I actually didn't miss Tony that much this week. I feel so dirty.

Not me. I can't stand Jay. Though to be fair, I did enjoy the opener earlier in the week when he got booed.

Tony, COME BACK!!!

Where the hell is Tony? He didn't get suspended again, did he?

http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=430640

You should. Mariotti's terrible. Sure, he's not Jason Whitlock terrible, but he's not even as good as Lebatard. The excess make-up, the shaved widow's peak, the stupid way he tries to hide his receding hairline, the fact that he needs 6 pages of notes strewn across the desk compared to Wilbon's 1, his inability to back up forceful opinions with any facts or logic, and worst of all ... he's not funny.

das

Bite your tongue!

That makes one of us.

Must be nice to have Tony's schedule. Off two weeks, back one day, off two weeks...repeat. Summers in PTI-land are nearly intolerable.

I do miss Tony since Jay is driving me up the wall. I'd rather have Le Batard (I never understood the animosity toward him). If Mariotti would stop dissing my White Sox I might like him a tad better.

Dat's crazy talk, man!

So why does Tony hate him so much anyway?

It has something to do with Jay ripping off Tony's radio show.

Say what you want about Le Batard but I doubt he'd be defending McCarthyism like Mariotti did the other day. What the hell was up with that? I'm glad Willie Buns and Stat Boy called him on that.

I do. Jay is the worst, he's always crying, when I used to listen to espn radio in chicago they would all rip on the guy all the time. I saw him do opening day a few times after Mike and Mike in the morning and he would want into Goose Island or where ever thinking he was the sh@t. Idiot!

That's my main complaint with the not-Tonys and not-Michaels. Tony and Michael have a "friends who argue" vibe, and they have fun. A lot of the poseurs get too wrapped up in it and get into 'cable news talk show' mode. This is a lot worse when both of them aren't there.

I really can't stand the flip-flopping of Jabroni (Mariotti)! And the way he gets publicity by always taking shots at his hometown Chicago teams in his columns

Marriotti is the worst kind of sports writer. Negative about everything to the point of absurdity and without the brains to come off even remotely like he knows what's he is talking about. I cringe whenever I see his ferret face pop up on TV.

Mariotti = TVs worst sports reporter


HOWEVUH!!! I must say that Stephen A. Smith has calmed down a bit and in maybe, MAYBE a few years I might actually like the guy. Doubt it, but maybe.

Can't disagree with much of what's been said here about Mariotti (especially the McCarthyism comment -- that was beyond the pale). But at least this week I was able to watch the show, which I am unable to do for most of the guest hosts, including:

• Jason Whitlock
• Dan Le Batard
• Norman Chad
• Skip Bayless (how this guy got on TV I'll never know)

I ALWAYS miss Tony! I agree with you, however. I enjoy Mariotti very much as his number one replacement.

LeBatard is fine - definitely one of the best guest hosts. Just watching him on Sports Reporters today made me appreciate him even more since he goes against the typical knee-jerk sports analyst position on a variety of subjects.

Plus he seems to appreciate the LeBatard-hate.

LeBatard has come a long way since his first guest host days.

Yeah. The truth is that LeBatard took the early criticism and grew from it. It's not a Stephen A. situation where (some) people have warmed up to his style. LeBatard was most definitely terrible on the air when he first showed up. But he's embraced the "hate", adjusted his presentation, and it's to the point now where I actually enjoy watching him.

das

Jay Mariotti = Eddie Munster

Looks like at least one more week sans Tony.

yeah, but at least we started off with bob ryan.