PORTLAND, Ore. – Portland Timbers head coach Caleb Porter came to the defense of his team’s mascot, Timber Joey, on Wednesday afternoon, reacting to aspersions cast by Seattle Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer ahead of Saturday’s match between the rivals at CenturyLink Field (12:o0 pm PT | FOX).
In an interview on Tuesday, Schmetzer called into question Timber Joey’s credentials as a “lumberman,” and wondered about the Timbers’ log cutting goal celebration.
Porter was having none of it.
“I actually just got off the phone with Timber Joey and I wanted to clarify his experience working in the woods,” Porter told the press at the start of his weekly address.