Mike Donovan: Garden Stat(e) Genius

When Dran and I started talking about doing interviews as content before the season started, one of the first people we talked about interviewing was Merritt Paulson. Since that hasn't happened yet (that you know about), we contacted a few of our digital friends in the journalism sector. I reached out to Mike Donovan who begrudgingly graciously agreed to meet up with me at the IHOP by the airport to discuss life, liberty and #statting.

D&C: Thanks so much for joining me today, Mike. We'll start softball as you finish your Cinnamon Swirl Brioche Pancakes. How did you come about writing for SBI?

MD: I covered a variety of sports and events before latching on at SBI. Timbers-wise, before I started with Ives in 2013, I did some work with both csnnw.com and Oregon Sports News.

D&C: Does the SBI think tank have an HQ, or is SBI more of an ideals system-- a dream which can never be quelched?

MD: SBI makes its home in the greatest state in the Union. The Beautiful Garden State of New Jersey.

D&C: Garden State is a terribly pretentious film. You're not from New Jersey, are you?

MD: I am, at least I lived there for middle school and high school.

D&C: Yeesh.
You went to Colorado State University. A previous guest of ours had a sad occurence in the cafeteria at California-Berkeley. You have any CSU cafeteria tales?

MD: Nothing other than saying that I wouldn't recommend eating the "veggie" burgers.

D&C: That sounds dangerous. In regards to Taco Bell, would you rather a Taco Salad or a Fresca Taco (or 2)?

MD: Taco Salad? I expected more from this fine publication. I'm a simple man,  so I go for 2 chicken quesadillas at TB.

D&C: Respect. It was a curve ball of a question and you knocked it out of the park. 
CSU is in Fort Collins, CO, which has a pretty good beer scene. Fort Collins beer or Portland beer?

MD: Fort Collins is home to my favorite brewery on the planet in Odells, but Portland's beer selection is unrivaled. As long as you like IPAs.

D&C: I'll call you out on that one. There are sours here too.

D&C: I realize this could alienate your readership and could get you fired, but: #OlivesIN or #OlivesOUT?

MD: #OlivesOutDuh

D&C: Such a shame that your culinary tastes are so uncultivated. You're known for putting in time on some pretty ridiculous statistics. #Stat me a #stat which will blow my mind regarding Columbus or Philly.

MD: Columbus is 1 of 2 MLS teams that has a mode of transportation in their city's name. Also Vancouver. 

D&C: You are truly a magician. That's uncanny. You're like the guy from A Beautiful Mind, only, you know, not insane. 
What's the best thing about having a Timbers press pass and what's your favorite item from the buffet?

MD: The camaraderie among the people in the press box is the best part. Everyone up there is great. Except for Rifer. And the best buffet item ever was made to order Dungeness crab omelettes!

D&C: Whoa, putting Chris Rifer on blast, huh? I know you two have a long-standing feud. If the two of you had a battle with intellectual bullets, who'd win?

MD: Rifer would win with intellectual bullets. But if it was based on common sense or street smarts, it'd be like Germany vs Brazil in last year's World Cup.

D&C: 7-1!? That's a pretty bold statement. But, you're a bold guy. 
If a bold guy such as yourself could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

MD: My favorite spot on earth is Hanalei Bay on the island of Kauai. I would go there and hang out with my Monk Seal pals.

D&C: Dran is finishing up his studies in marine science down in Miami (which is why he couldn't join us today), so of course we know all about the Monk Seal. For our readers who know little about marine life, tell us more about the Monk Seal.

MD: Hawaiian Monk Seals are one of the rarest animals on the planet. The last time I was in Hawaii, there was one chilling on the beach, taking a nap. I thought it was awesome.

D&C: Rare company for sure. With 3 professional soccer teams in Portland this year, you're bound to be #statting a lot. How busy will you be?

MD: Nerd-wise, I will be pretty busy since 3 teams means 3 sets of stats. Personally, I am excited for T2 and the Thorns because I get to go to those games with my wife. 

D&C: Mixing work and play. I like where your head's at. I'm really looking forward to T2 as well. (Section J TID). 
I know you've covered the Trailblazers some as well. Choose one player: All Star and 2013 NBA Rookie of the Year Damian Lillard, or former Blazers star Brandon Roy.

MD: BRoy because Lillard once told me I was the worst person in the world at taking pictures on cell phones.

D&C: Wow. LillardTime really called you out, huh? You wanna say anything to him?

MD: [no response]

D&C: Your father is a Southampton supporter. Who do you support across the pond and why?

MD: I am a die hard West Ham fan and I will forever be blowing bubbles. Once when I was young I was visiting my grandma and a West Ham game was on TV, so I decided to become a fan.

D&C: Very cool. You seem bored. Anything you'd like to tell our readers before we close up?

MD: Remember, sports can be fun.

D&C: We too often forget that, don't we. Thanks a ton for meeting with me today. You've got the check, right? I need to get to work, I'm like an hour late already...
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Mike Donovan is the Timbers correspondent for sbisoccer.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheMikeDonovan as he delves deeper into the #stat game.

Jamie Goldberg: An In-Depth Exclusive Interview

Dran is a bit out of range for a meetup, so I had to handle this hard-hitting expose on my own.

D&C: Hi, Jamie, thanks for digitally sitting down with us today. Help yourself to some of this non-local, non-organic, GMO coffee.

You've worked and written extensively on the mental aspects of sport. What impact does your former (or ongoing) research have on your day-to-day writing?

JG: I think a lot about the mental side of sports when I'm determining what articles to pursue and evaluating the performance of players and what's happening on the field. It's always something that's in the back of my mind because it's an important topic for me and something that I think is integral to understanding sports performance. 

D&C: What did you write about pre-Timbers? Was writing about the Timbers/Thorns (or soccer in general) something you wanted to do?

JG: Before moving to Portland to cover the Timbers, I was pursuing my Master's degree in journalism at UC Berkeley. I worked primarily for a hyperlocal news site in the Mission District of San Francisco covering politics, news and features, but I also wrote freelance sports articles on the side. I spent a lot of time writing an article for SI.com about concussions in high school girls' soccer. I've always wanted to cover sports full-time and soccer is a sport I've played and followed my entire life. I was really excited when I received the opportunity to come to Portland and cover the Timbers and Thorns. 

D&C: Cal-Berkely, right, right. Fantasitc institution; Consistently tip-top in US News & World Report’s Top Colleges. In regards to their food service, would you say they served good food in the cafeterias?

[Long Pause]

JG: Since I attended Cal for grad school, I never ate in the cafeteria. The only time I've ever eaten in the Berkeley cafeteria was at a Cal softball camp when I was 10-years-old. I remember being unable to scoop rice on my plate because it was stuck to the bowl. I think I ended up eating pizza instead.

D&C: Sorry to hear about that rice debacle. Hopefully they got that issue sorted. Since we’re talking about food, what fast food restaurant has the best $1 dollar menu, and as a follow-up, why is it Taco Bell?

JG: I haven't been to a fast food restaurant in a long, long time, but I liked the dollar snacks that I could buy at the vending machine in my old apartment building. 

D&C: Wow, that sounds delicious. A hospital I worked at a few years ago had a great vending machine that would tell you which snacks were good for you. The jalapeno cheddar Cheetos weren’t on that list.

The Timbers had somewhat of a down year in 2014. Mustard or Mayonnaise?

JG: Mayonnaise.

D&C: Couldn’t agree more. What’s your favorite lunch spot in Portland?

JG: Uno Mas Taquiza. Best tacos in Portland and this coming from someone who lived in San Francisco's Mission District.

D&C: Again, I couldn’t agree more and this is coming from a Texan. I’ve had a fair amount of Mexican food in my day.

Alright, I have to ask this. I know it’s a hot-button issue and it could alienate you from your readership. #OlivesIN or #OlivesOUT?

JG: #OlivesOUT. #OregonLiveIN.

D&C: I respect your opinion

 and I’m sorry to hear that.

Let’s change the subject. You write for The Oregonian. How would you say The Oregonian affects your view of how The College Football Playoff system works?

JG: When Oregon is in the College Football Playoffs, it's much harder to get in touch with my editor.

D&C: Covering the Timbers, you have locker room access post game. Is being in the locker room after a loss scary? I’d probably take a security blanket with me.

JG: I'm mostly scared that the locker room will be empty and I'll miss deadline.

D&C: Interesting. You’re braver than me for certain.

Who’s your 2^nd favorite player to watch play soccer, excluding MLS players?

JG: I've always been a big fan of watching Abby Wambach and since you didn't say anything about excluding NWSL players...

D&C: Great answer. Abby is a great player and a patriot.

Jamie, if Italy were on a Rorschach test, what would you say it resembles? What about Colorado?

JG: You could have chosen Italy or Florida and gotten a similar answer. Colorado is a square, which reminds me of my laptop, which remind me of the soccer articles I need to write...

D&C: We’re almost done. I know you’re busy. What city do you most want to visit and why?

JG: Managua, Nicaragua. My mother's family is from there and I've never been.

D&C: That’s very cool. My family is from England/Scotland.

Drayden told me he just had Panera’s new Steak and White Cheddar panini. What’s your go-to panini?

JG: Pesto Chicken.

D&C: Drayden and I both have dogs named Timber. Why didn't you name your pet Timber also, if you have any pets...?

JG: I don't want people to confuse my dog with your dogs (that's if I had a dog...). As someone who grew up in a class that included a Jamie A., Jamie B., and Jamie G., I strive to be unique when it comes to naming pets.

D&C: I really admire your sense of individuality. I can’t thank you enough for sitting down with me today. Anything you'd like to tell your readers before we close up?

JG: This was very awkward. I don't know why I agreed to it.

D&C: I don’t know how to respond… Ummm, what are you working on right now that you’d like our readers to know about?

JG: With Timbers training camp starting this week, I will hopefully be writing a lot of articles about the new players. I will also be traveling to Arizona and covering the team's training camp while they are there.

Also, we are working to put together a series of pieces this year in honor of the 40th anniversary of the Timbers. I have some stories in the works already, but we’re interested in hearing from readers about stories they have or think should be included in our 40th anniversary coverage.

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Jamie Goldberg is a soccer reporter at The Oregonian covering the Portland Timbers, Portland Thorns and other soccer-related happenings.

Check out all her stories here  and make sure you follow her on twitter @jamiebgoldberg 

MLS, why do you hate the Timbers?

This morning, ESPNFC.com released an article by Jeff Carlisle that seemed to clarify a few unknowns relating to the battle for Jozy Altidore between Toronto FC and the Trimmies. For about a week, it’s been known that both Toronto and Portland have been after Jozy’s services, with Toronto being the apparent front-runner, as usual.

Apparently, Allocation Order matters again.

Silly me, I should have known.

Toronto FC has a higher place in the Allocation Order, so they will have first dibs on Jozy. But why does Allocation Order suddenly matter again, when it clearly didn't for Dempsey, Bradley, and Jones?

Does MLS hate the Timbers? That seems to be the discussion on Twitter right now. Let’s take a slight detour and reexamine the signing of Kris Boyd (“Ugh, not again,” – everyone ever).

In order to sign Kris Boyd (as a DP), the Timbers had to trade one of their 2013 first round draft picks to Houston for Boyd’s Discovery Rights. Makes sense, right? 

But a little over a year later, when Seattle signed Dempsey to a DP contract, people wanted to know why he wasn't subjected to the Allocation Order. Portland had the top spot and Seattle would have had to give us something in exchange for that spot. But we didn't get squat.

Why not?

Because, apparently, players can only be signed using one “mechanism,” as explained by Seattle’s part-owner Adrian Hanauer. “We have different mechanisms by which players can come into the league. You can’t come in through multiple mechanisms. You can’t come in as a Designated Player and an allocation player and a Discovery Player. So [Dempsey] came in as a Designated Player.” (MLS gets cloudier...).

But since Kris Boyd was a Designated Player, why did Portland need his Discovery Rights?

The last three years have been rough. MLS seems determined to screw over Portland with every player signing the league makes. We lost a first round pick to Houston, we lost any form of compensation at all by letting Dempsey pass through the Allocation Order, and now we apparently might lose an opportunity for Jozy Altidore.

MLS: Figure it out.

And to those who want me to sacrifice my tickets for a year, two years, or perhaps 50 years in order to take a stand against MLS…no.  

I'll leave you with this wonderful video of Adi after practice, attempting to answer the greatest question ever asked: 

<3 Clon & Dran