PORTLAND OREGON’S FACEBOOK NUMBERS REVEALED

via guardiantv.com

If you’ve ever had a special Facebook page for your business, your blog, or your cause, then you know how it feels when others find you and like you.

Feels good.

Does it feel good for others, like sports teams and cultural institutions in Portland?

That’s the question boomerpdx aims to answer.

Start with major league sports teams in Portland. Why are they called major?

The Portland Trail Blazers log in with 959,756 likes. Nearly a million people like the Blazers.

The Portland Timbers come in with 147,019 likes. Quite a drop off?

Not when you consider the current Major League Soccer champion Sporting Kansas City draws only 113,440.

On the other hand, the NBA champion Miami Heat has over ten million likes.

The Portland Winterhawks have nearly 40,000 fans on Facebook compared to their foes to the north, the Seattle Thunderbirds and their 18,667 fans.

That’s a big difference in fan base.

The current Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks have 1.7 million fans. The Dallas Cowboys haven’t won a Super Bowl since 1995, yet still pull over six million Facebook friends.

That Portland loves it’s teams is obvious. Other cities, bigger cities with legacy teams, love their teams even more.

Now compare Portland’s teams with Portland’s cultural institutions.

Portland Art Museum: 27,786.

OMSI: 58,371.

Oregon Historical Society: 7,924.

Multnomah County Library: 21,857

Portland Center Stage: 12,423.

History, art, and theater draw a special crowd, but are they so different than sports fans?

The difference is appreciating the preparation. The general perception is cultural activities require a more thoughtful approach. Plays and paintings and books take time to create and deserve the same time from their audiences.

This audience may not be familiar with what it takes to prepare a game plan, to create a long-term scheme for success. No one is simply rolling the ball out and yelling, “Go,” in sports.

Players and coaches put in the time to make each game special. You can tell when it’s mailed in. When that happens you question your own fanhood.

Baby boomers who grew up with favorite teams that have fallen by the wayside look for their entertainment elsewhere. It might be food or music, travel or fashion.

What it’s not is blink allegiance. The next time you feel betrayed by the Blazers, the Hawks, or the Timber, remember you have options.

Portland is famous for its options. What are your favorites?

Portland Zoo: 156,412.

Portland, Oregon: 253,852.

Take your pick and add more.