MannyJello Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 just received the most wonderful news and needed to share. Word has just leaked that Portland will be announced as the 18th franchise in the MLS on Friday after Vancouver will be announced as the 17th on Thursday. it was a tough battle -- in order to be awarded the expansion franchise (remember there is no promotion/relegation in America...this will be a Division 1 side getting dismantled and a brand new top flight team being created out of whole cloth), we needed to win a City Council vote turning our current stadium into a soccer specific stadium and building a new stadium for the minor league baseball team that currently co-occupies the grounds with us. last week the City Council heard 6 hours of testimony from a variety of sources -- including supporters like myself -- before voting 3 to 2 to give us the financing needed for the deal. here's a link to my testimony -- just scroll forward to minute 246, and my testimony begins at minute 248. I'm the great looking guy talking about my daughter Lucy and her love of the team. Not to brag, but after the day was done, the mayor of our city came up to me and told me that was the funniest and best public testimony he'd ever heard in his 22 years of being in city politics. It's just 2 minutes long, enjoy... Cheers, mates! Can't wait until Chelsea comes to play in Portland in our new stadium and I get to wear two scarves that day, one blue and one green!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moi Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 Thanks, Mannyjello, that was funny! Especially as I spent a few minutes wondering if you were a time traveller, since the video seemed to have been taken on the 3rd of November 2009. I'm not at my best in the morning! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueBeard Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 Great stuff, MannyJello, loved your 'daughters' testimony :D Congratulations on getting the Timbers into the MLS, just a shame that they play in green ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plavi26 Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 (edited) Congratz ManyJello, I hope they can play better in their first year then Toronto, and have the same ambiance. We're going trough the same thing right now at Ottawa. Apperently, if we're able to build a stadium we can have a team from the stories the MLS is giving us, but we have a dispute on who's going to build the stadium and where, as we also want a CFL (Canadian Football League) team. Hope we get our team like you guys! Btw, what's going on at the first bit of the video?! Did your mayor rape someone? Edited March 18, 2009 by SpAcE126 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plavi26 Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 (edited) Congratz mate! You have your team (official)! Hope you guys have success in the league in 2011. For my part, I hope we'll be in the 2012 or 2013 line-up. Edited March 20, 2009 by SpAcE126 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mad_mac Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 Well done Manny, almost text you when I heard the news that the timbers were likely to get the bid, but figured you'd know already. Might be coming down in the negining of May to stay with a mate of mine in Portland and take in a game. Yeah. they play in Green...damn it! And they sing a song "green is the colour" to the same tune as Chelsea's "Blue is the Colour!" I dont know how I'll feel about singing along with that? Scott Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benji Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 Well done Manny,almost text you when I heard the news that the timbers were likely to get the bid, but figured you'd know already. Might be coming down in the negining of May to stay with a mate of mine in Portland and take in a game. Yeah. they play in Green...damn it! And they sing a song "green is the colour" to the same tune as Chelsea's "Blue is the Colour!" I dont know how I'll feel about singing along with that? Scott Green is the colour? WTF! Copyright! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MannyJello Posted March 20, 2009 Author Share Posted March 20, 2009 yes, cheers! We got the team. what a great week this has been. I was at the official rally/press conference/announcement today, what a riot. Singing football songs and getting rowdy while in a fancy hotel room with no football to be seen, except on a television screen. Scott, yes, you definitely have to come down. And yes, there is a corny "Green is the Color" song but the supporters don't sing it. It's piped in over the loudspeakers; best form of flattery, no? One of our main supporters is also a huge Chelsea nutter so he started a version of "Carefree" that we also sing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zola's Love Child Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 Well done Manny, amazing job by you guys, and a great testimony, really funny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheWestwayWonder Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 (edited) Manny, Well done to you and all the others out there. That was thoughtful and very imaginative. And so much of the testimony in that video showed the passion and pride true supporters have. So glad Portland got a franchise along with Seattle, as it is real footy/soccer country out in the US, and I was a resident of Vancouver (Clark Co.) up in Washington for many years. Though I am in DC now, I rarely miss the chance to stump for the city and the region. I love it, its a beautiful part of America, and I would move back in a heartbeat I myself havent closely followed American soccer, despite DC United being in this town, but now that the northwest has franchises, I might finally begin to follow it. And great job for the presentation. It was certainly among the most creative I have ever seen. Once again, hats of to you and the city of Portland. I think this is gonna be a real boon for the MLS, truly edit: also, now I finally understand your user name :D Edited March 21, 2009 by TheWestwayWonder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benji Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 Just watched the video as i couldn't at the first time, But Manny that was a great speech! Well done to you guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisC Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 Good job! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g3.7 Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 that was great manny, well done and congratulations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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