From MLS to NWSL to USL, the Timbers, Thorns FC and T2 sit within a unique nexus of a vast and burgeoning Portland soccer scene, within which comes a great many matches, players, and stories that unfold.
Today, the club brings me on as a new full-time writer and content producer to cover the club. From print to video, first teams to academies, I will cover all levels of the organization, doing so with the same level of rigor, commitment and analysis that I have done throughout my decade covering the sport.
Over that time, I have worked with Fox Sports, NBC Sports, the Guardian, ESPN and, most recently, FourFourTwo, in roles ranging from regular correspondent to lead editor. That journey has taken me from San Diego to Portland, Los Angeles to Miami and, eventually, back to the Pacific Northwest — the place where my family would vacation in my youth; the place where the game’s culture runs thicker than anywhere in the U.S.
That culture goes beyond the atmosphere we see on matchdays at Providence Park. It’s on the bluffs at the University of Portland, and the hardwood of Rose City Futsal. It’s in the plastic piping of corner flags pushed into Beaverton parks, and the Saturday morning pours in every pub across the region. It’s in the songs from the North End that radiate off the south’s concrete walls, just as it’s in the torn paper of birthday gifts that reveal a child’s first scarf.
These, as much as what happens on the field, are the stories of our community, and in that way, the club wants them to be stories of the club. The Timbers organization isn’t just about the players who adorn green and gold or red and black. It‘s built around the supporters, making the connection with them one of the top priorities of the club.
To be sure, there will be extensive coverage of all of the club’s teams. From the Thorns to the Timbers, T2, the academies and to the Homegrowns at college, everything will be covered. It will be covered extensively, exhaustively, and at times, critically. Bringing in an honest voice to give supporters the content they deserve.
That’s why this new hire, ultimately, is about you. It is about the organization honoring the commitment of its supporters, giving them the return they deserve from their investment. Even as the sports media landscape changes, it’s about you continuing to get the coverage that you deserve.
For a writer, it’s a daunting task: not only to try and serve a devoted, insatiable fan base but to do so in a way that continues to put our supporters first. We want this relationship to bring you the best content possible. And, in the end, we want your commitment to continue to yield rewards.
