The Vig

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

“Center-right” is talk-radio code designed to make their followers believe what they’re watching in the current conservative movement is somehow moderate.  That George Bush, Tom Delay, Bill Frist, Denny Hastert, and John Boener are just middle-of-the-road average dudes.  They’re not.  Sean Hannity, Hugh Hewitt, and Dennis Prager all use the phrase to describe themselves.  They’re all far from “center-right”.  To choose “that” phrase introduce oneself tells me everything I need to know about a particular conservative.

Welcome to Portland, Ms Hovde.  I trust Messers Campbell, Day, Nelson, and Atkinson have all updated their contacts.

If the leaders of both major political parties in Oregon had their way, voters would have long ago cast their presidential primary ballots and the candidates would now be shifting their focus elsewhere.  Instead, Oregon’s leaders did nothing and are about to reap the rewards.  Get ready for a month-long ad blitz the likes of which this area hasn’t seen since the Wyden-Smith battle for Packwood’s senate seat in 1996.

Hillary’s already thrown down the gauntlet, challenging Obama to two debates.  One she wants specifically focused on rural issues.  No doubt she’d want that hosted in Medford or Ashland.  The other probably in Portland.  Like its senior senator, there’s nothing your typical Oregonian loves more than camera time for their state.  And wouldn’t it be something for Tim Russert to cancel a few Scooter Libby power lunches and fly all the way out here to ask the candidates the proper pronunciation of Willamette?  Just the thought of watching Obama and Hillary say Molalla or Siskiyou is enough to make our hearts flutter.

But to what end?  We’ll have our three weeks and then we’ll be forgotten.  Just like Ohio, California, and Delaware before us.

Here’s hoping Obama takes a pass on yet another debate.  We’ve had over 20 of the dang things.  There’s very little which remains to be covered.  Instead, I hope we get a good look at both candidates without things getting too nasty.

The Greg Oden injury put Portland front and center on the sports map last week. Outlets from ESPN, to Sports Illustrated, to AOL, to The Big Lead were chock full of commentary on the injury and what it means to the Blazer franchise. Knees and micro-fracture surgery both give fans the heebie jeebies and when its your franchise savior who’s knee just had the micro-fracture performed…well, pardon us if we go a little overboard.

Casey Holdahl had an excellent rundown of local and national reaction on Friday. Much ink was spilled and bandwidth consumed. One link Holdahl left out was Canzano. JC, as is his habit, zigged when the rest of the nation zagged. Rather than give us any insight into what happened or thoughts about where we go from here, Canzano gave us The Birdman. I don’t get it. JC gets 750 words three-times-a-week to talk sports. Instead, more often than not, he’s giving us “life lessons”.

Like the time earlier this summer when he was dispatched to the All-Star Game in San Francisco and came back with the story of Anne Marie Feigner. There were so many other things to talk about down there. Ichiro. Bonds. Heck. Even a column about how the Giants stabbed the A’s in the back and forced them into the South Bay would have been an interesting story. At least that would have justified the expense of sending him down.

There are countless other examples of Canzano writing about down on their luck sports fans, imploring us to write checks and send donations. I’m getting really tired of it. The Oregonian is a big paper, filled with reporters and columnists who’s job it is to give me “perspective.” Now they’re letting their #1 sports columnist become Margie Boulé-lite.

Add to that the fact Canzano’s now moonlighting as talk show host for the Paul Allen owned KXL. I’ve commented on the strained ethics of the deal elsewhere. No one has come up with a satisfactory explanation as to why it’s alright to take a paycheck from an organization you’re being paid by someone else to cover, but whatever. JC says he has complete editorial control, so I guess I’ll believe him. I do wonder though about the timing of the deep tongue kiss he gave the Blazers just before his radio show started. Will he continue to play footsie with the Blazers in print while chiding them on the radio? How long Fred and Sandy will put up with that?

I left a comment on his blog wondering whether his status as a Vulcan employee was clouding the content of his column (djsaladplate, an homage to another local sports guy’s recent weight loss, will now be retired in favor of the much simpler snethen). You’ll have to trust me on that. Seems JC edited that part out, then called me his friend. The comment, as I recall, was something to the effect of “nothing to see here, so says the Blazer employee/Oregonian columnist.” Pretty tame, if you ask me. I’ve left other comments for him, all as djsaladplate, suggesting a local Murrow Award winning journalist might be better suited to cover his subject matter and could we please get back to talking sports. Those have never made the cut.

Having blogged for nearly 4 years now, I can say I’ve whacked my share of comments. I’ve even banned a guy who can’t get it through his head that this isn’t Romper Room. I’ve yet to edit any comment that’s taken a direct shot at me though. You’re either in or you’re out (mostly in, unless your curse). Deleting a comment is one thing, but editing a comment to make yourself look better is not cool. Welcome to Canzano’s world.

My time as a sports fan is limited. I’m not alone in making that observation. I’m getting tired of turning on my radio or opening my paper hoping I’ll find commentary on my favorite team only to be greeted with Debbie Downer or worse. If Canzano wants to be Steve Duin, then by all means go be Steve Duin. There are hundreds of young hungry journalists out there who would kill to write a regular sports column. Maybe it’s time to give one of them a shot and let Canzano go chase his dream.

Update:  You can check out some contrary views here and here.

The local right wing media has been all up in arms about a comment made by Oregonian reporter Steve Mayes.  Victoria Taft goes off here.  Mayes has since whipped out a piece of Lars’ letterhead and clarified his remarks.  It was an unfortunate choice of words on his part and one I believe he regrets.  Of course that won’t stop Lars, Victoria, and the national mouth breathers from going on about the case and the quote.  These folks are gleefully going after the illegal immigrants but in their silence give a pass to a guy Steve Duin mentioned in his August 9th column who bragged about also having sex with Dani Countryman that weekend.  Why the double standard?  I think we know the answer.

There’s a case happening down in Southern Oregon right now that, while nowhere near as horrifying as rape and murder, is still relevent to the question of consent as it relates to minors.  A father recently converted to Judaism and wishes to circumcise his son in accordance with his beliefs.  The problem is the boy’s mother says the boy doesn’t want to undergo the procedure and is too scared to tell his dad.  Did I mention the boy is 12?  Should a 12-year-old boy be able to stand up to his parents and say no to a purely elective procedure even if it violates his parent’s new religious beliefs?  We seem to believe females in Africa should be able to say no to a similar procedure.  Can’t an American boy do the same?  Or is a minor child unable to consent to or decline anything on their own?  What about a 12-year-old child member of Oregon City’s Followers of Christ Church, badly in need of medical attention, who turns to a teacher for help?  Should the teacher help the kid get medical attention despite the Followers’ strict teachings against medical treatment?  Or should they simply return the child to his or her parents without lifting a finger?

We know where they stand on rape.  Perhaps Lars and Victoria could draw up a chart and let us know where some other lines are.