Unlike his last visit, when he traded e-mails with me in the press box for six innings, this stopover seemed more serious. - Jay Mariotti

Seems more serious? God forbid Jay that you should actually attempt to verify these suspicions by conducting credible reporting. Or has Mark Cuban finally wised up concerning those annoying text messages by turning off the Blackberry so he can actually enjoy the Cubs game?

Hey Jay, has it really all come down to this?

Evidently, “professional” columnists are instructed (well at least at Ohio University) to meet their word quota criteria by:

A: Include an entire tirade as a quote to fill up space (see Tuesday’s Lee Elia column*)

B: Name drop as much as possible without actually talking to any of the subjects mentioned.

Check this out:

“Today’s Mariotti Gossip Hit List”

Mark Cuban
Sam Zell
Ed Wilson
Josh Howard
Len Kasper
Bud Selig
Jerry Reinsdorf
Geovany Soto
John Canning
Avery Johnson
Scott Skiles
Jim Boylan
John Paxson
Mike D’Antoni
Steve Kerr
Dirk Nowitzki
Jason Kidd
Chris Paul
Jack McCallum
Shaquille O’Neal
Luol Deng
Ben Gordon
Ty Thomas
Andres Nocioni
Michael Jordan
Larry Brown
Rick Carlisle

Twenty-seven sports athletes and personalities tarnished on the back page without one single quotable reference. That has got to be a journalistic* record for ineptness.

As for my morning? Already wasted too much time attempting to comprehend how a column* can begin with a discussion on the Cubs ownership and conclude with an Avery Johnson endorsement for the Bulls head coach position. I suppose it takes a real maverick to connect the dots on that Cuban - Johnson love affair possibly climaxing in Chicago.

And Jay has never been more excited about newly man arrivals since Ben Wallace hit town.

Excuse me now, while I throw my Friday Night Lights DVD in the trash and popover to Deadspin for actual current and quotable sports news.

*Note: Props to Hino (a longtime contributing JTJ member) for predicting what Jay would write today before even the pundit realized what would be e-mailed to the Sun-Times.