Timbuurrr!!!

On Thursday, I got the call from work saying that they didn’t need me that evening. Oh, what to do with a spare evening… But then, SUDDENLY, I got an e-mail from Friend and he was wondering who was interested in going to see the Portland Timbers play against Puerto Rico’s Islanders in a fierce soccer match. Me! I’m interested.

So, I watched my first Timbers game. Someone outside the stadium was giving away horn noisemakers and I got one. Any good person can't pass up a chance to make some noise. However, I could pass up an $8.25 beer and a $3 red rope.

We got close-up seats near midfield. The first half gave us little excitement. However, Puerto Rico did score, their five fans went wild and threw orange streamers. The rest of the stadium was crushed.

For over 90 minutes the Timbers fans screamed, sang cheers, wore green, let of smoke from some smoke machine and threw streamers. They didn’t cease their screams for a minute, seriously. They waved banners saying “GW out!” One has to advance their political platform and get their message to a big audience. What better place than at a stadium? They threw about a dozen pink pigs at the Puerto Rican goalie when he was arguing with the ref. Then Mr. Goalie got irritated with the Timbers fans and had to throw all the pink pigs off the field. All that fanaticism must have left them exhausted and with hoarse voices

But, it isn’t easy being a fan. You might think that us moderate fans have it easy up there in the stadium, but it’s rough for us too. I had to stand up out of my seat at least five times on those near scores—very stressful. And, they kept having near scores. It was like being bi-polar, high one moment and crushed the very next. I had to crank my neck to watch the fight that broke out between on of the Islanders and one of the Timbers (yeah, that was cool). I stood up and screamed when Timer Jim (the mascot) walked by in his lumberjack clothes. He revved his chainsaw; I screamed louder; I got out my horn noisemaker; I clapped my hands.

After the game, I too, was a little tired out. But, you will see me next week at the game. This time I’m going to paint my face green (green is very becoming) and wear a Timbers scarf. Maybe I’ll sit by the fanatics this time—I like them.