As trite or cynical as this may sound, I am quite confounded at the lengths certain writers go to say nothing. The title of “inoffensive,” the great contrarian Christopher Hitchens once alleged, “is one of the nastiest things that could be said about an individual writer.” To writers very much unlike Hitchens, critical thought cannot be spared at the expense of political correctness. From this we get pedestrian prose like Paola Boivin’s September 11th puff piece on Jerry Colangelo.
Boivin’s article, artlessly titled “Hall of Fame super sweet for Colangelo,” seems to typify what Hitchens was describing. After all, what could be more “inoffensive” than a favorable column about the so-called “Godfather of Phoenix sports?”
Imagining for a moment that this article hadn’t been done many times over (for a truly balanced work, I recommend Deborah Laake’s 1998 New Times piece), what could inspire someone to put such unadorned dribble on display. Could Boivin possibly believe that her audience doesn’t already know Mr. Colangelo is a “self-made man?” Did the citizens of this state whose tax dollars funded two major sports facilities, in effect making this man the millionaire he is today, not play a role is this most envious of transformations. On the latter angle, John Doeherty of the New Times finally hit the mark during one of his incessant Colangelo inspired rants. How could this man not thank the fans or taxpayers of Phoenix during his first Hall of Fame acceptance speech?
Yet Boivin didn’t touch that subject and remembered the “peasants” only as recipients of what “(Colangelo) brought to the Valley sports scene.” In the weeks following Colangelo’s exit from the Arizona Diamondbacks this sort of laudation expanded into something even more over-the-top if not completely laughable - that is, could the city of Phoenix be as populous without Jerry Colangelo?
This is not a serious argument. Mr. Colangelo does not possess power over the Valley’s mild winters or the relatively low cost of living. In point of fact, one could make a stronger case for the converse circumstance, unless the socioeconomic factors of higher taxes can somehow achieve the opposite.
These types of revisionist angles and banalities in discourse are hardly unrepresentative of our local media. One television sportscaster told a story of how Colangelo brought the Suns to Phoenix. (He didn’t.) On the subject of the Diamondbacks’ faltering negotiations with top draft pick Stephen Drew, another explained how this type of failure would never occur under Colangelo. (In fact, the spiraling Drew situation is probably what got Colangelo fired.) The topper, though, was the anchor who espoused his admiration for two businessmen: Colangelo and Walt Disney. This, I suppose, would be like saying my two favorite actors are Michael Biehn and Marlon Brando.
Supposing something else and not entirely extravagant: A writer who spends her time in better ways than using average words to kiss Jerry Colangelo’s ass.
Courtesy of Rod Lakin, producers/co-host AZGameday. Opinions not necessary those of AZGameday or any On Air Sports Marketing staff.
http://www.azgameday.com/news_allnews.shtml#newsitem1095802026,43744,
Boivin’s article, artlessly titled “Hall of Fame super sweet for Colangelo,” seems to typify what Hitchens was describing. After all, what could be more “inoffensive” than a favorable column about the so-called “Godfather of Phoenix sports?”
Imagining for a moment that this article hadn’t been done many times over (for a truly balanced work, I recommend Deborah Laake’s 1998 New Times piece), what could inspire someone to put such unadorned dribble on display. Could Boivin possibly believe that her audience doesn’t already know Mr. Colangelo is a “self-made man?” Did the citizens of this state whose tax dollars funded two major sports facilities, in effect making this man the millionaire he is today, not play a role is this most envious of transformations. On the latter angle, John Doeherty of the New Times finally hit the mark during one of his incessant Colangelo inspired rants. How could this man not thank the fans or taxpayers of Phoenix during his first Hall of Fame acceptance speech?
Yet Boivin didn’t touch that subject and remembered the “peasants” only as recipients of what “(Colangelo) brought to the Valley sports scene.” In the weeks following Colangelo’s exit from the Arizona Diamondbacks this sort of laudation expanded into something even more over-the-top if not completely laughable - that is, could the city of Phoenix be as populous without Jerry Colangelo?
This is not a serious argument. Mr. Colangelo does not possess power over the Valley’s mild winters or the relatively low cost of living. In point of fact, one could make a stronger case for the converse circumstance, unless the socioeconomic factors of higher taxes can somehow achieve the opposite.
These types of revisionist angles and banalities in discourse are hardly unrepresentative of our local media. One television sportscaster told a story of how Colangelo brought the Suns to Phoenix. (He didn’t.) On the subject of the Diamondbacks’ faltering negotiations with top draft pick Stephen Drew, another explained how this type of failure would never occur under Colangelo. (In fact, the spiraling Drew situation is probably what got Colangelo fired.) The topper, though, was the anchor who espoused his admiration for two businessmen: Colangelo and Walt Disney. This, I suppose, would be like saying my two favorite actors are Michael Biehn and Marlon Brando.
Supposing something else and not entirely extravagant: A writer who spends her time in better ways than using average words to kiss Jerry Colangelo’s ass.
Courtesy of Rod Lakin, producers/co-host AZGameday. Opinions not necessary those of AZGameday or any On Air Sports Marketing staff.
http://www.azgameday.com/news_allnews.shtml#newsitem1095802026,43744,
