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Mariotti quits job at Chicago Sun-Times

frank coztansafrank coztansa Posts: 196
edited August 2008 in All Encompassing Trip
Jay Mariotti, the opinionated and polarizing sports columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times, told the Chicago Tribune he resigned on Tuesday after 17 years with the paper.

Just back from Beijing where he wrote about the Summer Olympics, Mariotti said in a phone interview Tuesday night that he decided to quit after it became clear while in China that sports journalism had become "entirely a Web site business. There were not many newspapers there.'' He added that most of the journalists covering the Games were "there writing for Web sites.''

Mariotti, whose public battles with fellow staffers, team owners, and rival columnists are legendary, didn't disclose any specific plans except to say he will continue doing his regular stint on ESPN's "Around the Horn.''

He said that he "is talking with a lot of Web sites'' and added that the future of his business "sadly is not in newspapers.'' Mariotti said that he sent a resignation letter to Cyrus Freidheim, Sun-Times Media Group Chief Executive and Sun-Times Publisher. When asked via email by the Tribune whether Mariotti had resigned, Sun-Times Editor Michael Cooke responded, "You're kidding?''



Cooke didn't reply to further requests for comment.

"They accepted it,'' Mariotti said of his resignation. "It was my call entirely.''

In a city with a strong sports journalism tradition, Mariotti is thought of as one of its premier columnists. With a style that relied on being contrarian no matter the topic, readers turned to him as much to disagree with what he had to say than agree. He added to his reputation with the scrapes he got in with the subjects he covered.

The highly-paid Mariotti quits after just signing a three-year contract extension in June. At that time, Cooke said that Mariotti was a "focal point'' of the Sun-Times sports section, praising his "pull no punches'' approach.

Commenting on his 17 years at the paper, Mariotti said he loved every minute of it. But he said that with the troubled times newspapers face, it was time to consider a new future.

"I'm a competitor and I get the sense this marketplace doesn't compete,'' he said. "Everyone is hanging on for dear life at both papers. I think probably the days of high stakes competition in Chicago are over.

"To see what's happened in this business...I don't want to go down with it.''
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Comments

  • mca47mca47 Posts: 13,298
    Mariotti can be a complete jackass at times, and a pompous dick at other times...but that's too bad because I still read his articles.
  • MonsterOfTheMidwayMonsterOfTheMidway Posts: 416
    What the fuck? I love Mariotti's column!


    SAY IT AINT SO!!!


    DON'T LEAVE CHICAGO, PLEASE!


    EDIT:

    Actually fuck that. Fuck Mariotti for leaving Chicago. Get the hell out of here. ESPN's gonna scoop his ass up.
    16

    Lil Wayne is better than Pearl Jam.

    Bitches ain't nothin' but hoes 'n tricks
  • IwasBit10IwasBit10 Posts: 646
    HELL YEAH!

    His columns were all fluff, just meant to get a rise outta people. He used the same stupid material and cheeky nicknames over and over, ripping on all Chicago teams. Many times, I was baffled about how the SunTimes was paying him to write that junk, devoting a paragraph to how Derrick Rose eats gummy bears for the 16th time for example. His predictions weren't what he thought would happen, but merely what he wanted to happen. Nothing of substance. Chicago deserves much better.

    http://www.jaythejoke.com
    great website that critiques his columns, very well done
    He floated back down 'cause he wanted to share, his key to the locks on the chains he saw everywhere.
  • Stone Is GodStone Is God Posts: 1,331
    He's a douche. He makes it more about him than the actual teams.
    I'll ride the wave where it takes me.
  • thunderDANthunderDAN Posts: 2,094
    I never liked him- but if you notice it's a website business is that a reason to quit your job? I mean it's still a job, and I'm sure the Sun Times is aware of the shift, and I would think they are trying to put more content on the internet.

    They can have the Marriotti and Skip Bayless show on ESPN radio and see how many people won't listen
  • gathering speedgathering speed Posts: 33
    thunderDAN wrote:
    I never liked him- but if you notice it's a website business is that a reason to quit your job? I mean it's still a job, and I'm sure the Sun Times is aware of the shift, and I would think they are trying to put more content on the internet.

    They can have the Marriotti and Skip Bayless show on ESPN radio and see how many people won't listen
    I dont understand his reasoning for quitting either. I think there may be more to the story than what we are being told.
    McCain/MILF 08
  • Red BurritoRed Burrito Posts: 479
    gathering speed wrote:
    I dont understand his reasoning for quitting either. I think there may be more to the story than what we are being told.

    Agree, there definitely has to be more to this than meets the eye.
    the sorrow grows bigger, when the sorrow's denied
  • jasonwjasonw Posts: 424
    Always rubs me the wrong way.....seems so arrogant.....might be the only sports person i dislike more than skip bayless
  • MonsterOfTheMidwayMonsterOfTheMidway Posts: 416
    It's definitely an ego thing. I mean did any of you read his story about how he was attempting to climb the great wall of China? He is supposed to be a Sports columnist and writing about THAT? Get outta here. I was originally upset as his leaving because I did read his column everyday just to see what he said about the Bears, but I guess he is done with Chicago Sports. Good.
    16

    Lil Wayne is better than Pearl Jam.

    Bitches ain't nothin' but hoes 'n tricks
  • Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    why is it sad? Can i not freaking read the same thing on the web faster than they can print it?

    What's the difference?
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
  • Indifference71Indifference71 Chicago Posts: 14,861
    Although I didn't always agree with what he actually wrote in his columns, Mariotti is a great writer. It's actually a little dissappointing that I won't be able to read his columns in the Sun-Times anymore.

    Everyone always bitched about what he was writing, yet everybody was still reading him. This is definitely a huge blow to a paper that was already struggling mightily.
  • Brain of mJBrain of mJ Posts: 786
    Shocker, another print journalist who realizes he can make more money on TV than in print. Seriously, print journalists aren't dinosaurs because of the internet, it's because they all succumb to the almighty dollar that ESPN throws around to be a talking head that doesn't have to think critically, just needs to speak loud, be argumentative, and never give in. Call it the Bristolization of the art of sports journalism.
  • South of SeattleSouth of Seattle West Seattle Posts: 10,724
    He still had the Sun-Times background behind him on ATH today.
    NERDS!
  • MonsterOfTheMidwayMonsterOfTheMidway Posts: 416
    South of Seattle wrote:
    He still had the Sun-Times background behind him on ATH today.


    Yeah, I loved it when Reali joked about him being escorted out by security.
    16

    Lil Wayne is better than Pearl Jam.

    Bitches ain't nothin' but hoes 'n tricks
  • MonsterOfTheMidwayMonsterOfTheMidway Posts: 416
    Indifference71 wrote:
    Although I didn't always agree with what he actually wrote in his columns, Mariotti is a great writer. It's actually a little dissappointing that I won't be able to read his columns in the Sun-Times anymore.

    Everyone always bitched about what he was writing, yet everybody was still reading him. This is definitely a huge blow to a paper that was already struggling mightily.


    Yeah, I agree. But I do think his ego got the best of him during his Olympic coverage. That and I guess he just doesn't care about Chicago Sports anymore, which is a shame because this is the best sports city in America.
    16

    Lil Wayne is better than Pearl Jam.

    Bitches ain't nothin' but hoes 'n tricks
  • MonsterOfTheMidwayMonsterOfTheMidway Posts: 416
    Ok, now that the details have come out about why he quit, I have to admit I've lost all respect for Jay Mariotti.

    He is a very good writer, if at times overly critical and occasionaly excessive in his unbiasness, but now he is just being an ego maniac.


    Apparantly he really quit because he wanted to write a column about Obama calling Chicago Cubs fans not real baseball fans, but tourists looking for a good time.


    Mariotti was supposed to write the column for Tuesday, but suddenly switched his topic to Bears GM Jerry Angelo. He wanted to write the Obama column for Wednesday, but Monday, Wednesday, and Friday are Sun Times columnist Rick Telander's days to chose his column topic and he chose Obama.

    When the editor told Mariotti that he couldn't write about Obama for Wednesday because they didn't need two Obama columns, Mariotti threw a hissy fit and immediately sent an e-mail to the Sun Times editor and chief that simply said "I quit."

    Even funnier, immediately after his resignation, Mariotti went to the video room in the Sun Times building to record his segment for Around The Horn (thus why he was still there on Wednesday's show) and while he was filming, his security clearence had been revoked.

    Also, I suggest every go read Roger Ebert's letter to Mariotti entitled "Jay The Rat" which can be viewed here: http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080828/COMMENTARY/808289997


    Apparently the rumor about Mariotti is that he is a mean spirited loner. He never goes to the White Sox or Cubs locker rooms after games even though he's had press clearence for 17 years. Also, none of the other Chicago Sun Times Sports writers liked him and he would occasionally take shots at them in his columns for no reason.


    So in closing, this isn't about the newspaper business failing, this is about a sports writer who thinks he is bigger than the institution of journalism itself by declaring himself he is some kind of sports writer "free agent."

    So fuck him, and good riddance.
    16

    Lil Wayne is better than Pearl Jam.

    Bitches ain't nothin' but hoes 'n tricks
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