Jay Mariotti
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| Jay Mariotti | |
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| Born | 1961 (age 46–47) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| Occupation | Sportswriter |
| Nationality | American |
Jay Mariotti (born 1961 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is an American sportswriter. He is currently a columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times and also makes regular appearances on the ESPN show Around the Horn.
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Schooling and journalistic career
Mariotti attended Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. He started writing for the Sun-Times in 1991.[1] Before joining the Sun-Times, he worked at the Cincinnati Post, Rocky Mountain News and then the Denver Post.[2] Throughout his career, Mariotti has won numerous awards, including honors as one of the Associated Press Sports Editors' top columnists nationally, on the national, state, and local levels.[3]
Radio and television career
Mariotti has been a regular panelist on Around the Horn and guest hosted Pardon the Interruption.[1] Prior to his work with ESPN, he co-hosted a daily sports talk radio program with AP sports writer Jim Litke on One on One Sports/Sporting News Radio.
Controversy
As a columnist, Mariotti has occasionally gained attention for becoming involved in feuds with local sports icons in the towns where he works.
John Elway
While at the Rocky Mountain News, he called Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway "a greedy and scared punk". In the resulting furor, death threats against Mariotti were reported to the police.[2]
Chicago White Sox
In June 2006, Mariotti was the target of a tirade from Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen in which Guillen called Mariotti a "fag", among other things. Guillen was ordered to undergo sensitivity training, and eventually apologized for the word but not his treatment of Mariotti. Speaking to reporters later, Guillen continued to refer to Mariotti with profanities, saying, "I shouldn't have mentioned the name that was mentioned, but I'm not going to back off of Jay."[4]
Sun-Times colleague Rick Telander noted Guillen's frustration that despite being the frequent target of Mariotti's criticism, he had little opportunity to confront Mariotti about it. Telander said that Mariotti avoids the White Sox clubhouse, where other reporters frequently meet with players, saying that he fears for his safety.[5] A team official noted that Mariotti had previously been in a 1997 shouting match with Tony Phillips, and offered to meet with Mariotti to discuss his concerns.[4] Among numerous other journalists, the Chicago Tribune's Rick Morrissey has criticized Mariotti's failure to appear in the White Sox's clubhouse.
Mariotti was also involved in an ongoing dispute with Ken Harrelson, one of the White Sox play-by-play announcers. The two got into a shouting match in the press box during the 2004 season where it was alleged that Mariotti threatened to punch the 63-year-old Harrelson. Later, Harrelson tried to call into Mariotti's radio show after Mariotti said on air that he could "pinch [Harrelson's] beak off any time I want to," but the producer told Harrelson that "Jay said he'd take a pass." [6][7]
Health
After feeling ill on a flight to cover the January 3, 2007 Allstate Sugar Bowl, Mariotti went to a New Orleans area hospital where he received an angioplasty to clear a clogged artery.[8]
References
- ^ a b Jay Mariotti. TV.com. Retrieved on 2006-11-04.
- ^ a b Baker, Chris. "Media Can't Keep Elway in the Grasp". Los Angeles Times, December 2, 1989.
- ^ ESPN Bio. Accessed December 14th, 2006.
- ^ a b ESPN.com. "Guillen apologizes for use of homosexual slur". June 22, 2006.
- ^ Telander, Rick. "In big picture, Mariotti's huge part of story". Chicago Sun-Times, June 26, 2006.
- ^ Why Your Hometown Columnist Sucks: Jay Mariotii - Deadspin
- ^ Mariotti Talks Tough, Threatens Hawk's Beak - Can't Stop the Bleading
- ^ Chicago Sun-Times article on Mariotti angioplasty January 4, 2007.
External links
- Official ESPN Bio
- Chicago Sun-Times archives of Mariotti's columns
- Selection of columns by Mariotti on '05 White Sox
