KICKING THE STEREOTYPES

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I never really grew up having an interest in sports.

However, I’d be lying if I didn’t say that my first- and second-ever Portland Timbers soccer game filled me with many ranges of feelings – from a rising sense of patriotism to disappointment, from a feeling of massive excitement and optimism to devastating sadness and sorrow, and from a moment of pleasure to a moment of envy and jealousy.

I never anticipated that I would feel those ranges of emotions. I came into Providence Park, the Timbers’ stadium, as someone who stereotyped soccer players and fans as hooligans and passionately obnoxious. I still remember listening to the news in 2007 as a 6-year old, when Manchester United and A.S. Roma had a riot at their game, which led to the Italian riot police intervening.

Though I was certain that we Oregonians weren’t as intensely interested in sports as the Europeans, I was once again surprised in my two preseason game visits with the Timbers, against the Vancouver Whitecaps (Feb. 16) and New England Revolution (Feb. 22).

I hold a little bias and preference towards the Timbers, mostly because Marco Farfan (age 21) was born and raised here in Gresham and graduated two years before me at the same high school (Go Centennial!).  I also have a younger cousin who was into soccer and loved the Timbers. Other than that, I had very little to connect to.

Arriving at my first game, I was greeted by enthusiastic and kind fans and workers for the Timbers. I had seldom ever been greeted so heartwarmingly. When I was seated the crowd started singing song after songs; the amusing thing was that some of them weren’t even played (on the PA system), so they were singing with no context other than for some camaraderie, including “Country Roads” and “YMCA.”

Strangely, I fell under the spell, and although I did not sing out loud with the rest, I certainly felt connected to the Timbers in a way I did not anticipate. It was as if the Timbers and I were family and that the scum known as the Seattle Sounders were the enemy, despite the fact that they weren’t present for either of the games.

I’ve seen fans so patriotic (loyal to their team) that they would claim their team “never did anything wrong,” no matter how bad it really was. I heard someone shout that New England did not make a single score, despite the final score being 3-1 in favor of New England.  Personally,  I was a patriot for the Timbers until they made their mistakes, after which I transitioned to being disappointed in them.

Needless to say, the soccer culture is full of good people. Though culture wasn’t something I was considering before I attended the games, I couldn’t help but notice so many traditions that I never expected. I learned that the Timbers’ birth can be traced to 1975, whereas Major League Soccer (MLS) was formed in 1996. The superfans of the Timbers, the Timbers Army, were a supportive bunch and were the ones performing the most notable imagery in support.

I noted that the Army used their scarves to be a symbol of support, and waved often. During the National Anthem, the Army would flap their scarves once during every time the singer stopped for breath, and then wave them enthusiastically during the “O’er the land of the free…” segment of the song. I was told how the Elvis Presley song “Can’t Help Falling In Love” is always sung in the 85th minute of each Timbers game.

The most surprising tradition drove me from a mood of optimism to a story that made me feel devastated and sorrowful. “Timber Jim” was the longtime lumberjack mascot for the Portland Timbers, from 1978 to 2008, most famous for cutting a piece of a log for every score the Timbers make. In 2004, Jim was informed that his youngest daughter, Hannah, had died in a car accident at age 17. Her later sung the song, “You Are My Sunshine,” a favorite of hers, for the Army. Now they sing it around the 80th minute of a game, in her honor.

This truly shook me to my core; it must have been a similar shock to the Timbers followers at the time, as Gianna Bryant’s death was to the NBA last month.

Upon my arrival, I was certain I had regular seats to the game as a credentialed member of the press, but I was pleasantly surprised. I hadn’t known that I would be given a VIP experience, sitting in the press box with the commentators and statisticians for the Timbers. Not only were the seats great, the other amenities were great, too. The free food (the beef barbecue and Kalua pork were to die for), drinks, and desserts, plus a charging port, had me feeling like a king – almost spoiled. 

That was, until I got to see the crowd during the game.

In the stands, I saw such united patriotism I thought would be reserved only for an external national threat. For a long time, I wanted to join them and participate in their traditions. When the current mascot, Timber Joey, cut a log slice and shared it for the crowd to touch, I went from being cozy in the press box to feeling envious and jealous. I would’ve given up my comfortable spot to simply be there with the Timbers Army, celebrating with such vigor. (I concede that I am grateful for the accommodations I received from the Timbers, but hope that if I attend again, I will be with them!)

As for the soccer games themselves, I couldn’t help but contrast the two I saw.  The Whitecaps contest was bitterly fought, with tripping and aggressive plays on every yard of the field. There always was something going on, and I was glad that my first game was a score of 2-1, a Timber victory. The second game was more like a dance or a duel, where the ball shifted slowly back and forth but with a smoothness, rather than open aggression While the game ended with a 3-1 Portland loss, I admit I enjoyed this more-nuanced game more than the first.

In sum, I was certain that the stereotypes I had held about soccer would be broken, as it is almost always what happens when I finally see something in person. What I did not expect was to be emotionally involved in a sport I had little connection to or fascination with.

I can’t help but say that the Timbers not only left me thoroughly surprised, but also that they have rocked me to my very core.

Advocate Staff