Mariotti Maims his Mistress: Who's to blame? The City of Pittsburgh!

Jay Mariotti, long time panelist on ESPN's Around the Horn and former sports writer for the Chicago Sun-Time just got arrested for beating up his Girlfriend at 4AM on Saturday August 21. Sources say that they were in a verbal argument earlier in the evening on Friday. She wasn't dead or anything like that, but she was pretty scuffed up when the cops came to the scene. But I'm not here to give you details on what happened, there are plenty of articles already written on Jay Mariotti mauling his girlfriend like he was some sort of a circus lion. What I'm here to do his defend Jay Mariotti. Sure he domestically abused his girlfriend, sure what he did was completely wrong, sure he deserves to be crapped on for his hypocrisy when one day he criticizes an athlete for doing something that he would do hours later. Let's remember where Jay Mariotti came from. He came from Pittsburgh when he was a child. For years Pittsburgh sports has dominated the sporting world with the Steelers, Pirates, and Penguins. This sort of success only did harm to Jay Mariotti and his psyche. He started to think that Pittsburgh was the best city in the world, and that he himself was special for living in that city. That sort of arrogance rubbed off on him in a very negative way. He started to take jabs at everybody else in the sporting world waiving that finger of Pittsburgh pride. He grows up thinking that everything in life is handed to you on a silver platter. He gets a job writing for the Chicago Sun-Times, all puffed up in his arrogance as he gets to cover the greatest athlete that ever lived in Michael Jordan. While this seemed to be another blessing to Mariotti, it was actually very damaging to him as he hung out with Michael Jordan, Phil Jackson, and Dennis Rodman. Michael, Dennis, and Phil had an arrogance about them that Mariotti reflected. Mariotti began to feel attached to that team in more ways than one. He began to believe that he was a member of the Chicago Bulls. He began to feel that his presence in Chicago led to their success. He felt that wherever he went, success followed the sports teams that were there. With each and every Chicago Bulls Championship, Mariotti became more and more confident that he was their good luck charm. Who was next to benefit from Mariotti's presence in Chicago? The Cubs? The White Sox? The Blackhawks? The Bears? It only made sense in Mariotti's mind that Chicago Sports would dominate the world because of his arrival. To his dismay, little of that happened. The White Sox winning the World Series was the only bright spot to follow in Chicago after Jordan retired. The Bulls went into a funk, the Cubs choked away the NLCS, the Blackhawks sucked until he left Chicago, and the Bears lost in the Super Bowl because they had the worst QB in the NFL in Rex Grossman. Chicago Sports was going downhill, and Mariotti didn't know why. He began to think that maybe he wasn't Chicago's good luck charm. "Maybe Chicago doesn't need me". He thought. "Maybe I'm just an overpaid jabbering monkey like the rest of my colleagues." But he couldn't swallow the pill of humility that he was like everybody else. So he moved to LA. He got a girlfriend that had more body than brains to fill the void in his sorry pathetic life. She became his only refuge for vanity and pride. He went Hollywood, he started thinking that the Clippers were going to win the NBA finals, that LA would get the Rams back, and that just like Chicago and Pittsburgh before, they would benefit from his presence. But he wasn't right. Sure the Lakers won the NBA title, but that had happened before he got there. The Clippers still stunk, the Rams never came back, and San Diego had a better baseball team than LA. Mariotti couldn't take it. So he decided to make a bold career move. He beat up his girlfriend. "Maybe LA will recognize my presence now!" he foolishly thought. "Maybe I'll get the attention of Jack Nicholson and will be able to get front court seats to every Laker game!" Mariotti went too far with this move. He went to far. Now he's lost his Job, his Career, his girlfriend, etc. Even his mother hates him now. He's become the laughing stock of the sports-writing community, all because he grew up in a successful city like Pittsburgh! If he had grown up in Cleveland, he wouldn't have turned out this way! He would have learned humility, patience, and long-suffering. Instead, he had to be born into success! You can blame Chuck Noll, Terry Bradshaw, Mario Lemieux, the entire 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates World Series Championship team, and the entire Pittsburgh Steelers Championship teams as well. It's only fitting and ominous that months after Ben Rothlisburger got busy in a bathroom that Jay Mariotti gets arrested for beating up his flirty female floozy. It all comes full circle now as Mariotti becomes the subject of the same criticism that he used to deliver. It's like he's being fed to the Sharks. But please, keep in mind, that when you climb all over Mariotti's frame, he's only the product of his surroundings.

2010-2011 NFL Power Rankings Week 1

1. New Orleans Saints (0-0): The Saints are the defending Super Bowl Champions bringing back a lot of the same players from last season. As long as Drew Brees stays healthy, this team will make another run deep into the playoffs and might repeat at Super Bowl Champs.

2. Indianapolis Colts (0-0): The only concern the Colts should have right now is making sure that Peyton Manning stays healthy, as well as getting the running game to move in the right direction.

3. Minnesota Vikings (0-0): Even without their star Receiver Sidney Rice for half the season, they should still be able to put together another competitive campaign as long as they can keep Brett Favre healthy at QB. Remember, they still have Percy Harvin (even though he has those migraines), Bernard Berrian, and they just picked up Javon Walker. The defense is still intact, and if they can establish a more consistent Running Game with Adrian Peterson and Toby Gerhart, they should be good to go, and be a force in the playoffs.

4. New York Jets (0-0): This team talks more than any other team in the NFL. If they can get Darrelle Revis back on the team, then their defense will make any NFL offense struggle. They got the talent, the went to the AFC title game last year, and Mark Sanchez is entering his Sophomore year at QB, so things could bounce their way to get them to the Super Bowl.

5. Baltimore Ravens (0-0): This team has Joe Flacco returning in his 3rd season at QB, and they just got Anquan Boldin at WR to give Flacco a better receiving unit to work with. That combo could make Baltimore a Super Bowl Champion. Plus, don't forget Ray Lewis at the MLB position and Ray Rice at Running Back. Those two Rays are gonna be ready to shake, rattle, and roll and give this team a "Ray" of hope.

6. San Diego Chargers (0-0): Now that LT is a New York Jet, they can finally move on from him and into their next era. Listen, the Chargers have all the components to win the Super Bowl, but the problem is that every September, we find ourselves saying that this is the year the San Diego Chargers will break through and win the AFC and the Super Bowl. Somehow it never happens, year after year. That all being said, Philip Rivers is one of the best QB's in the NFL, and if he breaks through for a monster year, the whole team could ride that juice all the way to a Super Bowl.

7. Dallas Cowboys (0-0): The Super Bowl is gonna be in the "Big D" this season, and the Cowboys seem prime to take the Vince Lombardi trophy. Will it happen this year? Maybe, maybe not. I'm honestly luke warm on them. Tony Romo looks ready to have another good season, but they didn't do a whole lot last season to convince me that this year is their year. They did beat the Saints in New Orleans last season, so that is a good sign. I still think that Romo's fumbled hold in the Seattle game haunts him and taints his legacy a little bit. Lets see if he can shake those demons and get to the Super Bowl.

8. Cincinnati Bengals (0-0): They got T.O. now to complement Ochocinco, and now Carson Palmer has no excuses if he screws up. The Bengals might have the pieces in place to go to the Super Bowl, but right now I think they aren't ready to go all the way.

9.Green Bay Packers (0-0): This team has another year with Aaron Rogers at QB and another reason to be glad that they got rid of Favre. They'll be a tough team to beat this year, a real threat to take the NFC north. They're a dark horse to get to the Super Bowl, and if people aren't careful, they could sneak in the back door at midnight, and announce that the British are Coming.

10. San Francisco 49ers (0-0): Alex Smith is due for his big season, and with help from Frank Gore, Vernon Davis, Patrick Willis, Michael Crabtree, and Michael Singletary his crazy-eyed coach, he just might get the job done. Listen, the 49ers should win the NFC West easily this year. They should go 6-0 in their division and finish no worse than 11-5 in their season as a whole. The Cards have no Warner to guide them, the Rams are retooling, and the Seahawks are also in the mode of reshuffling the deck. The only team in that division that should do anything is SF. If the 49ers don't reach the playoffs this year, it will be a very depressing season up there in Candlestick.

11. New England Patriots (0-0): They seem to be on their way down, but lets see if they can still make the playoffs, and kick some tail. Tom Brady is their QB, and as long as that remains a constant, then they are a threat to any team that they play.

12. Atlanta Falcons (0-0): Matt Ryan is entering his 3rd season in the NFL as the Falcons QB, and he should have a good year. Michael Turner should establish himself as an elite Running Back, and him and Ryan should make this team dangerous.The Falcons are one of those rising teams in the NFL, and should snag a wild card spot this year.

13. Carolina Panthers (0-0): Steve Smith broke his arm playing flag football, and they got a new kid at QB named Matt Moore. They Drafted Jimmy Clausen out of Notre Dame to probably take his spot in a couple of years. Why is this team ranked #13? Because they went 8-8 last season, got rid of Jake Delhomme who was falling apart at QB like a poorly constructed Robot. Not only that, but this team is usually in the mix every year, and with a better QB I expect a better season.

14. Miami Dolphins (0-0): I'm curious to see how much Brandon Marshall is gonna help this team.

15. New York Giants (0-0): If Eli Manning Stays healthy, they could have a good season, but they probably won't make the playoffs.

16. Tennessee Titans (0-0): This team with Vince Young and Chris Johnson are gonna be dangerous.

17. Washington Redskins (0-0): The Arrival of QB Donovan McNabb, and Head Coach Mike Shanahan have made this team appear to have some hope. However it's a completely new team, and new teams don't always succeed. I think we'll know how good these guys really are around Week 5.

18. Pittsburgh Steelers (0-0): With Dennis Dixon at QB, this team is gonna be lucky to be 2-2 when Big Ben comes back. No slight to Dennis Dixon, I think he's got some talent, with his mobility and all, but with 4 starts ahead of him, I'd be really impressed if he went 2-2.

19. Philadelphia Eagles (0-0): Expect some regressions for this team now that Kevin Kolb is taking the place of Donovan McNabb.

20. Houston Texans (0-0): They should be better this year, and they are always the team that is supposed to "Break Out" and have a great year. Let's see if that is true.

21. Denver Broncos (0-0): Tim Tebow is all that people talk about when they talk Denver Broncos, and after watching his pre-season, I can kinda see why.

22. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-0): They got Maurice Jones-Drew, and an exciting little team, that won't do much in the season.

23. Buffalo Bills (0-0): With CJ Spiller at RB, this team is gonna be improved, and have an offense that could cause problems.

24. Oakland Raiders (0-0): With Jason Campbell replacing JaMarcus Russell at QB, they should make a push for 6-8 wins, but being the Raiders you know how they are "Committed to Failure".

25. Arizona Cardinals (0-0): Kurt Warner retires, so they cut Matt Leinart. What exactly is this team doing?

26. Kansas City Chiefs (0-0): The arrival of Dexter McCluster from Ole Miss could give this team a spark, but it's been a while since the Chiefs have really been relevant.

27. Chicago Bears (0-0): Mike Martz is said to fix this team, but I really don't see it happening.

28. Detroit Lions (0-0): They'll be a better team with Matt Stafford at QB, Jahvid Best at RB, and Ndamukong Suh to lead the D-Line.

29. Seattle Seahawks (0-0): Pete Carroll seemed to bolt USC at the right time, huh?

30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-0): They really aren't gonna be very good.

31. Cleveland Browns (0-0): They won't be very good this year, but hey they got rid of Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson!

32. St. Louis Rams (0-0): They're gonna suck, but with Sam Bradford at QB, they got the chance to work out some of the early growing pains of a young NFL QB.