The Sounds Inside My Mind

As you may have heard, the city of Portland has began to woo NBA officials in hopes of securing a D-League team to play their home games here in town. But according to The Bollard, things have gotten much more serious than Irish step dancers. The investment group behind the movement to get the NBA to Maine has drafted a lease in which the Portland Expo building is used as the potential team’s home court. A major point outlined in the Bollard article is that the expo is already in use almost every weekend for high school sporting events, which would cause numerous conflicts with a professional team’s schedule. [And with the budget problems Portland is having, who do you think will get to use the facility, a public school or a professional team backed by wealthy investors?]

I can understand how this would upset and anger the citizens of Portland. School sports are a very important part of people’s lives. But for me, whether or not the Rams and Bulldogs can play basketball in the expo is of little consequence. The real issue here is what happens to the Maine Brewers Festival. This is by far the best beer event in Maine year in and year out. Crowding into the expo, watching the countdown clock, and getting drunk under bad lights, basketball hoops and exposed duct work has become part of the charm of the event. It just wouldn’t be the same without it. Having the festival anywhere else won’t cut it. We need the expo and the expo needs us. So the next time someone tells you getting another minor league sports team will be good for Portland, be sure to ask them if they have really thought this out. Have they considered the feelings of the beer drinkers? I’m pretty sure us beer drinkers out number the basketball fans by a wide margin. Just keep that in mind.