Henry Merritt Paulson III, the guy who owns both the Timbers and the Beavers, is looking to buy and bring a Major League soccer team to Portland. If he wins the soccer contact, the team would play in PGE Park. But according to Dan Lavey, representative of Gallatin Public Affairs, a consulting firm working for Paulson, having Major League soccer in the park would mean booting the Beavers elsewhere and investing in an estimated $35 million in renovations. There would need to be public funding for that upgrade, says Lavey, as well as funding for the construction of a new place for the Beavers to play.

If the money comes through, the top choice for a Beavers stadium is Lents Park on 92nd and Holgate, since it's close to a new MAX line. The Lents listserve has been lighting up this week with debate over the potential stadium, which could be a huge boost to the area's economy. The average Beavers game this year has brought in 5,408 people and Lents neighbors are dreaming of the restaurants, bars and shops which could open up in the area. Lents is part of an urban renewal area, which means the City is already paying out to try and create jobs in the neighborhood - a stadium built with some public dollars could effectively be the same idea.

"The challenge is obviously parking," says Dewey Akers, co-chair of the Lents Neighborhood Association. Despite the economic boost of the stadium, neighbors are reluctant to see any of their green space turned into parking lot.

The future parking lot of baseball fans?

Anyway, the whole deal hinges on whether Portland will acquire a Major League soccer team, which depends in some part on whether it'll be game for shelling out for stadium upgrades. "It's a competition and one of the factors will be the community support for the stadium," said Lavey. But Portlanders should support the renovation, he said, since "Portland is Soccer City U.S.A. The Timbers have been very successful here." I asked the Mercury's sports correspondent, Ezra Ace Caraeff, whether Portland is, in his opinion, Soccer City U.S.A. "No, absolutely not," he scoffed, "I don't know if there is a Soccer City U.S.A. Maybe Los Angeles?" Soccer City U.S.A. turns out to be the name of the Timbers' website.

It sure is nice being a Blazers fan these days--Greg Oden is healthy, Rudy Fernandez is on his way (even if he isn't too racially sensitive), Jerryd Bayless had an amazing summer league... things are looking up for the red and black.

Really, what could possibly go wrong?

PORTLAND, Ore. - The Portland Trail Blazers announced today that guard Brandon Roy will undergo arthroscopic knee surgery on Thursday to repair a tear in the meniscus of his left knee. A Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) taken Tuesday revealed the tear in the meniscus.

Trail Blazers team physician Dr. Don Roberts will perform the surgery at Southwest Washington Regional Surgery Center in Vancouver, Wash.

A timetable for Roy's return will be set following the arthroscopic surgery.

Oh. That's very bad.
I think I speak for all fans of the team when I say: PANIC!!!

*****
Update:
*****
Don't panic! Here is the report from O beat writer Jason Quick:

Roy will need 4-to-6 weeks to recover from Thursday's arthroscopic knee surgery according to team athletic trainer Jay Jensen ... [snip] ... "He will definitely be playing by the time the season starts,'' Jensen said.

Also if you want to read more about the situation both Hoops World and Blazers Edge have excellent takes on the saga of Roy's wounded knee. In the future, I think the Blazers should get a punch card for their player's knee surgeries. Sort of like what you get at Quiznos. Once they get that 12th surgery, the 13th one is free. Plus they'll get a delicious toasted sub as well.

B.S.!!

Bush booing the Chinese!

Bush showing his support of our beach volleyball team by wiping the sand off that lucky girl's bottom.

What's your favorite part of this picture? Bush's visor, his pool of back sweat, or the fact that he's going INSANE because his hand is inches away from her ass?

Hat tips to Next Round!

Why are these 2,008 drummers from the Olympics opening ceremony smiling? Because they want us to know that they have absolutely no intention of using their awe-inspiring ability to work together to invade our country and enslave our lazy asses throughout eternity. (Gulp.) Thanks guys!

Hey, look everybody! It's the oldest member of the Chinese gymnastics squad.

President Bush to world: "Huh-huh-huh. Me like beach volleyball. Huh-huh-huh."

TIMBERS: Eye-bleedingly unwatchable this season...

Nevertheless, don't let the fact that the on-pitch action is less skillful and inspiring than watching Bruce Willis act sincerity, put you off. Because the atmosphere at a Timbers game is the best fun I've had in this city for $11.

TIMBERS MOB: Foul-mouthed, bordering on violent, even that kid on the right...

Yes. It was with some trepidation that I finally went to a game last night, in search of a certain local film critic, who has been badgering me to make it along for a while. I found him stood at the front of the rowdy Timbers Army with a megaphone, screaming chants to lead the mob. Not that they needed much leading...my favorite chant was "we'd rather bomb Seattle than Iraq."

I've heard from numerous quarters that the Timbers' management dislikes the Timbers Army because they stop the team from marketing itself as family friendly. Too much cussing. Which is entirely the attraction, of course.

Never mind that the team has no finishing ability and no self confidence. Never mind that the referee couldn't have come across as more biased against Portland if he had been adjudicating his daughter Seattle's beauty pageant. Never mind that the bastard even disallowed a Portland equalizer for no good reason other than to punish the Timbers' crowd for their ebullience.

These people are fun. In a city that rewards restraint, the Timbers Army is unrestrained. In a city that prefers to avoid conflict, even when that conflict is healthy and likely to be productive, the Timbers Army scream things like "f...u...f...u...c...k...FUCK YOU" at the management. There are smoke bombs. There was even some pushing and shoving in the smoking section at one point, or so I'm told.

And better still, none of it is choreographed. It all has the spontaneous feel of, I don't know, civic pride? Except nobody formed a committee. Nobody needed a resolution on city council, and nobody facilitated a fucking desired outcomes session, first.

The next game is on Saturday night. You should probably give some thought to being there.

Hold on... is that dude with the torch flying?? Aw, hell no!

NBA Commissioner David Stern has emerged from his dark cave (where he fixes games and hates on adorable kittens) to release the 2008-2009 schedule. The Blazers kickoff the season on Tuesday, October 28th in Los Angeles against the Lakers (nationally televised on TNT). Their home opener--and the debut of Greg Oden, Jerryd Bayless, and Rudy Fernandez--will take place three days later versus San Antonio.

A Halloween home opener?! I am totally dressing up as Jarrett Jack!
What? Too soon?

You can view the entire schedule here. I feel bad for the former Sonics team which is now stuck in the dustball of Oklahoma City with a schedule, but no team name. I wonder if they'll give us their mascot now?

Text Team23 to 72855, "so Team Weener wins!"

His team launches into the Willamette at 2:45.

In honor of the biggest baseball trade in quite some time, the End Hits sports desk (which is just myself sitting alone under this poster) brings you the greatest, and only, song ever written about Manny Ramirez.

It's not the finest work of the usually untouchable Joe Pernice, but when you normally write depressing pop songs about killing yourself, it's hard to transition over to penning something about a dreadlocked baseball player known for his bizarre behavior.

LISTEN:

Joe Pernice - "Moonshot, Manny (Pega Luna, Manny)"

End Hits: We don't have any songs about Jason Bay.

Dust of them pom poms, because the Trail Blazers are looking for a few good BlazerDancers to dance during timeouts, grind during on-court injuries, and probably attend car shows or something. Isn't that what BlazerDancers do? Oh, and make a bikini calendar. There is always a bikini calendar.

Open auditions will be this Sunday at the Wonder Ballroom, the jazz hands and leg kicks start at 3:45 pm. When the dust (spandex?) settles, they'll have 32 contestants. From there, they narrow it down to 16, but to be honest, it gets really confusing. It's like selection sunday or something.

Press release will explain everything:

The 2008-09 BlazerDancers, presented by NAPA Auto Parts, will consist of 16 dancers, who will be chosen from among the field of 32 finalists who have already survived three rounds of cuts.

Members of last year's BlazerDancers squad received a bye into this year's finals, but must audition against 16 new finalists to earn a spot on the team. Finalists will perform two previously choreographed routines and an original one-minute solo for the panel of eight judges (including former BlazerDancer and American Gladiators star Monica Carlson).

Comcast Sports Net Northwest will be on hand to film the auditions for a reality TV show that will air this fall. Trailblazers.com will also be on hand to provide multimedia coverage of the event.

I'm reading a lot of words--American Gladiators, reality show, Trailblazers.com live blogging a dancing tryout--but none of them are addressing the real off-season dilemma facing the Blazers; the mascot, Blaze. How about tryouts for a new mascot? I heard Squatch needs work. We love that guy.

The above image is part of a Wieden+Kennedy designed "Hyperdunk print campaign" for Nike, and it's drummed up quite a bit of controversy. Yesterday Gawker wrote at length about how the ad fits into the homophobic "sports status quo."

That said, the larger point is that the joke here--as in other campaigns revolving around ALL OF AMERICA'S MOST POPULAR SPORTS--is based on the implacable homophobia of straight jocks. That can't be denied. So Nike should pull the ads. Or rework them to be friendlier to gay basketball fans, at least.

Meanwhile the W+K blog has reader comments, and some folks weigh in on the issue:

The whole concept is immature and homophobic. Are we still so juvenile and insecure in our sexuality and masculinity that we think these are funny? LAME.

I don't really see it. Now if the campaign focused on any of the other hundreds of outlandishly gay moments in sports (a quarterback's hands delicately placed beneath the ass of his bent over center while awaiting a snap, baseball's dugout buttslaps of approval, or this joyous celebration between two teammates) and declared them to be "ain't right," then we'd have a real problem. But this ad's copy is based on the fact that the player in the image just got dunked on. Dunked on so badly that his opponent's balls are now at chin level. Gay or straight, I assume no one wants an uninvited sweaty pair in their grill--now if it's invited, well, that's another story...

Of course, the NBA has reluctantly become the first major sport to address homosexuality--first there was former player John Amaechi (he's gay) and then the comments of onetime all-star Tim Hardaway (he "hates" gays)--so the sport is a little sensitive right now. And while I don't want to condone the blatant homophobia of the "no homo" sports world, it does seem like a bit of a reach to be offended by an ad like this. Thoughts?

You can't see it here, obviously, but this dude has the words "For Sale" on his ass.

Local emcee Braille has landed a pretty sweet licensing deal with the folks at the monolithic sports video game company, EA.

His track "The IV" soundtracks the new trailer for NBA Live 09, which highlights the pathetic flopping talents of cover model, and scruffy French hoops icon, Tony Parker.

Not exactly my first pick for video game cover model, but what do I know? If I had my way, this guy would be on the cover.

LISTEN:

Braille - "The IV" (Feat. Rob Swift)

End Hits: Be warned, if you watch that clip of Tony Parker rapping, it might ruin both the French language, and hiphop, for you. Forever.

For a paper whose recent restructuring promised a more web-friendly presence (and a weekly print addition, sorta like us but we have the better escort ads), it's odd that Portland Tribune sports reporter (and excellent Blazers writer) Kerry Eggers would drop these bat-shit crazy illogical comments about blogs in a recent interview:

I don't like blogs at all, and I'll tell you why. I don't think they have the integrity of a newspaper or a website. Bloggers don't necessarily have the credentials that a real accredited journalist has - some of them do but some of them don't - so you don't know what you're getting. Anyone can sit at home with their computer and write and consider themselves and expert while their out there in the world having people read their stuff.

Way to seem like a cranky old dinosaur. He also hates the damn kids hanging out on his lawn as well.

Ironically Egger's comments came in an interview with the Blazers best blogger, Wendell Maxey of HoopsWorld, whose devotion to covering the team (I can give a first-hand testament of Maxey's "integrity," since I often share a press row seat with the man and he is definitely a "real accredited journalist") is second to none. Ben Golliver of the freakishly in-depth BlazersEdge blog also weighs in, calling out Eggers for his comments, especially when the man phones-in posts like this (no one wants to hear about your dreams, even if they involve Hakeem Olajuwon).

As Golliver--an incredibly talented blogger in his own right--pointed out, Eggers comments don't seem to reflect the view of the paper (or at least not Tribune editor Dwight Jaynes who commented, "I don't agree with Kerry's comments"), but it's a troubling sign given the Trib's recent transitions. Plus, as any hoops fan with a dial-up connection knows, the best NBA coverage comes not from print/radio/television "experts" (i.e. John Canzano or Stephen A. Smith), but from blogs like Henry Abbott's True Hoop (which, ironically, I believe he does while sitting "at home"). It's a shame Eggers can't see the writing on the wall (even if it's on a blog), that his beloved medium is changing, and if doesn't keep up, he'll be like those old bones pictured above. Except, you know, without a laptop.

In honor of the newest member of the Red & Black, Jerryd Bayless (aka, Jerry D. Bayless), here are some more Blazers tunes from the vault.

Way back when (pre-Oden) I wrote about the Blazers' rapping skills on their promotional "No One's Ready To Deal With Us" single. At the time the emcee skills of Damon Stoudamire and Rasheed Wallace left much to be desired, but after being gifted a copy of the "Can I Get A Headband?" single (thanks Rob!), I take it all back.

"Can I Get A Headband?" is an incredibly dated (the "oh" sample owes a lot to EMF) pro-Blazers jam that features various members of the 1999-2000 team--they are credited as "Da Blazers" but judging by the photos, contributors include Brian Grant, Damon Stoudamire, and headband enthusiast Bonzi Wells--alongside the folks at Z100. Peep that godawful rhyming: "Can I get a headband, one for my peeps/One for the fans in the really cheap seats/One for my mama and one for the mayor".

Vera Katz needed a headband?

LISTEN:
Portland Trailblazers and Z100 - "Can I Get A Headband?"

Oh, but wait, there's more. "It Ain't Easy" is the b-side (the CD also features two extended mixes and something called a "Fan's Mix" which I will spare you the horror of listening to) and a bit more hoops related than the lead track. The lyrics touch on the players various skills ("How did Scottie shoot that 3? Believe me, it ain't easy") and feature the very bizarre line: "Rasheed Wallace gets a slam. Believe me, it ain't easy. Now he's selling hot dogs in the stands." Huh? Did he get demoted to concessions? He did get a slam, right?

LISTEN:
Portland Trailblazers and Z100 - "It Ain't Easy"

Oh, the CD is a benefit for the Boys & Girls Club of America, so now I feel like a jerk for making fun of it. Sorry kids.

Live from the Rose Garden as the Portland Trail Blazers are preparing for an eventful draft night. If the last few years have taught us anything, it's that the Blazers don't go quietly on draft night.

Not sure where the belle of the ball—GM Kevin Pritchard—is tonight, but it's far far far away from here. You ever see Lawnmower Man? Well that is where Pritchard is right now. He is in a weird digital space, chillaxing with Max Headroom, and avoiding scrubs like myself tugging on his dockers and asking him his thoughts on Kevin Love's jumper.

His jumper sucks and he will be the bust of the draft. But enough on the Beach Boy's nephew, more draft live-blogging after the jump...

See this fellow? That's Kevin Pritchard, GM of the Blazers, and if the past few years are any indication, he is about to have one hell of a day.

Today is the NBA draft and after yesterday's prying open of Paul Allen's wallet, the Blazers now have 5 picks. That is far too many picks for a team this young (and with such a crowded roster), so expect KP to wheel and deal. A few players are on the bubble: Jarrett Jack, Martell Webster, and even Portland's favorite blogger, Channing Frye.

Some rumors right now have Portland trading up via New Jersey (most likely in order to take D.J. Augustin), shipping off a slew of players for Leandro "The "Brazilian Blur" Barbosa, apologizing to Darius Miles and re-signing him, or combing their numerous picks in order to woo a veteran away from another team.

The Mercury sports desk (um, myself wearing a homemade Richie Frahm jersey and Andrew "Jaxon" Tonry) will be at the Rose Garden liveblogging the excitement.

Oh, did I say "gymnastic"? I meant "gym-spastic."

Here's a description of tonight's main event:

Main Event: Welterweight Championship

Welterweight Michael Pierce, SportFight Champion (7-0), Braveheart MMA/Gresham, OR vs. Nathan Coy (4-0), Team Quest/Portland, OR

At SportFight 21, Michael Pierce used his superior grappling skills to frustrate champion Ed Nuno and take the welterweight belt. But his time around he'll have to defend his title against another top-notch wrestler in Nathan Coy, who was an All-American at Oregon State. Coy has also shown he can let his fists do the talking, winning his last two fights via knockout and submission (strikes). In addition to the welterweight championship, both pride and team bragging rights will be on the line for these two fighters, who used to train together at Team Quest before Pierce moved on to Braveheart MMA.

Read more about tonight's bouts HERE! Want the tickets? In the comments below answer the following question and LOG ON WITH YOUR REAL EMAIL ADDRESS: "If there's no way you would get arrested, what would you like to do to Humpy's face?"

Cut-off time is 3 pm today, I'll alert the winners via email, and you gotta pick up your tickets here at the Mercury office by 5 pm! GOOD LUCK!

"Not the face! NOT THE FACE!"

From their press release:

Redwing Coffee and Baking in Southeast Portland and its soccer-enthusiast owners are hoping to introduce Portlanders to the excitement of the UEFA Euro 2008 soccer tournament with live, big-screen television broadcasts of every game. The UEFA Euro 2008, commonly referred to as Euro 2008, will be held June 7 through June 29.

“Our World Cup screenings were such a hit, and we’re big soccer fans, so it’s a natural fit for us to show Euro 2008,” said Joey Gleason, co-owner of Redwing, located at 1700 SE 6th. “The Euro 2008 only includes the European teams, but to them it’s just as big a deal as the World Cup—it gets pretty emotional for the players.”

During the tournament viewing parties, Redwing Coffee will feature food and drink specials. All Euro 2008 games will be screened live at 9 am or 11:45 am PST. A complete viewing schedule is available at redwingcoffee.com.

Held in Austria and Switzerland, the 2008 Euro includes 16 teams competing to represent UEFA at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa. Millions of viewers from around the world are expected to tune in to Euro 2008.