Mariotti Quits- Last seen removing pants on way to his mother's basement

[homer]

"It's been a tremendous experience, but I'm going to be honest with you, the profession is dying,'' Mariotti said. "I don't think either paper [Sun-Times or Chicago Tribune] is going to survive.

"To showcase your work ... you need a stellar Web site and if a newspaper doesn't have that, you can't be stuck in the 20th century with your old newspaper.''

...

[Editor] Cooke said he learned of Mariotti's resignation in an e-mail, that said, simply: "I quit.'' Mariotti had recently signed a new contract with the paper.

...

"I am not hearing from grief-stricken fans,'' Cooke said.

Cooke pointed to e-mails that he received from readers, including this one: "I wish to inform you that due to recent developments on the Jay Mariotti front, I will now read your newspaper. In fact, I picked one up on the way to work this morning. Not a half-bad rag, I must say. Bully on you."

http://cbs2chicago.com/sports/jay.mariotti.quits.2.803995.htm

Release from Sun-Times on Mariotti's departure:

The Chicago Sun-Times and suntimes.com will continue to have the scores and the stories before anyone else, anywhere, and the deepest and most comprehensive stats and standings. We wish Jay well and will miss him -- not personally, of course -- but in the sense of noticing he is no longer here, at least for a few days.


http://awfulannouncing.blogspot.com/2008/08/chicago-sun-times-doesnt-appear-to-be.html

[Jose Cruz III]

Apparently not only does he play a douche on TV, he is one in real life, too.

[pravata]

Good for him.  He'll end up on some website jammed up with advertising, bloviating his opinion on stories he picks up from the AP.

[moriartp]

That is one of the funniest things I've heard in a long time. I just wish Pinwheel and Ponce de Leon had followed suit.

[Gizzmonic]

Wow, this move could single-handedly revive the newspaper business in Chicago.  Way to take one for the team, Mariotti!

[Bench]

"I am not hearing from grief-stricken fans,'' Cooke said.

Brilliant.

[TheWizard]

We wish Jay well and will miss him -- not personally, of course -- but in the sense of noticing he is no longer here, at least for a few days.

That's one emotional goodbye.

[Clark in Denver]

Good for him.  He'll end up on some website jammed up with advertising, bloviating his opinion on stories he picks up from the AP.

chon.com?

[Limey]

chon.com?

SnS

[homer]

SnS

Probably more like AD.

[VirtualBob]

Probably Hopefully more like AD.

FIFY

[matadorph]

God Bless Roger Ebert.

[S.P. Rodriguez]

Pinwheel linked this "Inside Story" from his blog.

[Mr. Happy]

God Bless Roger Ebert.

Ebert has class and is still taking it to them after all these years. God bless him.

[Noe]

Pinwheel linked this "Inside Story" from his blog.

Ironic since the main accusation against Mariotti is that he never had access to the players and if he did, he never used it.  He simply said what he wanted while never once stepping into any clubhouse to get the facts and/or information from the players, managers or anyone else.

I think I read that the word "coward" or "cowardly" was used more than once to describe this tatic or personality trait of the columnist.  Why am I not surprised?

[matadorph]

Dear Jay,

What an ugly way to leave the Sun-Times. It does not speak well for you. Your timing was exquisite. You signed a new contract, waited
until days after the newspaper had paid for your trip to Beijing at great cost, and then resigned with only an e-mail. You saved your
explanation for a local television station.

As someone who was working here for 24 years before you arrived, I think you owed us more than that. You owed us decency. The fact that
you saved your attack for TV only completes our portrait of you as a rat.

Quoted for those who may not have clicked on the Ebert link above and don't know the awesomeness they're missing.

[Mr. Happy]

Quoted for those who may not have clicked on the Ebert link above and don't know the awesomeness they're missing.

Yep. Ebert knocked that one out of the yard.

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

Yep. Ebert knocked that one out of the yard.

A slam dunk.