Let me ask this Mariotti question....Updated by Moddy.

Name one monumental contribution Mariotti has made to the city of Chicago or Chicago sports -- as compared to Guillen.

 

In the entire time he's been in Chicago, I've never once heard anyone have a good thing to say about the guy or his work. Fans hate him, he tried to pass himself off as  a "Chicago guy" when he first got here (like Sean Salisbury is doing on ESPN radio locally), even though we know Jay's been all over the country. Loves to cover the "major" events (NBA Finals, British Open, Super Bowl), but never goes to Wrigley, Solider Field, the United Center or of course the Cell, yet comments about it all like he's on the local beat. I guess calling Frank Thomas the "Big Skirt" is ok, but getting called a fag by Ozzie isn't. Got run off at least two radio shows, has been in pissing matches with just about every radio host/reporter, TV reporter or writer in town - and now this. Geez, I think I'd take a hint and pack.

 

Long day on the golf course...and then in the bar...which makes me unqualified. But I have to say this.

I played golf with three guys, and then went to an afternoon bar with about 20 guys (and one lovely woman bartender).

I played OK...39, and a horrendous 46...but here's the point, and I wonder what it means.

In my corner of SF (wherever that is, up to you)...

Not ONE SINGLE PERSON...knew the current contemporary significance of Jay Mariotti. Not a single one.

I have to say, in our business, I was shocked.

Didn't know his role at the Sun-Times...didn't know ATH...nothing...blanks...every one...nothing about Guillen or the f word or anything...

I admit, I was disappointed or sad or something...

But nobody...knew...nothing...

I wonder what that says....(and no, SF isn't South Fork, Montana)...

 

Replying to yourself seems bad form, but what the hell...

I got several PMs after the last post noting that maybe we're worked up into a frenzy over something nobody outside of Chicago or our business cares about.

I admit, it's a bit disappointing. I kind of always figured we were the center of, I don't know, something.

Did this thread screech to a halt because we're confronting the fact that this is the ultimate Inside Baseball story, and beyond that, nobody gives a shit?

I love this business...but sometimes I wonder...is this an indication that we get worked up a little bit over things nobody else does? (Not that there's anything wrong with that, any more than a group of accountants gets worked up over a big accounting story.)

I suppose I'm interested in thoughts.

 

I think it says that, in readers minds, columnists aren't the story.
I think it also says that, as evidenced in threads like this, we place far too great an emphasis on our own importance.
I believe it was the creator of this thread, Jason Whitlock, who humbly acknowledged his own important writings.
It's fucking sports, people. Let's maintain a little perspective.
It can be a fun job and we take it seriously, but it's sports.

 

Who would know a Mariotti, SF, besides someone in the biz or an internet/sports junkie?

What are the ratings for Around the Horn? How many people watch? 500,000 or a million in a country of 300 million? Thats .33% or .15%.

 

All good points, but I have to say, I was still surprised at the 0.0.

 

sfexpress,

there's nothing to be read into the fact that people in san francisco or kansas city or indianapolis know nothing of jay mariotti. he's not kornheiser or wilbon or albom or lupica. we're not overreacting to this. it's a big story within our industry and within chicago. no one has ever said it was more than that. jay was on two national cable shows last night and both of the hosts did a poor job of putting the story in context to make people interested in the story. i REPEAT no one cares that ozzie called jay mariotti the f word. look at this board for proof. the hosts of the shows got hoodwinked into believing the story was about ozzie and the f word. ozzie was wrong. but absolutely no one cares about that. ozzie is a dumb baseball manager. no one is shocked that a lifelong baseball player/manager would use that word. no one wants to see him suspended for it. the story people care about is: here's the ultimate loudmouth media stereotype getting unmasked in his own city. that's the story -- whether we like it or not. the american public is fascinated and frustrated with the media. they want us policed and scrutinized. if you frame the story properly, more people outside our industry and outside of chicago would take notice. it still wouldn't be a major major story, but more people would pick up on it. and let's not forget that espn has done very, very little with the story. there's no reason for anyone to expect people outside of us and chicago to even know this happened.

 

This controbersy may help single-copy newspaper sales. People will buy the paper to read the latest from the papers' columnists.

 

Hey, J-Dub. Care to make your last post a little easier to read and, you know, use punctuation and capital letters? Skipping a line here and there couldn't hurt, either.

 

Doc

Are you serious? I'm on the phone, exchanging e-mails, text messaging, researching and doing all sorts of crap when I flick over to this board. And now you wanna hold me to some sort of professional standard.?.?.

That ain't right.

 

It's not about professional standard, he just has a hard time understanding things.