Portland's AAA franchise is looking to move

The friend that drove me down to Portland, Dylan, has been known to jinx a minor league team or two when he is in town... but this is ridiculous. The man is in town for a couple days and the Portland Beavers are already looking to move to Beaverton to become... the Beaverton Beavers! Wow.

The Beavers will play next year at PGE Park, but then will need a new home because the stadium will be reconfigured for Major League Soccer by 2011. Paulson also owns the minor league Timbers soccer team and was awarded a Major League Soccer franchise in March.

He since has been in negotiations with Leonard and Portland Mayor Sam Adams to have taxpayers pay millions toward soccer renovations to PGE Park and building a new baseball park. But plans for the new ballpark at Memorial Coliseum and in Lents Park died in the face of opposition.

Paulson's latest proposal is a $31 million deal to renovate PGE Park for soccer, including reconfiguring its diamond shape into a more traditional bowl. The plan goes before the Portland City Council on Thursday.

Judging from all the empty seats at Beaver games seen on FSN - I'd say that Portland doesn't give a rat's behind about the Beavers. And why should they? They're a major-league city that has a AAA team that plays on astro turf and diving pits. It would be like giving Boston an af2 team. Fantastic, wonderful... nobody would go.

Oh and did I mention their affiliate is the Padres? I'm guessing they aren't scoring too many runs these days.