MLB, Portland Timbers, and MLS
 

Seems Portland is in the running to get the Expos. Portland, Northern VA, and DC Want Montreal Expos Would getting the Expos, make it eaiser for Portland to get a MLS team?

I think it would. First the Portland Beavers would have to leave because you don't need a minor league baseball team when there is a MLB team in town. Also, the article makes it clear that a new stadium would have to be built for the city to get the Expos. That leaves PGE Park, a 19,566 seat stadium, to the Portland Timbers and soccer. It's a wonderful stadium already with a roof, but add stands to the other goal end and a stadium club, then on the third base side where there are no stands you could add luxury boxes and a new press box. It would look like a smaller version of Baca Juniors' La Bombonera. It would be the best looking Soccer Stadium in the US. Here are some pictures of PGE Park Fraiser's Pictures:Portland Timbers vs. El Paso Patriots

Of Course, this is assuming that the Baseball team dosen't renovate the stadium and add stands on the thrid base side and in outfield. It would be cheaper for them to do that, but the article makes it seem that MLB wants them to build a new place for the Expos.

If, and this is a BIG if, Portland lands a MLB team then the plan is for the Expos to play in PGE Park in 2004 while a new baseball only stadium is built. There is no talk of changing PGE Park into a major league facility because it couldn't be done. The city already spent $30 million to renovate it for the minor league Beavers and the Timbers. In the process it signed a terrible agreement with the current owners PFE which in the process is being forced to sell both teams because it owes its creditors more than $500,000. Confusing isn't it?

The fact is that there is NO talk of bringing MLS to Portland at this time other than from a few die hard Timbers fans. To complicate matters, Portland State University plays its pointyball games at PGE Park so converting it to a soccer only facility would be tough. I agree that it could easily be made into one of the best facilities in the country but at the moment that seems highly unlikely given the political and economic situations in Oregon.

Re: MLB, Portland Timbers, and MLS
 

I live in Portland, and I want some of what you are smoking.

Re: Re: MLB, Portland Timbers, and MLS
 

I hate to bust your MLS bubble but I agree with Richter Boy! Sounds like good stuff you have.

What aren't you seeing? That Portland could get an MLS team or that PGE Park could be renovated to make a very nice Soccer Stadium?

I can't say anything about the first one. I don't know a lot about Portland or how they support soccer there. Now the second, I've never been to Portland or seen the stadium first hand, but by the pictures PGE Park looks like a nice stadium. With about 10-12M someone could definetly make that a great soccer stadium.

MLS not happening.......
 

As Timber Roberto pointed out PGE Park is shared by the local College football team and other high school teams. The city is trying to get their money back that they spent remodling the Park. The current management is in debt over their eyeballs to the city and will be forced out. The economic situation in Portland sucks right now and you are talking about making it into a Soccer facility if MLB comes to town?
What really makes you think that people in Portland who just voted down a tax measure for the umteenth time will vote in a tax to build a stadium to get the Expos in town. I have lived in Portland for 40 years and the people who live here are not that stupid to do that. We have way more important things like our schools to take care of before we get a MLB team here. So your MLS pipe dream will not happen here for a very, very ,very, long, long, long time. Can the PGE PARK be turned into a soccer stadium YES! But it will not happen.

As someone else said, the city just spent 30 million to renovate PGE. There is no way that another 10 million will be shelled out any year soon.

Yeah, as much as I would like to have an MLS team here in Portland, it's just not going to happen for a while. The state is depressed right now and further renovation on the stadium isn't going to happen. Civic (nee, PGE) Park is a terrific old school stadium (it was built around 1926) with a great atmosphere and look but there isn't any more money locally to further add to it. I'd love for baseball to go somewhere else and I'd love it if it could be a soccer-specific stadium but it won't happen anytime soon. It's a multi use stadium as there aren't any other stadia around here. College football (Div I-AA) and urban high schools need the place too. We love our Timbers and have been second in the A-League in attendance two years in a row. We also draw well for the occasional international friendly that comes thru town and drew well for the WUSA All Star game last summer (and we don't even have a team in that league) and I think we would draw very well for the MLS but that's just going to have to wait. Support for soccer exists here but there isn't any money to back it up. We'll make do with the barn-storming A League for awhile longer...
Any millionaires out there want to finance a team and a new stadium in Portland? Please call Mayor Vera Katz at 823-4120.
NOTE FOR EXPOS: stay the hell away from our dwindelling education fund! tax the players' salaries to fund your baseball stadium!

Isn't that what the article said the state was going to do? The state wants a special income tax on players salaries to fund the stadium. Although I doubt the players union would go for it.

About the renovations. I was thinking that who ever was the I/O could pay for the renovations. Like Horowitz did with Lockhart in Miami. As for Football games, the field for soccer is much wider then for Football and there is no reason the Football couldn't be played on the field. They do that at CCS. It's a pipe dream, (some say bong dream) but it is interesting to think of. The setup could look something like this:

http://www.geocities.com/rrovick/pge.html

But what will they really do.
 

Once the players union puts an end to the income tax on players they will hit the tax payers for the money. It will be defeated and the coversion of PGE Park (which is a good idea) will not come about. One thing you have to realize is the state of soccer here in America is still on shakey ground and that will only change when soccer can grab money away from all the other sports.
So you better wish for one of these leagues to fold: the NBA, NHL, MLB or NFL. Then maybe we will finnally get the money and fans we need for pro soccer in America.
What does it tell you when two star players in the A-League leave the game to another feild of work to make more money? Do you really think this speaks well for soccer here in the States?