Staff report
Jerry Reinsdorf finally fired back at Jay Mariotti.
The White Sox and Bulls chairman was a favorite target of Mariotti, the ESPN personality who was arrested in Los Angeles last weekend on suspicion of felony domestic assault, when Mariotti wrote a column for the Sun-Times.
Reinsdorf was on a panel with Cubs owner Tom Ricketts on Friday at a WGN Radio event called The Business of Sports at a downtown Chicago restaurant when host David Kaplan asked him about his former media nemesis.
"Jay Mariotti was and is a pissant," Reinsdorf said as the place filled with laughter. "A lot of the people who were laughing here probably have no idea what that means. You can look it up in the dictionary; it has a very definite meaning."
Jerry Reinsdorf finally fired back at Jay Mariotti.
The White Sox and Bulls chairman was a favorite target of Mariotti, the ESPN personality who was arrested in Los Angeles last weekend on suspicion of felony domestic assault, when Mariotti wrote a column for the Sun-Times.
Reinsdorf was on a panel with Cubs owner Tom Ricketts on Friday at a WGN Radio event called The Business of Sports at a downtown Chicago restaurant when host David Kaplan asked him about his former media nemesis.
"Jay Mariotti was and is a pissant," Reinsdorf said as the place filled with laughter. "A lot of the people who were laughing here probably have no idea what that means. You can look it up in the dictionary; it has a very definite meaning."
Dictionary.com defines pissant as "a person or thing of no value or consequence; a despicable person or thing."
Reinsdorf continued: "I couldn't be bothered by him. If he weren't ripping me he was ripping someone else. He was incredibly inconsistent. I remeber one year he ripped (former Cubs president) Andy MacPhail for acquiring Rondell White. The next day he ripped (former White Sox GM) Ron Schueler for not making any deals and referred to the fact that Andy MacPhail had made the heist of the century in getting Rondell White the day before. Nobody ever cared what he said."
You can listen to the entire conversation on wgnradio.com
He's one of those guys who loves to see guys fail at sports when he could never play. Reinsdorf makes good points, but people from under rocks come out to support Mariotti. He's the type of guy who helps destroy professional sports(besides the corporations like Nike, ESPN, corrupt officials, and so many other things.)
He gets off when someone does poorly which Barkley has called him out for more than once...
Hopefully Mariotti, the leach that he is, has a nice spot waiting for him in hell(though I don't believe in one.)
6 of those 7 championships were won primarily because of Michael Jordan and he was already on the team when he bought it. He wined and moaned about paying him fair value then when Mike wanted in on the action Reinsdorf tells him to get lost. Reinsdorf has said the none of the owners wanted to give up part of their ownership shares to Mike.
His other championship was a one hit wonder whose starters put in a fantasy-like performance in the world series.
I think Marriotti is jerk but Reinsdorf's no saint either. I do not understand why and how this man gets a free ride from the press year after year after year?
Take away Mike and Reinsdorf becomes a pissant.
I long for the day his reign of terror comes to an end.
"Classless?" "CLASSLESS??" You must be a Chicago hater. The way I count it, as an owner he has been responsible for bringing the city SEVEN sports championships in the past 20 years. I don't think any other owner can make that claim. PLUS - the truth is always an absolute defense. Mariotti IS a pissant.
Ozzie, stay focused on pennant. When baited by media for comment, stay out of it.
Mariotti's very first Chicago column called for Michael Jordan to be fined for declining to go to the White House after the Bulls' first NBA title. The remainder of his career was comprised of inconsistent front-running and merciless ripping of any person or team who failed to meet his arbitrary standards. He is a professional coward who never gave his targets the chance to confront him face-to-face. Now we see he is a personal coward who has no compunctions against assaulting women. He could end up living out of a dumpster, and I would find it hard to sympathize.
If you're actually defending Marriotti, then you have no clue. It's laughable that someone suggested that he held anyone "accountable". A Marriotti column read like he threw a dart at a board full of pictures to see who he would childishly lash out at that day. Definitely the biggest hack this city has ever seen.
Horray for Jerry!!! It's about time someone had the chuts to tell it like it is about Marrioti. His columns about Chicago sports read like he is from St. Lewis or Green Bay. Never a good read for Chicago sports..
Love how this idiot thinks he "knows" Jerry Reinsdorf. Mariotti hates Reinsdorf because Jerry once picked up the phone and had Jay fired. That's why. Jay isn't "calling out" anyone. And he is the single most gutless writer in Chicago history. Reinsdorf is no saint. He's just a businessman who owns some sports teams. But Mariotti would "call out" his grandmother if he thought it would get him some attention. He is a child, searching for new ways to say "look at me, I'm over here". I guess it's still working. But Jay is a failure at life and he will never be 1% the person Jerry Reinsdorf is.
Marriotti was correct in calling out Reinsdorf, the phony, who co chairs the Equal Opportunity Board for MLB owners---with Ozzies foul mouth and racial insults, and Jerry's silence---Jerry's the pissant. Dont get sucked in by Reinsdorf, this guy hates the fans, built a ball park wrong and in the wrong place, ruined the Bulls and is a Native New Yorker...Jay may be a convicted felon soon but no other sports writer, or sports radio dj ever calls out the mighty Reinsdorf----Marriotti did it regularly and with cause. Name the last Chicago writer or radio guy to call him out. Aint a one. So easy to jump on a bandwagon, yet when you step back and really look at things, Reinsdorf gets away with things that he should have been run out of sports a decade ago. He and steroids Bud are best friends...that says a lot about who Jerry really is. Jay had his number, no one likes Jay so therefore they say Jerry is a good guy---No he is not a good guy. Jay, start a blog from prison, if it includes calling Reinsdorf out, I'll read it. You're the only one who ever had the guts in this town to call that lug out. Boers and Bernstein, you all still waiting for them? Puh-leeze, the SCORE is like WGN they dont call out the teams they broadcast for. Where do you go to get your Truth? Call him what you want but Marriotti had guts these other half a million dollar a year mouths (Boers) ever did or will....half a mil for that bozo--no wonder they never speak of outrageous sports salaries. Look at theirs.
ok time to create jaythepissant.com
Mariotti is a scumbag just like Bernie Lincicome.
"While he was/is a pissant, he's the only sportswriter in this town that actually held management accountable. The rest of those brown nosers continue to laud the likes of Hendry and Piniella despite the fact the Cubs are 20+ games under .500 with the 2nd highest payroll in baseball."
Please provide a link where a single sports writer lauds the Cubs this season. Just one single link will do.
Awesome comments Jerry. If you thought Mariotti had the slightest clue you need to look thru another prism. He was nothing more than a rabble rouser and I'm glad he's in the rearview mirror of the Chicago Sports media.
I don't understand how a guy can never leave his mom's basement yet still generate news but hopefully this is the last we hear from Mariotti.
Reinsdorf is DEAD ON, don't know what Chris below is smoking but Marriotti was anything but "holding anyone accountable"
As JR stated he was a guy that would praise the Cubs in 2003 when they were riding high saying they should win the Penant and then ripped them when they fell short, and used the same reasons for both.
He was always a front-runner and rarely went after someone who wasn't already in the crosshairs.
Typical PC type of guy who would never go after the tough targets. He knew Krause was hated by MJ so, of course he took MJs side and really helped to demonze both the Jerry's.
This city became a better place the day he left. Karma has a way of finding you.
Go Jerry:
Marryoty is too egotistical and arrogant to ever learn from his wife-beating episode.
It is one thing to hold people accountable, but marryoty could never do anything in a respectful or dignified manner.
marryoty was always a --what Jerry said!
Karma sux, right marryoty
While he was/is a pissant, he's the only sportswriter in this town that actually held management accountable. The rest of those brown nosers continue to laud the likes of Hendry and Piniella despite the fact the Cubs are 20+ games under .500 with the 2nd highest payroll in baseball. I miss the days of Mariotti ripping them a new one.
It's not often I agree with Reinsdorf but this time he's spot on.
That's not right. How dare he insult pissants.