Timber Jim Hangs up His Chainsaw

By: Laurie | January 27th, 2008

Most mascots are cute and cuddly. (Even when they’re taking out streakers.) And most mascots prefer to remain anonymous. But a rare few don’t even try.

The Portland Timber’s longtime mascot, Timber Jim, is one of those. He managed to be larger than life without much costume at all.

I have to admit, since I’m a Seattle fan and our Seattle Sounders are the Timbers’ archrivals, that Timber Jim always scared me a little. He’s a big guy who comes dressed like a logger, (which he is), complete with chainsaw. A working chainsaw, which he uses during matches. I also have to admit that he’s one of the main reasons Portland has such passionate fans, where Seattle USL support can lean towards the lukewarm. He fires up that chainsaw and the fans go wild.

But alas, sadly for USL fans everywhere, Timber Jim is hanging up his chainsaw.

The United Soccer Leagues First Division franchise announced his retirement Thursday. Better known as “Timber Jim,” Serrill has been the team’s energetic icon — a drum-banging, chainsaw-revving, pole-climbing mascot — for 12 seasons. He will make his final appearance at the Timbers’ season opener April 17.

“I’m worn out,” said Serrill, 53. “I feel like it’s time to move on.”

Serrill cited declining health and a desire to spend more time with his family as reasons to step away from his side act. A third-generation tree trimmer, Serrill plans to continue clearing electric lines for Pacific Power.

Merritt Paulson, the Timbers’ owner and president, described Serrill as “an impossible guy to replace.” The organization is searching for a new mascot and will solicit fan input to help determine which Timber Jim traditions to retain. Paulson’s favorite: sawing off a wood slab from a log after every Timbers goal, then presenting it to the player who scored.

“It will be an odd feeling going out on the field and not having a chance to see him cutting logs for us,” Timbers captain Andrew Gregor said. “It was an awesome experience to have Jim hand you a log after the game.”

They may replace the mascot, but those wood slabs will never be the same.

This is sad news for USL fans. Even if they’re in Seattle.

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Christian

I spent a summer in Portland and seeing Timbers matches was one of the highlights. Timber Jim, his chainsaw, and his heart will be missed.
Shawn

The thing that connects Timber Jim to the Timbers fanbase is that he's a man -- a man with a job and a passion -- and not something that somebody in an office or at a sports marketing conference dreamt up. He is who he is: a lumberjack, a poet, a warrior, a man with a job, a dad and grandad, a man with fervor and love and a vision of how to make his community better by working for his team. I know scores of folks in the Timbers Army who would literally walk through fire for Jim Serrill.

Jim and the Timbers Army have been through a lot together -- most obviously the death of his daughter in a traffic accident and the Timbers Army's adoption of his grandaughter as a financial and emotional cause. But many good times and hearty laughs, too. Thing is, you can point to highlights or lowlights, but the sheer human decency of the fellow comes through even without such dramas. The man's a man, and he loves and laughs and commiserates and celebrates with his fellow fans as a simple human soul. In this era of sport-as-commodity, he is unique in all the world, let alone minor league American soccer.

And, by the way, in gratitude for this post and putting all notions of feud aside, I can't help but say that one of the funniest euphemisms I've ever read is the phrase "Seattle USL support can lean towards the lukewarm" -- to my Timbers-ish ear this is like saying the Pope can lean towards Catholicism or a bear can lean toward using the woods as a toilet....
Lucas

Timber Jim will be missed, and he'll be impossible to replace. Anyone in or near Oregon has one more chance to see Jim in action: Come to the home opener vs Puerto Rico April 17.

There have been one or two Timber Jim replacements over the years, when Jim has been on hiatus for one reason or another; it's never the same seeing "Timber Drew" on the dugout trying to lead a cheer. Most of us Timbers fans agree, the log slicing has to stay; but beyond that I don't want anyone to try to duplicate Jim's persona (rappelling from the rafters, standing atop the 50' sparpole, doing cartwheels, banging his drum all over the stadium, etc.).

Check out the thread at Talk Timbers message board for some nice pics and tributes.

We did have one guest log cutter once (someone Laurie might recognize from Galaxy games): after finishing a hat trick to beat Milwaukie in overtime, Alan Gordon cut his own slice.

http://2004.timbersfanpage.com...
http://2004.timbersfanpage.com...
http://2004.timbersfanpage.com...
Ian

They have to keep it going, as a tribute to the guy. Seeing Timber Jim cutting wood with a chainsaw after every goal is one of the weirdest things in sport, and as an Oregonian, I want it to stay, even if it's another Jim doing the cutting.