It's a Chicago media tussle—hardball style! Yes, well. The Chicago Sun-Times threatened to sue the Chicago Tribune for job discussions the Tribune had with Jay Mariotti, the sports columnist who quit the Sun-Times just last month. But, um, hey Jay: didn't you quit your LUCRATIVE NEW contract at the Sun-Times out of the blue because you were inspired by all the other sports journalists you saw "writing for web sites?" Where's your "web site" now, you idiot man-child? Ahahaha!

Mariotti and Tribune "talked about television, about the Internet, about the newspaper,'' he said. Mariotti said that discussions about working for Tribune Co.'s Chicago Tribune newspaper became a stumbling block. "The Sun-Times' lawyer threatened me with a lawsuit in 64-point type. Things sort of stalled,'' he added.

Gosh, that is big type. Let's recap: Mariotti, one of the most reviled sports columnists in America by fans, colleagues, and athletes alike, suddenly and without warning quits an outrageously lucrative newspaper job—one of the rarest commodities in all the media. Because he saw people at the Olympics "writing for web sites" and figured he should, too. Does he then start a web site? No, he goes to his former employer's biggest rival begging for, essentially, the same job he just quit. Could you squeeze one more appalling quote into this story in order to cement your idiocy for us, Jay?

"It's not your father's Tribune,'' Mariotti said, speaking about new management in the wake of Tribune Co.'s deal late last year to go private under a deal led by Sam Zell. "I enjoyed dealing with them. I think they have a great future.''

Jay Mariotti: as savvy about the newspaper business as he is about sports. [Chicago Tribune]