[fuzionmonkey]

As a Portland native, I'd say there's nothing Portlanders love more than Portlandy things from Portland.

But in seriousness, I think it's fairly clear the whole obsession with the carpet was started by photos shared on Facebook and Instagram. People didn't used to take pictures of the carpet -- it was just a peculiar design that was recognizable but not necessarily noteworthy. I remember seeing PDX carpet photos with the classic "feet on ground" composition circulating Facebook several years ago and it has steadily spread since.

But the announcement of the carpet's eventual replacement really galvanized the phenomenon because it turned it into a news story and created a cottage industry for carpet memorabilia. I think the whole thing is hilarious.