Official Ozzie/Mariotti Thread

[SouthSidePride05]

Why is anyone taking Jay seriously? Why is anyone even reading his columns? You're letting the idiot win by letting him get under your skin. I never read his columns.. whenever I see him on ESPN, I immediately turn it.. so he's not bothering me one bit. Ozzie and others in the organization should've done the same. I'm not disappointed in anything Ozzie said, that's Ozzie being Ozzie, but I'm disappointed that Ozzie and others are letting a lowlife idiot "columnist" make them look stupid.

Edited June 22, 2006 by SouthSidePride05

[YASNY]

I made a yahoo address (mariottisvagina@yahoo.com) and sent it. You can support Jay's crusade to have every Chicago sports franchise leave the city, too: jmariotti@suntimes.com

 

Sorry, but I wouldn't be bragging about that email.

[Dick Allen]

I realize I'm risking the wrath of the entire board and Soxdom in general by not jumping on the Mariotti/Mornotti/whatever bashing-bandwagon, but there's a few things to be pointed out here, IMO.

 

What Ozzie said this week was unbecoming of a manager of a World Series Champion ballclub. To use that kind of guttural language in front of the press, knowing it would be reported, was stupid. Don't get me wrong I LOVE OZZIE TO DEATH but sometimes he can be an idiot, and he's being one now.

 

For all the Mariotti bashing (I read him every day), what's overlooked is that this man has been MORE than fair to the Sox over the past few seasons. The idea that he rips them and champions the Cubs is absurd. While he may call out Ozzie for something like the Tracey episode (or calling that guy in NY a "child molester") or even K.W. last August--wrongly, as it turned out--for not making a trade for a big bat, the man has been talking the Sox up all during 2005 and this year too. He was the guy last year who was telling Chicago to forget the has-been/never-were Cubs and check out the real baseball on the South Side. He was the guy calling KW a genius over the winter for his trades. He was the guy talking up the new Sox as genuinely exciting this year, because everybody knows that we have a chance to repeat.

 

I don't know how much more of a cheerleader this guy's supposed to be, and be objective. What I personally like about Mariotti is that he is unafraid to challenge the sacred cows here in Chicago and rip into teams/ownership that deserve it. This year it's been the Cubs (and rightly so, yes?), but in the past it's been the Bears (any arguments there?), the Bulls (save for the last couple seasons) and probably the Hawks at some point. He was also blistering in his criticisms of the Sox prior to '05 and you know what? He should have been.

 

Yes, he gets things wrong sometimes (famously predicting the Bulls would never win that last championship against Utah, I remember). Yes, his feud with Hawk is idiotic (on both ends). Yes he can be arrogant and a blowhard. But for my money I'd rather see a guy stirring the pot rather than lapsing into the passivity that apparently allows us to continue to suffer owners like the McCaskeys and Wirtz. I WANT a guy who's going to slice and dice the teams when they suck.

 

So apparently this year Mariotti is on Ozzie's hit list because he's criticized Ozzie's behavior here and there. And you know what? That is positively CUBS-LIKE. Oh, you remember, don't you? In 2004 (after the historic 2003 choke) all of a sudden Steve Stone couldn't dare criticize Baker or the team--and when he did, he was either tackled in the press by the team/Baker (ahem) or personally threatened/confronted by players. And that proved to be nothing more than yet another distraction that made sure, among all the other things, that they failed in 2004 as well.

 

As for the Hawk thing, I'm not sure that Mariotti was ever wrong about him. He IS a homer. He IS a mouthpiece for Reinsdorf. That doesn't mean I don't enjoy Hawk, but what's in dispute here? Granted, Mariotti's comments have gotten more personal than that, but on the other end, Hawk spent an entire game the other night reading viewer email about what an asshole Mariotti is.

 

THIS is the kind of thing we need to spend time on as we attempt to repeat as World Champions? Pfft. I doubt it. And as much as I love Ozzie, we don't need to hear him gleefully referring to unliked columnists as "f******* ***gots." At least not publically. Remember his Magglio tirade? That was embarassing. Magglio probably wasn't all innocent in his ultimate departure, but he didn't deserve that. At least not with that kind of language.

 

I'd like to see Mariotti and Ozzie meet and bury the hatchet. Mariotti should be able to write what he wants without worrying about threats from Ozzie. And if Ozzie doesn't like it, he should be able to pick up the phone and call Mariotti and tell him why he thinks he's full of s***.

 

But this nonsense is just getting old. I know Sox fans hate Mariotti, but the man is certainly not the anti-Christ he's made out to be. We need to worry about more important things.

 

Sorry for being a heretic, but that's just how I see it.

If you think Mariotti has been fair to the Sox, you need to find the link to Eric Zorn's blog about his White Sox columns last season. That's only the tip of the iceberg. Mariotti is never held accountable for what he writes. If you remember when the Bears drafted McNown, he was clamouring for him. When the Bears released him, he questioned how the Bears could ever draft him in the first place. Ozzie needs to choose his words a little more carefully. Swearing is fine, don't offend groups of people. Ozzie apologized for his word choice, but I am glad he's not backing down from Mariotti otherwise.

[SoxFan76]

Sorry, but I wouldn't be bragging about that email.

 

Thank you, that's what I was going to say. Let's just give Jay more material for his next column.

[gojimthome]

Mariotti has never been fair to ANYONE. Mariotti has never been a cheerleader to ANYONE.

 

Welcome to Sox Talk, Mr. Mariotti. You can drop your disguise now. We all know the truth now.

 

I'd like to see Mariotti and Ozzie meet and bury the hatchet.

Me, too...So long as the hatchet is buried in Mariotti's fat ass.

Edited June 22, 2006 by Contreras' Crew

[Ventura 23]

JUST STOP BUYING THE SUN-TIMES!!!!!!!! I'm sick of Marriotti and I refuse to give that paper another dime while he remains employed there.

[Queen Prawn]

Thank you, that's what I was going to say. Let's just give Jay more material for his next column.

 

I thought the same myself.

[Gregory Pratt]

Good for you Gregory Pratt, and what are you doing? Following me around?

 

Take your own advice.

 

It wasn't my advice there. It was a mandate given by an Administrator. Perhaps you consider yourself above such petty things as rules?

[Queen Prawn]

From what I read, Jay is married. In fact, I remember an article a few years back about his wife fighting cancer.

Edited June 22, 2006 by Queen Prawn

[fathom]

Me, too...So long as the hatchet is buried in Mariotti's fat ass.

 

Is that another joke at Mariotti's sexuality?

 

This whole thing is turned into such a joke. I'm much more interested in the "ass-pounding" I'm seeing on the field right now.

[Steff]

If you think Mariotti has been fair to the Sox, you need to find the link to Eric Zorn's blog about his White Sox columns last season. That's only the tip of the iceberg.

 

 

http://blogs.chicagotribune.com/news_colum...ariottis_y.html

 

 

Good stuff there.

[Hangar18]

Dont worry LV, Jim doesnt bite.

The only things Mariotti is right about today, is that

 

1: Ozz didnt need to call him a name.

The disproportionate of columns by both papers ripping on Ozzie is ridiculous.

His alleging that the SunTimes has previously censored him regarding the SOX is a bit disturbing.

He can bash the SOX all he wants, I just take his articles with a grain of salt, but

 

2: accusing the SunTimes of censorship is a pretty disturbing trend. He calls out his paper and also calls out the Tribune, something I havnt seen in quite some time, as both papers have operated pretty much with the same ideology. Even if 1/2 of his comment is bs, it certainly brings to the public eye the nature of Chicago sports and how its reported

[Steff]

.

[KevHead0881]

Mariotti is especially fair when he references the William Ligues of the world as being an accurate representation of all Sox fans (which he has done on numerous occasions).

 

I will say that the Sox have to do a better job of ignoring a dufus like Mariotti. But to say that he has been fair to the Sox over the years is beyond comprehension.

[LVSoxFan]

Well I knew that I'd get blowback for not crucifying Mariotti--and would you guys remember I did NOT say that he is never wrong--but it certainly is a mystery to me.

 

That mystery is that, like I said, I read the guy every column (mostly) out of habit and I'm at a loss where everybody's claiming he's been so unfair to the Sox the past couple of years. Hell, there's been more than a few that I've read where he was right-on about us and especially in talking about how we're the "real" baseball team in Chicago. He called KW a genius GM for his offseason deals. Yada, yada.

 

I guess I really don't know what you guys want out of a columnist. Where has he ever been so unfair to the Sox?

[Hangar18]

Mariotti is especially fair when he references the William Ligues of the world as being an accurate representation of all Sox fans (which he has done on numerous occasions).

 

But to say that he has been fair to the Sox over the years is beyond comprehension.

 

Yup. Hes written that stereotype so many times, people refer to us as that everywhere.

[Milkman delivers]

If you honestly believe all of that, LV, you're a sheep.

[EvilMonkey]

JUST STOP BUYING THE SUN-TIMES!!!!!!!! I'm sick of Marriotti and I refuse to give that paper another dime while he remains employed there.

How about if I just rip out all the Moronoti columns and send them back to the Sun Times with a note asking for a refund for this trash that I don't read? Or wipe my ass with it and send it back, letting them know what I think Moronoti's article is worth? I like the Sun Times way beter than the trib, but it is getting difficult these days to not just drop them altogether.

[LVSoxFan]

Mariotti is especially fair when he references the William Ligues of the world as being an accurate representation of all Sox fans (which he has done on numerous occasions).

 

I will say that the Sox have to do a better job of ignoring a dufus like Mariotti. But to say that he has been fair to the Sox over the years is beyond comprehension.

 

Okay, I'll give you that--he was over-the-top in that if he's characterizing all Sox fans as that type. But that incident was a black-eye on our park and our team. Especially since there were two.

 

I'm starting to wonder though: are we immune to criticism? Is that what we think here?

 

[Controlled Chaos]

I realize I'm risking the wrath of the entire board and Soxdom in general by not jumping on the Mariotti/Mornotti/whatever bashing-bandwagon, but there's a few things to be pointed out here, IMO.

 

What Ozzie said this week was unbecoming of a manager of a World Series Champion ballclub. To use that kind of guttural language in front of the press, knowing it would be reported, was stupid. Don't get me wrong I LOVE OZZIE TO DEATH but sometimes he can be an idiot, and he's being one now.

 

For all the Mariotti bashing (I read him every day), what's overlooked is that this man has been MORE than fair to the Sox over the past few seasons. The idea that he rips them and champions the Cubs is absurd. While he may call out Ozzie for something like the Tracey episode (or calling that guy in NY a "child molester") or even K.W. last August--wrongly, as it turned out--for not making a trade for a big bat, the man has been talking the Sox up all during 2005 and this year too. He was the guy last year who was telling Chicago to forget the has-been/never-were Cubs and check out the real baseball on the South Side. He was the guy calling KW a genius over the winter for his trades. He was the guy talking up the new Sox as genuinely exciting this year, because everybody knows that we have a chance to repeat.

 

I don't know how much more of a cheerleader this guy's supposed to be, and be objective. What I personally like about Mariotti is that he is unafraid to challenge the sacred cows here in Chicago and rip into teams/ownership that deserve it. This year it's been the Cubs (and rightly so, yes?), but in the past it's been the Bears (any arguments there?), the Bulls (save for the last couple seasons) and probably the Hawks at some point. He was also blistering in his criticisms of the Sox prior to '05 and you know what? He should have been.

 

Yes, he gets things wrong sometimes (famously predicting the Bulls would never win that last championship against Utah, I remember). Yes, his feud with Hawk is idiotic (on both ends). Yes he can be arrogant and a blowhard. But for my money I'd rather see a guy stirring the pot rather than lapsing into the passivity that apparently allows us to continue to suffer owners like the McCaskeys and Wirtz. I WANT a guy who's going to slice and dice the teams when they suck.

 

So apparently this year Mariotti is on Ozzie's hit list because he's criticized Ozzie's behavior here and there. And you know what? That is positively CUBS-LIKE. Oh, you remember, don't you? In 2004 (after the historic 2003 choke) all of a sudden Steve Stone couldn't dare criticize Baker or the team--and when he did, he was either tackled in the press by the team/Baker (ahem) or personally threatened/confronted by players. And that proved to be nothing more than yet another distraction that made sure, among all the other things, that they failed in 2004 as well.

 

As for the Hawk thing, I'm not sure that Mariotti was ever wrong about him. He IS a homer. He IS a mouthpiece for Reinsdorf. That doesn't mean I don't enjoy Hawk, but what's in dispute here? Granted, Mariotti's comments have gotten more personal than that, but on the other end, Hawk spent an entire game the other night reading viewer email about what an asshole Mariotti is.

 

THIS is the kind of thing we need to spend time on as we attempt to repeat as World Champions? Pfft. I doubt it. And as much as I love Ozzie, we don't need to hear him gleefully referring to unliked columnists as "f******* ***gots." At least not publically. Remember his Magglio tirade? That was embarassing. Magglio probably wasn't all innocent in his ultimate departure, but he didn't deserve that. At least not with that kind of language.

 

I'd like to see Mariotti and Ozzie meet and bury the hatchet. Mariotti should be able to write what he wants without worrying about threats from Ozzie. And if Ozzie doesn't like it, he should be able to pick up the phone and call Mariotti and tell him why he thinks he's full of s***.

 

But this nonsense is just getting old. I know Sox fans hate Mariotti, but the man is certainly not the anti-Christ he's made out to be. We need to worry about more important things.

 

Sorry for being a heretic, but that's just how I see it.

 

BTW, though, his suggestion for a two-week suspension for Ozzie is absurd. Now THAT is bulls***.

Don't misquote Ozzie he said "f***in f.a.g"

 

Mariotti is an asshole and he knows it and gets paid well for it. You defending him is ridiculous, as he probably wouldn't even defend himself in an honest moment with friends. He knows he goes to the extreme to sell papers. He gets people talking at all costs. He's right along the lines of Skip Bayless.

[Chip Z]

Mariotti's hasn't come up with an original thought since he arrived in Chicago. He just surfs the net net for forum boards like this, finds a quote that sounds like it will fire people up, and writes a column about it. The reason you agree with Mariotti, is because you probably wrote the exact same thing and he plagurized your work.

[CanOfCorn]

Why is anyone taking Jay seriously? Why is anyone even reading his columns? You're letting the idiot win by letting him get under your skin. I never read his columns.. whenever I see him on ESPN, I immediately turn it.. so he's not bothering me one bit. Ozzie and others in the organization should've done the same. I'm not disappointed in anything Ozzie said, that's Ozzie being Ozzie, but I'm disappointed that Ozzie and others are letting a lowlife idiot "columnist" make them look stupid.

 

Because they can't. The media will always ask about what this columnist said and what that columnist did. "I didn't read it," doesn't work, because the person asking the question will then reiterate what was said, and then it's taken out of context. It just can't happen.

[LVSoxFan]

If you honestly believe all of that, LV, you're a sheep.

 

Pfft. Sheep. Right.

 

No, I'm the guy who actually reads him. And again I say: prove that Mariotti is so anti-Sox.

 

If he's full of s***, he's full of s*** and I'll say it when he is (and he is sometimes). But excuse me if I don't get in line to drink to Kool-Aid here.

 

If he were that much of a Sox-bashing jagoff, I would have stopped reading him long ago.

 

Mariotti's hasn't come up with an original thought since he arrived in Chicago. He just surfs the net net for forum boards like this, finds a quote that sounds like it will fire people up, and writes a column about it. The reason you agree with Mariotti, is because you probably wrote the exact same thing and he plagurized your work.

 

Really, Chip? I'm one of the biggest, loyal Sox fans in the world so obviously you don't know what you're talking about.

 

Try coming up with something better than a lame straw man.

[Hangar18]

Well I knew that I'd get blowback for not crucifying Mariotti--and would you guys remember I did NOT say that he is never wrong--but it certainly is a mystery to me.

 

That mystery is that, like I said, I read the guy every column (mostly) out of habit and I'm at a loss where everybody's claiming he's been so unfair to the Sox the past couple of years. Hell, there's been more than a few that I've read where he was right-on about us and especially in talking about how we're the "real" baseball team in Chicago. He called KW a genius GM for his offseason deals. Yada, yada.

 

I guess I really don't know what you guys want out of a columnist. Where has he ever been so unfair to the Sox?

 

 

LV, your saying that today Mariotti has a point and he does. Im with you on that. He has mostly been negative towards the SOX and saved all of his Rah-Rah articles for that other team. Of course, the SOX noticed this and privately told him they didnt appreciate it. Now mind you, some of the Negative articles about the SOX were Excellent and Timely, but then writing a piece saying AJ deserved getting punched?

Ridiculous. I want a columnist to just tell the truth, and his many Ligue references have hurt the fanbase perception.

[YASNY]

Okay, I'll give you that--he was over-the-top in that if he's characterizing all Sox fans as that type. But that incident was a black-eye on our park and our team. Especially since there were two.

 

I'm starting to wonder though: are we immune to criticism? Is that what we think here?

 

 

Immune to critcism? Have you read some of the s*** thrown around here at various Sox personalities? C'mon. Get real. Mariotti's a tool of the lowest order.