Good Canzano column

I'm sure there's a group of haters out there,
but Canzano's latest column on "Blazer Betty" gave me another reminder on why I love sports.
http://www.oregonlive.com/oregonian/stories/index.ssf?/base/sports/1175054130185400.xml&coll=7
I'm sure most NBA teams have a "Blazer Betty" of their own, but I think Canzano did a good job in telling her story.
Here's hoping she gets better soon.

 

What, if we have different taste than you, we are "haters"? Nothing wrong with the column, but it's not exactly Plaschke and the Dodger blogger, either. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say there's an obsessive sports fan in every hospital in the country right this minute. Nothing wrong with the column, nothing extraordinary either.

 

Okay, let me re-word that then
I know there's people out there who don't like him.
Calling people "Haters" maybe is a little strong, but I think Canzano does a good job.
The Oregonian isn't the LA Times either.
But, I'm not a fan of Plaschke so whatever.

 

Touching story. Thanks for the link, jake.

 

I would expect another one next week on Blazer Betty. She died today at age 79. Canzano's done some great columns on her the last few years, so I'm sure he will give her a pretty good sendoff.

 

I work with a photog on his way up in the business and he rubs shoulders with the Oregonian guys all the time. One of them told him the Oregonian was the third most influential paper in the country behind the NY Times and LA Times.

I hope he was being hyperbolic.

 

I don't think The Oregonian is influential at all but it has a pile of recent Pulitzers. Big difference.

Okay, the column Canzano did on the Taylor family HAD TO BE among his APSE entries I'm guessing. Can anyone locate it online? Does anyone know? I couldn't find it and the APSE hasn't posted the winners writing's yet. This one on Blazer Betty was just good for me, not great but the details are what totally carry it but that other one on the family (mom dead, house forclosed, dad loses job in same short span) gave me chills because it was so honest and revealing on the writer. My question on this latest piece, and it's good, so I'm not nitpicking here but how does a columnist get access to the ICU for a dying woman to bring that kind of incredible detail? That's what impressed me he was in the room with the woman. You can tell he was there because I felt like I was there.

 

The Oregonian is a writer's paper And a designer's paper. It's a joy to read and look at. Pound for pound it's as good as any other. It's market-size is a curse and a blessing ... it doesn't have the resources as say the LA Times but it writes the hell out of its region.

 

It's a good column.

But, I gotta say, most teenagers just go ahead and go to the dentist to resolve toothaches. Alcohol and methadone are not normal solutions.

 

I'm assuming this woman was a willing participant in the column. It's not hard to get access to the ICU. All you have to do is ask. If your presence doesn't risk the patient's life and the patient is OK with you being there, you get access. Not as tough as some people think.

 

I agree 100 percent. I think the Oregonian is a great paper to read and to look at, and people in Portland are lucky to have it. That said, I don't think it's in any way influential. If you approach a random person in Anytown, U.S.A. I would be very surprised if they recognized the name or knew the Oregonian had a slew of Pulitzers stashed away.

All that said, I'd ditch my current gig in a heartbeat if the Oregonian offered me a job. The likelihood of that happening is about the same as me giving birth to a future NBA superstar out my ass, but still. I'm just saying.

 

Wow. Thanks for posting this Jake.

To 212: Betty, who would have granted me permission, was unconscious by the time I got to her. I'd spent enough time around her to gain the trust of her caretaker, tho, which was huge. The ICU at the hospital required a PIN to get access to the room, and after some discussion, and my eventual production of the PIN, they let me in and out on Tuesday. Betty never regained consciousness, unfortunately. She died this morning. I have a ton of respect for the people who work in the ICU. Heavens. I write columns, which hardly matter. They live this stuff, every day. Totally humbling.

To Alma: Yes, tragic on the teenager front. Methadone and alcohol for a toothache. Ugh. So ridiculous and sad.

To Bob: Keep up the fight.

And yes, The O is a writer's paper. Lots of autonomy, and encouragement. Basically, the editors here let me fall flat on my face whenever I'd like.