Jay Mariotti resigns

I'm saying if you think the paper was doing him some grand favor by sending him to China to work for three weeks, that you have obviously never had to cover an Olympics.

 

Didn't Mariotti have his own travel budget? I find it hard to believe it wasn't his choice to go to Beijing.

 

I've shared a press box with Jay. I did not particularly care for the way he treated me. That said, if his move-- and let's be honest: he's going to ESPN.com and The Magazine--is a positive step for him, then Mazel Tov.

 

thought the exact same thing. Covering an Olympics - especially in a time zone like China - ain't no vacation
get up, write on deadline (for that night) ie, swimming, gymnastics finals
cover events all day, write those stories,
rinse, and repeat
for 21 days

 

A few things ...

1. Sat next to Mariotti for several years at the Masters. Expected a blustery, overwrought, difficult-to-be-near personality. Got the exact opposite, a nice guy who made good, rational conversation and even helped me with a technical issue. My opinion of him changed. He's not the guy you see on TV.

2. Given how volatile this business can be and how low the starting pay grades are, nobody should begrudge anyone for the money he or she makes. If Jay Mariotti and Rick Reilly can make bundles of cash, well, then maybe I can one day, too.

3. I don't care what you're doing, if your conscience tells you to get out and find another job, and you do it, more power to you. Nobody should get ripped for that. Given Jay's rationale -- one many on this board can relate to -- his change of heart seems completely honest.

4. DanOregon, everyone has opinions. Not everyone can back up those opinions with fact and context, and stretch them over 1,000 words. I write three columns a week and it's still damn hard.

A lot of the comments on this board are petty. Regardless of what you think of his approach, his tactics or his writing style, Jay Mariotti has been the voice of Chicago sports for a long time now, even working for the city's No. 2 paper. He's turned it into a cottage industry and (we assume) a nice bankroll. You don't do that by being a hack.

 

I don't know if I would say it's required, but I don't know too many big papers that didn't have one or both of their top columnists in China.

 

Interesting bit from Deadspin. Maybe Mariotti didn't quit simply because he saw the light of the Web:

They say he wanted to write a column about Obama, but it was Telander's turn to write. He wrote about Obama. Sun-Times told Mariotti to wait. He didn't want to, so he quit.

http://deadspin.com/5042479/thats-it-world-you-have-disrespected-jay-mariotti-for-the-final-time

 

I've known Jay for about a decade and while I don't agree with a lot of what he writes and don't agree with some of the things he does (avoiding locker rooms etc...), he's always been incredibly nice to me and people I've worked with.

 

I guarantee you, Telander is buying drinks tonight...

 

May or may not be true, but I have no trouble believing this.

 

Jay's has a strained and strange relationship with the Sun-Times for a long, long time...

 

Great Post, C. Spot on.