I love Around The Horn. It's a great show for sports fans (such as myself) who want to hear all the news of the day from a couple different viewpoints, but don't have time to root through ESPN.com, SI.com, The Boston Herald, etc. searching for pointed opinions. There are two things I hate about ATH, though: Woody Paige and his dumbass chalkboard, and Jay Mariotti.
Mariotti always has something to say, yet never says anything. He is constantly lambasting players, coaches, and owners, yet it is rarely constructive. I think his commentary is mostly to hear himself talk, and I, along with all the other panelists quickly tire of it. In fact, I usually don't watch if he's on.
"What's the point of all this?" you ask. Well, after 17 years, Mariotti resigned from his position at the Chicago Sun-Times. Upon his departure, the Times issued this gem, perhaps the funniest press release I've ever read:
"The Chicago Sun-Times had the best sports section in the city before Jay Mariotti came to town -- that's why he signed up with us -- and his departure does not change that.
We still have the stars -- respected veterans such as Rick Telander, fiery newcomers such as Greg Couch, quirky voices like Carol Slezak, not to mention seasoned beat reporters tracking the Cubs and White Sox toward their eventual collision in the World Series, plus the Bears, the Bulls, the Blackhawks, and all the other teams that make Chicago the sports center of the nation. We could have a World Series in Chicago in a couple of months ... talk about excitement!
The Chicago Sun-Times and suntimes.com will continue to have the scores and the stories before anyone else, anywhere, and the deepest and most comprehensive stats and standings. We wish Jay well and will miss him -- not personally, of course -- but in the sense of noticing he is no longer here, at least for a few days.
A paper, like a sports franchise, is something that moves into the future. Stars come and stars go, but the Sun-Times sports section was, is and will continue to be the best in the city."
Original Source - Poynter
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