Posted by chicagomedia.org on July 06, 2009 at 11:43:08:
The return of Jay Mariotti?
Posted by Ed S.
at 7/6/2009 7:43 AM CDT on Chicago Business
Are you ready for another helping of Jay Mariotti?
Perhaps somebody should warn Ozzie Guillen, Jerry Angelo, Lou Piniella, and just about everyone else who is involved with a sports team in town.
The buzz in the press boxes is that Mr. Mariotti is going to work at the Chicago Tribune in some capacity. Since Tribune officials are declining to comment on the matter, you know something is in the works.
It looks as if the former Sun-Times columnist will turn up with the Tribune's "Chicago Now." It is a new site featuring a network of bloggers commenting on everything and anything, including sports. I have been touting a blog Jack McDowell has been doing on the White Sox.
That landing spot makes the most sense for Mr. Mariotti. Since leaving the Sun-Times, he became a lead columnist for AOL's Fanhouse along with continuing as a regular on ESPN's "Around the Horn."
I don't see Mr. Mariotti giving up the AOL gig. AOL is trying to build a sports site to compete with ESPN.com, and Mr. Mariotti is a big part of their plan. Also, he likes to travel to cover major sporting events and Fanhouse affords him the opportunity at a time when virtually everyone else is anchored at home.
Mr. Mariotti would have to give that up if he became a columnist for the Tribune with its financial constraints. Also, the word at the Tower is that the paper doesn't want him. Good thing since his presence might trigger a full-scale revolt with the remaining members of the sports staff.
Besides, hasn't Mr. Mariotti been writing that newspapers are a dinosaur? The future is the Net, he says. Right?
The most logical scenario is Mr. Mariotti adding Chicago Now to his AOL duties. It would give him a chance to have a regular voice again in local sports. He also would provide Chicago Now with a high-profile go-to guy to lure people to the site.
Mr. Mariotti easily could handle both duties. If anybody could write 14 columns in a week, it's him.
Of course, there's also another local possibility for Mr. Mariotti. Comcast SportsNet is looking to dramatically upgrade its website. Hiring Mr. Mariotti would be one way to make a strong statement.
Either way, it all should play out fairly soon. Mr. Mariotti reportedly has a non-compete clause with the Sun-Times that runs out next month. When it does, all his favorite targets should take notice.
In fact, he might have been warming up last week. In a column ripping reckless coverage of the steroid issue, he took a jab at his former Sun-Times colleague Rick Telander, calling him "ancient." He then said, "My guess is, Telander was trying too hard to get attention in a death-warmed-over newspaper."
Ah yes, can't wait for the fun to begin again.