Jay Mariotti
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Jay Mariotti (born 1961 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is an American sportswriter. He is currently a columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times and also makes appearances on ESPN, where he has been a regular panelist on Around the Horn and a guest host on Pardon the Interruption. [1]
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 Rocky Mountain News and then the Denver Post.[2]
As a columnist, Mariotti has occasionally gained attention for becoming involved in feuds with local sports icons in the towns where he works. 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]
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."[3]
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.[4] 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.[3]
[edit] 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.
- ^ 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.
