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Come Fan with UsSaturday, June 20, 2026

A little mea culpa and some love for the Portland Timbers

A little something I heard after these guys got kicked around by Man United last night ...
A little something I heard after these guys got kicked around by Man United last night ...
A little something I heard after these guys got kicked around by Man United last night ...

Always remember, journalism is more art than science, and even on the best days we get some of it wrong. I always wish I could remember who said that.

Two days ago I got after the Portland Timbers, the United Soccer Leagues First Division side about to join MLS next year.

It was hardly a journalistic back alley beating; really just more a written wedgie. Still, it looks now like it wasn’t exactly deserved, like maybe I didn’t know the full story.

I said that the situation with John Spencer, who will soon be named manager there, had not been properly handled. It’s here, down toward the bottom of the long post; you can go find it for yourself if you care that much about it. (For the mea AND the culpa, click forward ...)

Last night after the MLS All-Star game (my report from SI.com is here), I got down to the real nitty gritty of the Timbers managerial matters. I did so through brutal tactics, torturing a very highly placed MLS source by buying him one quality draft beer after another until he finally caved and spilled the goods. What can I say? I’m no Jack Bauer.

I can’t really offer too many details. Bottom line though is that the Timbers weren’t really at fault on how the timeline unfolded. It really wasn’t anyone’s fault. I suppose life, just like journalism, is regularly and dependably imperfect.

I heard more last night during post-midnight interrogations. Stay tuned on all that …

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