Miles from a point.

Usually, I like Rosenberg. But this is just crap.

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080324/SPORTS08/803240325

 

I dunno, I'd say the whole Marriott points thing is spot on.

 

Heard a reporter from the Startlegram chastising fellow Texas scribes for being "Marriott whores" a couple weeks back.
It was true, as is Rosenberg's comments. Too many reporters are more concerned about the Marriotts than what they're actually supposed to be working on.

 

I liked living 20 minutes away from the venue.

 

I'm more of a Hilton whore, though I will almost always trade convenience for points.

 

That column actually made me chuckle, because it's true. And so what if it is?

This, to me, is b.s. Yes, most of us like to stay in Marriotts (or Hiltons, or Westins or whatever), but I've never seen someone so engrossed in it that it affected their job. That is just asinine.

What's more, I'll defend Marriott whores to the death. I'm on the road more than 100 days a year, away from my wife, away from my (soon-to-be) kids. I miss birthdays and weekends and anniversaries. This year, I was on the road for Valentine's Day. When my wife had to go to Colorado while her mom was having surgery, I couldn't go.

Why shouldn't I get a little something for my trouble? Or, for hers?

The other thing is, brand loyalty (with hotels, airlines and rental cars) just equals convenience. I can re-arrange my flights free of charge, organize a late check-out time to accommodate the new flight and have a rental car waiting for me on the ground at Hertz. When you travel as much as I do, that kind of flexibility is a necessity.

Frankly, I don't see what the big deal is.

 

I'm not a big fan of sportswriters writing about sportswriters--I doubt the readers really care, nor do they get the inside joke--but this was silly and entertaining without being whiny and self-indulgent. No big deal.

 

Reporters depending on brand loyalty and "getting a little something for your trouble" is one thing.
Reporters who scheme their way out of covering an event because there isn't a Marriott nearby (and thus not worth their time) is another. I've seen it happen w/ multiple writers.

And I agree w/ 21 on this one: Writing about other sports writers isn't going to equate to squat w/ readers 99 percent of the time.

 

Marriott has a rewards program???

 

I laughed, especially since I'm switching hotels tomorrow just to get Marriott points.

 

OK, that's funny.

About the only thing I remember about the 2002 Winter Olympics is that I got points for the 25 nights I spent at a Fairfield Inn in Salt Lake City. Usually at the Olympics, I've had to stay in some shitty future public housing or something. But points! For more than a three-week stay! Now that I'm remembering how great this was, I feel bad about voting for Obama instead of Mitt Romney.