Timber Jim, back in the '70s NASL days of American soccer - when the U.S. was home to the likes of Georgie Best and Pele - smuggled into the stadium a chainsaw, and stood behind the opposing goalkeeper, revving it. Eventually he was cleared to do this officially and became the mascot of the Portland Timbers FC. At the start of every match he wheels out a huge log, and with every goal scored he saws off a slice. At the end of the game the goal-scorers come over to the North End, where the supporters stand, and hoist their log slabs overhead while we sing songs for them. In a country where people are coddled to the point that safety measures have made drinking coffee a "dangerous" affair, watching TJ run around with an honest-to-god chainsaw behind the goal and on top of the dugouts, rappel from the rafters and hang upside down above the crowd, and climb on top of a 110 ft wooden pole with his chainsaw is refreshing to say the least.
Now that the legend has announced his retirement, we may never see anything like it again. Sure the Timbers front office would like to continue the tradition of sawing log slices for goals - and I think that could become a sort of city-oriented affair, with the mayor and police chief and those sort of people taking part - but the fact of the matter is that this sort of spontaneous daredevilry isn't going to happen anymore. I realize the world changes and that's just the way it goes, but I can still feel sad for the loss, can't I?
A lot of football supporters around the world sing "You are my Sunshine" for their club or players and Portland is one of them. A few years ago TJ's daughter was killed in a car accident. I've heard a number of reasons why the song is sung in tribute to her, and the Oregonian (who wrote a front page article on it!) today says it's because Timber Jim himself started singing it at the next game, but no matter the origins, the North End/Timbers Army sings the tune at around the 85th minute of every home match in remembrance.
Let's hope his last game, the opening day of the season, April 17th, has the most packed crowd and loudest rendition of the song the city has ever seen or heard. We'll miss ya, Timber Jim.
1 comment:
People like TJ are my heroes. Just love their nose-thumbing-to-authority-and-PC antics. I wish, btw, that the US would keeps its over-regulating, law-imposing, tight-arsed approach to life to itself and not export it. A land of contradictions, for sure. Bon voyage, TJ!
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