Tom Potter and Sports
I suspet that if Mayor Tom Potter wanted it, another term of office would be his for the taking. I also suspect that if I gave it some thought, and side-stepped some easily and eagerly mockable projects [“Vision Quest”?], I would have more on the ‘good’ side of his performance ledger than on the bad side of the ledger. But that’s all up for debate. Feel free to slice and dice your own meaning for him, as well consider any number of items an “unpardonable sin”. (For some, his stance on illegal immigration might suffice.)
But I note that there appears to be this segment of the Portland constituency, and some outlying non-constituency, for whom Tom Potter is despised for a somewhat trivial characteristic, which manifests itself in only a handful of policy ways, which is this unpardonable sin that he has a complete personal apathy toward the world of sports and athletics.
Policy wise, this manifested itself in Potter’s poo-pooing of the Florida Marlins franchise offer to have Portland create one of those “Private – Public” stadium finance plans that would allow the Marlins to relocate to Portland. Because a .450 major league ball-club would surely propel Portland into a glory years of economic viability, right?
On Wednesday, Oregonian Sports columnist Jon Canzano rolled into the issue of Tom Potter and sports. There was this mini-scandal a while ago where Potter was accused of receiving favors by way of free tickets to the Portland Trailblazers’ home opener. My observation about that was that it wasn’t worth picking the nits of the law, just watch Potter’s body language and ask yourself what kind of favor this is to him. He was there because of the intangibles of Portland Trailblazers basketball, at that point at its low ebb in public esteem, and if he has to awkwardly lend his support to with his public face, so be it.
Which brings me to my general befuddlement at Jon Canzano’s column. So Tom Potter attends an announcement that the Triple A all Star Game is coming to town in a couple of years. This is a nice enough get, with no downside, and no terrible effort in diverted resources. Potter offers up some banalities on the importance of sports and athletics, and we move on from there.
Better that he do so than not. I do not understand Canzano’s point. Would he have rather Potter come in offered up, “I find the rules of this ballgame arbitrary and pointless, and I find the idea that people may want to watch this arbitrariness even more so. But if you are into it, then do what you must. Welcome Triple A All Star Game to Portland!”
Then the sports columnist for the Oregonian offers up this:
We don’t need our politicians to be former athletes. We don’t even need them to be former Little Leaguers.
Okay, I will cross off the “former Little Leaguers” from my checklist of items to consider when electing or supporting a political candidate.
Well. Anyway. Go Mariners!