Readers Respond to the Timbers Army’s Silent Protest: “Some Things Are Bigger than ‘the Team.'”

Last week, WW wrote about an Aug. 23 Timbers match, where Timbers Army fans remained silent for the first 33 minutes to protest the league's ban on flags and banners bearing an antifascist symbol ("Silent Army," WW, Aug. 28, 2019). After the match, team owner Merritt Paulson allegedly exchanged terse words with a Timbers Army member, saying, "You guys fucked the team tonight." Here's what readers had to say.

Jvf, via Twitter: "Some things are bigger than 'the team.'"

Michael Wooten, via Facebook: "Move the team and bring back baseball. I miss the Beavers more than I like the Timbers."

[Rose/soccer ball/basketball going in hoop emoji], via wweek.com: "I'm willing to bet that maybe 1 in 20 fans knew what the Iron Front logo was and what it stood for before the season started. Ever since the ban was created, it has been elevated across social media, television, print news. And the league and the Timbers front office look absolutely terrible for digging their heels in on this. It is not going to end well for them."

Don Smith, via Facebook: "Please give up your season tickets if you're so unhappy, so that appreciative fans can go to the matches."

Krystal Howard, via Facebook: "No, the players didn't win, that is all. The fans cannot be blamed for how the team does or doesn't perform."

Andi Costa, via Facebook: "They would really be silent if he pulled the Timbers out of Portland."

Ashanti Hall, via Facebook: "Thank you, Timbers Army, for caring enough to stand up for those of us who need it. I'll support the fuck outta y'all for life. This means the world to me."

Jamie d'Acacia Knott, via Facebook: "I stand with the Army!"

Angela Erstad Perry, via Facebook: "Sorry, but I just lost some respect for the Army. Support your team without bringing politics into it."

Aaron Sharpsteen, via Facebook: "The only people who think it's 'rude' to talk about politics or propose creating 'non-political' spaces are people who are fine with the status quo and do not want to be reminded of their complicity/participation in oppression."

Katie Robinson, via Facebook: "I gotta say, not cheering for your team is an odd way to protest not being able to use specific symbols."

Raster Blaster, via Twitter: "The customer is always right."