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Soccer, you might have noticed, is a game that has some detractors. Yes, even here at Talking Points Central.
But even those among us who would choose a dental chair to a seat at a soccer match found reason to cheer on Saturday.
That was when Camas native Brent Richards made his Major League Soccer debut, coming on at halftime of the Timbers match against star-studded L.A. Galaxy.
Having a local player on the Timbers isn’t going to turn naysayers into soccer supporters. Still, we all agree it’s neat to see a Clark County native earn a living as a professional athlete.
Richards said that playing for a team he grew up watching made his professional debut extra special.
It was special for us, too, Brent.
And that goes for all of us.
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It’s 1 o’clock on a Wednesday.
The regular (sparse) crowd shuffles in …
So, naturally, it’s game on for the Portland Timbers and Chivas USA.
That’s right. It’s a midweek Major League Soccer matinee.
If this were baseball, it would be billed as a businessperson’s special.
But for Chivas USA, it is family day, with packages admitting the whole brood starting at $59.
The Goats — Los Angeles’ other MLS team — sure has a different business challenge than do the Timbers in Portland, where the waiting list for season tickets has passed 7,000.
BTW, for fans who must work through this match @col_timbers will be tweeting live updates.
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A report in The Oregonian indicates that Phil Jackson has interest in becoming the Trail Blazers’ team president.
Big news, if true.
And it might make sense, too.
Sure, as a coach Jackson has taken over teams ready for a championship run.
But a team president’s job is more long term, and perhaps Jackson wants to challenge Pat Riley for front-office supremacy. Consider, too, that the job of building the Blazers into a contender, while daunting on the surface, is helped by Paul Allen’s dollars and desire to win big.
We wonder if Mr. Allen could let go of the reins long enough to let Jackson test whatever mystical formulas he has in mind.
If so, this could be an exciting development for a fan base that deserves uplifting news.
