Why Should Portland Care About MLS?

“Soooo …” you might be saying to yourself. “My niece plays soccer. I’ve heard about the Timbers. But what’s the big deal about an MLS franchise? “There are many ways to answer that question. Here’s a few for starters:

1. Major League Soccer is the premier professional soccer league in North America.

You knew that already. But what you may not realize is that Portland already has the infrastructure in place for a successful franchise.That’s what makes Portland's MLS efforts different than previous attempts to land a major-league baseball franchise. This time, Portland has an ownership group in place, headed by Merritt Paulson, owner of the Portland Timbers and Portland Beavers. We’ve also got the place to play – PGE Park. Though it would need some alterations, Portland’s historic stadium fits perfectly into the current spectrum of MLS stadia, which ranges from the 27,000-seat Home Depot Center in Los Angeles to the 18,500-seat Dick’s Sporting Goods Park where the Colorado Rapids play.

2. Portland is ripe for another big-time sports franchise.

Of the top 25 television Designated Market Areas – Portland ranks 23rd – only three markets have just one major-league franchise. (See sidebar.)Moreover, there is an untapped appetite for top-level competition in this city. You can prove that passively: Despite not having a major-league baseball team, Portland’s TV ratings for MLB telecasts have historically been very high.Or, more relevantly, you can prove it at the box office: Portland has provided exceptional – even legendary – support for its sole major-league team, the Trail Blazers. Beginning in the late 1970s, the Blazers played to 810 consecutive sellouts – a streak that ultimately led to the construction of the Rose Garden Arena. Even after the new arena opened with 50 percent more seating capacity, the Trail Blazers drew capacity crowds while charging ticket prices that were the highest in the National Basketball Association for three consecutive years.Though they range from $10-$130, the average ticket price for the Trail Blazers last year was $45. By contrast, the average ticket for a Major League Soccer game in 2008 is exactly half that – $22.47. (OK, not exactly half. Keep the change …)

3. Major League Soccer is the big-league sport that’s attainable and affordable.

The economics of big-time sports almost always include an involuntary contribution from taxpayers. Just look up the road to Seattle, where two downtown stadiums have been built in the past decade. Safeco Field, which opened in 1999, was funded largely by $340 million derived from a food tax. Qwest Field, where the Seahawks play, required $250 million in taxpayer cash. Major League Soccer, though, operates on a different (read: “smaller”) scale. With the exception of the expansion franchise in Seattle, the trend in MLS has been toward soccer-specific stadiums. In the past few years, Los Angeles, Chicago and Dallas have moved into suburban stadiums seating between 20,000 and 30,000 fans. These stadiums have been built for one-third of the costs of the Seattle stadiums.Portland’s PGE Park, then, combines the best of both worlds: A retrofitted PGE Park, capable of seating perhaps 22,000 fans, would become a summertime hub of activity in the Downtown District’s revitalizing West End. In addition, the stadium could house Portland State University’s football and soccer teams,In November 2007, after meetings between Timbers’ Owner Merritt Paulson and MLS Commissioner Don Garber, Garber guesstimated that it would cost approximately $20 million to bring PGE Park up to MLS standards. So what’s the bottom line? No one ever knows until the deal is done. But here’s one less-than-perfect scenario:

• Let’s assume the City of Portland finances the entire amount by issuing bonds.
• Let’s further assume that the costs will be 50 percent over Garber’s estimate.
• Even so, you get a per-household assessment of approximately $10 annually.

At prices like that, the Sonics would still be in Seattle.

4. MLS is the gateway to the world.Like no other sport, soccer brings the world’s attention.

In August, for example, a group of Japanese tourists will be spending several days in Portland … seeing the sights, sampling the beers, strolling on the Esplanade.Nothing unusual about that, but the attraction for this particular tourist group is neither Tram nor Trolley. Instead, it’s Taka – Takayuki Suzuki, a member of Japan’s 2002 World Cup team who is finishing up his first season with the Timbers. Soccer stirs that kind of passion. Fans don’t watch … they take part. They sing, they chant, they stand in the cheap seats.A home video of Suzuki’s first goal with the Timbers has been posted on YouTube. That makes in one of about 80 million other home videos on YouTube. But Suzuki’s first goal in Portland has had more 48,000 views – many of them from outside the United States.Yes, that kind of passion.

What is soccer? It’s chess on grass.
It’s ballet with cleats.
It’s fast. It’s tough.
It’s played without pads, without helmets.

It’s Spain against Russia.
It’s Manchester United against Real Madrid.
It’s Portland against Seattle; Portland against Los Angeles; Portland against New York.

It’s 20,000 people waiting for lightning to happen and magic to strike.

It’s Portland’s turn. And it’s Portland’s time.