Mariotti hides behind his editors, as other ST writers slam him

[southsider2k5]

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sp...,6132758.column

 

Sun-Times colleagues go after Jay Mariotti

Teddy Greenstein | ON SPORTS MEDIA AND COLLEGES

June 10, 2008

 

Columnist Jay Mariotti seems to pride himself on making enemies. He has been called a "pissant" by Jerry Reinsdorf, a "hiney bird" by Hawk Harrelson and much worse by Ozzie Guillen.

 

A recent poll by the irreverent Deadspin.com Web site tabulated his national approval rating, based on some 8,000 votes, at 6.2 percent. TNT's Charles Barkley, who called Mariotti a "loser" during a March radio appearance, earned a thumbs-up from 95.6 percent of Deadspin voters.

 

Now Mariotti is taking body blows from his own colleagues at the Sun-Times. The situation heated up to the point that Editor-in-Chief Michael Cooke stepped in last week to symbolically separate Mariotti from fellow sports columnist Rick Telander, after Sun-Times editors refused to run columns Telander filed for the Wednesday and Friday papers.

 

The conflict started after Mariotti wrote last week of Guillen: "As you may have noticed through the years, I am the Blizzard's only critic in the Chicago media, mostly because my soft colleagues either fear Guillen's wrath, enjoy how he rips me, work for one of the Reinsdorf-controlled broadcast outlets or are afraid of getting on the chairman's bad side."

 

The next day, Sun-Times national baseball writer Chris De Luca led his column this way: "The same critics who avoid ever stepping into the White Sox's clubhouse are calling the Chicago media soft for not skewering manager Ozzie Guillen. They want Guillen fired yesterday. Sounds tough, but the rhetoric comes up a little, well, soft."

 

Telander also believed Mariotti had unfairly impugned his reputation and fired back in a Wednesday column that got spiked, according to media insiders. The paper explained to its readers in a box that Telander was taking the day off.

 

Telander filed an altered version for the Friday paper that, according to sources, mentioned the "bleatings" of "mini-dictators" who are "terrified of accountability."

 

It also quoted Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski as saying no visitor to the team's clubhouse need fear for his safety.

 

Cooke, who declined comment Monday via e-mail, stepped in and decided the piece would not run.

 

Telander also declined comment on his spiked columns but voiced support for his baseball-writing colleagues.

 

"I'm a big boy and I can handle this," he said. "The people I feel sorry for are the hard-working, talented journalists at the Sun-Times like Chris De Luca, Joe Cowley, Toni Ginnetti, Gordon Wittenmyer, Carol Slezak and Greg Couch."

 

Sources said Telander also asked for an apology from Mariotti. He has yet to receive one.

 

Mariotti declined to reply to an e-mail seeking comment.

 

[email protected]

[EvilMonkey]

he he he! Glad I put my pop down before reading that one.

[StrangeSox]

He can't be run out of town soon enough. I know he was calling out Mark Silverman recently, too.

 

Jay Mariotti, a legend in his own mind.

[Kyyle23]

Mariotti isnt going to let this one die. I bet he harps on this until either Telander or Mariotti leaves town.

[gosox41]

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sp...,6132758.column

 

 

But as Marriotti said when I've him years ago "Many people have called to congratulate me on my column." That's what he'll tell anyone now, I'm sure, if they rip him.

 

Marriotti is scum and fits the Sun Times perfectly. I'm surprised well respected columnists like Telander even stay to write in that rag. It's gone downhill fast.

 

I wonder what pix Marriotti has of his editor where the editor lets Jay Mo rip on fellow colleagues but not vice versa.

 

 

 

Bob

 

 

[Kyyle23]

I wonder what pix Marriotti has of his editor where the editor lets Jay Mo rip on fellow colleagues but not vice versa.

 

im pretty sure he makes the most money there, therefore he gets to stomp his foot and do what he wants. and he abuses it

[lostfan]

I grew up reading the Sun-Times. But I gave up on it for good about a year ago.

[RockRaines]

I wouldnt list Joe Cowley in there as talented journalists with some of the things he's done.

[BearSox]

Sun-Times is a classless junk paper. I don't want to get into anything political here, but they are as far left as can be and extremely biased. I don't care if they're far left, journalism has no place for blatant biases. It wouldn't make a difference to me if they were far-right. I'm not journalist expert, but for good journalism, you have to show all view points, not just your own. Plus, they have no-goods like Mariotti in their sports section who probably has never swung a bat in his life, writing garbage for publicity.

 

I'm sorry (no I'm not), but the Sun-Times is one paper that I won't be wasting any money on.

[SoxFanForever]

Sun-Times is a classless junk paper. I don't want to get into anything political here, but they are as far left as can be and extremely biased. I don't care if they're far left, journalism has no place for blatant biases. It wouldn't make a difference to me if they were far-right. I'm not journalist expert, but for good journalism, you have to show all view points, not just your own. Plus, they have no-goods like Mariotti in their sports section who probably has never swung a bat in his life, writing garbage for publicity.

 

I'm sorry (no I'm not), but the Sun-Times is one paper that I won't be wasting any money on.

Every paper will have some skew one way or the other depending on the journalists and editor. You should get used to it.

[BearSox]

Every paper will have some skew one way or the other depending on the journalists and editor. You should get used to it.

I realize that, but to be completely in the tank for one is unacceptable. At least make an effort.

[Wanne]

Biggest POS on the planet IMO. I'm really surprised he hasn't had his knees broke at some point in his life.

[whitesoxfan101]

He's perhaps the worst sports journalist in America, but he sells papers, and a desperate gutter publication like the Sun-Times will keep him as long as that remains the case, regardless of the fact that almost EVERYBODY hates him. That has been the story in a nutshell for years now.

[joeynach]

Knowing the guys we have on our team, I bet if Mariotti actually showed up in the sox clubhouse they would Razz him a little bit, ya know boys will be boys, then all would be well. Mariotti has a lower approval rating than George Bush....now thats LOW!!!

[justBLAZE]

I wonder who has lower approval rating, Mariotti, Bush, or your signature?

[greg775]

That is awesome that Telander fought back.

Yes, those other writers are good. What a great blast of Mariotti for never appearing

in the clubhouse.

Great stuff.

Mariotti did indeed call out writers at his own paper.

It is total crap the SunTimes editor killed Rick's column.

Congrats to the Sun Times staff for fighting back.

Those Ozzie columns are embarrassing.

I mean Mariotti brought it on himself.

Enough already. It is a vendetta jay and we all see it as one.

The columns are dull and repetititve. You've made your point. We know you want Oz

gone.

We know you think he is an embarrassment. We know you think other national reporters

agree with you that Oz should be fired.

We know. We know. We know.

YOU MADE YOUR POINT JAY.

Any editor to run another Oz column from him is an idiot.

I mean there is no more the guy can say on the topic.

Mariotti Wants Oz Fired. OK. I get it Jay.

Just end each column with the acronym MWOF and we'll remember your last column.

Edited June 10, 2008 by greg775

[zimne piwo]

Remember boys and girls... every time someone reads Moronotti a kitten and a puppy die.

[NorthSideSox72]

im pretty sure he makes the most money there, therefore he gets to stomp his foot and do what he wants. and he abuses it

Actually, the Sun Times (and most other major papers) are currently under huge pressure to cut costs. If the ST thinks they can bring in readers with the rest of their sports team just as well as with Mariotti, then his high salary makes it that much more likely that they can his ass.

 

[GoSox05]

Sun-Times is a classless junk paper. I don't want to get into anything political here, but they are as far left as can be and extremely biased. I don't care if they're far left, journalism has no place for blatant biases. It wouldn't make a difference to me if they were far-right. I'm not journalist expert, but for good journalism, you have to show all view points, not just your own. Plus, they have no-goods like Mariotti in their sports section who probably has never swung a bat in his life, writing garbage for publicity.

 

I'm sorry (no I'm not), but the Sun-Times is one paper that I won't be wasting any money on.

 

 

They are openly to the left. Though I wouldn't say far left. They are left to balance out the Tribune which is more conservative.

 

Jay Mariotti does suck though.

[Kyyle23]

Actually, the Sun Times (and most other major papers) are currently under huge pressure to cut costs. If the ST thinks they can bring in readers with the rest of their sports team just as well as with Mariotti, then his high salary makes it that much more likely that they can his ass.

 

Mariotti is just auditioning for the New York Post. Hopefully they can his ass sooner rather than later

[RibbieRubarb]

His hatred for Ozzie and Jerry knows no bounds. Even even blames the Bulls coaching-search problems on Ozzie.

From June 7:

The common denominator in the Collins and D'Antoni debacles, scarily enough, is Ozzie Guillen. When the Knicks swooped in and hired D'Antoni for $24 million, Reinsdorf was tending to Guillen's blowup-dolls episode. While Collins waited, Reinsdorf was tending to Oz's latest scorched-earth blowup.

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/mariotti/99...T-jay07.article

Edited June 10, 2008 by RibbieRubarb

[WCSox]

Sun-Times is a classless junk paper. I don't want to get into anything political here, but they are as far left as can be and extremely biased. I don't care if they're far left, journalism has no place for blatant biases. It wouldn't make a difference to me if they were far-right. I'm not journalist expert, but for good journalism, you have to show all view points, not just your own.

 

Although not relevant to this forum, the above is 100% correct.

 

The Sun-Times has really gone downhill over the past 5-10 years. While I respect Telander, I won't read their sports section as long as they employ obnoxious jerks like Moronotti and perpetual whiners like Slezak. It's a piece of garbage publication is just about every facet.

 

[Balta1701]

Sun-Times is a classless junk paper. I don't want to get into anything political here, but they are as far left as can be and extremely biased. I don't care if they're far left, journalism has no place for blatant biases. It wouldn't make a difference to me if they were far-right. I'm not journalist expert, but for good journalism, you have to show all view points, not just your own. Plus, they have no-goods like Mariotti in their sports section who probably has never swung a bat in his life, writing garbage for publicity.

 

I'm sorry (no I'm not), but the Sun-Times is one paper that I won't be wasting any money on.

So, I'm one of the left-leaning homo abortion pot and commie people here, and when I was in the Chicago Area, I always subscribed to the Tribune. Didn't really care about the bias, but it was just a vastly better paper.

[southsider2k5]

So, I'm one of the left-leaning homo abortion pot and commie people here, and when I was in the Chicago Area, I always subscribed to the Tribune. Didn't really care about the bias, but it was just a vastly better paper.

 

^^

 

I don't even care about bias or preceived bias. I read Drudge, just like I read MSNBC or CNN. I won't read fox because it bothers me. The tabloid reporting is what always has bothered me, and the Sun-Times is Chicago's king. I don't know know why people pay to read that crap. If anything I pick it up on the train after someone else has dumped it, and read the couple of columns that don't completely suck.

[bmags]

^^

 

I don't even care about bias or preceived bias. I read Drudge, just like I read MSNBC or CNN. I won't read fox because it bothers me. The tabloid reporting is what always has bothered me, and the Sun-Times is Chicago's king. I don't know know why people pay to read that crap. If anything I pick it up on the train after someone else has dumped it, and read the couple of columns that don't completely suck.

 

this is exactly right. It's a bit of a tangent we are on now, but even all of my friends in Chicago who are left-leaning would never get the sun times...I mean the sun times is pretty much Red Eye except they don't have their real paper to also show forth. It's a garbage paper.