The Portland stadium saga is now in what feels like its 300th week, and it does not appear that a resolution is in sight. The city and those opposed to building a baseball stadium in the Lents neighborhood continue to go back and forth on that issue, and little is going right on the government side. Between protests, negative economic impact studies, and the vocal resistance of many people in the city, it's hard to be optimistic about that chances that something that will benefit the Timbers will eventually get done.

Most frustrating for me is the recent movement in Portland to push for a baseball/soccer stadium sharing agreement. For some, it's a no-brainer; a way to save the city money and sate the various interests who remain opposed to building a new venue for the baseball team.

But it's not going to work.

Major League Soccer is adamant in their stance that the Timbers must be the only permanent tenants of PGE Park, and it's hard to blame them for it. In order for the league to be successful, revenue and scheduling control are imperative; backing down from their demands should not be an option, no matter how dire the situation in Portland seems.

Thing would be much different, of course, if the league didn't have Montreal's desire to enter the league in their back pocket as a fall back plan. Pulling out of Portland after already awarding the franchise would be a major black eye, and it might take some time for the league to recover; but if the citizens of Portland think the MLS is coming to their city no matter what, then they've obviously misread the situation. Perhaps that's the endgame anyway. If they push for two teams in radically different sport sharing the stadium, then MLS might call their bluff and pull out. I get the feeling that there are plenty in Portland that wouldn't exactly mind that outcome.

So now it comes down to the will of those politicians who back the Timbers ascension to get a deal done, and refuse to back down in the face of opposition. While I respect the right of any citizen to make their voice heard, and will not judge those against spending public funds on stadiums, I selfishly want to see Portland become the next MLS success story. That simply cannot happen without a major overhaul to PGE to meet soccer stadium standards, and sharing the park with a minor league baseball prevents that from happening.

It appears that bluffs may eventually be called. It's going to be interesting to see who blinks first. Believe it or not, my money is on MLS coming out on top, whether it be with a renovated soccer-only PGE Park, through dropping Portland and bringing in Montreal, or by simply reducing the number of new teams in 2011 to only the much more solid Vancouver Whitecaps.