Stoppage Time Special: The Next Generation of Fans

In this special Stoppage Time edition of the Pitch to Pro podcast, we dive into one of the show’s most personal and vivid storytelling moments: a heartfelt memory about watching MLS veteran Jack Jewsbury in action. The segment from Episode 46 with Ross Cully features reflections on how an unassuming trip to Portland turned into a deep lesson in soccer culture, as he recalls traveling with his young son to see Jewsbury captain the Timbers in front of the legendary Timbers Army. Their experience went beyond just watching a match. It was about being enveloped in the color, chants, and traditions that define Portland’s fan culture, even coming away with Jewsbury’s captain's armband as a priceless souvenir.

The episode also explores Jewsbury’s career trajectory, from college at SLU to the Kansas City Wizards and ultimately Portland, painting a vivid contrast between the early, sparse crowds at Arrowhead Stadium and the electric, sold-out atmosphere in the Pacific Northwest. It’s a testament not only to the growth of MLS but to the way authentic supporter culture can transform a city’s sporting identity. The conversation brims with admiration for the local traditions, like the chainsaw-cutting of the victory log, underscoring why the Timber's matchday experience is often held up as the gold standard in American soccer.

Beyond nostalgia, the segment turns reflective and even strategic, highlighting why these kinds of experiences matter for investors and club-builders in emerging markets like Northwest Arkansas. Ross notes how going to matches in Kansas City with his own kids, and even his initially skeptical parents, showed the sport’s multigenerational appeal and the surprise fans often feel when they realize soccer’s live atmosphere can be more intimate, accessible, and engaging than bigger, more corporate American sports experiences. It’s a compelling argument for how clubs can win over communities by delivering something that feels both special and inclusive.

Finally, the episode closes by linking personal memories to a broader vision: the changing demographics and rising youth interest in soccer in the U.S. We discuss how younger generation’s fandom, from the jerseys they wear to the games they want to attend, reveals a generational shift that smart clubs and investors need to embrace. This Stoppage Time moment isn’t just a feel-good story; it’s a call to see the potential for soccer to unify diverse communities, create lasting memories, and help grow the game in regions like Northwest Arkansas.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
welcome to the stoppage time edition of the
pitch to pro podcast.

Speaker 2 (00:07):
This is a highlight reel of some of the best moments
from the show so far, and everyother week we will be bringing
you a special five to sevenminute segment featuring the
best stories, tales and momentsof the podcast yeah, I think, uh
, one of my favorite soccermemories besides the the
memories of my kids was I grewup playing with a guy in
Springfield, missouri that thatmade it to the MLS oh, that's

(00:30):
great, his name is is JackJewsbury, and uh, he was.
He went to SLU to play hiscollege soccer and was drafted,
uh, in the early days of the MLS, to the Kansas City Wizards and
then made his way to thePortland Timbers, and it was now
probably gosh 10 years ago thatI thought, you know, I got to

(00:53):
get up there and watch Jack playbecause he's probably going to
be retiring the next few years,and so I had a reason to be up
there for business and took mywife and my oldest son, jude,
who was, I think, six or sevenat the time, and we went and
caught a match and he ends upscoring.
Oh of course, and you know, forthose that haven't been to a

(01:14):
Timbers game, just the TimbersArmy is, you know, kind of
unmatched in terms of some oftheir color and passion and just
the tradition of you know, offthe the tree for the goal and uh
, it was uh phenomenal and wegot to hang out with him
afterwards.
He gave his captain uh band tojude and uh just had a
phenomenal experience.

(01:34):
But that was, I would say,where my eyes were open to the
passion, the fans and, um, justthe, the unmatched experience of
just being pulled in to asoccer match yeah, I I think
what a cool experience.

Speaker 3 (01:51):
By the way, and I remember uh jack and watching
many games with jack uh anddoing this at jack and I'm
shaking my fist for those thataren't watching and are
listening uh, because I was a dcunited fan growing up and he
was one of the best number sixesuh and holding midfielders uh
out there during his time, so uhfoiled many attacks.

Speaker 2 (02:14):
He uh, he had a great career and, uh, yeah, they
ended up winning the mls cup, uh, when he was up there as
captain for the timbers and Ithink when he, when he retired,
he was among like the top tenplayers in terms of number of
matches played I think over 300in the last and so he was one of
those guys that you know was inthe league in the beginning the
infancy, you know and as wetalk about our project, you know

(02:37):
he was playing an arrowhead,yeah, and so you think about a
fan experience, uh, of early,early soccer interest and you
know midwest united states inthe, you know, early 2000s
playing an arrowhead and thenseeing the portland experience.
I mean, he was a local celebrityyou know the local brewery said

(03:00):
cat and jack, you know specialedition brews, uh, and it was
like okay, and so for me as aninvestor, that's actually a
really important experience thatI think maybe not many in
Northwest Arkansas has actuallygoing to a major match and just
feeling the energy, seeing thepassion that fans bring, the

(03:30):
diversity of people that itbrings in, because of how
accessible a ticket is reallyhit from a price point
standpoint and just how unifyingit is for a community.
I mean, just downtown portlandwas just buzzing yeah ahead of
that match.

Speaker 3 (03:42):
Um, it was just, it was really special I think it's
such an important point and Ilove that you had that
experience yourself.
Um, as you know, even thoughyou kind of grew up playing the
game and you were a fan kind ofalready but even for fans, I
think I think that's the I wetalk about this all the time and

(04:02):
you hit it is it's such adifferent experience to anything
else in terms of as a fan and aa, a, just a, a a participant,
a viewer and a matchgoer toattend a live soccer match in an
environment where you're notlike Jack had to play in the

(04:24):
5,000 people in 70,000 seatstadium where it's echoing from
players on the field in silence,but more so, what you
experienced important, which issmaller stadium, but a packed
stadium and a very involved andpassionate fan base and
supporters group and all aroundyou can just sense the vibe is

(04:49):
just so different and when agoal is scored in a live soccer
match setting it's like unlikeanything else in in.

Speaker 2 (04:59):
You know, pro sports, live sports in that arena yeah,
no, people go, not tonight, youknow, since then, um, mainly
chasing my kids, and so we playa lot of tournaments in Kansas
City, and you know.
So I remember going to asporting game.
I think it was last year.
Uh, my parents were in theirtheir 70s, were with us and I
said you know, we're going to gocatch a match.
Why don't you come?

(05:19):
They're like I don't know, andyou know, okay, you know.
So they ended up going.
They talked about how much funthey had, how great the seats
were.
You know I could see everything.
I was right there.
You know they just went on andon about the experience there.
You know they just went on andon about the experience and I
think they had in their head,you know, big nfl, you know like
arrowhead type of experience,and it just it blew them away

(05:42):
how unique it was and and wejust we just had a blast, so, um
, so yeah, so that that's kindof been my exposure to soccer.
I think it's been helpful to meto see that vision that we're
all aiming for, uh to, to see it, uh it, and realize, you know,
be that my experience inPortland or or Kansas city, I

(06:04):
think the other thing that'sbeen helpful to me as an
investor to kind of spot thistrend and believe in it is, um,
seeing demographic changes, uh,having kids that are, you know,
17 to 6, and see that whatthey're interested in, um, from
a sports standpoint, isdifferent than when my, my dad,

(06:25):
was growing up.
It's different than when I wasgrowing up, um, in terms of
where soccer ranks in terms oftheir interest, the jerseys that
they own, what they want to gowatch.
Soccer is, I think, in a lot ofsurveys, the number two youth
sport and I think that'sprobably surprising to some

(06:48):
older generations that that'schanging.
But I kind of have been able tosee that as my kids have been
involved in soccer, and so Ikind of put Portland, kansas
City, my kids together in mybelief in Northwest Arkansas and
I'm so bullish about this club.

Speaker 1 (07:07):
Thank you for joining us for this stoppage time
special of the Pitch to Propodcast.
If you've enjoyed theconversation, you can click
watch the full episode here.
Be sure to tune in nextThursday for a new episode of
the Pitch to Pro podcast, theofficial podcast of Ozark United
FC, Available on YouTube,Instagram and everywhere you get
your podcasts.