Chicago writer should get fired for this article
 

The Sun Times just keeps on causing problems. I actually met this guy at a Cubs game once, he ate some of my nachos, can't wait to call him a jerkoff now for writing this grosteque piece, unbelievable...They have fired Jay the Joke(he hasn't written an article in 4 weeks) and need to can this jerkoff

http://www.suntimes.com/output/telan...pt-rick19.html

All I can say is WOW. Unbelievable.

Scavs
I know the guy pretty well and he's not a bad guy at all. Used to hang with him at the Huddle Bar in Evanston.
His problem is he knows nothing about horse racing and I think he was assigned to the story as the editor probably wanted it featured.
I put a call into his office but haven't heard anything back. I'll post what really happened when I do.
He's been anti-gambling ever since the Northwestern fix as he is a grad of that school and I think that may have caused the bias which came through loud and clear.

I dont think it is that bad. I mean, you get the sense of frustration from the writer has. And he tells it point blank about what happens. But, I see no reason why the write should be fired. It is an article to get some action done to protect the horses. But, it doesnt tell me something I already dont know. He might be a little mis-guided about horse racing, but I think he knows about as much as the average person.

Who is this loser? I love when people who know nothing about racing write articles like this.

Seems to me like he knows a little...

he's the feature sports writer for the Suntimes and also writes for Sports Illustrated. Has won many awards and usually is top notch but I agree he knows nothing about horse racing

Well, he wrote the piece to "shock and anger" and he did his job. Lets be honest here...while certainly from an anti-racing point of view, the bottom line is that he is correct...something has caused an increase in fatalities at this track and saying, "the surface is fine" doesn't answer many questions. Far...FAR too many horses breakdown and die every year, we need to keep searching for answers and it needs to be THE HIGHEST PRIORITY...not only for the horses but to protect those brave little folks who sit atop them! I think the article, while certainly antagonistic, has a place in the debate and I support this guy's right to put it out into the public domain....these pieces will cease to be published when racing does it's part to safeguard all aspects of the sport!

Not really. And while I've been critical of the track surface, this is an example of the media piling on. Why wouldn't the Sun Times have Jim O'Donnell, a writer who's qualified on the subject of horse racing, do a report?

Because it wouldn't be the back page and people outside of racing would not read it. This article was meant to be shocking and read by the masses

....always the voice of reason.

He achieved what those types are after, attention. That sells papers. That gets people like you and me fired up and send in responses.

Did Jay Marriotti get fired?

Rick Telander has been writing long enough that I don't believe the powers that be at the Sun Times told him to "write something shocking". They didn't dictate that to him. He wrote it because he felt like it. If the papers sells a few more copies today, do you think he'll see additional profits? Of course not. I've known a few writers. Regardless of what you may think, they are looking out for numero uno, first and foremost.

Rick Telander has been writing long enough that I don't believe the powers that be at the Sun Times told him to "write something shocking". They didn't dictate that to him. He wrote it because he felt like it. If the papers sells a few more copies today, do you think he'll see additional profits? Of course not. I've known a few writers. Regardless of what you may think, they are looking out for numero uno, first and foremost.

As for Mariotti, he's still listed as a columnist on the ST's web site. Probably just on vacation.

He has been on a 6 week vacation, he is still on Around the Horn on ESPN at the Sun Times Building but not sure.....been absent for some time now, alot of it had to do with how he called out his employer for not 'protecting' him or something, pretty comedy

holy sh*t....this guy knows just enough to be dangerous but not enough to exact any meaningful action...how does something like this get printed?

The sick thing is that he is right about it, but if you are attacking the sport, talking about it in this gruelsome manner will not get fans, especially alot of the pansies that live near Arlington

Please clue me in on to what is so far off from the truth in this article?
So you have a guy who refuses to sugarcoat what is going on in this sport and how badly the animals get treated. So what, you want the guy to write an article beautifying Arlington and the sport and telling fabrications? I just dont get it.

Wow......that is harsh, but not unexpected....