - Opening Soon

Found out today the Portland Timbers open their new team store in downtown Portland on December 10th at 10 AM. The jerseys are still set to be unveiled the 9th at PDX. The store will be located at 519 SW 6th Avenue.

Not positive, but I believe this may just be a temporary home for merchandise. The renovated park will feature a new fan shop open to the public adjacent to a viewing plaza. I have a feeling this downtown store will only be open until the start of the season in March, when the official team store is ready. Hope to see you there on Dec. 10th!

Qatar Wins 2022 World Cup

It's a sad day for US soccer fans. I was really looking forward to having the World Cup back in the United States. FIFA voted today and announced Qatar will be the first middle eastern country to host the event.

At least we will get to see the island stadium get built

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Another Timbers Billboard Discovered

This might be my favorite

Portland Timbers Billboards

New billboards are popping up around downtown Portland. The FO has asked fans to post photos of the billboards on the team's Facebook page as they are discovered. I really like their use of real Timbers fans in these ads. I'm not sure I've ever seen the woman before, but I have seen the other guy at nearly every single Timbers function I have attended. He stands and chants for his team at every game, and he is the type of fan we need more of in the coming seasons. He is a true supporter of his club and I am glad he has been rewarded by the organization. What do you think of the new ads?