UPDATE OCT. 5: Tillamook released a statement hinting that its continued sponsorship depends on “meaningful, institutional changes.” Also, top executives Mike Golub and Gavin Wilkinson were fired Wednesday.
Outraged fans of the Portland Thorns and Timbers took to social media calling for big corporate names to end their sponsorships of the professional soccer teams — to intensify pressure on owner Merritt Paulson to fire top executives and sell the teams.
Fans Monday and Tuesday applauded one of the first sponsors to make a statement — Laurelwood Brewing Co. — in response to a yearlong investigation that revealed alleged abuses and cover-ups across the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), including within the Thorns organization.
“Attention,” reads Laurelwood’s statement, which was written in all capital letters. “A yearlong investigation found U.S. Soccer executives, NWSL owners and coaches at all levels of American soccer had turned a blind eye toward years of reports of abuse from players.”
“Laurelwood Brewing Co. has been a sponsor of the Portland Thorns since April of this year,” the statement continued. “... We want to make clear that the findings in this report do not reflect the values of Laurelwood Brewing Co., its ownership or management.”
“We will wait to see what happens with team ownership and management before we make any decisions about next season,” the statement concluded.
Alaska Airlines said in a statement that it was “deeply concerned by the findings” of the investigation and thinking about next steps.
“We recognize the tremendous courage of the women’s soccer players and others who came forward,” the company’s statement read. “As a long-standing partner of the Portland Thorns and Timbers FCs, our priority is supporting the players and ensuring any action we take contributes to positive systemic change. We are currently assessing options to fulfill those objectives.”
Amid all of the upset, Paulson expressed regret.
“I cannot apologize enough for our role in a gross systemic failure to protect player safety and the missteps we made in 2015,” Paulson said in a statement. “I am truly sorry.”
Fans on social media, however, were not placated. They pounded other sponsors for remaining silent more than 24 hours into the investigation’s release.
“I have been a season ticket holder for both clubs since they entered these leagues,” John Doty tweeted. “Today’s revelations were the end for me. How about you, the sponsors of the Timbers & Thorns …?”
The news organization reached out to a long list of companies that have signed on as sponsors in recent years or are known to be current sponsors, including Adidas, TikTok, Toyota, Lyft, U.S. Fertility, Wild Fang, Widmer, Dutch Bros and Pelican Brewing. None of those companies responded, as of late Tuesday afternoon. A spokesperson from the petroleum company 76 declined comment.
Providence Oregon’s chief executive, William Olson, sent a letter to employees saying the investigation’s findings are “deeply disturbing” and “everyone must now focus on next steps.”
“This is a time for all those involved to learn, listen and ensure a system is in place to prevent sexual coercion and all other forms of abuse in the future,” Olson’s statement read, in part. “We are following the situation closely, and are in contact with the Thorns.”
Todd Diskin, a member of Soccer City Accountability Now (SCAN), told The Oregonian/OregonLive that his group is part of a groundswell calling for the teams’ owner, Paulson, to fire top executives Mike Golub and Gavin Wilkinson and sell the teams. The Timbers Army and Rose City Riveters also have demanded just that.
“Sponsors play a critical role in pushing for this change,” Diskin said. “... We’re watching carefully who is speaking up and speaking out.”
Diskin said his group also is pushing for any boards of directors at community organizations where the three men sit to remove them.
“They’ve lost our trust completely,” Diskin said. “So the only position from this point forward is that they’re no longer part of our culture and especially our soccer culture.”
It’s unclear what community organizations Paulson or Wilkinson might be associated with, but Golub is on the board of directors at multiple organizations. That includes the Portland Business Alliance, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and Oregon Public Broadcasting. The Oregonian/OregonLive asked all three on Tuesday whether they were going to take any action against Golub.
Only the Portland Business Alliance responded, saying the “board will review the matter at our upcoming meeting.”
“Like many Portlanders, we learned of new information concerning the Timbers / Thorns recently and are deeply saddened by the findings,” a statement read.
But much of fans’ efforts on social media were directed at sponsors. Some fans contributed to a Google Docs spreadsheet that listed all known sponsors and their contact information so members of the public could email or phone them.
Danner, the Portland-based boot company, tweeted a statement that soon disappeared for reasons that weren’t clear. A spokesperson didn’t return requests for comment.
KeyBank, a sponsor of the Timbers but not the Thorns, said it takes “any allegations of sexual abuse seriously,” though it shared no details about how it might act.
The Tillamook County Creamery Association on Wednesday said its dismayed by the investigation’s findings, “as they are counter to our values at Tillamook that prioritize an inclusive culture and workplace where all team members feel respected, safe and supported.” The association said it supports Thorns players.
“We will only reconsider future sponsorship if the organization makes meaningful, institutional changes,” the statement read.
John Maher, president of Oregonian Media Group, is a volunteer board member and the chair emeritus of the Portland Business Alliance.
-- Aimee Green; agreen@oregonian.com; @o_aimee
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