Mariotti's latest.... wow

Man ... I just don't quite know how to respond to THAT.  :

My dad liked my early efforts too, you know...

 

I don't know, I kind of liked it in a familial sort of way, and it wasn't badly written.

Not saying that he didn't missed the point, but I like the father-son loyalty part of it.

 

Ah, well, my bad.

 

That's a weak defense. Does Madonna open her locker room to the media before and after concerts? Or is there media access after each of her rehearsals? A sports columnist doesn't have to be at the stadium or arena everyday, but he or she should show up in the locker room frequently. Maybe Mariotti would learn if he did.

 

If political pundits could wander into the White House, I imagine they would take advantage of the access and be even better at their jobs.

This argument is bullshit. If you're a columnist, you want to get to know as much as you can about the people you write about. You want to see how they react after a game where they've been terrible. You want to see how they interact with teammates.

Or you can sit in your living room and call Frank Thomas "The Big Skirt," like some doofus who calls a talk show.

You want to provoke reaction? Write a column saying you don't think African-Americans are smart enough to be managers or quarterbacks or whatever. Lots of reaction, but it isn't exactly good journalism.

 

Sorry, Smasher, but I'm calling bullshit on your calling bullshit. Opinion is in most cases -- though not always -- the good columnist's stock in trade. It's about finding an angle, offering a good take. What you describe is the reporter's job. Mariotti is not nor does he make the pretense to be a reporter. But I'll allow as to how there are good columnists who work both ways.

 

The best columns are usually the best-reported columns. Not only are reporting and wrting columns not mutually exclusive, it's hard to be a great columnist without at least being a good reporter.

 

So where exactly does a columnist acquire the knowledge and expertise that should be the basis for having a column if he doesn't go to the games and talk to the players and coaches?

 

By sitting on your couch, watching TV and stealing quotes from your reporters' stories.

 

More from Jay this evening on Chicago Tonight, WTTW, the public station in town. I'd expect some warheads will be sent toward Telander/Morrissey/Ozzie/Reinsdorf/Hawk and maybe even his own bosses.

Agreed Telander's piece was well crafted, but not sure where Isaacson comes off firing on Mariotti. Wouldn't you have to file more than one feature a month to be able to criticize how someone else goes about his/her work?

 

Did. She. Really?

 

Love the sig, Slap.

Can't help it.