But after Portland landed an MLS expansion team, and our recent trip to Seattle to cover the success of the Sounders, I figured I should give it a shot. There was probably no better way to to do that than to watch the Sounders and Timbers square off Wednesday night.

First, I've got to tell you PGE Park was LOUD, really LOUD. I could hear the crowd blocks away here at our KGW main studios. Then, on the walk over to the stadium, things got even louder. Inside the stadium, I must admit I've never seen PGE Park that full. Announced attendance was 16, 382... a sellout (They could have probably sold even more tickets, but any of the empty seats I saw would have had just awful sightlines). I think it would be cool to sit with the Timbers Army for a game, but I'd probably need some earplugs. I'm also not sure who the guy with the chain saw was, though that's a pretty cool mascot. I would love to know how one hires for that job or how someone writes it up on their resume.

As for the game itself, all of the scoring took place in the first half, with Seattle grabbing a 2-1 lead they would win the game with. I know this is going to get me tarred and feathered by Soccer purists, but I really think they should get rid of the Offsides rule. I saw a couple of great scoring chances for both teams that were called off by Offsides calls. I think one rule change would open up the game a lot more (look at what eliminating the 2-line pass did in Hockey) and create scoring chances.

While I'm changing the rules, we've got to tweak the clock. I like that it runs upward as opposed to counting down like in every other sport. However, I think it's odd that only the referee knows exactly how much time is left in the game. When the time in the second half reached 90 minutes (the end of the game), we were in stoppage time, making up for stopping the game to attend to injuries and such. The PA Announcer told us we had less than 5 minutes left, and that's all we got. As I was wondering if the Timbers could get a tying goal in time, the game simply ended. There was no rundown of time let, just a simple announcement of "That's the end of the game." I think the leagues really need to find a way to tell the audience what's going on.

From the category of "Moms, don't let your kids grow up to do this," Entertainment in the second half came from some idiot who got into a little skirmish with security guards in the beer garden, and eventually Portland Police. Not sure if he'd been drinking too much (though that's a good bet). He even tried squiggling away from the cops as they carried him away handcuffed. Normally, I wouldn't glorify people like this with a mention, but it's a good reminder for all of us to SHOW SOME BLOODY SELF-CONTROL. A ticket is not a license to act like a complete and utter fool. There... lecture over.

All and all, I had a blast at PGE Park. I really can't wait to see what will happen when both Portland and Seattle are MLS teams. I've got a feeling it will quickly become the league's best rivalry.

It's Father's Day, and I can't think of anything better to write about than my Dad.

Peter Edwards grew up outside Tacoma, served in both the Marines and the Air Force, and worked at Boeing for more than a decade. My Mom will tell you he's been a loving husband for more than 30 years. My sister and I will tell you we couldn't have asked for a better father.

Since this is a sports blog, I will tell you my dad spent countless hours carting me back and forth between soccer, baseball, basketball, football, and track practices... and he gave up plenty of free time to travel to high school football games all over the Western Washington map.

After a long week at work, he wouldn't hesitate to drive up to Seattle and sit in the 300 section of the Kingdome so I could watch a Mariners game.

He taught me fair play, good sportsmanship, and how to drive (that one's important).

Most of all, he has never stopped being supportive of me.

I'm the person I am because of my Dad and my Mom.

So, in his honor... I say happy Father's Day to all you Dads out there.

Forget about all the exhibitions that the Portland Timbers have hosted in recent years, THIS will be their biggest yet! On July 1st, the Timbers will play host to (still) bitter rival Seattle in the 3rd round of the U.S. Open Cup at PGE Park. This, after disposing of Sonoma County Tuesday night, 3-0 down in Santa Rosa, CA.
Forward Mandjou Keita logged two goals and had an assist to lead the Timbers past the Sol.
So, it's back to business with the Sounders. It's a huge event BECAUSE it'll be in Portland. With the MLS coming here very soon, it'll be the first chance to show everyone that the Rose City has earned the title of "Soccer City USA".
By the way, tickets for this epic event go on sale this Thursday at 10 a.m.
This is one match that I can't wait for!

If you were watching the 11pm News Last Night, Joe Donlon and Laural Porter both brought up the fact that I was competing in the Blue Lake Triathlon.

I did the Sprint Triathlon which was a half mile swim, 12 mile bike ride and 5K run or walk. I ran and walked.

My main goal was to finish...and I did. My time was 2 hours 8 minutes and 1 second. I finished 586 out of the 608 finishers and had a fabulous time. It started when I signed up and picked up my packet at FitRight NW on 23rd.

Everyone was so nice and helpful. The weather was fantastic and I enjoyed everything about the event. Obviously, I was very nervous and was counting the hours until I entered the water for the swim which started at 8:25 am.

I completed the swim in 27 minutes and 33 seconds. I used a combination of freestyle and breast stroke. I thought the bike ride went smooth as well and it was a wonderful ride long the Columbia River for 12 miles. I went nice and easy and didn't over do it.
I averaged better than 13 miles an hour and finished the bike portion in just under 53 minutes.

That left the 5 K run. Since I had back surgery years ago I normlly don't run or jog. I love to walk though and it's a great excercise. For the Triathlon I alternated between a nice jog and brisk walk. It was nice to see so many smiling faces along the route. I finished the 5K in 35:41.

I wasn't sure what to expect for my first Triathlon, but I couldn't be happier. I will remember the work leading up to it, the thrill of finishing each portion of the race and the many, many kind and helpful people along the way.

Two hours, 8 minutes and one second from start to finish...and memories to last a lifetime.

The top high school runners in the country are competing Saturday night in the High School Boys Invitational at Lewis & Clark College. Add Elijah Greer of Lake Oswego High to the prestigious group of runners.

Lincoln's Nathan Mathabane was already scheduled to run. There is a chance one or more of the runners could break the National High School Mark of 3:53:43 set by Alan Webb 8 years ago.

The Race is scheduled at 8:50 as part of the Portland Track Festival.

It's been a heckuva season for athletes in the "97103" zip code.
Between the high schools in Astoria and Knappa... they've brought back 4 OSAA Championships. Both AHS & KHS won state football championships in the fall. The Loggers followed it up with, what else, the OSAA 2A boys basketball title. (Note to all....Knappa has a ton of tradition in basketball. But if your reading this, you already knew that)
Then, this past weekend, the Fisherman found themselves back in the 4A baseball championship game for the the 3rd time in 4 years (all under the Dave Gasser regime).
The Fisherman beat Baker, 8-6 to claim the title. Quite possibly, Jordan Poyer-- who's headed to OSU on a football scholarship-- will go down as the greatest athlete out of Clatsop County. Congrats to all on the coast.... it was a phenomenal season indeed.

THE NCAA Baseball Tournament Selection show is tomorrow morning at 9:30 on ESPN. The OSU Beavers finished the regular season with four wins in their last five games including two out of three at Stanford. They should get into the tournament and have scheduleld a practice for 1pm in Corvallis.

The former Two-time National Champs finished 15-12 in the Pac-10.

Ducks QB Justin Roper has decided to leave Oregon and transfer to another School.
Roper has been granted his release, according to first-year head coach Chip Kelly.

Roper started the first three games last season...but then suffered a knee injury against Purdue. Jeremiah Masoli came on and Roper never got his starting job back.

The Ducks sent out a news release and Kelly said quote, "Justin is a true competitor just like any other high-caliber athlete, who wishes to be out on the football field as much as possible," Kelly added, "I certainly can't fault him for that. I wish him nothing but success wherever he decides to go."

Roper will have two years of eligibility left.

Does anyone remember the skit on SNL in the early 90's called "Bad Idea Jeans?" I couldn't help but think of it tonight, when hearing Lents Park was the only option left on the table for the Portland Beavers new ballpark.

Here are a couple lines from the fake commercial, that still crack me up after all these years:

"Well, he's an ex free-base addict, and he's trying to turn around, and he needs a place to stay for a couple of months."

[BAD IDEA]

"Now that I have kids, I feel a lot better having a gun in the house."

[BAD IDEA]

"I thought about it, and even though it's over, I'm going to tell my wife about the afffair."

[BAD IDEA]

"Normally I wear protection, but then I thought, "When am I gonna make it back to Haiti?"

[BAD IDEA]

Here's one we can now add to the skit:

"We needed a spot for the Beavers new stadium, so we thought, let's stick on the fringe of Southeast Portland, 10 miles from the downtown core."

Bad idea!

Newschannel 8 reporter Mike Benner talked to dozens fans at PGE Park Thursday night. They hate the idea.
He also talked to Lents neighbors, some are intrigued by the proposal, but don't really think it will work. These people are obviously not speaking for everyone. I'm sure there are tons of people who love it. But it seems, they are in the minority.
It is hard for the Beavers fans we talked to, to believe that the city will get a return on the multi-million dollar investment.
The problem, its not exactly centrally located.
Reporter Randy Neves left our building downtown at 4:18 today, to do a live shot at Lents Park for our 5:00 newscast. He didn't make his slot. Bad traffic. No surprise there.
People said they enjoyed coming downtown, where there is a large selection of bars, and restaurants, where they can get a bite to eat before or after the game. I think everyone would agree Lents Park is limited in that area.
The Rose Quarter seemed like a perfect fit. Too good to be true I guess.
If they do go through with the Lents Park plan, I will have to get my baseball fix at home on television. Just me, my couch and a pair of Bad Idea Jeans.

Here's the full skit:

It was fun while it lasted. But reality finally caught up with the Seattle Mariners this week. Pitching and defense alone, will not get you into the playoffs, especially when your pitching has a gaping hole in the middle of the its starting rotation.
Mariners General Manager Jack Zdurienck spent the offseason upgrading the defense, landing Endy Chavez and Franklin Gutierrez in a 12 player trade. Right now, it looks like the Mariners got the better end of the deal. The two have been impressive in the first five weeks.
The pitching has also improved. Felix, Bedard, and Washburn are out of the gate fast, with a combined record of 9-3. Carlos Silva is a topic for another day, but I guarantee you he just pitched his way out of the starting rotation.
So let's get to the heart of the problem, the offense. The numbers don't lie. They were able to hide from them for a few weeks, but they've been found. The gig is up!
The M's are 12th (out of 14) in the American League in runs, 11th in home runs, 13th in slugging percentage, and 12th in runs batted in.
The root of the problem, Adrian Beltre and Ken Griffey Jr.
Batting in the three and four spots comes with some responsibility, and these two are not getting it done. With batting averages hovering around .200, and two home runs combined, the Mariners face an uphill climb.
The good news, its only May. There's time for players to come around, there's time for Zdurienck to make some moves.
Pitching and defense may keep them in the chase. But if they don't pay the power bill, it will be lights out for the Mariners for the eighth year in a row.

Adam Bjaranson

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JAX OWNERS WILL NOT CONTINUE TO OPERATE IN PORTAND PORTLAND, May 4, 2009 - The owners of the Portland LumberJax lacrosse club have announced today that they do not intend to operate the club in Portland next season. The LumberJax franchise has been in operations for the past four seasons, in which it reached the playoffs three times, including a championship game appearance in 2008. The club's 2009 season concluded last weekend with a loss in a West Division Semifinal playoff game.

"We are currently exploring options for the future," said LumberJax Executive Vice President Brian Silcott. "For numerous reasons, including the current economic climate, it has become increasingly difficult for our owners to continue funding the team at the level necessary to ensure future success in Portland. Right now there are several options for the franchise including a move to another market, accepting new partners and/or the outright sale of the franchise. The National Lacrosse League has a June 1 deadline for notification of intent, so a final decision will be made soon."

"We are entertaining many different avenues for the future of this franchise," added Managing Partner Angela Batinovich. "We believe in this sport, this league and this team."

What a great weekend of sports. The Mariners-A's game was fantastic. The Mariners gave up 3 runs in the 13th and then rallied to tie it in the bottom of the 13th. Then they won it in the 15th.

The Hawks-Heat series game 7 was a big dissapointment. The Hawks win in a blowout.
I don't have anything against the Hawks, however not one single game in the series was closer than 10 points. What a contrast to the Bulls-Celtics series. They had four of the seven games go overtime.

I'm looking forward to th Rockets-Lakers series starting Monday Night. I'm off, so you know I'll be on the couch watching. I will probably check out the Magic and Celtics too!

Are you ready? The playoffs are here. I write this about 10 hours before tip off of Game 1 between the Blazers and Rockets. Let's break down tonight's matchup.

What's at Stake Tonight?

A 1-0 lead in the series. A Houston win helps the Rockets steal home-court advantage. A Blazers win helps them keep it. Wayne Havrelly correctly pointed out that in a best-of-seven series, a loss in game one isn't the end of the world for either team. However, I think a win tonight is pretty crucial for Portland, mainly due to the team's lack of playoff experience. The core of the Blazers lineup has played a total of 14 playoff games (9 for Steve Blake, 5 for Joel Przybilla). If most of the players can get over the nervousness, get their first playoff game under their belts, AND get a win, it will be huge in creating momentum moving forward.

What must the Blazers do on offense?

Get everyone involved. The Rockets are more than happy to admit they plan to D up huge on Brandon Roy. If the Blazers can get everyone on the floor involved in the scoring, it will help cut down on some of the double teams Roy will see. Rudy Fernandez, Travis Outlaw, Sergio Rodriguez, and Steve Blake will be key. They must hit those outside jumpers. However, I think LaMarcus Aldridge is the most important Blazer tonight. If he can play well offensively, the Blazers will do well, and perhaps force Houston to change things for Game 2.

What must the Blazers do on defense?

Use their fouls wisely. Yao Ming can be a force inside. The last thing the Blazers want to do is have Przybilla and Oden in foul trouble. They're not going to be able to keep the ball out of his hands all the time, but if the Blazers can cut down on Yao's offensive chances, it will force guys like Shane Battier, Ron Artest and rookie Aaron Brooks to take more shots. I like the Blazers chances tonight if that happens.

If all that fails, maybe Greg Oden can sneeze on Yao and share his sinus infection (only joking).

Game 1 tips off at 7:30pm on KGW. Enjoy it, Blazers fans. I'll try and write in on Tuesday, and break down Game 2.

That's a long time, longer than it may seem on paper. Need proof? Let's hop into our time machine, the "Obscenely Expensive Way-Back-atron 9000," and travel to the land of yesteryear.

In 2003, the Blazers' leading scorers were, in order, Rasheed Wallace, Bonzi Wells, Derek Anderson, Scottie Pippen, and Zack Randolph. They finished in a tie for 2nd place in the Pacific division (the Northwest Division hadn't even been created yet).

Current Blazers LaMarcus Aldridge, Martell Webster, Greg Oden, Travis Outlaw, Nicholas Batun, and Jerryd Bayless were all in High School. Brandon Roy was a freshman in college.

Head Coach Nate McMillian was in his third year as head coach of the Seattle SuperSonics. Heck, in 2003, there was an NBA franchise in Seattle (David Stern, I'm shaking my fist in your direction!).

The 2003 NBA champs were the San Antonio Spurs, who beat the New Jersey Nets in the Finals.

Elsewhere in the world of sports, 2003 saw championships for the Florida Marlins, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the New Jersey Devils.

Seattle's Safeco Field took a break from baseball to host a crowd of 54,097 for Wrestlemania 19.

At movie theaters, people flocked to see "Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," "Finding Nemo," and "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl," all to the tune of $300 million dollars in ticket sales each.

Millions of readers hit book stores to buy "Harry Potter & The Order of the Phoenix," J.K. Rowling's 5th book about the boy wizard and his friends (for those of you living under rocks, the 7th and final book is now almost two years old in 2009).

On tv, both UPN and The WB were still in business. The SciFi Channel produced a controversial mini-series, a "reimagining" of the classic 70's show "Battlestar Galactica," featuring Starbuck as a woman (played by Oregon's own Katee Sackhoff). I think that one turned out okay.

My word... 2003 was a long time ago!

Fortunately for Blazers' fans, I don't think you'll have to wait another six years for the team's next playoff appearance.

Nonetheless, OSU was on the offensive from the opening tip on Monday against Texas El Paso in the first game of the College Basketball Invitational Finals (Best of 3). For the night, the Beavers shot 60% from the field....a blazing 68% in the 2nd-half (not too shabby is it?). OSU did get complacent late, but held on for the 75-69 win. Now, it's off to El Paso for Game 2 on Wednesday. A win that night would asure the Beavs their first winning season in quite a few years.