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designated players
the sound of silence
The Seattle Sounders are not the only thing leaving the USL this year. Another Pacific Northwest soccer icon is hanging it up. The Portland Timbers’ Jim Serrill retired last Thursday, razing the fans as Timber Jim one final time.
I thought this would get more attention in the soccersphere but I guess a mascot–a word I don’t think quite fits Jim–doesn’t pull attention when they aren’t in front of the home crowd.
Maybe too it was time for a chainsaw-wielding icon to step aside as the city of Portland and indeed much of the Northwest continues its make-over from a region famous for resource extraction to one more interested in conservation.
Now I’ve never been a big fan of mascots. The only indelible memory I have of this sporting sideshow is the Atlanta Braves’ blatantly racist Chief Nokahoma accidently setting fire to his teepee in the left field bleachers of Fulton County Stadium.
But Timber Jim was different. As longtime Timbers fan Brian Costello said it in an e-mail that included the photographs you see here and after the jump, “It was an immense night.”
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The Timbers beat the Puerto Rico Islanders 1-0 in front of 10,977 that night. And appropriately, the lone goal was scored by former FC Portland youth player, Jesuit High School star, University of Portland alum, MLS veteran, and new Timber signee Chris Brown.
All photographs courtesy of Brian Costello. Video from “Dave Knows.”
Dave
on Apr 23rd, 2008 - 8:58am
Yo Adam - Great homage to Timber Jim!
And I appreciate the credit for the video but the original source is actually Heather over at Mile73.com: http://mile73.com/?p=289
Chris N.
on Apr 29th, 2008 - 8:52am
Adam,
First I’d like to say how much I appreciate your blog. You address topics and issues that rarely get the attention of the mainstream and its always interesting. Thank you for that.
Having said that, I think the inclusion of the phrase “the Atlanta Braves’ blatantly racist Chief Nokahoma ” in your latest entry is a mistake and divisive at best. It really only serves to detract from the deserved homage to Timber Jim.
Honestly I don’t see how Chief Nokahoma was any more “racist” than the sausages currently running the bases in Milwaukee today. All of them rely on stereotypes of certain peoples and none make any attempt to portray those stereotypes in a negative light.
In fact none of The U.S.A.’s sports teams that have recently come under fire for using images/charicatures of American Indians have ever used those images in a negative way that I can recall and most seem to use them with at least some reverance.
Just a couple of thoughts. Keep up your good work.
Sincerely,
Chris N.
Atlanta, Ga.
Adam
on Apr 29th, 2008 - 12:24pm
Really? Redskins? Really?
We’ll have to agree to disagree on this one Chris.
I spent more than a few hundred gamedays watching Braves mascots over the years trot out their stereotypical hyperbole, not to mention rows of protesters at various games. I’ve also seen first hand what that means in terms of educating our youth when schools simply reinforce this “history” to our youngest minds.
There is a reason why the Braves no longer have a Native American mascot.
The reason I wanted to pay respect to Timber Jim is because he was not a mascot. He is everything Nokahoma (Really? Knock a Homer?) was not.
To me Jim was the ultimate cheerleader, the finest example of what all those dance teams and big headed sausages should be replaced with, if anything.
Chris N.
on Apr 29th, 2008 - 6:36pm
Adam,
I’ll give you Redskins. That one is actually bad and escaped me at the moment.
You are right. They are stereotypes, but there wasn’t any attempt to belittle American Indians that I recall by Nokahoma, however simpleminded the name.
The point I really wanted to get at, but figured was too much for the blog was that attacking sports teams mascots, emblems is misplaced angst/anger in my opinion. Those teams had absolutely nothing to do with what happened to native Americans. However they do make easy targets, much easier than the true enemy….the American government which is where any anger would be rightly placed. The Braves no longer have a “brave” as an emblem for marketing reasons not racist ones. That’s the only thing protests changed.
Indians are still living in squalid conditions on their reservations which do less than nothing to justify the horrid treatment they received. Casinos and moral victories against sports teams who couldn’t care less only serve to shine the light anywhere but where it needs to be.
Oh well, keep writing and I’ll keep reading. Always enjoy your work, even if we don’t entirely agree from time to time.
Good evening.
Adam
on Apr 29th, 2008 - 7:28pm
I’m with you on most of this Chris. I’m not sure a passing sentence/opinion counts as “attacking sports teams mascots” and I do think teams should be responsible for perpetuating stereotypes, which doesn’t mean the blood of history is on their hands. It just means they can be proactive in making sure it stays in the past.
the story was about a mascot, and just because it is not as serious an offense as the one handed down by manifest destiny doesn’t mean it should just be ignored. Honestly I thought it just kind of went without saying; I only mentioned it to set apart Timber Jim as being special and different, hopefully through this back and forth that is even more apparent.
Chris N.
on Apr 30th, 2008 - 10:35am
Adam,
I appreciate the back and forth. And, your intentions are more apparent to me now.
I have some long harbored feelings regarding this country’s treatment of it’s indigenous peoples and I’m definitely defensive when it comes to my Braves which I’m sure is apparent now as well.
I’ve diverted attention from Timber Jim long enough.
Keep up the good work.
This Is American Soccer, US Soccer, MNT, WNT, and MLS » Blog Archive » a rainbow for portland
on Mar 23rd, 2009 - 11:14am
[...] as we waited for the real VIPs’ arrival—who in turn called us fans the real VIPs. Timber Joey—heir to the illustrious Timber Jim—led a trademark chant from the back row of the risers. Declan was wired—clapping and bouncing [...]
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