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WMVP: Teams don't control talent


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By Teddy Greenstein

Tribune sports media reporter

 

December 29, 2004, 10:53 PM CST

 

 

To hear WMVP-AM 1000 general manager Jim Pastor tell it, Jay Mariotti's departure from morning radio had nothing to do with the station's attempts to make nice with its partners, the Bulls and White Sox.

 

So what if WMVP is negotiating with both teams on new deals?

 

"At no time has the station ever allowed any of our play-by-play partners to influence decisions about on-air talent," Pastor said. "They may not like everything they hear, but they respect it nonetheless."

 

Mariotti painted a far different picture, reiterating his contention that his departure resulted from the station's insistence he stop taking shots at Bulls and Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf.

 

After a broadcasting source said WMVP had cut ties with Mariotti because the station had grown tired of managing him and that he resisted suggestions to improve the show, Mariotti shot back.

 

"They were happy with the show," he said Wednesday. "Do you see those billboards up in town of me and (ESPN radio personality) Dan Patrick? What does that tell you? They have expressed nothing but contentment with the show.

 

"The only time I became quote, unquote difficult to manage was when I was in hot water with Reinsdorf."

 

A source said both Pastor and program director Len Weiner had written memos to Mariotti instructing him not to carry on his personal attacks of Reinsdorf and not to ask listeners to stop buying tickets to Sox games.

 

The memos, however, did not warn Mariotti about making disparaging remarks about other Chicago teams such as the Cubs and Bears.

 

Pastor said he would not comment on personnel matters, but a source said the station had other minor problems with Mariotti.

 

For one, the final 40 minutes of Mariotti's 9 a.m.-noon show was not live.

 

Mariotti would tape the final segment earlier in the morning so he could make the 11:30 taping of ESPN's "Around the Horn."

 

Mariotti's commitment to "Around the Horn" preceded his deal with WMVP, which began in late January.

 

A source said the station also was disappointed when Mariotti admonished co-host Marc Silverman on the air during a debate about whether the Sox should have re-signed Magglio Ordonez.

 

Mariotti told Silverman: "You have no right to question me."

 

Mariotti later acknowledged he went overboard, and said the two enjoyed a solid working relationship.

 

Mariotti, meanwhile, had concerns about the way he was criticized on WMVP's afternoon show.

 

Dan McNeil recently lit into Mariotti for leaving the set for the final 40 minutes of his show, saying he knew nothing about team chemistry.

 

At least both sides agree that ratings did not cause the breakup. Pastor said Mariotti's numbers were "OK"—a distant second to WSCR's Terry Boers and Dan Bernstein but far better than those posted by Jim Rome, who had preceded Mariotti in WMVP's lineup.

 

As for replacing Mariotti, Pastor said Silverman and radio partner Carmen DeFalco would get a fair shot. The pair has been on the air this week and could continue in that role.

 

Pastor said only that the 9 a.m.-noon slot would not go to a nationally syndicated program such as Rome's. It will be filled by hosts who focus on Chicago sports.

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I always thought JM was a jerk. But most of his comments about the White Sox are true and I see the same things being said by White Sox fans on all message boards that I read. Hell I've seen some of the worst things said about JR by White Sox fans.

 

I do think JM took his personal feud with Hawk a little too far.

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His article today in the Times says it all. It talks about how the cub are frauding their fans by not going after Beltran but it does not have the personal distain toward the situation as it does with this feelings for the Sox.

 

How are the cub not getting raked over the coals for not addressing a single issue this offseason? Yet the Sox make moves but they are not good enough. Case in point the bubbly article about how Todd Hollandsworth is going to replace Moises Alou and then the followiong day how they should target Ordonez. Whre is the JD Drew story? He would look great inl eft this year and right next for them.

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Cubs are going into next year with Nomar at SS instead of AGonz. I'd call that a significant upgrade.

 

They lost Clement, and they haven't addressed their bullpen, but I don't think Hendry is done yet. Say what you want about the Cubs, they're not being run by the incompetent fool Lynch anymore.

 

That said, I can't wait until Hendry has shored up those situations, and the Cubune is exalting the Cubbies as World Series favorites again. (Last year was great, eh?)

 

We all know what happens when June rolls around. Ah, summer....

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Cubs are going into next year with Nomar at SS instead of AGonz. I'd call that a significant upgrade.

 

They lost Clement, and they haven't addressed their bullpen, but I don't think Hendry is done yet. Say what you want about the Cubs, they're not being run by the incompetent fool Lynch anymore.

 

That said, I can't wait until Hendry has shored up those situations, and the Cubune is exalting the Cubbies as World Series favorites again. (Last year was great, eh?)

 

We all know what happens when June rolls around. Ah, summer....

i agree and they might have less hype with their announcers gone

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Cubs are going into next year with Nomar at SS instead of AGonz. I'd call that a significant upgrade.

 

They lost Clement, and they haven't addressed their bullpen, but I don't think Hendry is done yet. Say what you want about the Cubs, they're not being run by the incompetent fool Lynch anymore.

 

That said, I can't wait until Hendry has shored up those situations, and the Cubune is exalting the Cubbies as World Series favorites again. (Last year was great, eh?)

 

We all know what happens when June rolls around. Ah, summer....

Cubs needed to do two things this off-season to improve.

 

1. Solidify their bull-pen with a legitamte closer

2. Put a line-up on the field that can generate a run in tight games

 

as of yet they have failed to do these two things. There's still plenty of time in the off-season, but I do agree that Hendry has been getting a free pass. I still say he should be getting s*** for not making a play at Hudson and Mulder.

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Mariotti's ego was growing larger and larger by the DAY! In the final 2 weeks of his show he made comments about how great he was. How no one had the right to challenge his views. He is the king of all sports media in CHicago. And that is just in the FIRST hour of the show because I listen to The Score from 10-2. I am glad to see him go. I kinda liked the show, but his ego was getting too big for the station.

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A source said the station also was disappointed when Mariotti admonished co-host Marc Silverman on the air during a debate about whether the Sox should have re-signed Magglio Ordonez.

 

Mariotti told Silverman: "You have no right to question me."

Doesn't this just kinda sum up how big an asshole this guy is?

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He sure as heck doesn't go as overboard about either the Bears or Cubs as he does on the Bulls or Sox.

Screw him and no one will miss him.

Are you joking?

 

He rips Jerry Angelo for not getting a good back-up in here, the only team he doesn't rip on is the blackhawks..and we all know why that is

 

He was contestly ripping the cubs for choiking and blaming the media for their demise and also on how The Cubs should get rid of Sosa.

 

The reason he ripped the sox so much..we are making at least some kind of buzz with the moves we are making.. Also I am not a Basketball fan, but how can you not rip on JR for taking one of th greatest teams and not want to pay them??

 

Marrotti job was to rip on local sports teams and make everyone get fired up about them..and he did his job..

 

Problem.. JR and the boards.. don't like that.

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Marrotti job was to rip on local sports teams and make everyone get fired up about them..and he did his job..

 

Problem.. JR and the boards.. don't like that.

Problem: His job was to get ratings, which attracts sponsors. He didn't do it. Maybe the public is a little too smart to continually listen to a self-absorbed whiner?

 

Problem: His ancillary role was to grow his radio show audience with a co-host, which required being able to play well with others. Seems he failed at that too.

 

Sports teams need critics, but this guy's needle has been stuck in the same groove for a long, long time. Good riddance.

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Sports teams need critics, but this guy's needle has been stuck in the same groove for a long, long time.  Good riddance.

Right, I don't want to hear all ass-kissing radio, but with Mariotti a lot of his arguments seemed personal or baseless. His job is not to rip on teams to stir controversy. His job is to create conversation using a variety of tactics. People like Mariotti and North who say conterversial things only to "stir-up" fans show how little talent they actually have.

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