Posted by John Kallianis on August 10, 2009 at 16:41:39:
In Reply to: Tribune flat-out denies rumors of Mariotti hiring posted by chicagomedia.org on August 10, 2009 at 13:11:44:
Maybe Mariotti started the rumor!
: Tribune flat-out denies rumors of Mariotti hiring
: By Ted Cox | Daily Herald Staff
: Published: 8/10/2009 11:07 AM | Updated: 8/10/2009 12:30 PM
: Jay Mariotti and the Chicago Tribune are denying an Internet report that has the controversial sports columnist joining the newspaper next month.
: The report surfaced on the Sports by Brooks "celebrity gossip" Web site and was soon picked up by the Romenesko media blog. Yet Tribune spokeswoman Kate Mersman issued a terse, "This is not true," when asked about it today.
: Mariotti, while allowing that "the Tribune and I have had discussions about various projects," quickly added, "but we have not finalized it." He referred to the item as a "silly blog report."
: Still, reports that Mariotti, who quit the Sun-Times a year ago insisting that newspapers were "dying," would swing to the Trib first surfaced almost a year ago and were reportedly shot down by a noncompete clause in Mariotti's old deal with the Sun-Times.
: "My noncompete clause at the Sun-Times expires in late August," Mariotti added.
: The sports writer continues to appear on ESPN's round-table discussion program "Around the Horn."