Jay Mariotti (born 1961 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is a controversial sports columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times and a regular panelist on ESPN's sports talk show Around the Horn. He occasionally takes the place of the Washington Post's Tony Kornheiser as a guest host on ESPN's Pardon the Interruption. He attended Ohio University in Athens, OH. Mariotti began writing for the Sun-Times in the summer of 1991.
Notable feuds
Tony Kornheiser
In January 2004, Chicago's ESPN 1000 replaced Tony Kornheiser's once-nationally syndicated show with a show hosted by Mariotti. Kornheiser was unhappy about this and has hinted at some behind-the-scenes smugness on Mariotti's account after this switch took place. The feud between the two sports journalists seems to be one-sided in the public eye, with Kornheiser frequently stating how he can't stand Mariotti both on Pardon the Interruption and on his Washington, DC area radio program while Mariotti has referred to the feud as non-existent.
Woody Paige
Mariotti's on-air rivalry with Around The Horn co-star Woody Paige is based off of a real-life dispute they had in the early-to-mid '90s, when both panelists worked for the Denver Post, resulting in Mariotti's leaving. The two have apparently settled their differences, and their "feud" on the show is mostly in jest. Woody still occasionally refers to Mariotti as "Jabroni."
Ken Harrelson
Mariotti also has an ongoing feud with Chicago White Sox television announcer Ken "Hawk" Harrelson. After a White Sox game in the late 1990s, Harrelson entered the press box to confront Mariotti about a column he had written. The two exchanged words and have been feuding ever since. In a separate, more recent exchange, Mariotti complained that Harrelson had intentionally bumped into him during a White Sox road game. Witnesses stated that Marriotti threatened to sue Harrelson.
Jerry Reinsdorf
Mariotti also has a bad history with Jerry Reinsdorf, owner of the Chicago Bulls and White Sox. On June 7, 2005 Mariotti wrote, "I can safely say the Sox won't win a World Series as long as (Jerry Reinsdorf) owns them." The White Sox won the World Series on October 26, 2005 in a four-game sweep of the Houston Astros. Mariotti once threatened to sue Reinsdorf because Reinsdorf was angry at comments Mariotti wrote about how negotations were handled on a contract extension for Scott Skiles, head coach of the Bulls.
Ozzie Guillen
In June 2006, a long-simmering feud with White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen boiled over. Mariotti wrote a column criticizing Guillen, calling him "senseless and immature," for apparently ordering rookie relief pitcher Sean Tracey to hit a Texas Rangers batter, Hank Blalock, after the Rangers pitcher Vicente Padilla hit White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski with two pitches during a game.[1] Tracey failed to successfully retaliate and Guillen pulled him from the game. Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports says that Mariotti broke a cardinal rule of journalism by not appearing at the White Sox locker room.[2] Guillen, upset that Mariotti hadn't interviewed him for the column, unleashed a tirade against Mariotti that included the comment: "What a piece of shit he is, a fucking fag."[3] Guillen's comment was perceived by some as anti-gay[4] and he was fined an undisclosed amount by Major League Baseball and ordered to attend sensitivity training. Commissioner of Baseball Bud Selig's office issued a statement that said "Baseball is a social institution with responsibility to set appropriate tone and example. Conduct or language that reflects otherwise will not be tolerated. The use of slurs embarrasses the individual, the club, and the game." Guillen accepted his punishment, saying "I put Bud Selig in a spot he's not supposed to be."[5] Guillen also said, "'If I hurt anybody with what I called him, I apologize, but I wasn't talking about those people. I was talking strictly about [Mariotti]. I will apologize to the people I offended because I should have used another word. Besides that, I'm still waiting for Jay. Why he's so afraid to show up to the ballpark? When you're afraid to do something, you feel guilty about something. Then tell him we'll pay the cab. I'll take a limo where he lives and bring him to the ballpark and we'll have a conversation. But that's the way he is. He's garbage, still garbage, going to die as garbage. Period." [6]
Style of writing
Mariotti has been criticized by other sports writers for working from home and not interviewing the people he writes about. [7][8] Mariotti contends that he won't go into the White Sox clubhouse because of "a history of threatening and unprofessional episodes" involving White Sox players.[9]
References
- ^ "Judgment call: Time to worry about Ozzie" Jay Mariotti, Chicago Sun-Times, June 16, 2006.
- ^ Boston Red Sox vs. Philadelphia Phillies, Ken Rosenthal, Fox Saturday Baseball, June 24, 2006.
- ^ "White Sox manager throws gay slur" Jen Christensen, PlanetOut Network, June 21, 2006.
- ^ "Guillen slur upsets gay rights activists" Jimmy Greenfield, Redeye, June 21, 2006.
- ^ "Guillen fine with MLB's punishment" Mark Gonzales, Chicago Tribune, June 23, 2006.
- ^ "Ozzie vs. Mariotti: Guillen apologetic, defiant" Joe Cowley, Chicago Sun-Times, June 22, 2006.
- ^ "Evan Grant on the Rangers " Evan Grant, Dallas Morning News, June 22, 2006.
- ^ "The right way: You write it, you show up" Rick Morrissey, Chicago Tribune, June 23, 2006.
- ^ "Ozzie's slurring topped only by Ozzie's skating" Jay Mariotti, Chicago Sun-Times, June 25, 2006.