Kebba Tolbert out as PSU track coach

Kebba Tolbert: gone as track coach at PSU.

As I sit in a terribly boring meeting, a little birdie has told me that Kebba Tolbert has resigned as PSU track and field coach. This is not official yet, but it is definitely happening. Check back for more later.

The final word…for now

The old ballpark.

I’ve opened a real hornet’s nest with my anti-MLS, anti-PGE Park stance. I wrote a poorly researched blog entry about it and now I’ve got a (very small) army of soccer supporters with their panties in a pretty tight wind. Let me reiterate some key points, then I’m going to put the matter to rest and start talking about normal things, like how much I hate Sarah Palin.

First, PGE Park was just renovated in 2001, which is really not that long ago. The cost was $38.5 million, and surprise, surprise, it’s still being paid off. Now Randy Leonard says he want to use ticket sales to pay for the new renovation costs and the cost of building a new park for the Beavers in the Lents neighborhood, a price tag which could reach past $75 million. That’s a LOT of ticket sales.

If this does happen, the one huge benefit will be to the struggling Lents neighborhood, which is stuck in the armpit of 205 and Foster Rd. Still, it would be highly unfortunate for the Beavs to move out of PGE Park. They have enough problems getting people to come to their games without relocating 120 blocks away from downtown. As Allison mentioned in her comment, the Beavers are getting less than 6,000 people a game. Again, thanks for the info, Allison.

The benefit to the PSU football team is indeed exciting, although again, it’s not so much about the venue as it is the product in this case. When the team was winning big in the 1980s under Pokey Allen, PGE Park (then called Civic Stadium) routinely sold out. The Vikings haven’t had a sellout since joining the Big Sky and resigning themselves to playing Division I-AA (now called Football Championship Series) ball. The team sucks this year, and probably will continue to do so for an indeterminate amount of time. To be fair, Jerry Glanville usually has a good third year. Then he leaves.

The bottom line is this: I dislike American soccer, I don’t have faith in the MLS as a league and I’m scared by any plan that involves banking on ticket sales to pay back millions of dollars. I can obviously see the benefits the plan has to PSU, but I’m not sure that team deserves a new stadium at this point. If they rattle off a few wins, I’ll eat crow. Until then, I’ll laugh.

I don’t hate people who watch soccer, but at least some of you out there must admit that getting an MLS team won’t make this city any more “major league.” It’ll entertain you, and it would benefit certain groups, but the one thing it won’t affect is legitimacy. Not this city’s. Not other teams. Not yours for watching.

Side note:  Your insults are appreciated! It’s a huge compliment to both me and the site that so many people are pissed off over a harmless little thing like an opinion. Next week I’m going to talk about how much I hate kittens and puppies. If you think soccer fans are dangerous, wait til you see PETA up in arms.

Improve the product, not the venue

The boisterous Timbers Army.

Uh oh. The Beer Garden has pissed off the Timbers Army! Let me reiterate my point: I don’t care if it’s my money that goes into renovating PGE Park and building a new stadium in the Lents neighborhood or not. I just don’t think it’s a good idea, and that’s nothing against the sport of soccer per se, even though I’m certainly among the majority of Americans in my total ambivalance to the sport. Yeah, the world loves it. The world also loves cricket, and team handball. Should I feel guilty for being excited about the start of the NFL season?

Thousands of Portlanders care about soccer. That’s true. However I don’t believe that 20,000 people will turn out every time the MLS team plays, and that’s what they’d need. Even the Blazers don’t always manage a sellout, and they’re an NBA franchise. The Beavers have drawn poorly, with the Timbers doing even worse in home attendance. Portland State can barely get 8,000 fans at football games, even though the school has 25,000 students.

Maybe it’s the venue, and if so, then maybe this plan makes sense. But maybe it’s the product. And if that’s the case, you could play your games at Qwest Field and it wouldn’t make a bit of difference. Improve the product. Then think about getting fans through the doors. Nobody wants to watch minor league sports, which is exactly what MLS is.
Update: Reader Allison Andrews burns me with some sweet attendance info. Check it out.

“Beavers average attendance: 5,607 this year, which is 9th out of 16 teams in the Pacific Coast League.  They averaged 5,478 last year.

Timbers average attendance: 8,249 this year, which is a 21% increase over last year (6,828), which was a 22% increase over the year before.  They are 2nd in the league out of 11 teams this year.”

Thanks, Allison! Great info, something I obviously didn’t take the time to collect. Perhaps this proves my point even better, however. The Timbers are indeed drawing well compared to the other teams in their league, but they are not drawing well enough to support an MLS team, at least in my opinion. The US Open Cup was recently played in front of less than 8,300 people. The sport is not healthy. That’s my main argument for not acquiring an MLS team. Heck, a team might draw well in Portland. Really well. But I don’t have much faith in the health of the league overall. EuroCup sure was fun, though.

Goodbye to the Oregonlive Vikings blog

In a tragic turn of events, the Oregonlive Vikings blog has died. Well, euthanized would be a better word. It’s proprieter and content generator Ian Ruder decided that after almost 700 posts, it was time to hang up the keyboard and pursue other interests. Since I’d become used to sporadic postings, I only caught wind of this today.

I worked with Ian many years ago, during my first year at PSU. He’s a talented writer, a solid reporter and an insightful observer of everything Portland State. His commentary will be missed.

In the meanwhile, check out the Vanguard sports section for all the latest news.

Nooooooooooooooo!

Keep MLS out of Portland!

Portland, Ore. – Portland city leaders are willing to talk about borrowing as much as $75 million to help bring Major League Soccer to Portland.

At a news conference today, City Commissioner Randy Leonard and Merritt Paulson, owner of the Portland Timbers and the Portland Beavers, agreed it will take public participation to help turn the Rose City into a big-league sports town.

Paulson is applying for one of two MLS expansion teams that will begin play in 2011. If he succeeds, he wants city help making $40 million in improvements to PGE Park downtown and building a new home for the Triple A Beavers. A new minor-league park could cost $35 million.

Wow that sounds like a great idea! Let’s waste $75 million on a fucking MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER team, which in itself is an oxymoron because there is nothing major about soccer in the U.S., and the group of teams that make up MLS can hardly be considered a “league,” unless it’s a league like the one you play in on Wednesdays after a long day at the office.

To the city of Portland: No one cares! Give up! Don’t waste my fucking tax money! Look at it this way: soccer is SOOOO unpopular I could only find one decent pic when I typed “Major League Soccer” into google. That is just sad. Honestly, I’d rather see the city pursue an arena football team, or look into buying the Seahawks, changing their name to the Thunder and relocating them to Lincoln High School for a couple years while a new stadium is built.

Is that just piling on Seattle fans? Still, it’s more likely to happen than Portland getting an MLS team and actually having fans support it for an extended period of time. Portland City Commisioner Randy Leonard says there’s risk, like the risk he took when he got in his car this morning. No….it’s more like the risk you take by making out with an electrical socket—it might not kill you, but there’s no fucking point in the first place.

So here’s the question, Beer Gardeners: Are you excited for MLS in Portland?

A win is a win. Does that comfort PSU fans?

Vikings stud Bobby McClintock dives for the endzone.

Wow that was ugleeeee! Portland State kicked off its second season under Jerry Glanville with a 31-14 win over Division II bully Western Oregon. Overall, it was a pretty disheartening win, if such a thing exists. The Vikings had three times as many penalty yards as rushing yards and spent the entire first half looking confused, disinterested and finally, just plain frustrated. Vikings starting QB Tygue Howland didn’t even last a half. Many of the others looked as if they wished they could join him on the sidelines.

After skulking back to the locker room with a tenuous 7-0 lead, the Vikings let back-up QB Drew Hubel (he of the 9 TD performance against Weber State last year) take the reins, and the kid did alright. He went 28-40 with 305 yards and a pick, and did enough to matriculate the ball into the redzone, which is where bruising Bobby McClintock took over and punched in three second-half TDs to go along with his first-quarter score.

Let’s be clear, Vikings: play this way against UC Davis in two weeks and risk being absolutely embarrassed. There’s lots wrong, starting with the team’s mental discipline and ending with the brewing quarterback controversy. Personally, I don’t see that there’s even a real choice—Tygue Howland is through, which is sad because the dude’s only played in four career games.

But if the Vikings think they have a real shot at doing ANYTHING productive this year, then they must let Hubel continue to start. The offense looked crisper and much more comfortable with him behind center. I was on the field to snap some shots, and I could hear no panic in Hubel’s voice as he directed four workmanlike second-half scoring drives. Howland is probably going to have to Tonya Harding Hubel if he hopes to reclaim his starting role. One guy got the job done. The other guy didn’t. Sorrrrry.

The Vikings take next week off then travel to Davis, California. They are 1-0. Enjoy it.

Back at it

Former PSU star Shaun Bodiford.

Portland, Ore. – Standing composed and confident on the Stott Community Field following Portland State’s short walk-through Friday morning, the glimmering smile on Tygue Howland’s face was tough to miss.

The beaming grin that the junior quarterback owned followed a few short words that encapsulate his more than three years in the South Park Blocks.

“I’ve been waiting three years for this,” Howland said.

The this Howland is referring to is, of course, the Vikings’ matchup with Western Oregon Saturday at 1:05 p.m. at PGE Park.

The Vikings are back in action Saturday afternoon with a must-win matchup against Western Oregon to kick off the 2008 season. Vanguard beat writer Nate Hellman has the scoop, which apparently is that Vikings starting QB Tygue Howland still has a lot he must prove, especially since he’s only thrown 13 completions in just three career games.

If you’re a Vikings fan, that isn’t heartening news. I’m not usually a hater, but there are few things that cause me more pessimism than Portland State football. We all know Jerry Glanville isn’t going to put a decent team on the field until at least next year, and we all know that there are huge problems with everything from the O-line to the itty-bitty running backs that Mouse Davis is trying to turn into receivers.

The Oregonian picked the Vikings to go 5-6 this year. They’re going to be lucky if they win four games, and that is being generous. Let me put it this way: lose THIS game, and the program will be destroyed for years to come. Actually, I think Vanguard sports editor Skyler Archibald put it this way: lose this game and it will literally ruin your program for a bit. Agreed.

Beat Western Oregon, then we’ll worry about confidence and dreams fulfilled. If Howland can keep his knees intact, that’ll be a victory in itself.

Note: The dude about to score a TD is former Vikings player Shaun Bodiford, a good guy with a motor mouth who is now, I believe, a kick returner and wide out with the Green Bay Packers.

Last images of the Duck

The Big Man, the day of his death.

The Blazers sent these pics of Kevin Duckworth to Vanguard sports editor Skyler Archibald, who hooked up the Beer Garden. These were taken on Monday, just hours before his death. They are a fascinating glimpse into what Blazers media wiz Bill Evans calls “the essence of the man we knew.”

The Blazers are hosting a memorial service at the Memorial Coliseum Saturday morning starting at 11 a.m.  Parking at the Rose Garden will be free to the public. Come pay your last respects to a local legend. The Beer Garden will have a report from the service.

Doing what he loved best.

Sad day for Blazers fans

Kevin Duckworth. Seeya later on down the road.

Sad news, as most of you have probably heard: Kevin Duckworth is dead, after suffering congestive heart failure. Too bad, because the Duck was one of the true characters from those early ’90s teams. He was also a key component of their success during the Blazers’ two runs to the NBA Finals, one year averaging 18 points and eight boards a game. Duck was a big, sweet-natured man who never wanted to leave Portland and never stopped loving the Trail Blazers.

Not that you couldn’t see Duckworth’s death coming from miles away. I saw Duckworth last November at a Detroit Pistons game. Like many retired pro athletes, Duck didn’t much resemble the man he was during his playing days. He’d gained a lot of weight and was literally wide as a truck, but he’d remained active with the Blazers, supporting them in the community with a smile and stories from the glory days of Rip City. That’s what he was doing on the Oregon Coast when he died.

But that fall night last year he was at the Rose Garden there to be honored alongside former teammates Terry Porter, Clyde Drexler and Jerome Kersey during a halftime ceremony. I was there covering the game for the Vanguard and had a chance to speak with Duckworth.

It had been a particularly cold fall night, and I remember entering the media room with a chill. The Glide sat at a table in the front of the buffet line, TV lights shining on his bald head. He conducted court, smiling, regal. Drexler owns this city, and he owns the Portland media especially. As they fawned over their returning hero, Kevin Duckworth sat on a painfully small chair and dabbed at the beads of glistening sweat collecting on his brow.

“How’s it going, Duck?” I asked, trying to be casual.

“Going good,” he wheezed in a surprisingly soft voice. “Going good.”

I introduced myself and asked him a couple of questions. He was excited to be back. He loved the Blazers and the fans. Standard stuff, but I could tell something was wrong. Duck was really laboring, even a year ago.

I said goodbye and thanked him for his time. He thanked me for speaking with him, which I thought was odd. He seemed genuinely appreciative.

In case you need some proof that I don’t just have a wild imagination, some photographic evidence below. The Glide in all his glory, sitting at the press conference table.

The Glide last November.

Our man Rudy: que mate!!!

UPDATE: Since YouTube took down my original video of Rudy facializing Dwight Howard, I had to find another one. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Let me be the first to say I’m glad Team USA won the gold medal. They played like champs and the closed out a tough game against Spain, which was not going to let itself be embarrassed like it was in pool play. So instead of a blowout we got a thrilling 118-107 nailbiter, a game in which the Redeem Team led by a mere four points with two minutes to go.

Not that it matters. The good guys won and those racist Spaniards (Asian-eyes? Really?) go home as first runners-up. But I’m willing to forgive at least one of them, the Blazers new backup guard Rudy Fernandez. My buddy Swan puts it this way: SORRY, but he’s a fucking steal. Yeah, my thoughts exactly. Fernandez played with mammoth testicular fortitude against a stacked American team, and better yet, he had the highlight of the game—a crushing facial right onto Dwight Howard’s dome after driving down the lane and rising high above the NBA’S premier big man. Check out the video while it’s still up.

If you just watched the vid or saw the game, you know why the dude wears his first name on his jersey. Let me throw some of Rudy’s stats your way: 7-13 shooting, 5-9 on treys, 3-3 at the line, two boards, two dimes, no turns and 22 huge points to lead his team. And this is against the cream of the League. Look, I’m not saying Manu 2.0 is going to come in and supplant Brandon Roy, but I wouldn’t be too sad about James Jones leaving. That second team offense is going to demolish teams, with Jerrod Bayless, Rudy, Travis or Martell, Frye and the Pryz. Hell, the Knicks would kill to have those guys as starters.