Jim Tarbell had a swell idea, has done a spectacular job of promoting it and has nearly no shot at succeeding. He has swayed a large portion of public opinion in support of building one of Cincinnati's new sports stadia at the corner of Reading and Broadway.
Trouble is, the teams remain intractable.
Tarbell has run a remarkable grass roots campaign, but he has struck out repeatedly in the executive offices of the Reds and Bengals. And that is the name of that tune. Without the blessing of Mike Brown or Marge Schott, a ballpark at Broadway Commons is no more likely than vineyards on Venus. The will of the people is one thing. Political power is quite another.