Mariotti -- Reinsdorf Fading Away as Big Loser

[TB#1]

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/mariotti ... 08.article
Reinsdorf fading away as big loser

20th-century, old-money owner is showing it's time to step aside after Bulls, Sox sputter, stagnate instead of becoming title-worthy

January 17, 2008
BY JAY MARIOTTI Sun-Times Columnist

So I see Jerry Reinsdorf has retreated to his cave. What a shock, huh? When he finally won the World Series after 25 years of trying, he amazingly transformed into The People's Owner, shaking hands and posing for pictures and answering to chants of ``Jerry! Jerry!'' But over recent months, he has returned to his previous life as The Invisible Owner, and we obviously know why.

The White Sox are awful.

The Bulls are worse.

In both cases, the teams have fallen quickly from lofty places because of, well, management messes. And let me clue you in on something that Chairman Jerry, rather comically, always has denied through his various underlings and flunkies: He IS centrally involved in every major decision made by both franchises. Which means Reinsdorf has played a significant role in why the Bulls are a dysfunctional bunch of squabbling underachievers who may employ three head coaches in a six-month period, and why the Sox have gone 109-135 and handed a five-year extension to a goofball manager since they seemingly were poised to win back-to-back titles in July 2006.

His band of supporters, which sadly includes many media jamokes who enjoy currying his favor, call him Chicago's best sports owner. I suppose if Rockford must have a tallest building and ``The View'' must have a favorite panelist, then Reinsdorf has been the city's best owner the last quarter-century. But I submit that Benny the Bull could have been the owner and watched Michael Jordan win six NBA trophies, making Reinsdorf the luckiest owner in town. And the fact the Sox have made the playoffs only four times during his ownership tenure -- he bought the team in 1981 -- tells me they're major-market slackers who fluked their way into the holy grail three years ago.

I bring this up not to badger the poor fellow, who is known to call my editors and order blog hits when he gets mad, but to point out that he might be next in the great sea change taking place in Chicago sports. For much too long, this city has been dominated by monolithic, old-money, gruff, stubborn, profit-minded sports owners stuck in the 20th century. They've controlled much of the media, abused fans and grazed like sacred cows. But last April, the Tribune Co. decided it was getting out of the baseball business, giving the Cubs a chance to win a World Series before we die. And last autumn, Blackhawks owner Bill Wirtz passed away, allowing hockey fans the novel concept of watching a home game on TV. That quickly, two of the five pro franchises were assured of fresh decision-making and new blood.

Now, might Reinsdorf be next to move aside?

[Johnston797]

I bet Jay did that one pro-bono.

[Tommy Udo 6]

Never misses an opportunity to bash JR

[dougthonus]

Yeah Reinsdorf is an embarrassment to Chicago. In the time he's owned the Bulls and Sox he's brought 7 titles to Chicago, over that time period, the rest of the major Chicago sports teams combined have 1.

[Johnston797]

As Jay would say, none of the other owners were spotted the GOAT

[dougthonus]

The Bears had Walter Payton and only won 1 title. Baseball isn't a sport dominated by individual players so there is no equivalent argument, but the Cubs haven't won in basically a century, and the Sox hadn't won in 3/4s of a century prior to Reinsdorf.

[DuckIII]

Et tu, Brute? Mariotti sure blind-sided his boy Reinsdorf with that one. Talk about "out of left field"!

I bet Jerry was eating his McGriddles this morning, reading the paper, and he was all like "What the . . . . ? Honey, did you see what Jay wrote about me this morning? I'm going to have to take him out to dinner to rationally discuss his recent change of heart. But its certainly food for thought. If even Jay is willing to criticize me, maybe I am doing something wrong after all?"

[dougthonus]

You're right Duck, once Jay Mariotti criticizes you then you know things have gone really bad. He's normally such a positive guy that you have to really have hit rock bottom for him to go negative.

[Tommy Udo 6]

As Jay would say, none of the other owners were spotted the GOAT

but JR took his gift from God & made the most of it. He recognized what he had. That's a talent in itself

[DuckIII]

You're right Duck, once Jay Mariotti criticizes you then you know things have gone really bad. He's normally such a positive guy that you have to really have hit rock bottom for him to go negative.

His opinion is the most reliable barometer of quality that I'm aware of.

[Johnston797]

[Reinsdorf] recognized what he had. That's a talent in itself

Really? More Jay...

Reinsdorf continues to be haunted by his foolish remarks midway through the championship years, that he couldn't wait to build his own dynasty after Jordan retired. Ten years after the final championship, his ``dynasty'' consists of exactly one playoff-series victory and a 271-472 regular-season record.

I would say that JR did make use of what he had at least until the near end. Even if he didn't recognize and appreciate it fully at the time.

[dougthonus]

Has any other owner in major professional sports won a title with 2 franchises?

I'm not sure how many people can even put their hat in the ring to try, but I know there's a few.

[Grand Champ]

Further proof that Gay Moronotti is an idiot.

Yeah reinsdorf is cheap, but he's pinching his pennies for an actual GOOD free-agent class...

[ChicagoChris]

i'm no big fan of reinsdorf but i can't stand marrioti. that said, I wonder if JR would be better off if he'd just ignored jm all these years. instead of giving him material. it would be interesting to know the little things jerry's done to torment jay and try to figure out if it's been worth it. maybe he's hoping that with enough work he'll push the exact right button and marrioti will blow a gasket..physically or professionally, and it will all be worthwhile.

[dougthonus]

If Mariotti's current body of work isn't enough to get him fired, I don't think there is anything he could do professionally that would cause that.