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From the Stands | The story behind the scarfing of Stephen Hawking

By now many fans have seen the photo: Dr. Stephen Hawking, one of the foremost theoretical physicists in the world, with a Portland Timbers scarf around his neck.

Back in mid-August, when the photo first began circulating on social media, the #RCTID community was abuzz with speculation. How did that Timbers scarf end up around the neck of perhaps the most recognizable scientist in the world?

The answer is more complicated than you might think.

The man responsible for the photo is Brett Bigham, a Portland special education teacher who won the 2014 Oregon Teacher of the Year award and who received an NEA National Award for Excellence in Education the very next year.