I read your piece today in the Oregonian, Kicking dirt on Sam Adams’ Shoes, criticizing the Mayor for his role in the loss of professional baseball in Portland. I’m a true baseball fan who will miss having a home team. I feel that pain. I’m also the Executive Director of the Bicycle Transportation Alliance and feel that baseball and bicycling can co-exist as they do in all other cities that host baseball. It is not now and should never be a choice between investing in baseball or investing in bicycling.
I’d love to take you on a bicycle ride around the City to share with you the great things that are going on, talk about the challenges, and lament the loss of baseball.
So, give me a call at 503-226-0676 x 14 or rob@bt4bikes.org. Who knows, this could start a new movement to get bicyclists behind an effort to build a stadium.
Rob Sadowsky
Bicycle Transportation Alliance
Nice response. I’m glad to see the BTA responding constructively and actively.
Honestly, I’m not sure why you even bothered. This was just another transparent attempt by Canzano to stir up controversy. Very few people take him seriously anymore because we are familiar with his m.o.
The only thing I took out of it is that piece of yellow journalism (I have no good explanation why I read it in the first place, in case you are wondering), is that when Sam Adams is so inclined, he can find not only the type of money that would have been required to save AAA baseball in Portland, but as much as six to seven times that amount.
The pot shot Canzano took at cyclists was garbage and it did no favors for baseball fans in Portland.
Why don’t you focus more of your energy on bikes. This isn’t Chicago. We don’t care about baseball. Ride your bike to the MLS game, drink a microbrew, and start writing open letters that address the lack of political will to address a lack of equity in cycling.
Out-
screw building a stadium with public money.
Thanks to Rob for using this situation as an opening for constructive engagement with a local personality and the Oregonian who at times appear to prefer to just focus on the controversy re: bikes rather than on the benefits they provide to the region and the people who ride. It will be interesting to see if Canzano takes you up on your offer to go for a ride.
I do think baseball will be missed locally, but personally there is more energy/interest in soccer and I look forward to Timbers in MLS next year. I look forward to taking part in a bike to Timbers event next year.