Maybe it's just the name. It was all right with him when it was called "Enron Park".

There's an old saying about trying to make a silk purse out of a sows ear. That was an apt simile for the stadium when when it was owned by the MAC.

Maybe LLP should try to go back to Petaluma...or the Hamptons.

"Even though the stadium is owned by the city and leased to Paulson, he gets the revenue from the naming rights."

Another sign of our tough guy negotiators on the city council. Why not call it "Goldman Sachs Stadium"? That's what it really is.

Of course, our local media refuses to look at Timbers minority owner Henry Paulson, who's the money guy behind Merritt. Would they extend the same politeness to Dick Cheney? How about Bernie Madoff? Our media has come off like the Mayberry Gazette here.

As far as getting MLS to cave to the dual use thing, Merritt says it all with, "They wouldn’t want it and I wouldn’t want it."

Translation: "It could work but we'll just pretend it can't so the city council can give me this crap stadium for soccer only, and then build me another stadium for my baseball team."

The article does accomplish one thing: As the deal nears completion, Merritt is letting more of his real attitude out. Gone is the barefoot-in-Lake-Oswego "Aww, shucks" routine. With the "crap stadium" remark we're seeing more of the snobby rich brat under the surface.

now it is given paulson is an ass and is trying to rape the city for financial gain, but how unrealistic is MLS? demanding soccer only stadiums shows MLS is a bit out of touch with the financial times and the overall popularity of soccer as a spectator (both on TV and in person) sport in the US...

PS - if other cities can use dual stadiums (i.e. Qwest in Seattle) why can't Portland (yes I know comparing Qwest to PGE is a joke, but why is MLS handcuffing PDX?)....

He calls it a crap stadium, I call him a crap owner.

Tit for tat, buddy.

I've been to 90 ballparks, and I like PGE Park. Yeah, the seating is cramped, but you can't beat the location. I love watching the MAX trains go by past left field. I like the history.

He might call it outdated. But it's certainly not "crap."

Love the comment about Portland having an anti-business sentiment. Yes, we've heard that before, but how does Merritt say it without getting the mountain of irony here?

I mean his Dad, who also owns part of the Timbers, and who has been a huge financial source for Merritt, is on the short list of people who caused this recession.

He actively lobbied - as head of Goldman Sachs - to change the rules allowing the derivatives bubble that led to something like 12 trillion in troubled assets on the backs of US taxpayers.

In short, Henry helped blow up the economic universe, hurting or destroying nearly every business in this country, from sea to shining sea. From the little boutique down the block to General Motors.

And WE are the ones who are anti-business? I'm starting to appreciate Merritt more and more. This kid is hilarious.

I call Merritt a sac of crap

Bill, it's worth saying that Portland has had an anti-business sentiment for quite some time. It predates the Bush Administration.

See: Georgia Pacific, Columbia Sportswear.

Well, little junior Paulson, No one is forcing you to stay in our 'crap' stadium. So take your CRAP deal and your CRAP attitude back to CRAPPY New York, you CRAPPY crook.

MachineShedFred,
I'm not disputing that. I'm just saying we haven't heard one peep about the financial players here as they relate to our national economic nightmare. Why not?

It's unfortunate what gets covered and how in this town. For example, I was struck by the announcement yesterday that we are #1 per capita in homelessness in the entire country.

Yet, to follow the recent history of Portland, it's been one long city council meeting, with little breaks to shovel various developers more money. To read the papers, Portland exists as a backdrop for Sam and Randy to work their deal-making magic. So far, all it's gotten us is a pile of debt, a neon sign of a rose, and Merritt Paulson.

That's why Dave Chappelle was so refreshing. It was outside the normal channels.

I don't know the accuracy of the story, but KPAM or KEX reported Paulson was now looking to configure PGE Park for both baseball and soccer since he couldn't find an appropriate location (and $$$) for a separate stadium. Can anyone confirm?

You'd think that keeping one multi-use stadium would be cheaper than trying to renovate for only one sport (portably versus permanent seating on the east side), but I'm sure Paulson and the nerds on the CC will find a way to double the costs.

Portland is anti-business, I moved mine out of PDX and Mult Co. and couldn't be happier.

“Right now, Portland is not set up where it could succeed at a big-league level. ”

-Merritt Paulson

I know he meant Baseball, but its kinda prophetic dontcha think?

I've been in plenty of stadiums and I agree - it is a crap stadium. That's why it is perfect for crap sports like minor leage baseball and "major" league soccer. Let 'em all sit down there in one big craptastic mess and don't spend another dime on lipstick for these pigs.

Sure, Portland is anti-business, and nobody goes there anymore, It's way too crowded.

Anti-business, yes, but hardly in his case - we're anti-giveaway to a snot-nosed little brat who claims to be doing us a favor by picking our pockets. It gets boring to repeat, but if 'M'LS & the stadiums are such a good idea, pay for it yourself & enjoy all the profits. And don't tell me private sports teams are like a public library.

"Sure, Portland is anti-business, and nobody goes there anymore"

That includes all the prospective employers over the last 20+ years too.

Jeez, for a rich guy who answers the door in his socks, he's turning out to be a major league a**hole.

PGE is a crap stadium for baseball. Baseball played on artificial turf is crap. Move baseball out to a baseball only facility so the Beavers can play on grass.

what do you expect from a guy named "merritt"?

I mean is there a more self absorbed, entitled, eltist name you can come up with? he was doomed to be a d*uche bag from birth...

"Even though the stadium is owned by the city and leased to Paulson, he gets the revenue from the naming rights."

Why? The city owns the property. Paulson is only leasing it. This makes absolutely no sense at all.

Combine this giveaway with the city's stupid willingness of make up the difference in minimum wage salaries and living wage salaries and it's obvious somebody in city government just plain likes to bend over and beg for more.

what do you expect from a guy named "merritt"?

His real name is Henry, same as his daddy and his daddy before.

Isn't it interesting that this "crap" stadium just hosted the third highest attendance AAA All Star Baseball Game? I guess the 17,000+ people there must have had a crappy experience? Right little lord Merrit?

I was there.

Positives: 17000 people. Time spent with my father. A decent baseball game. Seeing Johnny Pesky and Dave Winfield. The famous chicken is still funny.

Negatives: 17000 people. Cramped bench seating in the upper sections. Pole in my line of sight of the infield. Obstructed view of the left field alley. Long line at the men's restroom. Long line at the concession stand. Very crowded concourse, especially at the 18th street entrance areas. Artificial turf.

Was it a crappy experience? It depends what you value. It certainly could be a better experience.

Bruce, in the sketchy prospectus for PGE Park, Paulson isn't getting rid of the cramped bench seating, nor poles in the few sight lines. And the concourse is the same size.

IF remodeled and added on to, 20% will be going to Turner Construction, 30% to the addition, 10% to cosmetics, 10% to legal fees of city and Janik, 5% for kickbacks, 15% for city administration and over site, 15% filtered to Sammy, Randy and Danny, and 5% for PR.

I guess Paulson, Sam and Randy could hitch a skyhook up to Randy's truck to get rid of the poles.

lw - the plans revealed on this site illustrate something contrary to what you've stated. http://bojack.org/images/pgeconstruction.pdf Page 2 "8. Concourse Widening /Reconstruction of Concession Stands
Demolish existing Concession Stands and portions of concrete seating bowl above.
Provide new steel structure and concrete slab on metal deck at extended floor areas for expanded concessions. Install new perimeter steel seismic reinforcement at new opening in seating bowl."

The diagram/cross section on page 9 would appear to indicate that the concourse is widening 36% from 22' to 30'.

The documents don't specifically state what area of seating is being removed and to what degree. But it's logical to deduce that it's comprised of bench seating as that's the only seating above the concourse.

The poles have to stay, there is a roof after all - but logic again would provide that there will likely be fewer obstructed views if there are bench seats removed from an area larger than 2 sections across.