Ozzie Guillen, a lazy columnist, and the "F" word

I'm watching the White Sox-Astros game on ESPN. Despite a nine game winning streak, the Sox are in the news because manager Ozzie Guillen called jerk columnist Jay Mariotti of the Chicago Sun-Times "a fag." It was a stupid thing for him to say.

He may not be that, but he is an a-hole. Mariotti doesn't write well, so he picks fights with local sports personalities to draw attention to himself and his column.

Dan Curry of Reverse Spin has an interesting post on this saga, which has so far dominated Jon Miller and Joe Morgan's coverage of tonight's game.

The most interesting commentary about the Ozzie Guillen-Jay Mariotti saga was made by Tribune sports columnist Rick Morrissey, who said columnists who rip athletes should face them afterwards in person. I agree.

If you’re a sports columnist, you show up in the clubhouse to face the music. It’s a matter of fairness.

Let’s say I criticize Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski for something he did in a game. And let’s say I do it in the Sunday Tribune, which has a circulation of about 960,000.

Isn’t it reasonable for Pierzynski to have an opportunity to lash out at me in front of media and teammates in the clubhouse if I’ve treated him similarly in print? It seems pretty straightforward to me. It’s what I was taught to do. It’s what nearly all of the columnists in the country do. The honorable thing.

Look, it’s not always fun walking into a locker room. Sometimes it’s uncomfortable. But it comes with the territory of being a columnist.

Jay Mariotti travels to games, but doesn't interview the athletes. The Tribune's Morrissey compares him to bloggers, who write whatever they want without interacting with the jocks. There's a big difference though, between Jay and the blogosphere. Most bloggers aren't paid to write, or they receive very little compensation for their efforts. Mariotti is presumably well-paid to do half of his job, and as an additional perk, he has an expense account to draw upon.

Also, few bloggers have the impeccable press credentials that a reporter for a major metropolitan enjoys.

I have another "F" word for Mariotti: Fraud.

Kenny Williams, the White Sox general manager, told ESPN yesterday that if Guillen keeps mouthing off, Ozzie could be fired.

That's another "F" word that Mariotti should hear.

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