Sports franchises around the world -- including LeBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers and cricket teams in Australia -- have flocked to Portland in hopes of learning just how the Portland Timbers have cultivated the relationship with their rabid fans.

The Timbers Army, those singing, chanting, beer-drinking, scarf-wearing diehards, have become the envy of sports franchises in the NBA, NFL, Major League Soccer and the 8-team Cricket Australia Big Bash League.

One NBA team, after visiting Portland, has developed its own fan "Army."

"We were blown away," said Brad Sims, Cleveland Cavaliers Senior Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer. "In terms of fan experience, it was everything I expected it would be and more."

When Sims walked into Providence Park for a Timbers game for the first time in early September, the atmosphere immediately struck him.

The Timbers Army stayed on its feet for the entire match as they led the sold out crowd in song. When the Timbers scored a goal, the passionate fans let out a deafening cheer and then fell back into their chants. Green smoke billowed over the north end as Timber Joey revved his chainsaw and cut a celebratory log slab.

It felt like a scene out of a European soccer game for Sims. He immediately began to wonder how his organization could create a similar authentic atmosphere at a Cleveland Cavaliers game.

The Cavaliers are one of more than 10 teams or leagues that have visited the Timbers since their inaugural MLS season in 2011 in hopes of gaining ideas to bring back and employ in their own marketplaces.

Timbers President of Business Operations Mike Golub was quick to point out that it's not uncommon for professional franchises to visit other pro teams in hopes of sharing concepts and taking away ideas to bring back to their own markets.

As the Timbers were preparing to enter MLS in 2011, the organization sent groups to franchises throughout MLS to see how other teams were running their operations. Among the franchises that the Timbers visited were the Seattle Sounders, the Philadelphia Union and Toronto FC.

"We are good at what we do at the Timbers, but there are always things we can do better and we've certainly learned from other clubs," Golub said. "We've soaked in a lot of knowledge from other teams and leagues that we know."

But Portland's success over the last four years has certainly caught the attention of other professional franchises around the world. Teams ranging from the NFL's Minnesota Vikings to the English Premier League's Manchester City have met with the Timbers.

Sims and two other executives from the Cavaliers traveled to Portland to share ideas in hopes of improving the Cavaliers fan membership program, Wine & Gold United.

The Cavaliers have tried to move away from the idea of season tickets and, instead, have a membership program that allows fans to stay involved with the organization through events over the entire year.

Outside of the game day atmosphere in Portland, Sims said he was particularly impressed with the Timbers community outreach program, Stand Together, and the Timbers choice to use fans in marketing materials.

"The fans feel like they are part of the organization because being a fan is about something bigger than buying tickets," Sims said.

When teams visit Portland, Golub generally encourages them to watch a Timbers home game. Afterwards, the teams will meet with Golub and various department heads to ask questions and elicit ideas.

In 2011, Chris Wright, President of the Minnesota Timberwolves, and three other executives from the Timberwolves traveled to the West Coast to watch games and visit with both the Timbers and Seattle Sounders as they looked for ideas on how to improve their own fan group.

"They have created a truly unique, distinctive way that people are going to enjoy the game experience in Portland," Wright said. "They have one of the most electric environments that's been created by any sports franchise in the country.

The group met with the Timbers Army, as well as Golub and his staff, to learn how the Timbers had created a working relationship with the Timbers Army.

"It's a very communal and generally amicable and open industry," Golub said. "I talk to my counterparts all the time around sports and we all keep an eye on what other teams and leagues are doing to stay on top of developments."

After visiting Portland, the Timberwolves rebranded their fan group as the T-Wolves Army. The T-Wolves Army now occupies Section 121 of the Target Center. They wear face paint, hold props and lead chants.

"We are completely enamored by the passionate following of the Timbers Army," Wright said. "It's truly amazing."

Phil Rawlins, president of MLS expansion franchise Orlando City SC, was also struck by Portland's game day atmosphere. Rawlins and other executives from Orlando City SC have visited Portland several times to obtain ideas as they prepare to enter MLS next season in 2015.

"The Timbers are probably our most visited team," Rawlins said. "We were interested in everything from their fan development, to their sports development, to their marketing, to their season ticket sales and corporate sales, to their player management."

Rawlins has seen immense overlap between the Portland and Orlando marketplaces, which has enabled his franchise to learn a great deal from visiting Portland. Both marketplaces have a similar-sized metro area and age demographics and both locations share their marketplace with an NBA team.

"Everywhere you go to you take something away," Rawlins said. "Whether it's a new marketing idea, a new way to do data analysis or something else, we're looking to take the best ideas we see and apply them."

While Golub and the Timbers have welcomed these informal visits over the last four years, they have also considered starting a more formal consulting branch in the organization.

The Timbers have already worked as paid consultants for the University of Portland to promote ticket sales.

"It's been a unique relationship for us," Golub said. "We've effectively dipped our toe in the water of outside consulting. Not a lot of teams have done that. This has been an interesting test case for us – is what we are doing with the University of Portland something we could potentially build upon?"

For now, though, the Timbers are happy to be able to informally share information with other organizations on a consistent basis. Often, when other franchises visit Portland, the Timbers are able to pick up new ideas that allow them to continue to build on their own operations as well.

"I think we got a good thing going and we're proud of what we've done, but we have a lot to learn and we can always get better," Golub said. "Those informal conversations and visits we have with other franchises are invaluable because we are all trying to do the same thing, which is operate successfully on the field and off the field."

-- Jamie Goldberg | @jamiebgoldberg