Mariotti Quits!

Look at that picture, and tell me that guy's not a dick.

Jay Mariotti has finally quit the Chicago Sun-Times. Apparently, he went to China for the Olympics, saw that all the media is web-based these days, and decided to leave his newspaper for the greener pastures of the internet.

Why does this make me so happy? Because I'll never have to read another one of his columns again. I know I didn't have to in the first place, but I felt compelled to anyway. I was amazed by how someone held in such high regard could be such a bad writer. It was amusing to read his spin on some random story, often taking a quote and building some sort of elaborate controversy out of it. Then I'd flip back a couple pages to read Joe Cowley's account of events, which he was actually there to witness, and see how incredibly blown out of proportion Mariotti's take was.

I also loved how much he criticized people for using foul language, while simultaneously fighting dirty every step of the way. It reminded me of Mancow, who always talked about how much he loved Jesus, and then made his living by degrading random people.

If you're looking for some Mariotti highlights, check out this encapsulated look at his coverage of the 2005 White Sox championship season.

Or go to Jay the Joke , where you'll find all sorts of awesome stuff.