Chortling that “it might be time to replace those World Series banners with white flags,” the Chicago Sun-Times’ Jay Mariotti (above) happily points out the most crucial statistic of all for the 2006 White Sox : they’re just 39-41 since Ozzie Guillen called Mariotti a fag.
The Blizzard has burned everybody out, sucking energy from the Sox with his various controversies, slurs and distractions. He truly entered the Twilight Zone, whether it was picking unwinnable media fights, mocking his so-called sensitivity-training sessions or making additional national news by screaming at Sean Tracey for not plunking a batter, ripping Alex Rodriguez for ”kissing Latino people’s asses,” wanting to ”shoot” steroids informant Jason Grimsley, being told to seek professional help by Phil Garner, being called a liar by Dave Duncan and taking on Andy Van Slyke, Mariano Duncan, Kelvim Escobar and, last weekend, Oakland Athletics management for banning alcohol in both clubhouses.
”He doesn’t run my club. I run my club,” Guillen said in another act of profanity and anger, this one aimed at A’s general manager Billy Beane, who’s paying Frank Thomas about $11 million less this season than the Sox are paying Jim Thome.
I am exhausted just summarizing his year of madness. If this is ”A Mi Manera,” which translates as ”my way” and serves as the title of his image-buffing series on Comcast Sports Net, it is an embarrassing way indeed.
When Ken Harrelson cites the lack of a killer instinct–my gosh, the team mascot finally has a legitimate observation—he doesn’t mention Guillen by name. But if the attitude and soul of a ballclub is a manager’s responsibility, then such criticism can be viewed as an indirect knock on the Blizzard.
Fuck Mariotti and his Grabowski readers. His column doesn’t stand up to Skip Bayless’ horse-piss, and a rag like the Sun-Times would double subscriptions if they printed more Sharapova pictures over the already empty space that Jay currently occupies.
Having a vendetta against a manager and ownership that can actually be commended for winning championships is as hacky as it gets. When Mariotti is eventually run out of Chicago (is he even there now?) and winds up writing for the Green Bay Press Gazette or some other small town shopper, his assholish behavior and write without watching style will yield yet another (Jay is crossing his fingers) war of words with an entire pro franchise. The worst part of the Gay Jay mess is that he is probably cashing a check for the book right now.
When Mariotti is eventually run out of Chicago (is he even there now?) and winds up writing for the Green Bay Press Gazette…
except that as long as people are talking about him he’s never going to get run out of town. i’m sure the sun times knows that there are as many people who will read a sports column to get pissed off about what’s in it as there are readers who hope to gain some sort of insight from it.