There are a lot of things that might be said on Sunday as the local Major League Soccer championship franchise raises its title banner. But with so many people standing outside, looking in, one has to be, "Can we move this party to a bigger room?!?"

I'm saying it. Not the Portland Timbers. It's a delicate discussion given that the city, not the Timbers, owns the stadium. But it's one that needs to happen. Because the Timbers brass climbed off the championship-parade flat bed and immediately began exploring expansion of the 21,144-capacity venue.

Before we get too far, we'll need the city in on this discussion. The Timbers are in year No. 5 of a 25-year lease on a city-owned venue that had a $40 million-plus renovation earlier this decade. So I reached out to a Portland City Commissioner on Saturday.

"I can't remember hearing a darned thing about it," said commissioner Steve Novick.

Well, here we go then. The lid is officially blown off.

Timbers owner Merritt Paulson dispatched his chief lieutenant, team president Mike Golub, to quietly examine the possibilities well before the MLS Cup. Golub was one of Paulson's first hires five years ago. The former NBA, MLB, and NHL executive works like a surgeon -- delicate on the surface, but devastating down deep. It's a contrast to Paulson, who swings a club and can be as gentle as a rhino when it comes to things he's passionate about. But the relationship works beautifully for just that reason.

The Timbers contacted a well-known stadium architecture, engineering and planning firm and it's now examining three options: A) an expansion of 1,000-2,000 seats on the south end of the current stadium; B) an extra 5,000-10,000 seats that would include the south and east sides; or C) a complete tear down and stadium rebuild on the same SW Morrison footprint.

"I want to make it clear," Paulson said Saturday, "I'm committed to Providence Park. I wouldn't trade our location for a 40,000-capacity suburban Portland venue."

No offense, Hillsboro. It's just business. As Golub said on Friday, "We have Wrigley Field-like charm right now, and we don't want to sacrifice that." Coach Caleb Porter has talked about building a downtown dynasty.

So here are the possibilities:

Option A -- the smallest expansion at the south end -- was initially touted as the best quick fix. A couple thousand seats is manageable, could be done quickly, and would only include the under-utlized area beneath Multnomah Athletic Club. But insiders at the development firm say the feasibility study results were like tire skids on the pavement. One staffer called it a lousy return on investment. In fact, the project would cost approximately $10 million and take eight seasons to break even.

Option B -- a larger expansion -- would involve adding 5,000-10,000 additional seats on the east side of the venue. It's a larger opportunity and the break-even point arrives much earlier. Also, it doesn't involve starting all the way over. This option is very feasible but it leaves the stadium's south end underdeveloped. Also, there are some who worry if it were a full 10,000 seats added, the current wide-open feel of the east side might be jeopardized.

Option C -- a total tear down of the existing venue at SW Morrison -- is attractive because the Timbers could build the stadium in exactly the way it wants. It could also install a natural-grass playing surface and perhaps be attractive for U.S. National Team appearances or World Cup qualifiers or other events. It would be Paulson's Palace of Soccer. But let's get real, we're talking about blowing up a stadium and going big. In Portland? The same city where Memorial Coliseum sits rotting? Fat chance. We might as well dream about building a stadium on the Willamette and floating it up and down the river so Paulson can fish during games.

No, the best solution feels like some smart blend of options A and B. The Timbers would have a fully enclosed stadium, maintain the charm and maximize return on investment. It wouldn't feel cramped or congested and capacity might land somewhere in the neighborhood of 32,000.

Again, commissioner Novick and friends will need to know more. The Mayor, too. Also, there's the matter of who pays which parts of the bill. The Timbers pitched in half the budget, plus any overages on that original renovation. But the one thing that feels almost certain is the 2018 timeline.

"There is no question that in a perfect world our stadium would hold an extra 5-10 thousand given the extreme demand we see," Paulson said. Golub confirmed that the wait-list for season tickets really is 11,000 deep.

"The 200 or so folks we let off the waiting list last year all took the tickets,'" Golub said. "It's firm."

The Timbers season-ticket renewal rate is 99 percent. There's some discussion as the title banner prepares to go up about whether a Timbers franchise armed with more ticket revenue might someday become one of the league's more aggressive spenders.

Portland's payroll last season was under $6 million. The Galaxy ($19 million) and Sounders ($9 million) are anchored in larger markets. Seattle's season-ticket base hovers in the low 30,000 range, and the home stadium has a soccer capacity of 40,000. The Galaxy's stadium holds 27,000.

Not that Portland should think about trying to be like franchises in other places while raising a championship banner. But as long as the Timbers are throwing a championship party, how about doing it next time in a place that could fit a few more.

--- @JohnCanzanoBFT