Listen to this (hat tip to SPORTSbyBROOKS.com):

Great word choice by Reinsdorf. (By the way, the definition of “pissant” is: a person or thing of no value or consequence; a despicable person or thing.)

It’s clichéd to say, but I’ll say it anyway: What goes around comes around. Mariotti made a living off of making personal attacks on the people he covered and now he’s being shredded in the media because of this domestic assault charge.

As Johnny Cash once famously sang, “Sooner or later God’ll cut you down.”

Per the L.A. Times:

LAPD sources said Mariotti allegedly got into an argument with his girlfriend at a club in Santa Monica, and they were observed exchanging harsh words just before getting in a car to leave. Mariotti got angry after he believed his girlfriend had been flirting with another man, police sources said.

The argument continued at the couple’s apartment near Venice where Mariotti allegedly pushed and shoved the woman. During the altercation, Mariotti grabbed her arm, leaving marks, the sources said.

Police were called to the apartment and found his girlfriend, who has not been identified, with cuts and bruises.

SPORTSbyBROOKS has a long archive of Mariotti’s history of decrying domestic violence.

- SPORTSbyBROOKS says the “Zen Master” Phil Jackson is returning to the Lakers full-time after mulling over the idea of either only coaching home games or retiring.

- DEADSPIN has word that loudmouth Jay Mariotti is going to hop back into the newspaper world (after bashing it to join the blogosphere last year) again by joining the Chicago Tribune after his no-compete clause is up in August.

- SONS OF STEVE GARVEY wrote an ode to Manny Ramirez as he’s set to return to action tonight after serving his 50-game suspension.

- YARDBARKER has this shocker: Apparently Stephon Marbury wants more money.

- TONY BLOGS.NET wants to know if anyone else thinks that PETA will get involved after thousands of bees were killed after a swarm of them managed to engulf PETCO Park during yesterday’s Astros-Padres game.

- THE LEGEND OF CICILIO GUANTE lists the Top 10 Sports Quotes to Use While Watching Sports.

- SPORTSbyBROOKS has photos of a pregnant Royals fan drinking a little brew at the game. So sad. The site also finds it funny that Jay Mariotti lectured LeBron on good sportsmanship.

- THE LOVE OF SPORTS reviews “Tyson” (the movie).

- CUZOOGLE had a great idea — to take every team in the NBA and assign a picture of a woman to them based on their level of hotness. (Get it? The Lakers are hot, Wizards…not so much.) Hilarity ensues.

- Wondering why ESPN paid Rick Reilly all that money? Well, they might be too. They now have him writing a blog, GO FISH, which means we can get a taste of Reilly’s lame pop culture references on a more regular basis. Hooray!

- WITH LEATHER describes why NFL fans who play Madden are smarter than NFL fans who don’t.

- DEADSPIN has excerpts from Jay Mariotti’s bitchy interview with Real Clear Sports where he details why he left the Chicago Sun-Times.

- SPORTSbyBROOKS describes how the Minnesota Vikings are using the NFL-to-L.A. fantasy to convince their fans to build them a new stadium. Classy.

1. Pats Can’t Lose

“Crown them Now. Pats Can’t Lose” – Jay Mariotti, Chicago Sun-Times

“…[I]f you’re expecting a Super Bowl…please be aware that the New England Patriots already have won their fourth Vince Lombardi trophy in seven years. They clinched it Sunday, while sitting around their TV sets, watching the only team that possibly could have beaten them, the Indianapolis Colts, lose at home to the San Diego Chargers … Beyond a mass kidnapping, nothing will stop the Patriots from their destiny. They’ve overcome close calls with great escapes, and now, just two wins short of the greatest season in American team sports since the Bulls’ 72-10 title year, no opponent in this solar system will beat them … Crown them. We know exactly who the Patriots are: the perfect football team.”

Sorry, Jay. Take solace in the fact that you were one of millions who was very, very wrong. Unfortunately, your words got printed.

I love when Jay Mariotti is called out. I don’t know, it just makes me feel all warm inside.

Some of the other erroneous columns discussed:

“Mets Won’t Collapse Again” – Mike Vaccaro, New York Post
“Rays Won’t Make Playoffs” – Mike Vaccaro, New York Post
“Picking Ryan ‘Highly Debatable’” – Terence Moore, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“Lakers Will Win Title” – Michael Ventre, NBC Sports
“McNabb’s Reign Likely is Over” – Ashley Fox, Philadelphia Inquirer

Mariotti told the Chicago Tribune he decided to quit after covering the Olympics in Beijing because newspapers are in serious trouble, and he did not want to go down with the ship.

“I’m a competitor and I get the sense this marketplace doesn’t compete,” he said in the Tribune story. “Everyone is hanging on for dear life at both papers.

“To see what has happened in this business. … I don’t want to go down with it.”

His comments sparked a pointed response from his former employer.

Sun-Times Editor Michael Cooke said in an e-mail to CBS 2: “That’s Jay’s opinion. He has plenty of them. But the facts, of course, say something different. I’m going with the facts. Well, it’s turning nasty … and that’s typical of Jay to throw a bomb on the way out of a place that cared for him, nurtured him, paid him well for 17 years.

“The reason Mariotti showed up the Sun-Times 17 years ago was because the paper had the best sports pages in town. That was true then, and it’s true now.

“And as in all sports, when the star leaves, some other young star-to-be skates on to the ice. The Sun-Times has a deep bench of talent, and we’ll be using that depth.

“I am not hearing from grief-stricken fans,” Cooke said.

Cooke pointed to e-mails that he received from readers, including this one: “I wish to inform you that due to recent developments on the Jay Mariotti front, I will now read your newspaper. In fact, I picked one up on the way to work this morning. Not a half-bad rag, I must say. Bully on you.”

Mariotti said he plans to pursue opportunities on the Web, and continue his regular appearances as a panelist on ESPN’s “Around the Horn.”

You have to love this comment by Cooke: “That’s Jay’s opinion. He has plenty of them.” The Sun-Times is going to do just fine without him. People read his stuff because they liked to disagree with him and anyone who watches “Around the Horn” knows that he just likes to stoke the fire.

I will say this about Mariotti, however – the guy doesn’t back down from players, coaches or GMs. (In his columns at least. Apparently he never goes into the White Sox clubhouse because he fears for his safety.) Sometimes he hits the nail on the head when he’s criticizing (i.e. Bears’ GM Jerry Angelo).