By JOSE M. ROMERO
Not many MLS team jerseys look so distinctly different than the primary and secondary uniforms the expansion Portland Timbers unveiled Thursday afternoon at Portland International Airport.
Most figured green would be the primary color. It is, a dark green two-toned look with white and green sleeves, an axe on the upper back and a "No Pity" jock tag in honor of the Timbers Army, the team's main supporters group. Alaska Airlines, a Northwest-based carrier, is the jersey sponsor, those words splashed across the front.
The secondary kit, however, was the true star of the day – Rose City red with white sleeves and red stripes, a Rose City logo badge in honor of the city and its nickname, thorns stitched into the back and down the middle of the two shades of red used, and the words "Rose City" stitched on the back.
Both jerseys feature the club's primary crest on the top left front.
The Timbers staged a big production to present the jerseys and apparel line, using a hangar at the airport to house guests and opening the hangar doors to reveal a Boeing 737 jet on which was painted the team crest and a scarf over the fuselage.
Interestingly, both Boeing and Alaska Airlines are companies with Seattle roots, but the mere mention of Seattle drew boos at the unveiling. The two cities are longtime rivals in soccer going back to the NASL days and NBA days when Seattle had the Supersonics.
The plane rolled into the hangar, and people on board deplaned to a runway that they walked, fashion-show style, to model the Timbers gear. Alaska Airlines employees were featured as were players Steve Cronin (in primary kit), Ryan Pore and his wife Ashley, Adam Moffat, Peter Lowry, Eric Brunner (in secondary kit) and Rodney Wallace (long sleeve secondary kit).
The team's downtown Portland store opens Friday morning and the primary jerseys will be on sale. The secondary kits are available in early 2011.
What do you think about the Timbers' new jerseys? Prefer the red or the green or neither? Share your thoughts below.
*I mean different shades of the same color. My b.
I don’t mind them, but its not the same concept as the Barca jerseys which are two completely different colors (not the same shade as the Timbers jerseys are).
Okay, until 2009 we had no green team in MLS. Now we have two of them.
could we take this as a sign of the growth of MLS? looking at both the new dynamo and timbers kits it seems adidas is more willing to spend time and money on the detailing of a kit rather than changing colors on a template.
either way i think those look hot.
So is Timbers Army whining again that they weren’t consulted?
Because there isn’t enough red in MLS…
By far the best looking jerseys in the MLS. Fantastic.
It seems odd to me how many comments a jersey thread garners. I don’t have anything against that–it’s just kind of strange.
Maybe for kits. Just reverse that order for the actual teams…
Adidas’ US headquarters is also in Beaverton
Peter Lowry looking sharp in the kit. Some of us Fire guys were posting (locally) how are we gonna get our wives to go to games now, with their eye candy relocated.
I wouldn’t change the color of the badge on the secondary shirt (I hate when Chelsea does that too) but otherwise they nailed it.
Why did they put those ugly stripes on the Arsenal jerseys?
Not to mention Arsenal.
Show us your portfolio or STFU
Seattle invented the airline industry.
agree
A step in the right direction for MLS jerseys.
http://justson.blogspot.com/2010/12/seattle-sounders-fc-2011-kits.html
Phathom, you cant really be serious about those kits
I honestly thought most people would be with me and against these jerseys. how much red will there be in the crowd at timbers games because of these jerseys?
But if the timbers fans like them, whatever
Can you say paying homage to a portland tradition in spectacular fashion
lol, not even comparable….
I think red is a brillant choice! The TA obviously enjoys wearing the Fire’s colors.
Nice Jersey…a little bit more and it would had been deja vu to the Jersey’s the league had in its inception or birth…but I like these…
Definitely like the jerseys. Now if only other teams will follow suit and come up with some unique and class jerseys.
I really like the red.. but the no pity in the rose city commercial they have building on the billboards is nice
love it as well.
as a neutral, i must say those red shirts are class
Clearly they didn’t consult their head coach John Spencer (ex-Chelsea) on their knock off red Arsenal kit!
Besides they will never wear these away kits vs Chicago/Dallas/Chivas. Home team gets preference and they are all mainly red at home.
+1
These jerseys are fugly.
At first I liked them and was confused with everyone’s hate; then, my eyes adjusted and I saw the two tones and I lol’ed. The red one isn’t horrible, but the green one is gross.
Hate to rain on your parade dude, but you’ll have to wait a few seasons before the Timbers score any goals at Qwest. Seattle will own Portland next season.
And Werder Bremen, and Hibernian.
Oh, besides the HQ of AA in Seattle, there are 2,400 employees of the company in Portland… Hometown?
I agree. I think adidas is starting to realize that their MLS jerseys so far have been pretty lacking. It’s nice to see them going in different directions.
Pizza Hut Park, Amway, Red Bull, Herballife, Best Buy… Not all of these sponsors scream hometown marketing. Alaska Airlines is looking to be a national brand AND a Portland brand. Not poor at all.
Not hideous. I like them.
Sorry, that reply was for BJ’s … not you.
Awful? I mean, I’m a Sounders fan, but I actually like these a lot. I’ve been waiting for adidas to do something different with their MLS jerseys instead of making them all look the same.
Now, Houston’s new jerseys, with the collar? Those look dumb.
hey man… was just trying to be objective. i actually like the tone-on-tone color scheme and think that is a pretty classy direction to take it. the bold red for the alt isn’t bad either but the white sleeves make them look like tank tops and the the half and half design is just not really working especially with the zigzag line down the middle. as for the sounders grey i think it balances out the very Very bold rave green color. hoping the sounders have grey shorts to go with their green tops next year.
i won’t even touch the bra-straps comment because that is so tired already
Green with Envy. Those Rose Red power kits will look good scoring goals in xbox stadium. Unique, classy, well done PXD.
Co-sign.
I believe it’s called a POOR business decision.
They are headquartered in Seattle. If a company is to support anyone in the league it should be the home team.
love them!
Gorgeous. Best in the league.
Good uni week for MLS, with Houston also unveiling the classy 1988-Oranje throwbacks.
I personally don’t like the jersey split in half by a different shade and thorns down middle of red one to split it up, etc. Maybe I’m more boring but I think those designs with just one shade would have looked much better. They already personalized it quite a bit with the rose on the red and axe on the green, paid tribute to the fans with them, had the inside of the neck on red be thorns and so forth.
Just my opinion though; obviously if others like it that’s cool. And especially if Portland people like them. Suppose that’s all that really matters.
They’re knock offs of St. Etienne’s home jerseys.
Nothing new here.
By the way, can we please make a change to the MLS logo? Looks like a pre-schooler won the ‘draw the MLS logo’ lottery and they went with it.
Not bad, but the shorts are so long.