byes

I, probably alone amongst all Sox fans the worldwide over, actually liked Jay Mariotti. Oh, he had problems, fer sure - but overall, I ususally checked out at least what he was writing about if I didn't read the article.

But boy, did people hate him. They just hated the dude. And I'm not talking about Ozzie and the rest of the boys - I'm talking about the people he worked with. Seems he was slightly less well- behaved than Barry Bonds and Albert Belle combined. In the week that followed his leaving the Sun Times, it was funny as hell reading the .......'tributes' that his co-workers wrote about his departure. Each one a rip job on him. Here is Roger Ebert's, and here is neil Steinberg. I know it's bad when there is human dissention, but shit read that stuff about him - how would you like to have to work in the desk next to that guy.

Oh oh, the Sox hated him too- his deep hatred of the team always showed in his articles. So -it's summer, and 20 out of every 21 columns are about the Cubs. The other one was his once every three weeks rip job on the Sox. I'd read them - the Sox articles, mainly, as the stunningly deep disparity in his coverage of the two teams generally shyed me away from his coloums the last few years - what Sox fan wants to read a rip job on the team by a Cubs fan?? Or rather, what would be the point?

Possibly the funniest Jay mentions are in books about the White Sox. In both Richard Roepers fantastic Sox and the City and Phil Rogers Say it's So, the writers gleefully track Jay's take on the 2005 team. Of course we have hindsite, but I'm pretty sure Jay was trying his best to get the Sox to lose even as Uribe's throw was crossing the infield to record the last out of the 2005 World Series. The constatnt tracking of "The Sox suck" and "The Sox will collapse" and "This is the biggest chock job or all time" and other jayisms is deeply funny.

As I said, I was interested in Jays take on most stuff. Buulls, hawks, bears, Cubs, etc etc etc... However, I had stopped taking him seriously for several years now. Should his hatred of the Sox actually affected his writing so much? I think not. His hatred for the team really ruined him in my eyes. Why bother reading Cubs fan diatribes on the Sox? Jay's was such.

But I must amidt I did want to read his take on the Bears last nite. What - Is aid I read him.....oh, I said I liked him.....well, wahtever.......good luck Jay.