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Chris McGowan

(The Associated Press)

turned 40 over the weekend, and apparently as part of his celebration the president of the Trail Blazers wants to see a football game.

A source told me Thursday that the Blazers are in preliminary negotiations with the

to relocate a franchise to Portland. This comes in the wake of the news that McGowan wants to talk about

. The football team would play in the venue that was formerly known as the Rose Garden -- that was before the birthday boy

. And while we're waiting to see how this unfolds, it's probably worth pointing out that the biggest development anywhere in this is that McGowan is getting stuff done at an organization that sat stagnant for a decade.

A Blazers spokesperson declined to comment. But what's clear is that the organization is running like a business. They're exploring new revenue streams, and attacking empty dates, trying to fill the Rose Gard -- ahem -- Moda Center with events. And no matter if you like the idea of minor-league mutant football played inside an arena or not starting next year, what you have to love is the new energy from the old gray organization. The Blazers are trying to make things happen and if this philosophy extends to the basketball operation, what we might just have here is a revitalization of the entire culture of Trail Blazers, Inc.

Too early to say until we see more basketball, but all this activity gives you some hope.

The source said the AFL would like a decision on Portland's interest in relocating a franchise by the end of business Friday. The league, whose regular season begins in March, would like to make an announcement during Saturday's Arena Bowl broadcast on CBS. "Unless this goes sideways on Friday, it's highly likely this is happening," the source said.

Which team?

All signs indicate that it would be the

, who went dormant for the 2013 season. The Mustangs last played in 2012, when they went 5-13. But the source said the plan is that Portland would re-stock the Mustangs roster with local players with ties to the in-state colleges. I'm thinking McGowan will give the team a new nickname, too, and maybe sell the rights to signage on the jerseys. And while I'm not sure if more than 8,000 people will show up at games, I appreciate that McGowan and the Blazers are being proactive.

The sports market in Portland remains under-served, even with the Major League Soccer Timbers a smashing success. The Blazers have felt stale and stagnant for years. Not just as a basketball organization, but as a business. They've not done enough over the years to connect with the community, and to act as anything more than a 41-night sporting event company that also puts on some Wiggles shows for the kiddies.

I'm lukewarm on the football. But I love the ambition. Also, I see the strategy in McGowan's play. He can not only fill the building with more bodies, but bundle broadcast rights, and sponsorships. Plus, the move cannibalizes the Timbers market, just a smidge.

If the Arena Football League is marketed correctly and priced right in Portland, they'll capture a segment of market that can't afford tickets to an NBA game. The average AFL ticket price: $22. The Arizona Rattlers had tickets priced as low as $6 per game. Others were around $10. McGowan isn't looking to duplicate the New England Patriots here, but he recognized the biggest mistake of Blazers presidents past was leaving the arena dark on too many nights.

Friday ends up a big day for the Blazers. They'll meet with the AFL representatives, and attempt to carve out a deal that works. Meanwhile, some of you will line up for season tickets and others will shrug. The larger message, however, comes amid all the sweat we've seen in the past couple of months.

NHL to Portland? Naming rights? Arena Football to PDX?

Someone is working furiously to make things happen at One Center Court. Yeah. I checked. That's still the Blazers address, that is, until they sell the rights to it.

-- John Canzano