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Where's Jay Mariotti?/ Lemond....Armstrong....Floyd?
2006-07-24 19:17
by Scott Long

Does anyone know what happened to Jay Mariotti? If you haven't been following, American's biggest sports writing Jack Ass, has been missing from the pages of the Chicago Sun-Times since June 26. Since this was not much after the whole Ozzie Guillen incident, it is very curious to understand why he has decided to take an 8-week vacation. I'm guessing if you asked Ozzie, he would tell you that the last he heard Jay was taking a holiday in Key West.

Has anyone ever heard of a columnist even taking half that much time off, let alone right in the middle of the baseball season in a city that has 2 of the best teams for a writer to cover? Even though he is in the midst of his vacation, J-Otti has no problem belching out his foul exhaust on ESPN's Around the Horn. It's pretty amazing for someone to have a homosexual slur thrown at them and not be able to get victim status, but J-Otti is a big enough douche that few came to his defense.

Considering that Roger Ebert started as a sports writer, isn't time for the Sun-Times to have their best scribe move into J-Otti's digs? If he doesn't want to do it, why not see if his aisle seat partner, Richard Roeper wants the gig. That is if Roeper can spare the time, between writing his general interest column at the paper and oiling up more chicks than Colonel Sanders. At least Roeper has spent time at the ballpark the White Sox play in.

***************

So America continues to dominate the Tour de France. First there was Greg LeMond, a name born to be a championship cyclist in France. Following him on the winner's stand was the most All-American athlete name you could come up with, Lance Armstrong. Now a third champ comes from our great land. Floyd Landis? Why do I think it will be a little harder to market a guy name Floyd?

Landis does have a great backstory, though, as he was raised in a Mennonite community in Pennsylvania. Being a logical sort, Landis doesn't follow the church's beliefs. If you not down with the Mennonites, they are Amish-lite. Is it long before the Farelly Brothers make a movie based on Landis' life entitled "Kingcycle." As long as Bill Murray plays his nemesis, I'm there on opening night.

One interesting side story in regards to these 3 men is the venomous relationship of LeMond and Armstrong. Greg says bracelet boy Lance is a drug cheater, while Armstrong offers back that it's bull and LeMond is jealous. In between is the new champ, Floyd, who LeMond lauds as a great champion who won without doping, whole Armstrong wants to sign him for his Discovery race team. It would seem like these LeMond and Armstrong are wearing too tight lycra, as they are behaving like a couple of men who are being pulled by their short hairs.

****************

The anti-Mariotti, my man Dan Le Batard, has a great column in the latest issue of ESPN the magazine on the glare of being an athlete. In it he discusses the similarities of Lance Armstrong and Barry Bonds.

Damning books have been written about both Lance Armstrong and Barry Bonds. Both have a mountain of accusers beyond that. You can argue about the differences in their situations---the number of times Armstrong has been tested, the leaked federal grand jury testimony on Bonds, but here's the truth. We believe Armstrong because we want to, and we don't believe Bonds because we don't want to. That's because one is viewed as likeable and the other is isn't, and those opinions exist despite the fact that we don't know either one of them at all.

****************

Wanted to thank all my new friends in the Cincinnati area who caught me at the Newport Funny Bone last weekend. Great club and a very underrated city. One of the highlights of the week was appearing with Lance McAlister on AM 1530 Homer. One of the great parts about doing sports radio in Cincinnati is that you can talk baseball anytime of the year. I can name only about 5 cities that you can say the same for.

****************

Finally, it was great to read Will's excellent post on so many different topics. If you are not aware, Will is a busy guy between writing for Baseball Prospectus, being a guest on way too many sports radio stations, and other ventures (I write mysteriously), so during the baseball season, he doesn't appear here as often. I mention this just so you don't think he was on one of those Mariotti "vacation" plans this summer. Unfortunately, our benefits package here at the Toaster doesn't give us paid leave. I need to speak to our union boss, Alex Belth about that. (I nominate Alex, as he wrote a great book about Curt Flood, so I figure he's got to be our leader in dealing with the higher-ups.)

Comments
2006-07-24 20:38:30
1.   Knuckles
Yellow bracelet it ain't, but my great uncle is waiting to see what brand of hip Floyd has installed this Fall before he gets his own hip replacement done...
2006-07-24 20:59:18
2.   Jeff Iannucci
Even if you were serious, Ebert is battling Cancer. He isn't even reviewing flicks.

http://www.slashfilm.com/article.php/20060718020838427

Ebert gets Cancer, Mariotti does not.
Armstrong gets Cancer, Bonds does not.
I don't know what to make of this.

2006-07-24 21:15:48
3.   Scott Long
Yeah, I was aware. Just was to speak to how I think Ebert is deserving of his Pulitzer and how I believe he could have been an excellent sports columnist as well.
2006-07-25 08:12:35
4.   dianagramr
New question: does anyone know what happened to Harold Reynolds, who according to the NY Post was fired from his ESPN gig yesterday.
2006-07-25 08:20:40
5.   Mike J
JayTheJoke.com is on top of Jay's suspension. Apparently, he's on an 8-week vacation.

JayTheJoke.com basically exists to trash his daily columns. Often it's pretty funny, but it also can become a rather petty form of writing that exists purely to trash another writer. As much as I dislike Jay, I tend to dislike more the faceless internet trolls that are jealous they don't get paid to write for a living. You know, the guys that slam Bill Simmons because he's not keeping it real like back when he started in 1997.

These guys aren't that bad, though (mostly because Mariotti deserves a daily bashing), and they are THE source for Mariotti information, if you're curious (and apparently you are!) They have an audio interview with Mariotti on the Score with Mike North if you want to hear it straight from the horse's-ass, er, I mean mouth.

2006-07-25 09:31:09
6.   Another Tom
I, too, am curious as to what happened with Harold Reynolds. My god, if Michael Irvin can get caught with a crack pipe in his car then what did Reynolds do???
2006-07-25 14:51:13
7.   Plate O Shrimp
Mike J... I agree with you. Stand up and identify yourself if you're gonna bash someone. Having said that,if you know who Steve Dahl is, his son one of the two who put together jaythejoke.com ...and it's worthy of a look-see.

No kidding about H. Reynolds?? What's the deal with that? GREAT point 'Another Tom'....and funny too.

2006-07-25 16:55:44
8.   Smed
Most of the skinny at Deadspin says its sexual harassment, though one says it was all about ESPN being way too focused on A-Rod and Harold losing it.
2006-07-26 08:58:47
9.   Another Tom
So the rumors abound that Harold was fired for giving the 'ol Ron Burgundy hug too many times. And now they're replacing him with Steve Phillips, he of the sexual harrasment lawsuit settlement and mandatory counseling.

I don't think any quip or smart-ass line is needed. That's priceless.

2006-07-26 19:31:42
10.   fgill1
Mariotti's "vacation" resulted from an appearance on Chicago Tonight, a news program on the local PBS station. During his appearance, he called the Sun-Times out for not defending him in the wake of abuse from Sox players, including Ozzie Guillen. You can listen to the audio at http://www.jaythejoke.com/2006/07/chicago-tonight-interview-part-ii.html

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