The truth about Jay leaving

Oh, now you come around. How lame can you be Modrowski?

Over a year ago I wrote that I no longer read Mariotti, you of course did not believe that. You actually defended him back then.

Maybe you should consider hanging it up with the Sun Times as well.
Save some jobs for some real writers, not a hack like yourself.

Roman responds: I'm responding to misinformation he's spreading. That's being a hack? I've defended him at times in the past, so what? What does that have to do with setting the record straight?

I don't follow the Chicago media that much but I am very familiar with Mariotti. I can see how he would be hard to work with given his enormous ego.
I am just very happy to see Roman and others are not afraid to let the readers behind the scenes. Everyone loves to read the dirt on other people, its only human nature. Thanks for sharing and not giving us the "we don't discuss personnel matters" bs.

I am thrilled that the megalomaniac, Jay Mariotti, is no longer with the Sun Times. It's about time! He was a derisive , negatively opinionated columnist. He has the audacity to called himself a creditable journalist. (Maybe if he wrote solely for professional wrestling, I could understand his venomous rantings.) He is also an embarrassment to Italian Americans, Chicago and the Times on that nationally televised sports talk show. I wonder what kind of life he's had that would make him such an angry, hateful individual.

Glad he's gone!

Jim Maggiore

Is it true that Jay would basically use quotes from everyone else's columns and pass them off as his on. I seem to recall him catching flak from the Detroit Free Press.

Good column. Enjoyed it and the insight it provided on the "true" situation. Keep up the good work. The Sun-Times has a great sports department and it just got a little better (or at least a little more readable)...

Being a longtime Chicago fan and constantly traveling I do agree that your website has improved greatly in updating breaking news. It is sad that a great writer such as Jay has such a big ego, I really did enjoy reading his columns and getting his unique perspective on Chicago sports. Roman what is up with all these layoffs from both major papers? I hope you stick around, and continue your great work. Good Luck

I used to read Mariotti's column and wonder where he got his stuff. Soon I began to look for his column first, so I could read the worst, before going back into the real world for information. I am amazed that he did not confront the people he wrote about.
In the Bears recent Super Bowl year he was merciless with a young quarterback, who in my opinion, was the best thing they'd seen in fifty years. While I have since come to believe that Rex simply never matured as a person, still a young kid, it seemed stupid to try to constantly degrade someone, when he's all you have, and could lead you to the Superbowl, with a little confidence. He was not alone in this, but he was the worst.

Why you sorry boobs. I actually went to the trouble to write out a very nice favorable response to your article, and because i apparently mistyped those ridiculous shaded numbers, you disallowed my post and sent me back to a blank page, after all my trouble. Maybe, on second though Mariotti is right, if you can't run your web any better than that. I don't appreciate spending 5 minutes typing out something to have you lose it for me. Geez!!!

Roman responds Sorry for the frustration. Really. And I'll forward this - as I have others - to powers that be. But I don't think this is what Jay was referring to witih his criticism.

Thanks for setting the record straight. It took more guts for you to write this, than the articles Jay wrote. And he proclaims himself the hero for telling the truth. He just wrote what everyone already knew but didn't want to waste time talking about over and over. And that's not apathy. That's maturity.

I don't think you guys realize how many readers Jay brought in. He was the ONLY reason I ever read the Sun-Times. No other sports columnist at either paper in town has his own voice like Jay does. It sounds like he has ego issues, but all the great ones do.

Damn...that seems so petty to me. Thanks for the inside dope. I feel based on your account, that he probably had been planning a departure and was waiting for that proverbial straw to break his back. Using the Gold Medal story as his reason is SO FLIMSY though.

Come on Jay, we all know that the USA basketball coverage was the biggest Debacle in the Olympics...I saw maybe 2 quarters of play Total. It was never on prime time, nobody felt the games were ever in doubt. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ it was a snoozer of a story.

The Obama thing seems like he realized that the Olympics reason was too flimsy too, so he switched his story (no pun intended) and is now hanging his hat on the Obama/Cubs/Telander triangle?

Please Jay....I think Jay probably got 85% of the HOT STORIES as compared to Rick. Rick always got the color commentary to Jays Play by Play...or at least thats how it seemed to me.

I swear Roman, I have more reasons to be upset at the Webteam than Jay does.

I have to apologize for my earlier attacks on your politics, although, I still believe that it cant be good for the bottom line for any paper. Jays using the Death of Print as his tag line is just "poor sportsmanship"

Jay was that rich kid who took his ball and went home, if no one picked him for their team. I think he just never grew up.

Cheers!
B

Roman:

I wanted to personally thank you for telling the story behind the story. Many people in Chicago have heard the rumors about Jay's notorious ego and temper tantrums. I had heard he has resigned so many times in the past couple of years---all in an effort to get his way.... and finally, it was accepted. It is a shame that he had to throw another temper tantrum and on top of that---do a misdirection to the Chicago Newspaper readers by saying this had something to do with the internet web site operations at the Sun-Times. When it really had to do with Jay feeling that the bosses favored Rick Telander more than they did poor wittle Jay.

In my opinion Jay Mariotti was nothing more than a "Shock Jockey Writer." All he ever seemed to do is stir up controversies and make Chicago Sports and Chicago Athletes paranoid to share with the beat writers. I believe there is a way to ask questions about owners methods, or athletes actions, without pointing the finger so openly. Maybe this had more to do with his poor writing skills than anything.

I believe the Sun-Times is a better paper today than it was before he left.

GREAT take Mod, telling it like it is ;is something denied Jayphews
cerebral thinking. He was the worst at name calling and finding
fault with so many petty things. And so many young athletes take time to develop and be the top of their game. Went after every Sports team and their personnel. Never or very rare to hear a positive take from Mr. Stink. Good riddance Jayphew.

Here's a quote from the above column, "there was no dateline on Jay's column, which makes me wonder if he was even there for that event. That's not to imply he can't write about an event he didn't attend, but I thought it was interesting in this context."
Wow. I guess you are okay with Mitch Albom too. As a reader I kind of expect the writer to actually be at an event that he is writing about. Jay and Roman, and little Mitch, are exactly what is wrong with newspapers today and why they are on their last legs.

Roman responds: You misunderstood, or maybe I wasn't clear. I think a columnist, who is paid to give his/her opinion, can write an opinion about something without actually being there. But not in a way that implies they are at the event. I admit, it's a slippery slope.

BYE JAY, so one down one to go when in the world are you going to get rid of Rick T, this guy is even worse than Jay, tell him to take is hatered of the cubs and take a LONG walk off a very SHORT Pier.

Roman,

I appreciate your honesty and candor. It was very clear there was more to the story than Mariotti was telling.

I, for one, called the Sun-Times subscription desk and re-started the subscription that I suspended last year. I look forward to reading the paper again.

When Mariotti stated that Olympic coverage was a deciding factor in his leaving the Sun Times, I was confused. As you stated, the Sun-Times coverage of the Beijing Olympics was superb to what the Tribune was providing. I read both websites every day since I moved away from Chicago because national websites don't provide as much information on Chicago sports teams and I only get to watch a few sporting events on TV. So I don't understand why Mariotti was saying that the Sun-Times webpage was not sufficient when it is a site that fans like me view everyday.

The truth comes out though as it seems that he is pouting over not being able to publish his story. His ego knows no bounds. Anyway, I would like to thank all of you guys at Sun-Times sports for helping keep me in the loop on my favorite sports teams.

Since I live in KY now, I rely on your Web coverage as well as the "other" Chi-town sites for sports and local coverage. Would I read Jay's column? Yes. But with a grain of salt. Like an other poster suggested, I would read his column first, to get the bad, hateful, I don't want to cover Chicago sports column, out of the way first, so I could then go to other more factual columns, that actually had a ratio of more fact over jaded opinion.

New York would be a good town for Jay. He could then turn to a Brett hater..
Good luck Jay, where ever you may fail next..

The way Jay is describing his departure is very similar to the way he described Chicago sports. It makes me wonder if he was even there when he resigned.

I disagreed with about 99.9% of what Jay Mariotti wrote, but I read him everyday. He was the equivalent of a "shock jock" on the radio, a small portion of the people listen because they like him or agree with him while the vast majority listen to see what horrible or stupid thing he is going to say next. I actually think he will be a big loss to the Sun Times. Personally I am glad to see him suffer a little bit because he seemed like a miserable human being, but I will miss reading him.

As for the dual columns about Obama, why would that have been a bad thing? Two different opinions by two completely different columnists may have been interesting to see their different perspectives on it. Roman?

Mr. Roman: Thank-you for your thoughtful work. I agree with you that Jay's writing was good; very good at times. However, when you read a paper every day since 1963, you notice things. I noticed that, in Jay's eyes, our teams were great when they won, and they sucked when they lost. You never got the sense from Jay's writing that he had a consistent view of things. This lead me to doubt his fairness. Fairness is everything is sports, the fundamental factor I teach to my son this very day.

Your report was fair and balanced. Thank you for a peek under.

Dan

I used to hate Mariotti, until I realized that he always got it right. Sure, his writing style is a little hackneyed, but my standards are pretty low for sports journalists.
What's more important is that Mariotti always took it to the GMs, players and coaches (and owners) when they deserved it, and usually praised them when they deserved it.

I mean seriously, who is more relieved than Angelo? Is anyone excited about that.

At this point, there are no 'big name' journalists in Chicago sports and i guess i'd just say that's a little sad

Roman,

Was this really necessary? I always enjoy your blogs and think you're a great writer, however, this whole thing reads like a response from a teenage girl that was just broken up by her boyfriend and she wants to tell the world that she's not as bad as he's making her out to be. It's human nature to want to get the truth out when you feel that you're undeservedly being accused of something. But Jay is gone now. There's nothing any of us can do about it. Yes, the White Sox fans can whine that Jay never "manned up" and had a fist fight with Ozzie Guillen as this is apparently what a man does when there is a disagreement. I prefer to think that a successful, secure with himself man doesn't need to fight but that's just my opinion.

Jay not only sold papers. He kept the GM's, players, and higher ups accountable in this town. And don't tell me that they weren't aware of it because you won't find a columnist's name brought up by owners, general managers, managers, players, and broadcasters in any other town as much as Jay's was mentioned. Jay wrote his articles like a frustrated fan. Yes, he wasn't always the most positive person in the world. But he drew up emotion from people every single day. Personally, I didn't always agree with him, however, I appreciated his opinion. He wasn't a reporter. Those accusing him of "stealing" quotes are wrong. He never claimed quotes as his; he just included them in his articles. Jay sold newspapers. He did his job. Whether you loved or hated him, you read his articles. If you claim that you didn't, you're lying because he's obviously brought out some sort of anger from you and it's not just from seeing his name.

Jay Mariotti will be missed. No question about it. But he won't be missed by GM's and owners that are looking to be cheap and not put the best product on the field each night. They're celebrating his departure.

Roman responds: Thanks for the note Ray. I wanted to make sure I didn't take personal shots at Jay, which I don't think I did. I just wanted to defend my Web site, which he unfairly criticized. I just wanted to get the truth out.

Glad he's gone; sorry he wasn't fired years ago.

I answered "yes", that I would miss his column, because I did enjoy those 1 in 20 that I bothered to read.

Congrats on your web site. Am out of town and always read yours first and the Trib second to pick up the crumbs.

I don't agree with the vast majority of people celebrating Jay's departure. I too used to hate Jay for writing what I thought was negative stuff about my beloved chicago sports teams. Even in the best of times (bulls winning 6 championships in the 90's) it seemed like Jay always looked for dirt. But that was in my 20's. Since then I've grown to appreciate his writing skills, individual point of view, and his take no prisoners ideology. Everyone is so upset because Jay said things that you did not want to hear. Listen, we are in one of the biggest sports markets in the WORLD. Can you imagine what it would be like if all our sports writers wrote like Rick Telander, Greg Couch, John Jackson? We need a different perspective. There is enough room in this paper and city for all it's writers otherwise we would only have 2 or 3 of them. I still can't believe the day, a few years back, when I bought the sun times, got my lunch, and was disappointed that Jay was on vacation. That was when I realized that I looked forward to reading him every day. Jay Marrioti is the sports writer we love to hate. Key word: Love. Of course, I didn't have to work with the SOB so I can appreciate Roman saying that the work environment is already a more positive one. All I'm saying is that I believe that we will soon realize that we actually miss Jay Marrioti. I already do.

He was definitely opinionated and never boring, but I think he did much more harm than good. In the end that ego the size of Texas became his undoing, even though he was the one that resigned. He brought it on himself. I've never been a fan of his jump on the bandwagon mentality, and he did it constantly, especially with my favorite team, the White Sox. He didn't call it like he saw it as much as he said he did.

Thank you for setting the record straight because Jay's reason that he gave was a lame one especially since he signed a 3 year extension only 2 months ago. I thought he brought up some decent topics at times but his refusal to go into the locker rooms of the local teams to 'man' up to some of his stories upset me and obviously upset coaches and players of local teams. In the long run the paper is better off without him!

I read sports columnists for insight. I want to understand what's really going on -- what management is really thinking, how they screwed up, what's going to happen next before anyone mentions it. Kinda like listening to Steve Stone call a baseball game, when it's like he tells you exactly the pitch coming and where it's going to be hit two pitches before it happens.

Mariotti had none of that. Zero insight. Just complaining about the topic de jour.

Thanks for telling us the inside scoop of why he left. He is easily replaced.

As a Chicago native living in D.C., my eyes got big yesterday when I saw that Mariotti resigned. When I found out it was true, I just laughed. Good story, Roman. Figured that there was more to it then what Jay said. Also, how convenient to leave the paper after I'm sure the Suntimes paid for Mariotti to "cover" the Olympics. Bye Jay. Believe me, nobody in Chicago will miss you.

I canceled my Sun-Times subscription in 2002, as well as pulling all my advertising that I was doing at the time. The Sun-Times made a deal with the devil, and I chose not to support the paper as long as Mariotti was employed. Today is the first day that I have looked at the website, or picked up a Sun-times since then. Although technically a proficeint writer, the sum total of waking up every day to be an ass got to be too much for me. Congrats on losing a truly lousy human being, even though he resigned instead of being fired. Do you really think that you kept more readers than you lost because of him? I would be suprised.

I live in California and am a transplanted Chicago native. I don't take the Sun, but the first thing I do each morning is go to the net and read your sports page, and I will admit that I always read Mariotti first. This was undoubtedly due to his punchy style and barbed wit, and because I'll be the first to admit that I love dirt. It's not the best side of me, but he appealed to it like nobody else. He knew how to kick the living hell out of someone in print in more colorful turns and phrases than most. But apparently that's the point - it was always only in print. Gutsy as he seemed in his columns, he was gutless in person. His never showing up, never confronting his targets in person, and eventually leaving the job that fed him so well over the years in a such a gutless and disingenuous way has caused me to lose all respect for him. I applaud you and the others who have finally spoken the truth and have responded in measured, adult, credible terms to his leaving - something he's evidently incapable of. Until yesterday, I imagine you and the other staffers at the Sun were used to resorting to the old LBJ line, "He may be a bastard, but he's OUR bastard." Well, now he's going to be somebody else's bastard. And so, despite the fact that the lower side of me will miss the spectacle of him bullying everyone in sight, I'll probably lift that celebratory beer along with you.

There were good times ..
There were bad times..

He wrote some very good columns. I just never understood how he could so quickly be for someone one day and totally against them the next.

I commend you for clarifying facts and setting the record straight. I was not aware that he quit until this morning and was listening to the radio when he was being talked about and wondered what had happened.

I did read his column but I won't miss him.

I must say that I'm very surprised that Marioti left. I was actually kind of proud to see him on ESPN because he gave a voice to Chicago. I thought the same when Skip B was at the Tribune. I read his column but he made me mad. He was relentless at pounding Ozzie and Angelo. As a White Sox/Bears fan, no one has a crystal ball and mistakes will be made. I lived in Detroit for the past 7 years and watched the Tigers go from the bottom up, but Mitch Albom's coverage was truthful but without the rage. I enjoy Telander very much and enjoy the web version of Sun Times sports.

Roman,
I think its great the you and Greg finally are saying what everybody was thinking for a long time that Jay is a egomanic and did nothing to but upset a lot of people. I guess that is what sold papers. I don't understand when you have acess to one of the greatest sports town in the world you do not attend any of the sporting events but write nothing but negavtive things about everything going on in the chicago sports scence. Jay was never a chicago guy and thats why people never really connected with him hopefully he will go back to pittsburgh and write for there crappy paper. Lets see how he likes his own hometown.

Thank you for writing this column. As a Colorado-based Chicago sports fan, I click around among 4 or 5 websites to keep up with my teams. Your website is one of the two best and won't suffer at all due to the loss of Mariotti. His negativity had become trite and tiresome. His reactions to things uttered by easy targets such as Guillen and Angelo had become so completely predictable that I could skim his first two paragraphs, know exactly where his column was headed, and click elsewhere without wasting my time reading the rest.

Roman, as a former daily media writer, I can appreciate varying
viewpoints. My knowledge of Jay dates back to his days in
Cincinnati where he was fresh out of Ohio University's journalism
school.

The Sun-Times has been my preferred Chicago sports daily since
the Trib allowed talents like Steve Daley, who was both highly
literate and exceptionally funny, and letting print-tart Bernie
Lincicome head to Denver, not to mention the depature of Bob
Verdi, a brilliant wordsmith...to be replaced by empty suit
Rick Morrissey and dreadful never-was Mike Downey.

I often disagreed with Jay, but like Reggie before him, he was
the straw that stirred the daily drink. Rick Telander's OK, but
his prose is often kind of flat, dour and humorless.

I like that Mariotti twitted the sports establishment, took up
for mavericks like Mark Cuban, etc. I understand that he could
have compromised his ego and been a better team player, but trust
me, no matter what some posters may claim, his exceptionally
well-presented and biting wit will be missed.

You have a great blog here -- keep up the good work and I hope
the Sun-Times can find a sharp, talented commander of the English
language to replace Jay, should it choose to do so.

I am very pleased that Jay Mariotti has left the Chicago Sun Times. He seems to be the type of person who can feel good about himself only after he has verbally ripped everyone else to shreds. I never read a positive word written by him. I don't expect sportswriters to approve of everything that our Chicago sports teams do, but I do expect them to be fair. Rick Telander ranks about 98, while Mariotti is maybe a 5.

Not sure what Rick T. ever did to Al, but I wish Rick submitted a column everyday. How you compare him to JayM, I'll never guess. I have never met him, but reading Rick T. is enough for me to discern he would seem to be a world class journalist, and gentleman.

I used to enjoy Mariotti's on the nose criticisms, especially management of the sports teams. The dissing of Reinsdorf, and that little enuch Jerry Krause for destroying the greatest basketball team of several generations, if not the history of the game. His last one on Jerry angelo is pretty well on the mark. The real problem is the egos of the people he wrote about were as big if not bigger than his, and they were determined not to listen, just to show everybody who's boss.

I wrote Mulligan the other day about Grossman. I used to be on the hate him bandwagon, until I figured it out. It's not his fault he isn't equipped to play this game at a professional level. It is management, and coaching who should be held responsible for putting Rex in the position. But they're not going to listen to any professional criticism let alone the fans. They got the money and the power, screw everyone else.

Salient point, Jay wsn't bad on occasion, but a steady diet of him was a real downer.

Hi,

Interesting backstory. I don't think anyone actually "liked" Mariotti, or even thought he "told it like it was." He sort of reminded me of a sports columnist version of "Freddy Lounds" from Thomas Harris' "Red Dragon"--a person of some talent who couldn't overcome his personal obnoxiousness and neediness to insert himself into his stories. Much like Lounds, one had to figure he was destined to go out in a big fireball.

It is true that a sports columnist's job is not to be right or to be agreed with on stories--it is to sell papers, generate hits and spark discussion. On that note, perhaps Mariotti did succeed in some small way. Any postives though were far outweighed by his many fatal flaws--in addition to inserting himself into "feuds" with Reinsdorf, Guillen, Angelo, etc. etc, he also quite obviously cribbed from other sources in quoting athletes, coaches and managers, and he had a most unfortunate penchant for desperately trying to coin nicknames and the like (i.e. "Rex The Wonder Bear," "Urlacher the Linebacker," and, most unfortunate of all "Priority Mail" for Mark Prior).

I think the Sun-Times--and Chicago sports journalism in general--is much better off without Mariotti. Now, how can I apply for that press credential and the opportunity to attend all those sporting events and write about them? What an opportunity!

The dislike of a columnist like Jay Mariotti comes from years and years of pessimistic opinions on, of all things, sports, which is something that should be seen in a positive light as it is arguably the most popular entity in our culture. It was easy for someone like Jay to pour it on local teams because he wanted to be the first guy to tell you he knew it all along. My biggest gripe with him came from his column after Super Bowl XLI. Chicago suffered what may be the biggest loss in sports and Jay was only concerned about telling the readers how it is Rex Grossman's fault and how dare he criticize a media that threw him under so many buses, I've lost count. It cheapens what the Bears had accomplished and while they didn't win, their journey there was what Bear fans should have been thinking about.

I also recall watching a Sportcentury of John Elway in which Mariotti shown speaking on a radio station claiming him to be "a greedy and scared punk, who wants to run away and hide when the game is on the line". Probably one of my favorite Tivo programs that I currently have to this day.

Ultimately, in this world of sports, there truly are heroes and villains and Jay certainly was one of the latter.

Jay Mariotti is a journalist who polarizes readers. There are times when he has some insight or a quirky take on a topic and he is fun to read. Other times, his columns are simply awful. His feud with Ozzie Guillen was pathetic. Personally, I will miss his column because it is amusing to see which version of Mariotti we get on a given day, but then again I don't work with him.

I am doubly pleased that he has left town with his tail between his legs. Regardless of the spin that he attempted to put on it, we all now know the true reason behind his departure. How deliciously ironic that the overwhelming majority of Chicago sports fans will view him as Jay Mariotti, Journalist* (asterisk intended)

I debated quite a while before writing today because there are already so many comments, but decided I would compliment you again, Roman. Once again, you don't need to print this. I suspect that your today's commentary was a writing challenge for you. For the reord, I think you hit the right balance of professional courtesy without betraying journalistic honesty.
I have made negative comments about Jay M. in the past and am not sad to see him go. Even so, I would prefer to see the Monday night football duds on ESPN take a hike, even run, to total obscurity.

I have to admit when I first read the article about Jay leaving the Sun-Times, the first thing I did was send a text to my friend in joy. My friend and I debate about sports everyday. It just so happened a couple days before he left, he had wrote an article regarding the dream team and this year's basketball olympic team. For anyone who truly knows the game of basketball, the article made absolutly no sense at all. Most of his articles made no sense such as all the harsh things he has said about Rex Grossman and the Whitesox. How can a supposed Chicago fan talk negative about a quarterback, who with the defense, led us to our first superbowl in 22 years? If it wasn't for the defense when we played against Carolina in 2005, could have possibly led us deep in the playoffs if not the superbowl that year as well. The Whitesox brought Chicago our first World Series in god knows how many years, and Jay thought he was right to talk negative about Ozzie every chance he got.

I do have to give him credit though for articles he would write regarding free agents on the market. I do agree the Bulls have not done enough to make their team a contender. When Kobe was available the Bulls should have jumped on that. Instead they insisted on keeping luol Deng who was injured most of the season last year and who just signed an 80 million dollar contract and we do not even fully know what he is capable of. Kobe on the other hand led his team to the finals in the toughest conference we have ever seen, and earned the MVP award. Not to mention the marketing he would have in Chicago. Kudos to Jay on this topic for getting something right

My opinion, you need to truly understand sports to be a great sports news writer. Jay certainly was not that. I am just hoping he stays off ESPN now as well.

The guy was a blow hard and a windsock too boot. He lost all credibility many years ago. Personally, I haven't bought a sun times in 15 yrs because of that guy and his huge ego and bombastic attacks. Obviously, he thought he was the only reason to read the paper--what a jerk. As to his 'lovely prose and verboseness', which some posters claim they'll miss -- hah that minority will soon get over it, his writing --whatever the alleged quality-- was overshadowed by the lack of relevance of his columns. He's supposed to comment on the news, not try to make it.
Today I'm restarting my subscription after 15yrs, Sun-Times, welcome back to my morning kitchen table.
As to your editors: I hope this move foreshadows a new dawn in competence--which will translate to better sales and a better sports section-- I really can't believe it took those 'smart' guys this long to realize the cancer he's been to your organization.
Welcome Back
steve

Yep, Jay could be Jay, but I can't tell you how many times my brother would call or email me and ask if I had read his column. He never said it about Telander or any of the boobs at the Tribune -- their columnists are pretty much plain vanilla.

Columnists often are polarizing -- and they have huge egos. So what? If you don't like reading them (e.g., I never read Telander), turn the page.

Mariotti brought readers to the newspaper. Let's see if the next sports columnist can do it too.

As far as this sports blog goes, it KILLS the competition across town in style, substance and participation.

I am sorry to see him go and will follow him to where he lands. They guy is a talented, nix that, EXTREMELY talented writer. Is he a eye brow plucking, ego maniac, blow hard, negative, rant spewing, ESPN drone Jerk? YYYYYESSSSSS! But you have to admit, in the land of talking head, arm chair, side line sports writers and commentators, he is one of the best at the craft. Around the Horn is a eye splitting, attention deficit nightmare but his column got him there and you have to take your hat off to his success. People hate the Yankees, hate winners (the last 7 years aside) and Jay will win in the end and the Sun Times can go back to what they were doing before; supporting hacks like Susana Homan and Carol Sleazak. Talent causes headaches, Jay was likely the biggest.

Whenever I bought a Sun Times, I would always go to the back page and check Jay's headline. What will we Sun Times readers do now? Read Mark Brown??? PUUUUHHHHLEASE. Get someone else to stir the pot and get Ozzie nuts!

I remember serving him beer at a tavern near the old Sun Times building and even then I didn't really care for him, but guess what? He was cordial and tipped ok, but you could see the ego in his eye, like it was a pleasure for me to serve him an Amstel. Who cares! He's a great freakin writer.

Thanks for the column Roman.

I always thought Jay Mariotti was a jerk. I read his column every six months because the other times he had nothing worthwhile to read. His columns were always negative about a team or a person. A person he would never confront personally. How tall was he? 5'2''? He probably had a short person's complex. Last one picked on a team while he was growing up, or not picked at all. I have never read or heard a sports person other than Mariotti who knew everything there was to know about sports. Football, baseball, track, snowboarding, ice skating, etc. Unbelieveable. He could tell you who to choose as a coach, G.M., owner, etc. Why didn't anybody ever hire him? I believe the Suntimes kept him because he was a lightning rod for the attention he received. Then again, the Suntimes does have those ridiculous front page headlines.

I am very happy that Jay Mariotti is no longer with your paper. He reminded me of someone who was not a very good athlete but was quick to judge other athletes professionally and personally. I was very surprised to learn his ego was so large. I thought he should have been grateful the Sun-Times allowed him to write for the paper for so long. Also, I was surprised to learn his contract was extended in June. He was painful to read and too opinionated. Also, I agree that the Sun-Times Sports section is much better than the Tribunes' Sports section.

I will not miss Mariotti even though I read his columns. One thing no one mentions is that he always wrote about the top stories. Natually, they were the stories I (and I assume most others)generally wanted to read about. That's the only reason I even bothered. I won't be going to any other website to read his garbage wherever he resurfaces.

Roman-

Ignore the idiots who can't tell the difference between setting the record straight and beating a dead horse. This piece simply sets the record straight. DeLuca's piece, on the other hand, suggests a severe lack of journalistic integrity on his part.

Nonetheless...I already thought Mariotti had a bloated ego (among other things), but I wouldn't have thought he was THAT big a baby. He could have written about Obama the next time it was his turn to have first choice, or, if it was that important to him, he shouldn't have passed on the opportunity in the first place.

Yes, a baby indeed...and dumb too. Who else would walk away from that kind of job security and salary in today's environment over something so trivial?

Good riddance.

I am also glad that Mariotti is gone, hopefully out of the Chicago market completely. To lose both he, and Mike North, in the same year raises the journalistic standards of the Chicago media 50%.

But that poses a much bigger question.

I've been in the sports media myself for almost 30 years now, I've seen the changes from when I started back in the late 70's. I was also trained on the correct way to do things and have followed those guidelines (along with thousands of other media professions in both the print and electronic sides) during my career.

So how is it, that a hack, a liar, someone who couldn't even show up at a game or a locker room was allowed to continue working in the first place in the 3rd biggest market in the country?

With respect to Roman, Rick Telander, Chris DeLuca and other solid writers and reporters, what does that say about the management of the Sun-Times? What does that say about the business?

Folks aren't reading newspapers a lot for a number of reasons, but one of the biggest is because readers are tired of the sensationalism, the screaming headlines, the New York Post mentality. Mariotti was doing that for years...yet he kept working even though many fans and readers contacted the Sun-Times and said they would no longer buy or read the newspaper until he was gone.

Just a few months ago when the contract extension was announced, management praised Mariotti.

You can't have it both ways folks. The Sun-Times WANTED Mariotti around because they thought "controversy" sells newspapers. Turned out they were wrong and now they are ripping the monster they helped create.

I just think that's unfair too although again I'm glad he's gone.

Ozzie Guillen was right in the end, he said he'd be around longer then Mariotti.

Mark Liptak

Roman

Due respect, I don't understand any ambivalence about Mariotti's departure. First of all, how could you have any regrets about a "colleague" who regularly derided his own Sun Times Colleagues, both in print and on TV? Secondly, I find it hard to believe that it will negatively affect daily circulation, or web site hits, but perhaps you have other data to the contrary. Since I have faith in my fellow sports fans, I imagine that most of us out-of-towners come to the ST website for what you do well, not to indulge the biggest ego on the site. Good riddance. As a native Chicagoan living in exile, I want both of my hometown papers free of the stain of his ilk.

I read him occasionally, but not regularly. Truth be told, he was not an accomplished writer. He generated far more heat than light, with a style that could hardly be mistaken for literate. While he may have been an accomplished contrarian, he could not be mistaken for an accomplished reporter. He had no distinctive style more notable than the harsh personal invective. Even if one agreed with his opinion, one would never say that his column was a pleasure to read. Some of your writers, Rick Telander, to name one, raise the bar for good writing in your paper. Mariotti did not.

At the end of the day -any day - his column was all about Jay. He didn't fool many people. Deadspin.com put his approval rating at 6%. Even some of the other ESPN screamers - Wilbon and Kornheiser, to name two, don't appear to have much use for him. From where I sit, again, good riddance for the sake of quality sports journalism in Chicago. Chris DeLuca said it better than I could in his piece today (8/28):
http://www.suntimes.com/sports/deluca/1131768,CST-SPT-deluca28.article

Jay Mariotti was nothing more than a gossip columnist. It was clear that somebody taught him early in his career that the more negative venom he spewed, the more people would read him. He was never a credible journalist, something I figured soon after arriving in Chicago.

Still I blame the Sun Times for enabling him all of these years with a column. Any one of us has the ability to spew sports hatred but what most of us do not have is a major Chicago newspaper providing us a forum for such hate. The power of the media should never be under estimated. If Mariotti were spewing his comments in a tavern he would be ignored, but in a major newspaper, there was some credibility inferred, and not deserved. This allowed him to always have the last word, which was preserved both in print and on the internet.

Mariotti's vendetta against Ozzie Guillen and his personal attacks on Rex Grossman were unprofessional and tiresome. His treatment of the unlucky gentleman who touched a foul ball at a Cub's playoff game was flat out criminal. Chicago is a better sports town without him and the Sun Times has been bailed for enabling him for so many years. I think the editor owes all Chicago sports an apology for allowing this fraud a forum for so long.

Dear Roman,

Thank you very much for writing this column. As someone born and raised in Chicago and its western suburbs, The Sun-Times is the primary source that I go to for local sports coverage.

Whether in print form or online, over the years I rarely missed reading Jay's column. While I agree that he often stated insightful opinions about our professional teams that needed to be said, it was the acidic approach that he took to his craft that I found very difficult to comprehend and at times found downright offensive. His style smacks of several political op-ed columnists that I have read in your paper as well as in the Tribune over the years; when in doubt skewer your subject and offer only personal opinion as evidence in support of your argument.

And that's the point. Jay Mariotti is not a true sportswriter. He also cannot call himself a journalist. Those laurels must go to the beat and feature writers who put in the necessary, often difficult work to gather first-hand, verifiable information directly from their subjects. It is a terrible shame that Jay did not take his craft seriously enough to do this. Am I surprised? No. Far too many op-ed columnists in every genre have fallen into this lazy, despicable habit and still garner enormous amounts of undeserved praise from readers and, all too frequently, from their employers as well.

I am hopeful that The Sun-Times will realize that it now has a wonderful opportunity to not only take a serious look at the Sports Department writing staff, but at everyone who contributes to your paper. In my mind there is no substitute for writing that is as unbiased and truthful as it is imaginative.

Opinions can be found on every street corner. Journalism, on the other hand, requires nothing less than a lifetime commitment to excellence.

His next stop should be on WSCR because like them all he does is bring up the negative side of sports and life. How easy is it to do that when you don't man up to that person? Hiding behind a laptop in a room. Making up stories as he saw fit. He saw the writing on the wall that his act was getting old.
Every newspaper this guy has work at he can't get along with anybody. Is the world against poor Jay? It's a sign of bad character. Which he doesn't have. I bet as a kid he got beat up everyday. He just seems like that type of guy. Does anyone really think that this guy was respected by his fellow co-workers in any city he worked in? I doubt it.

Jay is acting like all of the spoiled professional sports stars that either get traded and rip their former team, or are released and do the same thing. Moose is a perfect example of this. He and Jay belong together out of town.

Most good critics use the English language like a velvet glove. You don't know you've been slapped until after it's happened, and it actually felt kind of good. Mariotti used English like a concrete block on an ant hill. No style, no subtlety, just overkill. Leaving all the other truths about Mariotti aside -- his ego, his inability to report and his fear of showng up in a locker room -- one truism gets overlooked. He couldn't write. If newspapers are dying, it's because sensationalism and rabid hyperbole has replace thoughtful, honest discourse. Mariotti is gone. The Sun-Times is better, and Chicago sports reporting is better. The Manny Ramirez of sports columnists can take his dreadlocked ego somewhere else. Though any editor who reads these posts would likely think twice before hiring him.

I don't know if most people understand, but the point isn't that Jay had a different opinion from most of the other sports writers, it is the manner in which he wrote his opinion. This is a free country and he can dislike anyone he wants, including Rex Grossman, Jerry Angelo, Ozzie Guillen, etc... Its his writing style that bothered people, personnally attacking most of the people in his columns. Except for Ozzie Guillen, most of his targets only occasionally slipped up and said/did something that they shouldn't have. These aren't bad people, but Jay portrayed them in such a negative light. No wonder he never went into the White Sox lockerroom or attended most sporting events. I don't understand why he was so venomous, but that's basically what he spewed in his column.

The sad part of this wasn't that the Sun-Times let Jay go because of his horrible writing skills, his uberjerk personality, his out of control attacks on Chicago sports or his inability to interview whom he was attacking. He was simple let go because of money. The Sun-Times coddled Jay, enabled Jay, let Jay get away with his attacks because in their eyes he made them money.

I'm glad Jay is gone, but there wouldn't be a vindictive, petty Jay Mariotti without the Sun-Times providing the atmosphere for Jay to act and write like a total jerk. And now Roman Modrowski of the Sun-Times writes "One interesting side note, I don't think he even attended the gold-medal game"....well why wasn't he fired for this or the countless times Jay didn't attend events he said he did? That seems like a just cause to fire a newspaper writer.

The Sun-Times has turned into a whore house who finally kicked out the biggest, nastiest whore, but the fact remains the Sun-Times is still as whore house, unless they change the atmosphere.

Roman,

I just wanted to leave my opinion of the website. I'm a displaced Chicagoan and the Sun Times sports page and the Trib's are my only real outlet for Chicago sports news. I have to say, I get more info from the Sun Times page, but it takes more time to load, and sometimes loads as a blank page. I never seem to have that trouble with the Trib.

But I come to you guys cause you update faster and I love the Blogs. Keep up the good work.

Oh, and I will not miss Mariotti. He's the reason I stopped watching "Around the Horn". I was actually embarrassed a few times for all of Chicago because he was our representative.

nice article roman,im sure your editor was thrilled.i love how you say whats the point,well what is the point if you dont write what you really think about mariotti.i think you liked the guy but whats the point writing that,hes gone and maybe a couple of jobs are saved,thats a good thing,right.whats the point in writing this paper just lost its edge.millionares dont like being called out in print because their special,they play the games we can only watch.love or hate mariotti it didnt matter,you read his articles every day because it stirred emotion,mostly anger.please tell me what writer going to be the next mariotti,holding players,coaches,and more important owners respondsible for the teams we pay to watch.so the millionares hated him because he would call them out from his safe sun-times typewriter and not back it up personally.well,thats not the chicago way,you call em out,you either give or get a beating.mariotti should have taken a few beatings,thats the reason he gone rodney[i mean roman],no respect.

There is no doubt that Jay was the one most loved to hate. More often than not I read his articles just to see what ridiculous comments he was making that day. So his mis-representing the situation to put the onus on the Sun Times doesn't shock me one bit.
People like Jay that know absolutely everything (and if you don't think he does just ask him ) will never admit to any fault in any situation because they are always right.

Wow - from the columns in the SunTimes today it's clear that Mariotti was disliked as much by his peers as he was by many of us readers. Although I did read him regularly - I will not miss him at all in Chicago. He's the type of guy who - if a team won 20 straight games - would blast the player or manager who contributed to the loss in game 21 - and then blast the GM for not making the trade he thought would have allowed them to win that game! He has no shame or memory of his own past columns. His railing against the Sox during their World Series year was a classic example. He was gleeful when they slumped near the end of that year - and would have been the happiest person in Chicago if they totally blew it.Of course they didn't - and won the Playoffs and World Series in an historic dominate way. His negative personality couldn't truly enjoy a team's success - and evidently his exit is certainly addition by subtraction with the SunTimes' team.

If Marriotti had his way in Chicago sports, he would play every position on every team including coach, GM, owner, probably down to bat boy. The guy needed to go away and I for one am glad he did. Frank Thomas was a hack crybaby for the Sox but Jay thought they made a mistake when he started hitting again for the A's? He flipped on everything. Maybe they can get rid of him on around the horn next. If the internet gods are listening maybe they could drop his service too.

Jay "The" Joke is nomore and I couldn't be happier. I always wonder about people that never have anything good to say about others and Jay took it to another level. he always seemed to end a positive situation with a negative. Thanks for the behind the scenes update which paints a picture perfect scene. And now on to bigger and better things! Like the first place Chicago baseball teams! GO SOX &Go CUBS!

I have now read pretty much everything on Mariotti on both the Sun Times and Chi Trib sites. This is nothing more than a he said/she said argument where we (meaning the readers) will never fully get the whole story. The ST will rip him and he will rip the ST. Who cares? I will tell you that for the most part, Mariotti exemplified the frustration that some of us have over Chicago sports. The ST wants you to believe that you have to be at every event to criticize GM's, coaches and players. I don't believe that. In fact, it's almost like at times I felt he was the voice of the fan. I have said this many times, I don't always agree with what he writes, but I ALWAYS read it. That's the point of a columnist, isn't it? In any event, this bickering back and forth has got to stop as it appears major news papers and their columnists are no better than the childish management and players they cover (see Favre and Packers).

The only time it was good to read Mariotti was when an athlete legitimately did something wrong. Like Terrel Owens. Otherwise (the other 98% of the time), it was clear that he was just trying to be controversial for controversy's sake. How can you enjoy an article knowing that the writer himself doesn't believe what he's saying. Good riddance. Though I'm 99% positive you guys will hire another controversial columnist to take his place.

Roman,

I am shocked that you have so many people dumping on you after your posting. I really liked your posting and feel it was totally justified. Simply put Jay Marrioti is a scumbag. When I first moved to Chicago I used to read the Sun Times since it was great for sports and is easy to read on the train. Because of Marrioti I stopped reading it. Yesterday when I heard that pile of crap quit, I turned on ESPN1000 for reaction (which was overwhelmingly positive). Anyways, all day yesaterday Marrioti was on his egotistical rants. Crapping on his past employer, crapping on his industry, justifying his departure. I felt it was very low class to be taking pot shots at the company that you worked for, for however many years. Reading what you wrote at least shed some light on the real story why Jay quit. It had nothing to do with the news paper industry. It had to do with the fact that he was a whiney little baby. Roman, I can safley say that I will now pick up the suntimes again. I will also say, I hope Jay gets hit by oncoming traffic....the world would be a better place.

Nothing was good enough for that parasite, I mean, Mariotti. He was such an ungrateful little scum. I hope I won't ever have to hear or read about him here in Chicago. The best thing we could do is not talk about him, ever. At least from this point on.

I remember Mariotti from my Denver days. The Rocky Mountain News hired him to replace Woody Paige, who had defected to the rival Denver Post. Paige was controversial and helped turn the Post around. Mariotti was a decent replacement. Later, I discovered Mariotti on Sporting News Radio, who released their best talent (Papa Joe Chevalier, Jay) on the road to mediocrity and boredom (James Brown). Mariotti, like every good sports columnist, is bombastic and egotistical. How can your opinion be worth money if you aren't? Mariotti's column will be missed, but I agree, it was tacky and disloyal to leave under those circumstances.

I never read Mariotti's columns and only know him from his appearances on Around the Horn on ESPN. so while I am clearly unqualified to comment on his output for the Sun-Times, from what I have seen on tv, Mariotti wasn't what almost all sports columnists and reporters are these days, glorified camp followers.

Sportswriters are and always will be a breed apart. Unlike conventional reporters or columnists, who are expected to have an adversarial relationship with the powers that be, sportswriters have always been considered by pro sports execs as extensions of their marketing departments. The fact that a majority of those writers feel it is a privilege to be in an MLB or NFL locker room instead of what it actually is, just another workplace analogous to covering a fire or what is going down at city hall, is emblematic of this. An MLB locker room is not Valhalla or Olympus.

This has been further exacerbated by tv, where ESPN and Fox have tried turning their reporters and analysts into song and dance men. Watching somebody such as Buster Olney, who is a great baseball writer but bereft of entertainment talent or charisma, being forced into this nonsense is painful. This has made covering sports less of a journalistic exercise and more of being enablers for pro sports organizations. ESPN's commercials where they have players hanging out at their headquarters as buddies of the folks who work there and even as employees do nothing to disabuse the notion that they are in the tank for the outfits they cover.

While the columnists and analysts featured on ESPN tend to thus come off as clowns (Bill Plaschke, Skip Bayliss and Woody Page, especially), Mariotti's pugnaciousness was a welcome antidote to that cavalcade of insipidness even if I don't always agree with him. Plus he lacks the massive inferiority complex of somebody such as the L.A. Times' T.J. Simers, who is mean for mean's sake because he hates himself. Call that ego, but Jay was just trying to call "b.s." on the inane blather that often passes for sports reporting these days. So hate him if you will, but the media is probably better with him than without him.

Gotta ask, how much did he pay to buy out of his contract. And how many kegs are you guys buying with that money to celebrate.

Remember, just call cabs to get home.

This isn't journalism. This is petty, ignorant, incredibly unprofessional babble written by a dude with a handle straight out of saugsage-town who can't write worth a crap, so he has a blog just like millions of post menopausal grandmas who write about their grandchildren and wouldn't know good journalism if it jumped out and bit him or them. It's as though he got his journalism degree out of a used cracker jack box. Roman, there's still time to find a job that matches your IQ.

I will read the Sun Times MUCH more often now that Jay is gone. I realize that columnists are different than reporters but his articles so often seemed to be about HIM rather than the team he was writing about. I also realize that this can be a fine line for a columnist because, lets face it, as you develop your "name" in the business you generate readership.

For me sports are entertainment and it just gets old having a home town guy constantly trash our teams. Not that he had to be a "homer" to be good in my eyes but Jay's constant negativity made me pick the other paper up every time.

PS...I also clicked on the CNN banner above...just doing what I can to suppport a good move in accepting his resignation.

It seemed to me that Jay could be counted on to stir up controversies by writing about events and ballgames he never attended/personally witnessed (Ozzie Called him out on that once)and also call Chicago Sports Fans dumb for one reason or another. He also seemed to be more of a personality than writer always "finding the cloud in the silver lining"- Tony Reali
Going after Ozzie the way he often did was too easy. The only guy to benefit from all the media hype surrounding those outburst was Jay and I believe that was by design. It doesn't take a fortune teller to know how Ozzie is going to respond to negativity.
I'm glad Jay is gone. If he really quit just because he couldn't have his way that just further illustrates how his ego infiltrated his columns. I've never finished a Marriotti piece and come away impressed with Jay's sports acumen. I would never want to talk sports with him in person. I always root against him when I watch Around The Horn.
I wish Tony Kornheiser were here to tell him "Au Revoir Canada".

How does a guy who dislikes the great city of Chicago and every single sports team, while putting down the teams, people, businesses and calling us a city of "weak" shoulders ever become a sports writer here? Maybe he should spend time actually going to the clubhouses of the many sports teams, talking with the fans and players and perhaps making an effort to experience this great city. I am one preson who is not sad to see him go. When I needed a pick-me-up, I didn't turn to coffee or caffeine, I would just read Mariotti's column. My blood would be boiling and my adrenaline pumping after reading that pompous prick's column.

GOOD RIDDANCE!!

People wonder why everyone read Mariotti so much, could it have had anything to do with the fact that his picture and links to his column were plastered all over the website? I mean come on. I know some columns are more interesting than others, but when a specific column is shoved down your throat, it tends to get more attention.

How about this headline Rom-

ESPN SCOOPS MARIOTTI-BRAT QUITS PAPER?

Just kidding bro. Little shakeup in the news room eh?

For all of you saying ole Roman is coming around, he has been looking at this though a magnifying glass for years compared to you. Now able, (or forced by Jay) to speak (or write) freely might be a more accurate description. I have worked with dozens of Mariotti types before haven't you? Fun to have around but do you really miss them when they are gone? And they always go.

I hope this saves a couple of layoff jobs.

Cheers Roman

GO CUBS!

Why all this fuss about an Eddy Munster wannabe?

Can you give his space to Blackjack Brown?

while I disagreed with him constantly during the Ditka and Jordan era's,I dont relish his departure now,as he was the strongest voice at pointing out the necessity for the bufoonish Michael McCaskey and his band of inept losers,( Smith Phillips Angelo et al),to be run out of this great city and make way for new ownership that will restore the pride in our NFL franchise and not continue with this pathetic stubborness displayed for all too many years now...forget the Super Bowl ..it was a mirage brought on by Devin Hester winning several games despite Angelo's golden boy WRECKS....good for Mariotti for campaigning to get rid of all of these clowns !!!!

just wondering why you guys are so sensative. i was a sports columnist for 20-plus years and never worried much about what others were doing. The guy quit. Big deal. Move on. Newspapers are hurting. That's why I left the business. Sun-times is no different. It seems like all of you are protesting too much. He's gone. Let him get the last word. You still have a paycheck. And trust me, no reader cares about how the news is done, just that it hits their doorstep by breakfast.

Roman responds: I do think people sometimes care how it's done, as evidenced by the reaction to this blog.

I don't understand why no one on the Sun Times staff ever punched Mariotta dead in his pockmarked face? I have been around the guy many times as I am in the business and I have never met someone I wanted to hit in the grill more!

There is something wrong with you and your paper. I have never read so many childish defenses by alleged adults. Is Chris De Luca out of high school? I was literrally getting embarrassed for him as I read his column. I was no big fan of Mariotti but I favored anyone who stuck it to the Chairman Reinsdorf as often as possible. I won't read Mariotti anymore, nor De Luca, nor the Sun Times.

Tcb

Roman,
I enjoyed your comments a lot. I'm from Arlington Heights, but I currently reside near San Francisco. I have to say I always thought Mariotti's columns were tremendous fun, and I looked forward each day to watching how he would almost surgically tear strips off Ozzie, Barry, Rex, Jerry, etc. etc. He could probably write a best-seller, A THOUSAND AND ONE WAYS TO DESTROY SOMEONE WITHOUT EVER MEETING THEM FACE-TO-FACE. And even when when he was gutless, or screwed up badly (as when he misheard what Rex said about Seattle after the game), or wrote something atrocious, I always thought he was a good read and a provocative thinker. He made me think about things I probably wouldn't have thought about otherwise. But right now, I confess I'm having a difficult time understanding HIS thinking on this one. For instance, if he dislikes Ozzie so much, why do him such a huge favor? By disappearing from the best showcase he and his opinions will ever have, in the best sports town he will ever live in, all he did was send Ozzie the best possible early Christmas gift Imaginable. No wonder Ozzie's doing a victory lap today. Talk about biting your nose to spite your face! Way to go, Jay . . .

Hi Roman, thanks for giving some inside scoop on Jays sudden departure. I recently stopped reading Mariotti (last year or so) because I was tired of his chicken little routine on just about everything. He tried to sensationalize the mundane and often looked stupid doing it. When I read a columnist I like to see what insight he or she brings to a subject that might actually enlighten and inform the reader, or bring up a topic in a different light that brings insight and perspective on a subject or situation. Jay never brought anything new to the table, his discourse was aimed at the lowest common denominator and amounted to nothing more than rabble rousing. I don't think there is anything wrong with being contrarian or negative or even provocative in ones writing, if in doing so it adds something to the story or helps make a point. Jay's articles stopped being about sports journalism and became a forum for promoting himself. Good riddance, the rest of you journalists might actually have a chance to do some real reporting.

I do have a question for you directly regarding the web edition of the sports page. How do you track hits to stories on your website to determine who is being read? Do you track the referring links as well as the destination pages? Does the Sun Times use these stats to determine who is being read and who isn't? The reason I ask is when I decided to stop reading Jay I refused to even click on a link to his column for fear of inadvertently contributing to his web page hit totals. However I would sometimes click on an item that I didn't think was linked or related to Jay's article (usually a poll item or some such,) and I noticed that I would be taken to Jay's article (the poll being placed on his page.) After finding myself on Jay's article when I thought I was going somewhere else, I found myself less reluctant to view any content on the site that might send me to his page.

Anyway, thanks again for the inside scoop on this and I do hope you and your co-workers enjoy life Post Jay, because I know I will enjoy reading the Sun Times again, Post Jay "Chicken Little."

Nice to hear that you're doing such a great job with the web site, Roman. But I will not read the Sun-Times again until it retracts today's Chris DeLuca column.

An excerpt from Mariotti's Biography on the Sun-Times website:

"Nothing excites Mariotti and his audience more, though, than a Sox-Cubs game on a June afternoon. Or a visit to a high-school game, which serves as escapism from greed, egos and steroids."

This statement is very hypocritical considering he threw a fit and threatened to quit when he wasn't able to write on Obama's comments about the Cubs. Talk about greed and egos, he made an empty threat to quit and was shocked when his bosses finally decided to let him go.

I quit reading the Mariotti aticles about 2 years ago. He was a flip flopping writer who jumped off the bandwagon much quicker than he jumped on. I think the term fair weather fan was coined for Jays standard allegiance. He is a short man who had that chip on his shoulder. He never wore a jock strap his whole life, although he was praised by high school coaches for his dedication as a towel boy/ manager. Unlike all the hard working team managers we all know, Jay liked to spend his time at the shower entrance handing out towels. That is where he honed his love for window shopping. The coaches were eventually appalled to find out about his insistence of keeping his eyes on the team "members" while they were showering. Hey, everbody needs to find their niche in life.

Not sorry to see Jay leave, though he would not stand down from anyone, many of his rants were uncalled for. Even when the Bulls had Jordan here and winning rings he would ride them. And the White Sox never got the respect from him or most of the media here. Chicago will always be Cubs, Bears, and everyone else. But one thing he is correct on, when the Web came about, newspapers never caught on. You cannot give away content and expect a decent revenue stream in print. Eventually newspapers as we know then will cease.

While I agree that Jay is an egomaniac and I did not always agree on his opinions, I still enjoyed reading his columns. Now all the pro team owners, GMs, coaches, and players will get a free pass in the Chicago media.

This thread/post has serious Legs...

I have never seen so many responses so quickly to ANYTHING posted in here in the last 2 years.

90+ posts in less than 5 hrs..

I also love how many poeple used their real names. That means they are serious business. Judging by the responses I would say...

90% are happy he is gone
10% are bumbed out
90% thought he was the best read in the paper
10% also thought he was the best read, they just couldnt admit it to themselves
90% thought it was good insight into the interworkings of a newsroom.
10% thought it was sour grapes for the ST to talk about it
90% hate the capture technology
10% now realize that the capture technology is gone (hooray)
90% Think that the way Jay handled it was BS
10% know who Rick Telander is
90% of the people who posted her used their real names
10% are the rest of us Dbags who conceal their identity because if it were ever revealed.....then....well......not sure what would happen.

99

Roman responds: Yeah Culzie, and you can thank the posters who complained about that "captcha" stuff that it's gone. I'm glad you guys told me something.

I enjoyed the behind the scenes nature of your article, Roman. Personally I will miss Jay, as I thought he was a skilled,albeit possessing a unique style and somewhat jaded perspective, writer. I did look forward to his "stories" regularly. I did read Jay first. Frequently he was "over the line", yet he did write with humor and dared to challenge existing sacred cows. There is room for his approach in the sports section.

Please tell Rick Telander before he puts his champagne glass down, that's he's turned into one big schill for the Cubbies!! Also I'll have to start reading the NYC papers for a columinist with stones.

I have been a Jay fan for at least 15 years. What I always loved about him was that he was not a "home town" writer. He told it like he saw it and didn't hesitate to call out any owner, athlete, coach or manager (or even us fans) when, to be blunt, they sucked. Plenty of other writers are afraid to do so becaus ethey miay piss off their sources or the players and coaches won't lke them. It is not their job to be liked, itis their job to report the facts, and in Jay's case, give their opinions. Your opinion will not always be popular and it is not a writers job to prop up the fragile ego of some over paid athlete. Was he over the top? Sometimes. Was he quick to push the "panic" or "fire him button?" Often. Did he flip flop? He sure did. Was he pompus and arrogant and hard to work with. Never met or worked with he man but I could see how that was probably true. But he was no better or worse then any fan is on any given day, he just wrote his take better then most of us could. The Times is my favorite paper and will remain to be so, but my favorite columnist just left and with him went a nice chunk of the Chicago sports flavor. Good luck Jay wherever you wind up and i am glad I will get to at least hear you blow hard on my favorite ESPN show.

Now that Jay's page isn't around, his regular readers will have to go back to their ofter afternoon pastimes, the Jerry Springer Show and WWF wrestling.

Romo - well done. Facts are usually the best route to go. Really hard to believe JM went around threatening to quit all the time - he was the ultimate drama queen. Best example of that was the infamous Ozzie dust-up.

JM was a little like Howard Stern - probably a third or less of the people liked him while the most did not. Yet ALL have opinions of him!

For me, I have no idea how anyone could find it enjoyable to write a contrarian view about EVERY topic, EVERY day. Pick an issue and you could easily determine JM's view - how interesting is that to read?

Darn, why didn't they let Jay write the column on Obama and the Cubs? I'm positive he would have coined one of those great nicknames he's so good at creating that would be stuck on our tongues for years to come.

Cu-bama?

Lou Barack?

The Go-Gobama White Sox?

Roman responds: Now that's funny.

Tip 'O the hat, Roman.

That's the kind of inside stuff we rarely get to read. The media want AND expect access to everyone else's bedroom, and feel well within their rights to air as much dirty laundry as they can dig out of the hamper.

But when it comes to their own soiled sheets? ... well, that's another matter.

In those instances they clamp down harder than a gaggle of Chinese government censures, and put a brick on as much information as they possibly can.

"Move along folks; there's nothing to see here."

The duplicitous double standard that the media employs has always infurriated me.

Glad to see that you're not afraid to pull back the curtain, and give us a peek at the Wizard.

Oh ... and thanks for finally killing the "Captcha" beast.

Cyberspace is better for it's demise.

I got your back Modrowski! Keep up the good work!

Inquisitor sez: "This isn't journalism. This is petty, ignorant, incredibly unprofessional babble written by a dude with a handle straight out of saugsage-town who can't write worth a crap, so he has a blog just like millions of post menopausal grandmas who write about their grandchildren and wouldn't know good journalism if it jumped out and bit him or them. It's as though he got his journalism degree out of a used cracker jack box. Roman, there's still time to find a job that matches your IQ."

Roman:

Why didn't you just say, "Thank you Jay!" ???

Only Mariotti could have written that. He probably coaxed the only friend he has in this entire world send it off from his PC so no one would know.

Roman responds: You have to admit, it was pretty well written.

roman since your the only one there do you need help need a job

Roman i hate to say it but i agreed with alot of things Jay said about Chicago Sports Owners,about them being cheap.They are either cheap or nieve.But, i am glad he's gone! He always brought chicago fans down with all his bad talk.He was funny,but hopefully,Jay leaving wont change you writers sticking up for us fans when the Owners try to be cheap.Marriotti was the only writer who called out the owners when they were being cheap!Keep up the good work.

Bob:

Your insight hit chords that I could only dream of playing, and your analysis was spot on.

Jay was a hack of the highest order. When you put his writing skills up against the likes of a George Will, or the late William F. Buckley, he was nothing more than an illiterate pre-schooler with dyslexia and attention deficit disorder.

I DON'T THINK THAT YOU IDIOTS AT THE SUN TIMES REALIZE THAT MARIOTTI WROTE WHAT HE FELT AND WAS USUALLY RIGHT. lOOKS LIKE SUN-TIMES SUPPORTER, MILLIONAIRE, JERRY REINSDORF MIGHT HAVE BEEN BEHIND THIS.

JAY DID NOT BOW DOWN TO JERRY AND OZZIE AND I GUESS THAT YOUR NEW WRITERS WILL CANNONIZE OZZIE, A SAINT. SOX FANS AND REAL BASEBALL PEOPLE WILL HAVE TO PUT UP WITH OZZIE AND HIS NONSENSE FOR ANOTHER FIVE YEARS.

I LOOK FOREWARD TO READING MARIOTTI'S COLUMN WHEREVER HE ENDS UP.

JIM IN BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA

Roman,
Thanks for the insight. You do an outstanding job
with the website--it's my first look in the morning.
I wish you well and hope the rest of the department
has now got some fresh air to breathe.
In the most important part of life, you are way ahead of
Jay--it's called CLASS. He wouldn't even know how to spell
it.
Keep up the great work--it's all very well appreciated,
both here in Chicago and friends of mine who used to live
here and count on the Sun-Times for all of their news.
Take care,
Bernie
PS--Readers can also check out the terrific column by
Roger Ebert today about the "Rat"

Send me the IP address for Inquizator...my people will track whoever (jay) or wherever (cheesy plywood looking set with phony books and pawned shop trophys on the shelf) they are down.

and...i think that comment about Post Mena pausal grandma's comment was either a swipe at Bubba's mom or Keith...Not sure.

Jay Mariotti was the only columnist I would bother reading on your website. I will stick to news only from now on. I am a Bears fan in Toronto,Ontario,Canada and as a regular reader of two dailies here feel that you have just lost one of the top people is his field. You and the majority of your readers seem to "piling on" in an orgy of bitterness exceeding Jay's hissy fit by a large margin. He will no doubt have endless opportunities in whatever media he chooses. Too bad I never get to see him on TV here. GO BEARS!

Roman,

Because of JM I don't go to your website regularly but that will change now. So what? I am just one person.

After reading quite a few of the comments, the question, will JM's departure bring more readers or lose more, begs to be asked.

The answer is not relevant to anyone outside your company, and thus it is not relevant to society at-large.

What does matter is how your company responds. It may be difficult to "abandon" the "loyal" JM fans, but despite the fact that your company's profits may seem to be in jeopardy a result of that so-called journalist's departure, your company's community will be better served with him out of the picture.

As an outsider, I can tell you that sports fans around the country and the world, those who know JM know he is not a real sports-guy. He's more of an entertainer in the Milli-Vanilli (sp?) vein.

I can't imagine a large-market newspaper wanting to hitch their wagon to him and at the same time hoping to maintain credibility in their community.

I am a loyal reader of the Sun-Times,since Jay is gone,the Sun-Times is more readable(is that even a word?).

I'm glad the Sun-Times survived being throw under the bus by Jay.

I read Jay's stories...just like I'd watch a train wreck. Not pretty but it's happening so what the hey...

But I've got to say I never really believed his stories, as it's a well documented fact that he did not ever actually go into or hang out with any of the sports figures he wrote about, so basically treated it like fiction unless others printed it too...and usually the others did it first if it was important.

Sarcasm was entertaining which is the only reason I'd open his page...but yeah, this was a jerky thing, even for him.

I've read the Sun-Times (and the Tribune) every morning since I was 5 years old, and that's been 47 years now...remember fondly Royko, Kup and many others that I miss dearly.

Won't miss this clown. You're better off without this prima donna.

A pain in the ass? Absolutley. Unfortunatley for this paper, Mariotti was also a hell of a writer. The only real thing this self-proclaimed "best sports section in town" has now is one big pretty picture each edition.

Not one of your other writers leaving the paper would have created a stir like this because they didnt make the impact Mariotti's colums did.

Good luck. Hope you have some good photographers.

Good column, and by the way, I think the ST website is fantastic.
Good riddance to that annoying blowhard.
Hope he's moving to Alaska. That's the only state with room for his massive ego.

Ross sez: " Not one of your other writers leaving the paper would have created a stir like this because they didnt make the impact Mariotti's colums did."

Pulling down your pants, and crapping on the sidewalk in front of a crowd will also create a stir.

That's about sums up his contribution, as far as making an impact is concerned.

A joyous day for Sun-Times readers and fans of fair and balanced (I know Fox news "claims" that as well) reporting and writing. Good bye to you, Jay!
As far as the ST website: As Wannie would say: I'm flyin' around. Great pieces in the ST today by Roman M. and Chris D. We're proud of guys.

Thank you for clearing things up, although you didn't have to. Anybody who has been around long enough knows what a liar and hack Mariotti was. I can't believe over 3000 people will actually miss him. Please talk to couch and Slezak, their writing has come very close to sounding like Mariotti's. They're better than that.

Now where will you guys get your scab picking moments? He was the guy you hated but you'd pull that band-aid off rrrrreal slow everyday. Loved to hate him. His a prime example of dysfunctional relationships because some of you just couldn't quit him. Jay Back Mountain.

Roman responds: William, where you at? Join our Bears chat at http://www.suntimes.com/sports/index.html

The guy was, and still is, a hack. I've seen stuff that he's lifted from other writers and passed off as his own. Enough said. Don't believe me? Check out page after page of Jay's silliness at www.jaythejoke.com

Romo,

I appreciate your blog today, it helps us to understand what happened.

My question pertains to today's newspaper - Jay was basically treated like a witch floating on water in Salem.

Who is the brainiac that gave him a three year extension, seeing as 70% of your readers (at least those who responded to your web poll yesterday) won't miss Jay whatsoever.

Don't you guys do 'marketing studies' from devout readers of your paper?

I'm sure the paper won't suffer from Jay's "resignation" - like you said, if anything you'll be able to retain some of the talented employees there.

Tell Telander I want an update on the Dartmouth women's swimming program. ;)

ciao

GRID

Love him or hate him, Mariotti sold a lot of papers.

He was the pre-eminent sports columnist at the Sun Times and probably Chicago too.

He had an arrogant rock star quality, but so do most arrogant rock stars.

Telander, on the other hand, is just plain arrogant.

How many times do we need to open the back of the ST to get a lecture on Global Warming? It's the sports page for gods sake.

Even when Telander tipped his hat to sports his columns were more often than not piece meal mutterings.

At least Mariotti took enough pride in his columns to make a cohesive point; even if they were more often than not self aggrandizing rants.

I'll continue to watch Around The Horn for Mariotti as I always do.

When Tony Riali devotes an entire show to the disappearing polar bear, well then I guess Telander will reclaim a national soap box.

Until then, he's just a whiny wanna-be weatherman.

Mariotti leaves...now tell me Mary Mitchell is gone and I'll sign up for a year...

Why is anyone reading what a can't make it in print so I'll write a blog on the Sun Times website writer has to say about one of the more famous sports writers in the country. I don't care what your take on the subject is or what journalistic points you can make about Mariotti's writing. Newsflash! People didn't buy the paper or check the website to get your small and meaningless opinion anymore than they go to a football game to see Tom Brady's back up play. The only reason people even made it to your blog was as an afterthought of reading what an actual column is supposed to be. Go back to holding your clipboard and fetching Telander his coffee there scrubeeny!!!

You say he was a good writer and sold newspapers. Funny, I was told once by one of your sports writers that they dont write stories to sell newspapers thats not their job. I didnt read his column for years, even on the longest train rides to and from work, waste of time. Worthless.

First of all...... NO ASSASSAIN.... I know uses the word "ciao"

secondly...

where is Sausage-Town?

Ah, Jay Mariotti. The man we all loved to hate. Well, most of us.

When I was a young kid (say eight or nine), I learned how to read the Sun-Times: back to front. And back then, when the Sox were in the throes of the Terry Bevington regime and the Bulls had just decided to dismantle the dominant franchise of the '90s, I liked Jay Mariotti. I thought he was on point with his columns, because Chicago sports was messing up.

Then, he started to say the same things over and over again. And they all seemed to be directed at the Sox. Unfortunately, that was my baseball team of choice, and I questioned: why was Jay hating so hard?

He never really offered an explanation. Subsequently, his columns, though great for water-cooler talk (even though there were no water coolers in grade school), just seemed like five-minute rants designed to air out whoever he threw a dart at on his wall. It wasn't about sports or the soul of journalism; it was about Jay yelling at this person or that person, or this team, or that team. There was no reporting of facts or rational presentation of opinion. Just a couple of random nicknames and Mariotti-isms.

Granted, the White Sox have never handled the "Us vs. Jay" situation as they should have. It was like a dog barking at the moon, and they should have treated it as such. However, Ozzie Guillen has a point: he helped Jay make money. I'm not sure Mariotti will do with Ozzie around.

Now, I'm 20, and I've developed a love-hate relationship with Jay Mariotti. Simply, I love to hate him. I am glad that he's gone from the Sun-Times, but I'm not sure if they have a top-tier sports columnist who can replace him. I like Rick Telander and I think he has a wealth of knowledge but I just don't know.

His final fall in my eyes? When he dared to tell an aspiring sportswriter like myself that "newspapers were dead." And you said Ozzie threw his people under the bus.

I'm going to start reading your blog, Rome. You look like a stand-up guy. Good luck, and keep writing. P.S. Shameless plug for my website at Bleacher Report.

Chris P.

Mariotti may be a loud-mouthed fool, but he is the ONLY thing people associate with the Sun-Times outside of Chicago (Sorry Ebert and his TV show died years ago). Mariotti can write and so what if he's derisive and theatrical-he writes about sports! Not real-life issues he writes about something which is more fun dramatized Telander need to get over himself and his serious life-work that he does and realize there are bigger things than who the Bears sign in free agency to be their blocking TE

The White Sox survived the loss of Kevin Bell, the Sun Times will survive the loss of Jay Mariotti. Oh, you don't remember Kevin Bell?You won't remember Mariotti either. The paper is fortunate to retain a talent like Rick Telander who writes sports but could undoubtedly excel in any section.

I have enjoyed Rick Telander since the early days of "The Sports Writers on TV" with Bill Jauss, Bill Gleason, and Ben Bently ... clever and humble commentary that was fun and entertaining, but never sarcastic or self righteous. I find it ironic that this show was the foundation of the garbage that has made Marriotti famous, at least in the sports information world. I also hate to see Telander put into the same category as Marriotti. One is truly a writer, the other a clown.

Roman, keep up the good work. Now the city will hopefully be spared some horrible nicknames that Jay tried jamming down my throat for the last 17 years.

Mike McAuliffe

Roman,
I love this paper and love that Marriotti is gone.

Moronatti is a no-class, mean-spirited, self-aggrandizing little coward. It constanly amazes me that anyone would pay this hack to write about anything. However, to the Sun Times everlasting shame, it took this egomaniacs resignation to get him off the sports page.

The Sun Times integrity was compromised just by employing this clown. He should have been fired years ago.

Roman:

Thanks for writing about this situation. It makes more sense now knowing some of the happenings behind the scenes. The thing that I disliked about so much of his angry style of writing is that it was so negative. There are so many writers that can use their talent to point out and report the negative but can do it in a much more constructive manner. Fortunately those writer's remain with the SunTimes. I believe the web is the future for our nations newspapers and that is why newspapers will not die but they will change with the times like they have done in the past.

Thanks again for writing about this situation.

roman nice piece you wrote today and nice piece Roger Ebert wrote in todays paper.Thank god Jay is gone, he never had anything good to say about anything or anyone. Hope all is well and will talk to you soon.

i can understand jay not entering locker rooms; he knows male athletes don't appreciate women around as they shower and dress. for that, we owe ms. marriotti a debt of gratitude. she is a credit to her genderlessness.

Roman,

Good article, I had a feeling that Jay's departure had to have something to do with his ego and hearing him on the radio spout off a bunch of B.S. made that apparent. I can see where some people can see this as a little Catty but, what are internet and message boards for. This is the way for everyone to be a little Mariotti like because people are always a little more willing to type something rather than say it. I guarantee the Mariotti will have a blog somewhere within a week back to his old weak tricks. I'm ok with that and I'm ok with people spouting off about him or defending him because that is what this stuff is for.
My problem with Mariotti was his flip-flopping and his misremembering. He would act like he knew so much more than everyone else adn then when he was wrong about something he would never bring that up but, if he was right you would hear about for years sometimes. I distinctly remember him ripping the Bears for considering drafting a nobody out of New Mexico in the draft. Two years later he referred to it as a no brainer for Bears management. He did that kind of thing all the time and that was annoying.
The problem that this led to was stupid people would read his columns and assume that he knew what he was talking about and take his opinion for fact. I know that wasn't his fault because a column is supposed to be an opinion, good or bad, but stupid people don't know the difference. That doesn't give a fair shake to our city's teams or the guys covering them.

Jay Marriotti provided the world with a classic day by day study in human behaviour. He provoked, prodded, stretched, danced, flipped and flopped. There's a little bit of "the Jay factor" in all of us. I'm not Catholic - my wife is - but he must have been like that bully-brat neighborhood kid that could confess his way out of anything until that little ray of truth eventually has it's way.

For the dark-egoic energy that resides in all of us - you can call it hellfire if you want - to manifest it constantly needs to take, define and control via actions that claim, blame and shame others. This energy does serve a divinely providential service for it illuminates actions that always - even in some small or large way - point directly back to each one of us.

I wasn't a fan of Jay's. but I read his columns and enjoyed his jousts with the corporate-sports icons, princes and kings. He and Telender - facing each other on opposite pages - provided daily does of how "The Force" can be used for good and/or evil. Let's face it, we are all being used as vessels for this "force" to manifest in our world.

I will miss the drama and color, but I think the Suntimes will remain on our front sidewalk every morning. As a former longtime Chicago Tribune reader who swore he would NEVER go over to the Suntimes I am proud to say that this is a paper that is finally connecting back to the common man with some of the greatest cutting-edge commentary and journalism. I am proud of the way this paper has risen above the evil Black-Radler years. Jay's departure is a fitting exclamation point for the spiritual process deep within each one of us that longs for justice to finally manifest in our world. I truly hope Jay can someday rise above his ego and become a champion for the continuation of this transcendent spiritual energy which will bring us all together as one.

Peacde and God Bless,

Fred - Evanston, Illinois

This has nothing to do with Mariotti's ego and everything to do with money and politics.

There were basically three reasons other than Jay's column that Chicagoans bothered to pick up a copy of the Sun Times: the newspaper's constant pandering to Obama voters; Roger Ebert; and the fact that the Sun Times is printed in tabloid format (which makes it easier than the Tribune to read at the kitchen table).

With Ebert sadly in poor health, Obama possibly about to lose to McCain, and the growing popularity of the Internet making the written format of news obsolete, Jay saw what many already knew. The Sun Times is a sinking ship.

The Sun Times website is second rate. When you wanted breaking sports news, you'd go to ChicagoSports.com (the Trib's website). When you were in the mood for someone to call out the Tribune Company for its obscene corporate greed, you'd come to the Sun Times and read Jay's column.

Mr. Mariotti was the only sports writer to stand up to Reinsdorf, Wirtz, McCaskey and the Tribsters on a consistent basis. The rest of Chicago's sports writers were too content with thier fat paychecks and lacked the intestinal fortitude to attack the worst group of owners in professional sports with any veracity.

This is a group of owners who have never provided a major market like Chicago with a group of sports franchises that we deserve and a group of writers who never bothered to speak up about it. They deserve each other, but sadly the people of Chicago do not deserve either. Jay was our voice. Jay was why we read the Sun Times.

Jay was tolerated by the Sun Times' ownership only because he sold papers. He was allowed to call out these lowly sports owners soley because of his popularity with the people of Chicago. The remainder of the Sun Times sports staff had an "I'll scratch your back, you scratch mine" relationship with the major Chicago sports franchises. Jay would have none of that. He had too much integrity.

Being the only columnist in Chicago with a spine, Jay decided to cross a huge line in the sand and stand up for Cubs fans by criticizing the Sun Times' Golden Goose, Barak Obama. The presidential contender is the only person who was currently moving more copies of the Sun Times than Mariotti. The Sun Times has a vested interest in the election of Obama and would tolerate no serious criticism of the "Chosen One."

The paper attempted to censor Jay under the phony excuse that Telander was already writing on the subject (despite the fact that there are dozens of instances where Jay and Rick wrote on the same subject, usually in articles placed side-by-side on adjacent pages).

Jay, just back from China, had witnessed, first-hand, the result of political censorship. He also saw that the future of sports reporting was in the Internet and not the Gutenberg press. With all of this fresh in his mind, Jay did the wise and honorable thing and resigned. A true journalist and a real American, Jay would not tolerate censorship, nor turn a blind eye to the future. I would like to thank Jay Mariotti for taking a stand in the name of progress and freedom and I firmly rebuke the Sun Times for its communist like actions! Shame on you, Roman Modrowski!

I read his column a two or three times over the years. I might start reading the SunTimes again, now that he's gone. He was horrible. If you pay him, you are horrible. I don't watch that show on ESPN, because he's on it. Now, if ESPN gets rid of him, I'll probably watch it.

Roman...I had written a comment expressing my frustration over my initial reponse not being posted, due to the shaded box. In hindsight, i was probably too critical, but i do respect the fact you were willing to print it, and not hide from further criticism. I'll try and adjust my eyes a little better in the future when sending responses, as i enjoy the Times and will continue to do so. Just as i always say about a sports team, it can certainly apply to any organization. No one person is ever bigger than the group, and there's no one person that can't be replaced. In fact, some replace easier than others.

It's a shame how Mariotti's ego and anger got the better of him, because he is a skilled writer, and his columns were good reads on the days he could control himself. I always read the first few sentences, to see what the topic of the day was. Anytime I saw the words Reinsdorf, Rex, or Ozzie in that first paragraph, however, I just turned the page, because I knew an out-of-control rant was coming. BTW, how honorable of him to go to Beijing for a few weeks, spend several thousand more of the company coin on himself, and THEN resign. Nice touch on his way out the door....I won't miss him. I'm looking forward to seeing your other writers get more attention.

One comment on the post-resignation Jay-bashing - the comments expressed by DeLuca, Steinberg, and Ebert surprised me. Not because they felt the way they did - I'm sure he treated his co-workers the same way he treated his column subjects - but because they didn't express their feelings until now. Were they just showing professional courtesy in the past, or were they under orders? If they had wrote these same comments a week ago, would they have made the paper?

As a long time resident of the Chicago area, I have been reading the Sun Times for many years. Currently in Oklahoma, I still keep up with the Sun Times via the internet. In my opinion, Jay Marriotti is one of the most negative people I have ever run across. He doesn't seem able to see any positives in any situation or any individual. Goodby Jay, happy to see you go.
GO CUBS & GO WHITE SOX! (BEARS TOO, "I Hope")

RE Mr Egans comments ..

Jay Moriatti a true american hero ?? oh dear. I am suspicious Mr Egan may infact be an alias. Jay's articles were controversial, thats about all , I cant remember ever thinking his writing was insightful. I for one will not miss him.

Thank God that this is over - In 50 years of reading your newspaper I have never read any one who is as terrible of a journalist as Mariotti was. It does not take any talent to write the way Jay did to be controversial just for the sake of being controversial. He know nothing about sports. People get tired after a while of his type. I was not sure how he even is allowed to write about sports as he has not idea what he is talking. I don't know any self respecting fish that would be caught wrapped in a newspaper that Mariotti writes for. He's is on ESPN as a knowledgeable sports person but it won't be long before they get tired of him as we have in Chicago. Perhaps he can get his own newspaper stand sometime soon and sell newspapers that way. I think it would be a good job that he might be able to bring some credibility to. Go riddance to bad rubbish, thank god for small favors

Nice piece, well written and all, but I have to disagree with two statements that you made:

1.) "It's true we don't have as many Web staffers as some papers. I'm the only one dedicated exclusively to our sports site while the Trib has four."

and

2.) "And we'll continue to provide the best coverage."

Hoooold on. From what I hear, at one time you guys had at least 3x's more prep staffers on Friday nights (for football) than the Trib, and the Trib still crushed your coverage. There has always been 4 people in the Trib's prep area on a Friday night. How do I know, because I was one of the four. And you'd be hard pressed to find someone who said that Sun-Times coverage is better than Trib's. Now, as far as the prep coverage on the web, there is one person updating that on a given night, and once again, the Sun-times online prep coverage comes nowhere, and I mean no where close to the Trib's. We'll give you stats on everything from football to field hockey. From basketball to badminton. That, my friend, is online coverage.

Now, I tend to read the Sun-Times every now and then simply because it's physically easier to read, but that's where it stops.

Peace

Roman responds: Thanks for the note Jason. Whether we're better than the Trib covering some sports is a matter of opinion, but our dominance in prep sports is beyond debate. I can appreciate you having a vested interest in this debate, as do I, but have you seen yourseason.com?

I like many other readers of the Sun Times sports section feel it offers the most in depth coverage of our teams in Chicago. Also like many readers I would read Jay Mariotti as a car crash site: its ugly to look at but you have to see what is there. Well it is being cleaned up now. I wrote the following comment awhile back.

6/25/08

Jay Mariotti was recently interviewed by John Callaway on WTTW channel 11 and I want to make some observations. It’s clear through the interview that Mariotti is about selling newspapers and himself by noting the competition with the Tribune and how it’s a fight for circulation. It’s also clear that Mariotti wants people to get on the team (Suntimes) by supporting, backing and covering each other for the sake of the team. Mariotti called out our local media for being homies. He threw your beat writer and fellow columnist under the team bus. Mariotti praised the coverage of outside media of our own city sport teams while cascading our local media. Mariotti mentioned he played sports as a youngster. Does he understand the concept of team? Mariotti ask for his co workers to get on the team (your team) why he makes a handsome living attacking our team (Chicago sports). It’s great to know that other big city media point out fault with our sports teams, what a surprise! Get it, other team. He was right to say as he did to Callaway that he does write positive articles about our sports teams but the majority of his writing is critical of the city and the teams we have. This was a major point Callaway was trying to get across that Mariotti failed to get. The average person doesn’t read him in agreement; it’s to see how over the top he can be about a subject on any given day. Mariotti will continue to sell papers but don’t let him pretend to understand the concept of team and how to run one anytime soon.

Comments and columns in recent days have shined an inner light on Mariotti's percecption of team concept. I can only say he finaly gets it: One man does not make a TEAM but rather a TEAM makes one man. I dont think there is a team small enough for Mariotti.

The piling on Jay Mariotti bandwagon after he has left by his former colleagues like Ebert, Telander, De Luca, et al is truly pathetic. Most of these guys will be lucky to have jobs by Christmas. The Sun-Times is now officially 'The Titanic.' It is going down. Mariotti was easily the best writer at the Sun-Times. Dream on if you think the paper is better. The newsroom may be happier, but a better paper? Give me a break. Telander, the guy who dumped on Steve Erwin, the Croc Hunter, after he died, for being a showman, even before his family had buried him in the ground, should be sure and carry his shine kit with him in case he runs into Jay Mariotti, so that he can give Jay's shoes a nice shine. As for Ebert, the guy has seen one too many Will Ferrell movies. Come Christmas, the balcony really will be officially closed.

Roman I moved from Rockford to Tampa five years ago, and the suntimes.com is the best way for me to stay in touch. Kudos to you guys. The suntimes is better off without Mariotti. He's as far off as Skip Bayliss.

I remember the day Jay was hired from the National Sports Daily. He came into town to give our Sun Times sports section an "attitude." Well, he succeeded. He was, of course a terrible writer and a spineless wimp. How many silly nicknames did he try to shove down our throats? He trashed all our sports heroes daily when he obviously never played sports at anything but the most basic levels. Over the last 10 years or so, I've stopped reading him entirely. As a result, I started buying the Tribune first and the Sun Times only if I had the extra change. I once wrote in to express my dismay to discover three Telander columns had been pulled for being critical of Marriotti. That left me with just Marriotti as a columnist on those days which is the definition of a waste of money. Shame that so many great writers such as Mulligan, Telander, Hanley, Slezak etc. had to put up with him for so long.
I just signed up for a one year subscription as a direct result of him leaving.

Thanks for the insight Roman.

Roman,

I've seen yourseason.com and besides it being congested, it's filled with nothing but a scoreboard and articles. Not saying that the articles are bad, but chicagosports.com also had articles and a scoreboard. What seperates the two are what you might call "the meat and potatoes"...and that would be the indepth coverage of any and every sport under IHSA. That's saying that "Suzy Miller scored 2 goals in field hockey to give XYZ High School the win." That's making sure that every phone call of someone reporting a score or fax with a box score makes it on the web with all the stats. I know we have the best coverage around, and I'm not just limiting our high school coverage to Chicago. If not, tell me what other high school website will give you stats on a rugby match or stats on a water polo game on a nightly basis? Only us, and that's what seperates us from you guys and everyone else.

As far as Mariotti being gone, good. Never liked his stuff. I always got the feeling that he knew nothing about sports, he just got lucky and landed a job as a sports writer. Keep doing what you do though, I'll definitely keep reading.

Peace

Roman responds: Interesting take. I don't look at those sports, so I'm not qualified to debate this. But you guys (or those guys) don't do any recruiting, or at least nowhere near what we do. We break stories about where players are going. I think that's another way to separate the two sites.
Are you still in the business? Thanks for the notes.

Having gotten the Wiz of Oz song out of the way, allow me to comment on Jay's venemous speel.

He succeeded for a while by creating a rival for the fans in times when the teams weren't doing well. We went through a long period from the last Bulls championships to the White Sox winning the World Series where the Bulls, & Hawks stunk, the Cubs & Bears were off & on, & the Sox were good but not good enough.

After 2005, Jay's act not only got old but it became irrelevant. Oz revealed Jay doesn't even visit the many clubhouses he writes about. That reduced his value to no more than a blogger & he's a sub-par one at that.

But there is something to be said for creating a rivalry with the fans. I believe papers need that to break the mold of the same ole day to day news. My advice to you is this: let the rival come from another paper.

Roman take this advice to your editor: Partner with the papers from MN, WI, MI, MO, & OH to become each other's rivals. Let columnists from those papers writing scathing pc's against our teams & vice-versa. Use Jay's space for it. It's a way to fire up the blood of local fans of each paper w/out having it be detrimental to the paper itself.

Think of the circulation #"s for the ST from Bears fans checking out what Cheesehead writers really think of our fav team.

Professional sports were made for rivalries.

Roman responds: Juan, thanks for the note. I always keep an eye out for columnists from other cities writing about Chicago teams and I link to them on the site. Keep thinking up ideas, though, and send them in.

Roman,

We break stories also. Sakamoto is pretty good about that stuff and we have a recruiting site listing the kids name, sport and college...

I still go in from time to time to help out but I hopped at the first chance to leave print journalism. The direction of the "New Trib" is depressing. A one-way ticket to hell.

Hi Roman,

I can only say that it is about time. I would read Jay occasionally, usually disagreeing with him. No doubt he had some intelligence but he lacks integrity.

He wrote his columns, I believe, to create havoc and to somewhat create a stir. I do not believe that he believed in everything that he wrote. I have seen him too many times take one side of an issue and then shortly thereafter take the other side.

He flip-flops more than a presidential candidate! Now, there is nothing wrong with becoming, informed and enlightened on something and changing your opinion that would be integrity-based. No, he did it for the controversy that he would create. He always wanted to be a contrarian, even when it was contrary to something he already wrote.

I think that it takes talent to write out of "both sides of your mouth" so-to-speak. But, you lack integrity.

He could have been just as thought provoking and maintained his integrity.

Him quitting shows just what kind of person he is. If he really believed that papers are down and he is so great, when now use that to a positive effect and generate reader interest and get papers back to the greatness. What if the Twins decided to do that when baseball was talking about consolidation? I just read an article about one of their top scouts or assistant director of scouting was offered a GM job right when the Twins were supposed to be consolidated out. Instead of taking it, he stuck it out with his team. What happened? They only have won the World Series (more than once) since that time.

Now, if you could only get rid of the Jay-wannabe, Greg Couch. He was Marriotti's lap dog. He is in the same mold. Controversy for the sake of controversy. Maybe, if he adds some integrity into the equation he would be great writer worth reading.

Keep up the good work!

YAY
I admit sometimes his articles were amusing but most of the time they were just assanine.
One suggestion for the paper... Dont let Couch write about nascar hes not to bright on that subject.
I look forward to seeing much more Slezak!

From what I understand this wasn't the first time that Jay tried to force an issue by tendering his resignation. He must have been quite shocked when management called his bluff. I doubt that he was expecting them to accept it, due to the fact that they had acquiesced to his demands on previous occasions.

What a bone headed move!

His explanation about his reason for leaving is laughable. In these tough economic times one does not simply walk away from a six figure salary to "explore other options". You'd better have your other options all wrapped up before you quit.

I speak from experience. I once quit a job in anger, with no idea as to whether or not I would be working the following week.

BIG MISTAKE!!!

Hello from the Herald News! It was fun watching this all unfold from a safe distance in Joliet. I couldn't resist the opportunity to exploit the situation for my own STNG blog. Don't worry, Hurricane Jay will eventually dissipate.

Mariotti Scarface

NICE COLUMN, Mod!
Being from the Region, I know how hard it might have been to hold back and not clock that jerk over the years.

Wouldn't you love to see how long that Mariotti clown would make it in any watering hole in the Region? ha ha

Keep up the good work and way to kick some dirt on this jerk, showing him for the sad old man he really is.

NICE COLUMN, Mod!
Being from the Region, I know how hard it might have been to hold back and not clock that jerk over the years.

Wouldn't you love to see how long that Mariotti clown would make it in any watering hole in the Region? ha ha

Keep up the good work and way to kick some dirt on this jerk, showing him for the sad old man he really is.

Good riddance to Jay! The guy has no clue when it came to any of his writings on baseball. I've been waiting for this week for a long time. As someone who works in the sports industry and hopes to be in baseball someday, it made me sad that Chicago sports fans had to be subjected to a glorified soap opera writer on a regular basis as a source of their information. His constant undermining of Ozzie and especially Kenny Williams infuriated me. The Sox won a Championship followed by a 90 win season and yet that hack (Mariotti) did everything he could to make this town forget that.

Jay, I think I just may read the Sun-Times MORE now. My respect is back for the people who accepted your resignation.

We all win. Jay - you lose. Boy, is this a great week or what?

Jay Marriotti - Jerk, Egotist, Diva, Antagonist.
vs.
Jay Marriotti - Top Journalist, Lightning Rod, Must-Read.

Hate the man. Love the work.

I remember Rick Telander being baited for a response on WSCR regarding his relationship with fellow columnist Marriotti. To paraphrase Telander: ' ...what people don't understand is that Jay writes to the controversy of the day. Other Sun Times columnists enjoy a bit more range on column topics because Marriotti will be writing about the latest dust-up with the Bears, Cubs, Sox, Bulls etc..' (Granted, this was way before Telander challenged Jay to duke it out in the press box at Wrigley).

My point is .. Marriotti wrote some great columns but his status as a lightning rod for controversy set him apart from any other sports journalist in Chicago. Beat writers need to maintain their open lines of communication with the team they cover. They 'walk a fine line' in criticizing players, coaches, G.M.s and owners. Marriotti dragged them all into the harsh light of public scrutiny with a succinct, biting style. He asked the obvious questions and asked those in power what they planned to do to fix the problem.

Celebrate his departure if you will but I predict Chicago Sports fans will always wonder ' what Marriotti would have said about ______ ' (insert local sports controversy here).

Great article. I admit I read Jay's column to reaffirm how much I disliked him...which shows how effective he was at he does. While it is tough to lose someone who probably moved alot of papers, its good to see the times was not going to bend over for a jerk like that. Kudos

Jay Mariotti and Sam Smith (tribune) were the only columnists worth reading...maybe a few others here and there, but for the most part..paper or internet I ALWAYS READ JAY and usually nobody else.
Like him or not like him....he was an excellent writer and kept the interest/intrigue of all. Jay will be missed!

I for one stopped reading the Sun Times about 5 years ago because of Jay M. His columns seemed to only be trying to stir the pot and he seemed to take the position he thought would get the rise out of the most people whether he agreed with it or not. It was obnoxious to the point I actually avoided the Sun Times. I look forward to reading the Sun Times again:)

I'm amazed at how many people didn't like Mr Mariotti's column.

I've read his column since he started at the Suntimes. I didn't always agree with his point off view. He could be alarmist and negative and at times just sorta "wack", but he was interesting. Like others have stated, I'd flip to the back and read his column first. I'll miss doing that. I'll definitely read the Suntimes much, MUCH less frequently now. People are so quick to criticize. TRY writing a column everyday. It isn't easy to do! TRY to please all the people all the time. It can't be done. I really can't understand the animosity the people posting here have toward him. Wow. If he's an egomaniac, ok that stinks. I agree, but guess what? If people REALLY knew MOST the athletes and so called celebrities our society venerates, I bet they'd find the vast majority them to be world class jerks too. I didn't want to hang out with the man. I wanted to read his perspective. I think it's a bummer that he quit.

I just want to offer my congratulations on getting rid of him. He never carried himself in a professional manner and in my opinion actually brought down the rest of the group at the Sun Times.

I for one actually did not read his articles any longer. I spent most of '05 reading anything he had to say about the Sox and eventually came to realize that he had no perspective just a deep burning hatred of Kenny, Hawk, and Jerry followed closely by a slighly less amount of hatred about everything else in life.

I imagine at some point he has written a critical column about his mother and the Virgin Mary.

Addition by subtraction!

Roman, I've read your columns for quite sometime. Hammond Times days. I have to agree with other readers that it reads like your lips are attached to Jay's departing buttocks. Did this untalented hack of a so called sports writer take you under his wing or something? Don't come out here pretending to defend the integrity of your website, that oh! by the way you are in charge of and come across like this guy is your best friend, so your just saying. Well I'm just saying, if you don't realize this jerk just ripped you, your website and 99.99% of your collegues and the newspaper you all work for the proverbial new butthole. Sometimes, it's as if though, you writers work for the Enquirer, or The Star gossip magazine. Mariotti is the queen of that style of writing. He went well beyond the limits of journalistic integrity, claiming he spoke for the masses, taking unnescessary potshots, unfairly singleling out people he personally disliked without truelly speaking to them. When these individuals called or wrote to express their displeasure with his dishonesty, he hid behind his pen and ripped them somemore. Jay was never a true sports writer. He's more like an opinionated gossip columnist. Sad thing is Telander, Couch, and Biggs genuflect at his alter. Why worry about making this and that clear? He does't care, why should you!!!

When the sports columnist becomes the story, not the sport, that's when I avoid the column. I do not buy the theory that print is dead and that society is now satisfied to read our neighbors' blogs for the latest Bears insights. I happen to read both papers nearly every day, despite carpetbaggers like Jay who are as transparent as McCain's VP selection.

When the sports columnist becomes the story, not the sport, that's when I avoid the column. I do not buy the theory that print is dead and that society is now satisfied to read our neighbors' blogs for the latest Bears insights. I happen to read both papers nearly every day, despite carpetbaggers like Jay who are as transparent as McCain's VP selection.

When the sports columnist becomes the story, not the sport, that's when I avoid the column. I do not buy the theory that print is dead and that society is now satisfied to read our neighbors' blogs for the latest Bears insights. I happen to read both papers nearly every day, despite carpetbaggers like Jay who are as transparent as McCain's VP selection.

Good column -- props to you for being willing to comment on Mariotti's departure.

I grew up in Cincinnati when Jay was the columnist for the Cincinnati Post. I hated him then -- he was just starting to develop his abrasive, negative, know-it-all style. It was a happy day when he left (to work for The National, I believe -- remember that bust?).

I lived in Chicago for a few years in the mid-90s and gave him another shot. He was even worse by this point. He was so negative and unprofessional in his writings about Dave Wannstedt, that I used to wish Dave would snap in a press conference and break his neck. To this day, Jay's attacks on Wannstedt are some of the most unprofessional I've ever seen in a major newspaper.

The Sun-Times will be better off for his departure. Mariotti personifies the sad, new trend of sports columnists and commentators who strive to be louder, meaner, more bombastic, and more negative than the next guy. I like the old-school guys like Tim Sullivan of the San Diego Union-Tribune (and formerly Jay's rival at a competing newspaper), who still cover sports with class and a sense of perspective.

I wish Mariotti nothing but the worst of luck.

The sad thing is that this subject heading will eventually expire as it's moved down the list, and replaced with more current topics.

I feel as though the joyous occasion of Jays demise deserves a blog of it's own so that it may live on in perpetuity. A place where everyone can go when they're feeling down in the dumps, and need to vent a little. Throwing eggs and brickbats at Mariotti is cathartic.

You could link the blog to an interactive game where contestants try to put Jay into a dunk tank. A dunk tank filled with sharks and jellyfish.

Ken G sez: "TRY writing a column everyday. It isn't easy to do! TRY to please all the people all the time. It can't be done. I really can't understand the animosity the people posting here have toward him."

What Jay did for a living is nothing that any smart a$$ed 12 year old with a laptop couldn't do twice as well. Allow me to explain.

It's childs play to fill a page with insults, made up names, and negative thoughts if that's what you have a mind to do, and Jay did just that on a daily basis.

Nothing more.

Writing his column must have been effortless, as he used the exact same template for each and every one. This mental template was simple and consistent.

"I hate, (insert name of team / player / manager / owner here) so every time they are in the news I will scribble down 750 words of completely negative garbage about them."

If Ozzie personally bankrolled a project that discovered a cure for lung cancer, Jay would pen a column that read something like this:

"The Blizzard has devoted millions of dollars that he's stolen from ticket paying White Sox Fans to help a bunch of dummies who were stupid enough to begin smoking, and not smart enough to quit.

This just proves that he could care less about children born with spinal bifida through no fault of their own."

See how easy that was?

His "research" consisted to listening to the radio, watching television, and reading what other reporters had already written. See ... the reporters were the ones that actually got the scoops and the quotes; then Jay would scoop up the quotes and use them as his own, often taking them out of context.

Anyone who read his column on a regular basis and thought this guy was a great writer probably spent their formative years reading comic books, and the musings of scribes who displayed their craft bathroom stalls.

Ken G sez: "TRY writing a column everyday. It isn't easy to do! TRY to please all the people all the time. It can't be done. I really can't understand the animosity the people posting here have toward him."

What Jay did for a living is nothing that any smart a$$ed 12 year old with a laptop couldn't do twice as well. Allow me to explain.

It's childs play to fill a page with insults, made up names, and negative thoughts if that's what you have a mind to do, and Jay did just that on a daily basis.

Nothing more.

Writing his column must have been effortless, as he used the exact same template for each and every one. This mental template was simple and consistent.

"I hate, (insert name of team / player / manager / owner here) so every time they are in the news I will scribble down 750 words of completely negative garbage about them."

If Ozzie personally bankrolled a project that discovered a cure for lung cancer, Jay would pen a column that read something like this:

"The Blizzard has devoted millions of dollars that he's stolen from ticket paying White Sox Fans to help a bunch of dummies who were stupid enough to begin smoking, and not smart enough to quit.

This just proves that he could care less about children born with spinal bifida through no fault of their own."

See how easy that was?

His "research" consisted to listening to the radio, watching television, and reading what other reporters had already written. See ... the reporters were the ones that actually got the scoops and the quotes; then Jay would scoop up the quotes and use them as his own, often taking them out of context.

Anyone who read his column on a regular basis and thought this guy was a great writer probably spent their formative years reading comic books, and the musings of scribes who displayed their craft on bathroom stalls.

If the Sun-Times management knew and understood, the problems with Mariotti, then why didn't they act? Did they foster his arrogance? When other writer's like Steinberg was approached and threatened by Mariotti, why weren't they informed of this? Obviously other events by Mariottti have entered the press. The altercation with "Hawk" Harrelson in the press booth, the scrum in the press room with Telander, still Sun-Times management refused to correct or dismiss this disruption called a sportswriter. The foundation and fundamentals of a newspaper is to inform and educate the public, no more and no less. The inclusion of the press in our Constitution is one of our most sacred rights as free men! The Sun-times management has betrayed that trust for more circulation. That trust is not only lost, but dead.

Just a quick comment to a lot of idiots out there. Anyone who would cancel a subscription or not read the Sun-Times because of an individual writer is a complete moron. The Sun-Times is an excellent paper from cover to cover, many times over 100 pages. If you didn't like Mariotti, you didn't have to read Mariotti. I'm guessing that all of you who boycotted the Times during his tenure also religiously boycotted ESPN because he appears on Around The Horn. I may not have liked Jay all the time, in fact most of the time, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't enjoy all the rest of the excellent journalists on the staff. What are we, still in grade school? Sincerely, Jay Bysina, dedicated Sun-Times reader, with or without Mariotti.

i sometimes agreed with jay, sometimes disagreed but he did hold players ,owners and team exec's accountable!now it looks like all we are gonna have is a bunch of snowjob articles from ass smoozers who just want to be allowed to stay in the locker rooms and make friends!

Who said this wasnt a story?

Well Maurice; since Julie isn't around to handle this situation, allow me to set you straight.

It isn't "ass smoozers", it's "ass schmoozers".

This species is closely related to jock strap sniffers, and meat gazers.

I've commented on Jay ONCE in all the time I've been associated with this 'cool' blog, and it had to do with one particular instant that had me lose all respect for this man as an individual and a writer. Well as much as I wanted to stay away again, I guess you could say I have some parting words. Jay, you're arrogant, hypocritical, and sometimes scramble your priorities in writing. Adios!

Jay's column did not help sell the Sun-Times newspaper. People bought the Sun-Times in spite of him.

As a non-residential Chicago fan (hey, I don't have to live there to like your sports teams!) and author, I read both the Trib and Sun-Times online. So I certainly read Mariotti from time to time. He is an excellent writer, as several people have noted. But if folks are correct, and he didn't take advantage of his access to Chicago sports teams, then, frankly, the paper should have given that access to someone who appreciated it a long time ago. A columnist, in my humble opinion, is only as good as his sources. And the way you cultivate sources is to interact with them. I'm admittedly old school, in that I believe such interaction is best done face-to-face, although the phone is obviously not verboten. But opinions are best formulated by connecting with one's subject. By not doing so, a columnist basically takes away the advantage he has over bloggers and regular fans. And the best writing in the world cannot not hide that.

I will be one of the very few who will miss Jay's work at the Sun Times. The only Chicago sports column I read was Mariotti. I now have no reason to visit the Sun Times website. Yahoo sports will give me what I need to know.

Telender and the rest are good writers, but reading an intelligent article about sports is a waste of time. If I want to improve my knowledge of writing, or to admire the beauty of words, there are plenty of philosophers and poets who put sports writers to shame.

Mariotti was worth reading because he was an entertainer. He was a bitter comic/moralist who could wake me up during the first 15 minutes of work in the morning, while the rest of the sports writers at the Suntimes put me to sleep.

The fact he was hated by so many does not matter. The fact he was an $%#hole does not matter. Bitter, angry, a midget, petty? Who gives a flying $#@*. People were entertained by him (even the haters were entertained, and he gave them a reason for being - Jay the Joke, etc.), they read him, and he made money for the Suntimes. That is what matters.

Derek sez: "As a non-residential Chicago fan (hey, I don't have to live there to like your sports teams!) and author, I read both the Trib and Sun-Times online. So I certainly read Mariotti from time to time. He is an excellent writer, as several people have noted."

I'm beginning to lose all hope that I had for the future of journalism.

Jay was an excellent writter?

Show me a single column Mariotti penned that you consider to be an example of his exemplary writing skills, and I'll eat it.

Derek sez: "As a non-residential Chicago fan (hey, I don't have to live there to like your sports teams!) and author, I read both the Trib and Sun-Times online. So I certainly read Mariotti from time to time. He is an excellent writer, as several people have noted."

I'm beginning to lose all hope that I had for the future of journalism.

Jay was an excellent writter?

Show me a single column Mariotti penned that you consider to be an example of his exemplary writing skills, and I'll eat it.