Mariotti: Roger Ebert Can Kiss My Ass

In a wide-ranging interview with RealClearSports, AOL Sports columnist Jay Mariotti touched on his vitriolic exit from the Chicago Sun-Times in August and had some choice words for the paper's venerable film critic, Roger Ebert, who criticized the way Mariotti left the struggling paper.

RCS: Staying in Chicago, we have to talk about the Chicago Sun-Times. Many there, including Roger Ebert, said you left in an "ugly way." [...] To remain relevant, do you think sports writers must leave situations like you left at Chicago Sun-Times, even if it means taking heat for it?

Mariotti: Excellent question. I signed an extension in July under the belief that the paper would try to upgrade its Web site, which is the only way any newspaper can survive in the future. It was a fair request -- I was devoting two more years to them -- but they completely dropped the ball in Beijing. The subsequent "heat" was silly and embarrassing to them -- I laughed at it. Can you imagine the New York Times or any other serious newspaper devoting the thrust of an entire edition to anyone who left the paper? Have some pride. Don't seem so hideously desperate that you're hung up on a sports columnist leaving and handing back about a million bucks. Don't trot out writers to disparage me when, frankly, they should have been directing that fire toward a newspaper war that was lost years ago.

It's my life, not theirs. I wrote 5,000 columns for them in 17 years. I wrote on holidays, spent massive amounts of time away from home. Roger Ebert, whom I've met once, can kiss my ass. No one gave more blood to that place than I did, and if I decide it's going to die an imminent death, it's my call. And based on events of the last four months, I couldn't have been more accurate. The place is dead.

Later in the interview, Mariotti hints that he may be writing for a Chicago outlet again in the future:

And I still might be writing in Chicago very soon, but it won't be with the Sun-Times-like frenzy that I thought was required at the underdog, struggling paper.

Comments

[sasson]

At the end of the day, I always got the feeling that Ebert loves movies. i could not say the same about Jay and sports.

[crayola 08]

he just needs the loving touch of another man.

[TheMoon]

When did it become OK for media types to just be blowhards?

Especially in sports and political coverage. Mariotti, Limbaugh, Hannity, Olberman just to name a few.

[ManwithaParachute]

Mariotti is what he is. When he expounds on how he gave more to the Sun Times than everyone else he exposes his problem/attribute. Mariotti believes the world revolves around him and any object should be an orbital in his "reality".

Steve Mariotti: The accident no longer waiting to happen.

[writerjohnny]

This kind of post is really kind of scary. The fact that the one of the main facts of the story wasn't learned by ManwithaParachute is actually Halloween scary. His name isn't Steve. Why not say Steve, the Trib writer from Alaska, retired last week at the age of 95. Or maybe it was 25. Whatever. Plus; Jay's actual comment was "No one gave more blood to that place than I did" and not your assertion of "he expounds on how he gave more to the Sun Times than everyone else ". Two pretty key facts to get wrong if you are bothering to analyze the post.

[sasson]

Or maybe the poster read the article, but at the end accidentally confused Jay with Humble Pie's Steve Marriott. Careless mistake and there's no reason to jump over someone for that. Probably just a careless mistake. As for your second argument, well? I don't see the difference.

[Robespierre]

We left Chicago several years ago. I certainly haven't missed this bum! Ebert brought class to the paper. Unfortunately Mariotti flushed it.

[Wigelah]

As usual, nothing nice to say. Vintage Mariotti....never anything positive to say.

[writerjohnny]

Another amazing comment that is prven wrong by the facts within the original post. For example;
1. Jay compliments the interviewer with "excellent question" in his first response. Is their something more positive than excellent?
2. He signed a new contract based on his belief that the Sun Times would follow through on a promise. He made the leap of faith, not the Sun Times. This might be beyond positive. And...
3. Jay says the place(the Sun Times) is dead. That's a way more positive view than the reality. Dead and buried and almost forgotten.

[jsgaetano]

Chicago to Mariotti: we don't miss you, and don't want you back.

Buh bye.

[Madmac]

Jay Mariotti,

The George W. Bush of Sportswriters.

[abliss2379]

JM also has a reputation for writing very critical columns from a safe distance, and not venturing too closely to locker rooms. Roger Ebert writes quite critical reviews himself, but never shied away from film festivals and Academy Award coverage and talk show appearances (pre-illness), where he could expect to run into a star or two who work he trashed.

[writerjohnny]

JM kept his distance, as do a large number of editorial sports writers across the country, to keep his objectivity. The fact that Ebert fraternized with and actually had many friends in the film-making community certainly diminishes his objectivity. Every City has sports beat writers who are in the locker rooms reporting and interviewing and a completely seperate group of writers who do editorials and analysis. There is a small amout of crossover but for the most part JM is in the large majority who do it this way. And I'd really have to see a list of the times Ebert was on a talk show with someone he "trashed" before I take this post at face value.

[abliss2379]

Roger Ebert lends the ST whatever legitimacy it has--he is the first, and I believe still the only--Puli­tizer-priz­e winning critic there is. Esgabel said it all.

[postman606]

Mariotti is one of the biggest horse's a@s on the Chicago sports scene. I'm sure his contempt for everything comes from his inability to play the games on which he reports.

[writerjohnny]

Seriously, this is getting bad. Did Harry Carey's inability to play the games on which he reported cause him to be filled with contempt. Does that always happen or are there other factors? Are all of Jay's writings filled with contempt? Another specious argument without foundation.

[esgabel]

Being a born and raised Chicagoan who grew up on Roger Ebert's Reviews and the original WTTW show with Siskel and Ebert let me just respond that when Mariotti has the Pulitzer, teaches classes at Columbia and Uof I in Champagne, a film festival, a long running TV show, a body of work and writing credits on a Russ Meyer movie...he can open his mouth--"No one gave more blood,"--all he does is whine..in the spirit of Richard J. Daley "What trees did he plant?

[DuPageDem]

Mariotti is right on the S-T's future. But on his suggestion to Ebert, that's impossible since Jay's own neck and shoulders are in the way.

[Cheryl44]

I don't know who Jay Mariotti is--is he supposed to be famous or something?

[ChiGuy]

He would be very happy to tell you just how important he is.

[digitalprophet]

Sports writers are such divas. They have this giant chip on their shoulder because their subject matter is less important than actual news. Movie reviews are certainly less important than what is happening in the world, but they reach a broader audience than brainless jocks.

Don't get me wrong, the pinnacle of sports writing can entice even me. ESPN's Page2 is a great site for a good laugh, and most of ESPN's more serious stuff is concise and current.

A beat sports writer, even in Chicago, can't exactly stand up to the clout Roger Ebert has(whether one thinks it is deserved or not).

[Marcozi]

Diva is the perfect description for this piece of shiiite. This guy is a pathetic, whiny jerk and if he has any fans left in Chicago, they share his last name. Of course, he'd have to have fans to begin with to have any leftover.

The GWB of sportswriters.