Jay Mariotti leaves the Sun-Times!...Goes to the Tribune? Nope&#33

[Harry Chappas]

I believe also that there would be buyout stipulations.

 

 

[Kyyle23]

Jay responds

 

http://blogs.chicagoreader.com/email/5959/

 

“I feel sorry for these people you quote. They need to get a grip, do their work, break some stories and concentrate on writing good sports columns. Who cares about me? I could spot Rick Telander 890 words of Rick Reilly, and he still wouldn’t write a relevant 900-word column. He’s a bitter old man stuck in 1973.

 

“I did not quit the paper in a huff. I resigned in writing based on a clause in my contract—I had the right to terminate the deal at any time—and whether they accepted or not was inconsequential. It was my call, based on a Sun-Times Internet site that runs like a Ford Edsel and my conclusion that the paper isn’t far from folding. The night the U.S. basketball team won the gold medal, I had to wake the web editor out of bed at a wedding in California because hours had passed without our stories being posted on the web site. That was pretty much the final straw. I left about $1 million in guaranteed money on the table—remember, I signed a contract extension in the summer—because I don’t want to deal with the death of another paper; I worked for the National Sports Daily when it died. I told that to the publisher, Cyrus Friedheim, when we had lunch last year. I told him I didn’t want to see another paper fold. It’s a horrible feeling. That’s what drove my resignation.

 

“The Tribune contacted me the night I resigned. We had several productive discussions, in person and on the phone, over 2 1/2 weeks. I was very impressed with their editorial direction—this isn’t Col. McCormick’s Trib—and we chatted about an Internet page, a television show and, eventually, a column. In the middle of it all, I received a threatening e-mail in what looked like 64-point type from the Sun-Times lawyer, Jim McDonough, who warned of legal action against me if I signed with the Tribune. The Tribune also received a threatening letter from the Sun-Times. Yes, I had a non-compete clause in the Sun-Times deal that prohibits me from writing for the Tribune for a year. Thus, we had to twist and turn to figure out a way to do things, and for now, I’m just thrilled to continue our daily, stress-free, highly successful ESPN show—six years, almost 1,300 airings—and consider several options in radio and TV and on the Internet. Maybe someday, the Tribune thing will happen, but if it causes mass resignations on the staff, gee, I don’t want to disrupt home lives or anything. All I know is, these aren’t the Tribsters I lampooned for years. This is the multimedia group that will survive in Chicago and thrive in the future. They have a plan.

 

It’s amusing that Michael Cooke said wonderful things about me when they announced my extension at a shareholders’ meeting in June, ripped me apart as an editorial detriment when I exercised my contractual right to leave, then balked when the other paper showed interest. He’s not a stable man. His buddy, Steinberg, rips my character when he has domestic-abuse and alcohol issues. Yikes!

 

“It’s still very possible I’ll keep working in this city. I have local and national opportunities. Contrary to pictures painted by the media, we have loads of friends in this city, and my kids have had a great educational experience. Their schoolmates don’t even know what the Sun-Times is; they just know I’m the guy on the ESPN show. When I’ve been in restaurants and bars the last few weeks, or walking down the street, people have been great and wondered why the Sun-Times went smear-job on me after I left. I usually had the most web hits on the Sun-Times site, and if I wasn’t a well-read and successful columnist, I don’t think the Sun-Times would have signed me to numerous extensions and the Tribune would have shown such interest. The frenzy about me is off-center, disproportionate to reality. And it’s all media-driven by people such as the ones you’ve quoted. Shoot me if I’m in my 60s and ripping a guy in his 40s.

 

“I wrote more than 300 columns a year for 17 years. I ignored the bulls***, did my job and made enormous impact without dipping into backstabbing and smear-campaigning. I wish others would try the same formula. It works.” - Jay Mariotti

[Rowand44]

I ignored the bulls***, did my job and made enormous impact without dipping into backstabbing and smear-campaigning.

LOL

[Kyyle23]

LOL

 

definitely the money quote right there

[lostfan]

Haha, yeah that last line is probably the most inaccurate thing I have ever seen. Ever.

[Gregory Pratt]

His buddy, Steinberg, rips my character when he has domestic-abuse and alcohol issues. Yikes!

 

That is why he doesn't have the courage to face anyone.

[Kyyle23]

I have read a few things about Telanders personal dislike of Mariotti, but I rarely saw it bleed into his columns, if ever. Mariotti constantly took swipes at Telander and continues to do so. He really likes to characterize Telander as out of touch and stuck in the past.

 

I really enjoy Telanders columns, even when he rips on the teams I love, he doesnt present everything as a full on attack, and actually does fact checking and leg work. Strange concept for Jay

[Texsox]

It’s amusing that Michael Cooke said wonderful things about me when they announced my extension at a shareholders’ meeting in June, ripped me apart as an editorial detriment when I exercised my contractual right to leave, then balked when the other paper showed interest.

Jay does make a nice point there. Everyone is looking foolish in this.

 

And I've met Telander a couple times. On his best day, Jay isn't close to Telander, not even close. Jay is a circus sideshow and Telander is the class act.

[Middle Buffalo]

It's probably already been pointed out (I'm not about to read 11 pages devoted to Jay Mariotti) that Jay would have a field day with any Chicago athlete who quit on his team before his contract was up. Out clause or not. I'm pretty sure he went after Scottie Pippen pretty hard after he sat out with 1.8 seconds left in a playoff game. But that's Jay. He's a hypocrite to the core.

[mr_genius]

It's probably already been pointed out (I'm not about to read 11 pages devoted to Jay Mariotti) that Jay would have a field day with any Chicago athlete who quit on his team before his contract was up. Out clause or not. I'm pretty sure he went after Scottie Pippen pretty hard after he sat out with 1.8 seconds left in a playoff game. But that's Jay. He's a hypocrite to the core.

 

haha good point

[Kyyle23]

Mariotti is supposed to be on Mully and Hanley this morning. He may be on right now, they were announcing it when I was driving to work

[Jenksismyhero]

Mariotti is supposed to be on Mully and Hanley this morning. He may be on right now, they were announcing it when I was driving to work

 

Thanks for the heads up. I'll be ignoring that show this morning!

[Kyyle23]

Thanks for the heads up. I'll be ignoring that show this morning!

 

Its already over(M&H are 6-10). But the interview is archived

[Jenksismyhero]

Its already over(M&H are 6-10). But the interview is archived

 

lol, I forgot my schedule of getting to work at 10 is not the norm. Anything interesting? Did M and H actually ask pertinent questions like "why are you such a douche?"

[The Ginger Kid]

Jay, what color is the sky in your world?

[fathom]

A pseudonym might work if he was in another city.

 

He should go by Fred A. Gregory.

[juddling]

i guess the Sun-Times threaten to sue if Jay went to Trib.....

 

Jay

 

 

 

Jay Mariotti Cannot Write For The Chicago Tribune

It’s been just about three weeks since Jay Mariotti “resigned” from his columnist gig at the CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, and they’ve been an odd three weeks for Chicago sports fans. Without Mariotti telling them why all Chicago teams suck, fans are actually enjoying their team’s division races in baseball, and there is even some optimism about the Chicago Bears after the way they beat the Indianapolis Colts in week one of the NFL season.

 

When Mariotti did leave the CHICAGO SUN-TIMES he did so because he said it was his belief that newspapers were a dying business (though there are conflicting stories going around that Jay threw a hissy fit over Rick Telander getting to write a Barack Obama column and threatened to leave for the millionth time, and this time the SUN-TIMES just called his bluff).

 

I believe his exact words were: “I’m a competitor and I get the sense this marketplace doesn’t compete. Everyone is hanging on for dear life at both papers. I think probably the days of high-stakes competition in Chicago are over. To see what has happened in this business. … I don’t want to go down with it.”

 

So that must be why Jay was in negotiations with the CHICAGO TRIBUNE until lawyers from the SUN-TIMES threatened to sue.

 

 

From the TRIB:

 

Mariotti and Tribune “talked about television, about the Internet, about the newspaper,” he said. Mariotti said that discussions about working for Tribune Co.’s Chicago Tribune newspaper became a stumbling block. “The Sun-Times’ lawyer threatened me with a lawsuit in 64-point type. Things sort of stalled,” he added.

 

“At one point last week, there were lawyers on both sides looking into this,” Mariotti said. “It’s daunting to put together a deal. This [lawyer’s letter] got thrown out in the middle of everything. We both decided that we can’t do what we wanted to do.”

 

Considering the way the SUN-TIMES acted after Mariotti’s resignation - having all their columnists slam Jay publicly (Roger Ebert even got in on the act), and even running a front page banner featuring Deadspin commenter Pete Gaines telling people to come back to the paper because Jay was finally gone - it’s not exactly shocking that they would do everything in their power to keep him from joining their main competition.

 

There’s also the distinct possibility that it wasn’t so much the threat of a lawsuit from the SUN-TIMES that kept the TRIBUNE from hiring Jay as much as it was the rest of the TRIBUNE’s staff now wanting to work with Mariotti. Whatever the case, just because Chicago is now safe from him, Jay does say he’s still having conversations with other national media outlets. Just cross your fingers that one of them isn’t your hometown.