http://www.sacbee.com/100/story/151412.html
Marcos Bretón: This is goodbye, but I'll be around
By Marcos Bretón - Bee Columnist
Last Updated 12:27 am PDT Sunday, April 8, 2007
This is it, my last offering as a sports columnist for The Bee. Starting April 22, home base for this column will be the Metro section, and its focus will be on the pressing issues of the Sacramento region.
But before then, let's take a moment to answer questions frequently posed by Bee readers over nearly six years of being blessed with this space.
Why do you hate Kings owners Joe and Gavin Maloof?
Hate is a completely inaccurate word in this case. And frankly, attempting to turn a legitimate disagreement with the Maloofs into a personal issue is a smoke screen. It deflects attention from a point this column stated often:
That the Maloofs are most to blame for why a deal has not been consummated to build the Kings a new arena in Sacramento.
When the Maloofs refused to invest a dime of their own money into the actual construction of a proposed arena last year -- we're not talking about rent and a fund for arena repairs -- they doomed the deal to failure.
Despite intense opposition, Sacramento political leaders were willing to try increasing the county sales tax to raise $500 million for a new arena -- and the Maloofs walked away for reasons only they understand.
To those of you blinded by the Maloofs because they pay your salary -- or because you're just a fan and you don't care about the details -- ask yourself this:
How would you build an arena in Sacramento when you can't raise taxes without a vote you'll likely lose -- and when your owners won't invest their own money?
How on earth could you do it with those shackles and with no big private interests stepping forward to help? That's what we're talking about here -- not hate. Juvenile accusations of hate and jealousy are easy to dismiss in any argument. These other issues are not.
Does it bother you that Grant Napear often rips you on his radio show?
To be honest, Napear's rants have brought me nothing but amusement. One time, this column poked fun at those God-awful Kings uniforms that are gold-plated and hurt the corneas of the average human.
It was all tongue-in-cheek, but for some reason Napear seemed furious and raged about it for the entire first segment of his radio show on KHTK (1140 AM). While listening, I was crossing the Altamont Pass -- while practically feeling Grant's hot breath through the radio -- and laughing so hard, I almost drove into a ravine.
Napear was making a federal case out of how I'd written that -- in those fancy unis -- Mike Bibby bore an uncanny resemblance to "Austin Powers in Goldmember."
Can you imagine taking that seriously? Luckily, Grant's radio partner, Mike Lamb, got the joke and tried gently to steer Napear to safety. But to no avail.
Oh well. No hard feelings. Besides, every time Napear rages, it only drives more readers to the column. It's like a free radio ad telling people to read my column.
Thanks, dude.
Why do you always interject race into your column?
In six years, there have been many columns but -- when added up -- comparatively few that focused on race. They always got a big reaction, some early ones from 2001 and 2002 still are occasionally referenced by some readers. Maybe it means we all have our biases about race. Or maybe it means that for some people one column on race that they disagree with is one column too many. According to the Associated Press Sports Editors, I'm one of only three Latino sports columnists at large newspapers in America. Without me, that number is down to two. It seems there should be some room for opposing views, since there are so few of us writing them.
Why are you so tough on the Giants?
No World Series titles since 1954. Enough said.
Who are the best people you've met in sports?
Bobby Jackson, Pete Carril, Rick Adelman, Gary Gerould, Dusty Baker, Peter Magowan, Miguel Tejada and the late, great Mario Encarnacíon.
Any parting shots to the Monarchs and their fans?
Maybe we could bury the hatchet? But preferably not in my forehead, as some Monarchs fans have suggested.
Any regrets?
Yes. That six years passed too quickly. And that there are only two inadequate -- though heartfelt -- words to share with the many Bee readers who directed kind and barbed words at the column over the years:
Thank you.
About the writer: Reach Marcos Bretón at (916) 321-1096 or mbreton@ sacbee.com.
Marcos Bretón: This is goodbye, but I'll be around
By Marcos Bretón - Bee Columnist
Last Updated 12:27 am PDT Sunday, April 8, 2007
This is it, my last offering as a sports columnist for The Bee. Starting April 22, home base for this column will be the Metro section, and its focus will be on the pressing issues of the Sacramento region.
But before then, let's take a moment to answer questions frequently posed by Bee readers over nearly six years of being blessed with this space.
Why do you hate Kings owners Joe and Gavin Maloof?
Hate is a completely inaccurate word in this case. And frankly, attempting to turn a legitimate disagreement with the Maloofs into a personal issue is a smoke screen. It deflects attention from a point this column stated often:
That the Maloofs are most to blame for why a deal has not been consummated to build the Kings a new arena in Sacramento.
When the Maloofs refused to invest a dime of their own money into the actual construction of a proposed arena last year -- we're not talking about rent and a fund for arena repairs -- they doomed the deal to failure.
Despite intense opposition, Sacramento political leaders were willing to try increasing the county sales tax to raise $500 million for a new arena -- and the Maloofs walked away for reasons only they understand.
To those of you blinded by the Maloofs because they pay your salary -- or because you're just a fan and you don't care about the details -- ask yourself this:
How would you build an arena in Sacramento when you can't raise taxes without a vote you'll likely lose -- and when your owners won't invest their own money?
How on earth could you do it with those shackles and with no big private interests stepping forward to help? That's what we're talking about here -- not hate. Juvenile accusations of hate and jealousy are easy to dismiss in any argument. These other issues are not.
Does it bother you that Grant Napear often rips you on his radio show?
To be honest, Napear's rants have brought me nothing but amusement. One time, this column poked fun at those God-awful Kings uniforms that are gold-plated and hurt the corneas of the average human.
It was all tongue-in-cheek, but for some reason Napear seemed furious and raged about it for the entire first segment of his radio show on KHTK (1140 AM). While listening, I was crossing the Altamont Pass -- while practically feeling Grant's hot breath through the radio -- and laughing so hard, I almost drove into a ravine.
Napear was making a federal case out of how I'd written that -- in those fancy unis -- Mike Bibby bore an uncanny resemblance to "Austin Powers in Goldmember."
Can you imagine taking that seriously? Luckily, Grant's radio partner, Mike Lamb, got the joke and tried gently to steer Napear to safety. But to no avail.
Oh well. No hard feelings. Besides, every time Napear rages, it only drives more readers to the column. It's like a free radio ad telling people to read my column.
Thanks, dude.
Why do you always interject race into your column?
In six years, there have been many columns but -- when added up -- comparatively few that focused on race. They always got a big reaction, some early ones from 2001 and 2002 still are occasionally referenced by some readers. Maybe it means we all have our biases about race. Or maybe it means that for some people one column on race that they disagree with is one column too many. According to the Associated Press Sports Editors, I'm one of only three Latino sports columnists at large newspapers in America. Without me, that number is down to two. It seems there should be some room for opposing views, since there are so few of us writing them.
Why are you so tough on the Giants?
No World Series titles since 1954. Enough said.
Who are the best people you've met in sports?
Bobby Jackson, Pete Carril, Rick Adelman, Gary Gerould, Dusty Baker, Peter Magowan, Miguel Tejada and the late, great Mario Encarnacíon.
Any parting shots to the Monarchs and their fans?
Maybe we could bury the hatchet? But preferably not in my forehead, as some Monarchs fans have suggested.
Any regrets?
Yes. That six years passed too quickly. And that there are only two inadequate -- though heartfelt -- words to share with the many Bee readers who directed kind and barbed words at the column over the years:
Thank you.
About the writer: Reach Marcos Bretón at (916) 321-1096 or mbreton@ sacbee.com.
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