Wednesday, August 27, 2008

If He's That Unpopular ...

Why is the story about Jay Mariotti leaving the Sun-TImes the "Most Viewed" story right now on the Chicago Tribune's Web site?

Update: So there's no confusion among those who may think that because I thought it ironic that the top viewed story on the Trib site was something about a Sun-Times columnist, that I supported the class-less Mariotti, I have posted a reply to an anonymous replier in the replies section of this post (you know what I mean).

In retrospect, I guess I should have titled this post "Isn't it Ironic?" But Mariotti is popular, if by popular you can also mean James Dobson belongs in the Radio Hall of Fame because he's well, famous.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Even more disgusting is that the Sun-Times is handling Mariotti's resignation like a high school gossip girl.

If the most popular kid in school doesn't want to be friends with us, let's make fun of him publicly -- especially since he doesn't have a forum to respond.

Michael Cooke: "We wish Jay well and will mis him -- not personally, of course -- but in the sense of noticing he is not longer here..."

What big name is going to want to take Mariotti's job and be made fun of by ownership and coworkers?

Only The Bright One.

james said...

Dear "anonymous:"

Lest anyone think that I agree with what you've said or that I have any sympathy for Mariotti, let me explain (and disagree with you).

First off, Mariotti has plenty of forums to respond, as he has been doing apparently non-stop all week, whether in the Trib, on the radio, in STreetwise, everywhere. The guy cannot shut his mouth.

Secondly, to echo some of the sentiment expressed by Ebert and which anyone who has read and listened to Mariotti for a while now, the guy has no class. It's nothing at all like a "popular kid" that gets picked on by or "made fun of" as you say, by other kids because he's popular. No, he's the loudmouth, the kid with the chip on his shoulder who's always ready for a fight, whether or not a fight is warranted. I know I said "If he's so unpopular..." in my post, but I meant it more in the way that I was amused that the most popular and most commented story on the Chicago Tribune's site was about a columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times. It doesn't mean that Mariotti was popular, it more means that there are no personalities anyone much cares about at the Trib, whether its in sports or entertainment or really any columnist area (except for Kass) who any reader much cares about one way or the other.

The Sun-Times has faults, that much is clear. But when something happens at the Sun-Times, who do the reporters at the Tribune or the Reader call? They know who to call or e-mail and people who regularly read the media columns in those publications know who the people at the top, whether in management or in the union, are at the Sun-Times. Now who is in charge at the Trib? You may say Sam Zell, but does he talk to the media? Does he call the guys who write the media columns for the Trib and Reader?

And as far as the 'poor old Jay, people were jealous and now they are making fun of him' argument, well, that doesn't fly. It's tough to try and garner sympathy for a nationally-know writer if he's also a world-class prick.