John Canzano
Encyclopedia
John Canzano is an American
sports columnist
, radio talk show
host on Portland's 750 AM "The Game" and sports columnist at The Oregonian
newspaper in Portland, Oregon
. He hosts a daily radio show called The Bald Faced Truth.
. He covered University of Notre Dame
football
and Indiana University
basketball
as the beat writer during the tenure of coach Bob Knight.
Canzano currently serves as the lead sports columnist at The Oregonian. He also hosts a daily afternoon-drive radio show called "The Bald-Faced Truth" on Portland's 750 AM"The Game".
He is a member of the Baseball Writers Association of America
and the Professional Football Writers Association, and has made TV appearances on ESPN2, ESPN News and ESPN's SportsCenter. Canzano's work has also appeared in GQ magazine and The Sporting News, among other publications.
named Canzano the nation's No. 2 sports columnist among large-circulation newspapers, with Canzano finishing second to the Los Angeles Times’ Bill Plaschke both times. Canzano was recognized by The Press Club of Atlantic City as national sportswriter of the year in 2004.
In 2002, Canzano was named the nation's top investigative sports writer by the Associated Press News Executives Council for his enterprise piece on Carlos Rodriguez, a 21-year-old Dominican basketball star who was masquerading as a 17-year-old high school basketball player.
Canzano is a two-time Oregon Sportswriter of the Year winner.
On July 7, 2007, the Portland Beavers' Triple-A baseball team held "John Canzano Bobblehead Night." Also, on Aug. 29, 2009, the LPGA Safeway Classic featured "John Canzano Bobblehead Day," as part of the tour event held at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in Oregon.
Canzano graduated from California State University, Chico in 1995 with a B.A. in English.
(NBA) season, Canzano wrote a column after the third marijuana-related arrest for Portland Trail Blazers
guard Damon Stoudamire
. Stoudamire had completed a 90-day rehabilitation, and publicly sworn off the use of marijuana, however, the columnist wrote that he didn't believe Stoudamire was sincere. Stoudamire offered to take an unannounced urine test
during the season to prove his sobriety. Midway through the season, Canzano appeared in the team locker room and produced a specimen bottle which Stoudamire filled; an independent testing laboratory reported back the result that he was indeed "clean". The incident rehabilitated Stoudamire in the minds of many Portland fans, who had come to regard him as one of the "Jail Blazers". However, both men were widely criticized by the NBA Players Association for the drug test, which said that players may only submit to such tests as prescribed by the league's collective bargaining
agreement.
In response, Canzano appeared on ESPN's SportsCenter where he offered, in an interview with Dan Patrick
, to take a drug test to prove his own sobriety.
During the 2004-05 season, Canzano uncovered a secret settlement agreement between troubled Trail Blazers forward Darius Miles
and Blazers then-team president Steve Patterson
. Miles had incurred a $150,000 fine for berating popular coach Maurice Cheeks
in a film session. Under the proposed agreement crafted between Miles and Patterson, which was put together without the knowledge of the general manager John Nash and Cheeks, Miles fine was to be returned to the small-forward, "with interest," according to Canzano's report in The Oregonian.
Many of the Trail Blazers/Canzano tales are outlined in an interview Canzano did with a national blogger, available here: http://thebiglead.com/?p=5319.
According to the Willamette Week
newspaper, also during the 2004-05 season, a Portland Trail Blazers, Inc. department manager registered the domain name (www.johncanzano.com), possibly in an attempt to harass Canzano. The website was later claimed as intellectual property, and Canzano used the site to raise funds for a Hurricane Katrina
family.
. Song subsequently changed her name to Anna Canzano.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
sports columnist
Columnist
A columnist is a journalist who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs....
, radio talk show
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
host on Portland's 750 AM "The Game" and sports columnist at The Oregonian
The Oregonian
The Oregonian is the major daily newspaper in Portland, Oregon, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 1850...
newspaper in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. He hosts a daily radio show called The Bald Faced Truth.
Career
In his career, Canzano has worked at six daily newspapers including The San Jose Mercury News and The Fresno BeeThe Fresno Bee
The Fresno Bee is the daily newspaper serving Fresno, California and surrounding counties in that U.S. state's San Joaquin Valley. It is owned by The McClatchy Company and ranks fourth in circulation among the company's newspapers....
. He covered University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
and Indiana University
Indiana University Bloomington
Indiana University Bloomington is a public research university located in Bloomington, Indiana, in the United States. IU Bloomington is the flagship campus of the Indiana University system. Being the flagship campus, IU Bloomington is often referred to simply as IU or Indiana...
basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
as the beat writer during the tenure of coach Bob Knight.
Canzano currently serves as the lead sports columnist at The Oregonian. He also hosts a daily afternoon-drive radio show called "The Bald-Faced Truth" on Portland's 750 AM"The Game".
He is a member of the Baseball Writers Association of America
Baseball Writers Association of America
The Baseball Writers' Association of America is a professional association for baseball journalists writing for daily newspapers, magazines and qualifying Web sites. The BBWAA was founded on October 14, 1908, to improve working conditions for sportswriters in the early part of the 20th century...
and the Professional Football Writers Association, and has made TV appearances on ESPN2, ESPN News and ESPN's SportsCenter. Canzano's work has also appeared in GQ magazine and The Sporting News, among other publications.
Awards/Honors
Canzano has won numerous Associated Press Sports Editors awards. In 2009, Canzano was voted America's No. 1 sports columnist by the APSE. In 2007 and 2008, the Associated PressAssociated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
named Canzano the nation's No. 2 sports columnist among large-circulation newspapers, with Canzano finishing second to the Los Angeles Times’ Bill Plaschke both times. Canzano was recognized by The Press Club of Atlantic City as national sportswriter of the year in 2004.
In 2002, Canzano was named the nation's top investigative sports writer by the Associated Press News Executives Council for his enterprise piece on Carlos Rodriguez, a 21-year-old Dominican basketball star who was masquerading as a 17-year-old high school basketball player.
Canzano is a two-time Oregon Sportswriter of the Year winner.
On July 7, 2007, the Portland Beavers' Triple-A baseball team held "John Canzano Bobblehead Night." Also, on Aug. 29, 2009, the LPGA Safeway Classic featured "John Canzano Bobblehead Day," as part of the tour event held at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in Oregon.
Canzano graduated from California State University, Chico in 1995 with a B.A. in English.
Trail Blazers coverage
During the 2003-04 National Basketball AssociationNational Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
(NBA) season, Canzano wrote a column after the third marijuana-related arrest for Portland Trail Blazers
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...
guard Damon Stoudamire
Damon Stoudamire
Damon Lamon Stoudamire is a retired American professional basketball player who is currently an assistant coach for the Memphis Tigers men's basketball team. The , point guard was selected with the 7th overall pick by the Toronto Raptors in the 1995 NBA Draft and won the 1995–96 NBA Rookie of the...
. Stoudamire had completed a 90-day rehabilitation, and publicly sworn off the use of marijuana, however, the columnist wrote that he didn't believe Stoudamire was sincere. Stoudamire offered to take an unannounced urine test
Urinalysis
A urinalysis , also known as Routine and Microscopy , is an array of tests performed on urine, and one of the most common methods of medical diagnosis...
during the season to prove his sobriety. Midway through the season, Canzano appeared in the team locker room and produced a specimen bottle which Stoudamire filled; an independent testing laboratory reported back the result that he was indeed "clean". The incident rehabilitated Stoudamire in the minds of many Portland fans, who had come to regard him as one of the "Jail Blazers". However, both men were widely criticized by the NBA Players Association for the drug test, which said that players may only submit to such tests as prescribed by the league's collective bargaining
Collective bargaining
Collective bargaining is a process of negotiations between employers and the representatives of a unit of employees aimed at reaching agreements that regulate working conditions...
agreement.
In response, Canzano appeared on ESPN's SportsCenter where he offered, in an interview with Dan Patrick
Dan Patrick
Daniel Patrick Pugh , professionally known as Dan Patrick, is an American sportscaster, radio personality, and actor from Mason, Ohio...
, to take a drug test to prove his own sobriety.
During the 2004-05 season, Canzano uncovered a secret settlement agreement between troubled Trail Blazers forward Darius Miles
Darius Miles
Darius LaVar Miles is an American professional basketball player.The , small forward was selected directly out of high school by the Los Angeles Clippers with the 3rd overall pick in the 2000 NBA Draft...
and Blazers then-team president Steve Patterson
Steve Patterson (sports executive)
Steve Patterson is an American sports executive and the former president and general manager of the Portland Trail Blazers National Basketball Association franchise.Patterson joined the Trail Blazers as the team president in June 2003...
. Miles had incurred a $150,000 fine for berating popular coach Maurice Cheeks
Maurice Cheeks
Maurice Edward "Mo" Cheeks is a retired American professional basketball player and assistant coach for the Oklahoma City Thunder. He was the head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association from May 23, 2005 to December 13, 2008...
in a film session. Under the proposed agreement crafted between Miles and Patterson, which was put together without the knowledge of the general manager John Nash and Cheeks, Miles fine was to be returned to the small-forward, "with interest," according to Canzano's report in The Oregonian.
Many of the Trail Blazers/Canzano tales are outlined in an interview Canzano did with a national blogger, available here: http://thebiglead.com/?p=5319.
According to the Willamette Week
Willamette Week
Willamette Week is an alternative weekly newspaper published in Portland, Oregon, United States. It features reports on local news, politics, sports, business and culture....
newspaper, also during the 2004-05 season, a Portland Trail Blazers, Inc. department manager registered the domain name (www.johncanzano.com), possibly in an attempt to harass Canzano. The website was later claimed as intellectual property, and Canzano used the site to raise funds for a Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
family.
The Bald-Faced Truth Foundation
In 2009, Canzano co-founded The Bald Faced Truth Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit, all-volunteer organization that aims to fund extracurricular activities for kids. The foundation offers grants to children who hope to participate in the areas of arts, music, drama, education, athletics and other enriching extra-curricular activities.Personal
In July 2010, Canzano married Anna Song, weekend anchor for Portland television station KATUKATU
KATU, virtual channel 2, also known as K2, is an ABC-affiliated television station broadcasting on digital channel 43 in Portland, Oregon, USA. It has been owned by Fisher Communications of Seattle, Washington, which has been the owner of the Seattle's ABC affiliate KOMO-TV, ever since it began...
. Song subsequently changed her name to Anna Canzano.
External links
- John Canzano column archive at The Oregonian
- John Canzano blog archive on Oregonlive.com
- The Bald-Faced Truth Radio ShowTM Website
- The Bald-Faced Truth FoundationTM Website
- 95.5-FM Podcasts of John Canzano
- The Big Lead interview with John Canzano
- New York Times piece on John Canzano
- 2009 APSE National Winners