The potential of Major League Soccer coming to Portland (it remains "potential" as long as the stadium issue is unresolved) has some questioning the prevailing (and long standing) supporters culture. On OregonLive today, a column appeared which includes a letter written to the Timbers front office; in the letter, a family decries what the writer calls "a bunch of angry white guys tanked up on liquor", "dropping F-BOMBS in their chants all night long".
The writer goes on to declare that the Timbers won't fill their newly renovated stadium if the Timbers Army is allowed to continue their dirty chanting, determining that the club will be dependent on "the large family willing to drop a couple hundred bucks on tickets and then fill up on concessions and gear".
Ugh. Where to begin.
I suppose the writer presents, inadvertently, an interesting question: Does the move to MLS behoove the Timbers to shift their focus from a counter-culture hard-core supporters model to a more family-oriented soccer-mom one?
Of course not.
The Timbers, despite the beliefs of one parent, can absolutely succeed by staying true to what go them to where they are (on the verge of MLS). In fact, it would be a crime if Paulson pointed marketing efforts in a different direction, or did anything to reduce the influence of the Timbers Army. Portland is exactly what MLS needs because it is not the staid, bland, boring fan culture that so many clubs around the league possess.
Could the Timbers Army cut down on the swearing just a touch? Sure. But any family attending a match should know what they're getting into going in; supporter culture is part of a club's identity, and shouldn't be artificially restricted for any reason short of violence or abuse. Language is too often censored unduly while parents receive a free pass, either because they're unwilling to speak frankly with their children regarding its use, or because those parents believe it is the responsibility of others to dictate its use. We're talking about words here people.
I suspect that if enough people complain, or if the Timbers see a hit to their bottom line, that they may ask their supporters to scale back on the four letter words. While there's nothing wrong with that, and I would hope the TA would be receptive to the needs of the club, it unfortunately speaks to a misstep on the part of professional soccer teams in the United States. Long term growth and entrenched cultural resonance will not be built through the family-friendly atmosphere, not matter how tempting it is to go after those dollars.
In a country where professional soccer will remain fourth or fifth in the competition for entertainment dollars for at least the time being, it's the passion of fans like the Timbers Army that will drive new interest from those yet unconverted.
My favorite part of the letter, one that speaks to the ignorance of the writer, despite their claims of a history of supporting soccer clubs:
"Do they really believe that chanting obscenities from 75 meters away impacts what happens on the pitch? Fat guys leading cheers laced with foul language is rather silly isn't it? Don't believe me, go sit down there next game."
Like I said, I don't know where to begin. To say he (or she) is missing the point would be a gross understatement.
You stay classy, Portland. I like you just the way you are.
*UPDATE*
There is now a response to the letter from the Timbers Army, which you can find here.
