IF JOURNALISM WINS THE DERBY, TRUMP SHOULD MAKE A CONGRATULATORY CALL
The President is trying to destroy an industry, unless one’s name is Stephen A. Smith, and anybody who wants integrity in how the news is reported should root for the 3-1 favorite at Churchill Downs
Why is Journalism involved in a Kentucky Derby with pastels, Simone Biles, Timothee Chalamet trends, floral fascinators, Livvy Dunne, Bob Baffert’s white hair and either Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers, probably the one currently employed.
Beyond Churchill Downs, Journalism is treated like a plop of horse manure or a Mint Julep-filled drunk by the President of the United States — unless one is named Stephen A. Smith. Donald Trump describes him as “a good guy. He’s a smart guy. I love watching him. He’s got great entertainment skills, which is very important. People watch him. You know, a lot of these Democrats I watch, I say, ‘They have no chance.’ I’ve been pretty good at picking people, and picking candidates, and I’d tell you: I’d love to see him run.”
As the 48th POTUS, God help us, which means Chris Russo could be his running mate.
But on this first May Saturday in 2025, Journalism has a chance to win the Run for the Roses. No film rerun of Woodward and Bernstein can save an industry seemingly nearing death with monstrous government attacks and non-stop layoffs, but a colt co-owned by the former sports editor at Beverly Hills High School is a 3-1 favorite to beat a variety of challengers. One would be Publisher, with many of us knowing rogue Publishers who’ve killed Journalism.
When Aron Wellman grew up to run a horse-racing ownership group, he and his people wanted to name a horse with “ism” at the end. They came up with Journalism. The media business is watching closely, though 150,000 crazies in the stands won’t have a clue if trainer Michael McCarthy wins behind jockey Umberto Rispoli, possibly on a wet track.
“Now more than ever, in the climate that we’re living in, journalists and responsible journalism is so important,” Wellman said. “It’s so touching a horse named Journalism is going to have all eyes on him. It wasn’t necessarily our intent to be the Kentucky Derby sweetheart of the media. We were just really trying to come up with a good, strong name for what we hoped would be a good, strong horse.
“Thankfully, he’s given journalists a lot to write about. I think the name has grabbed more people than it might have otherwise in the past.”
Real journalism is necessary in explaining McCarthy’s grief. In January, the Eaton Fire scorched his neighborhood in Altadena, Calif. The deadly wildfires came within 600 feet of his home. "There's a whole gamut of emotions. You're upset that your community is gone through this, you're angry that maybe some of this could have been avoided," McCarthy said. “People are still healing. People are still without a place to live. So maybe for a couple hours on Saturday, we can provide them a little bit of entertainment.”
With a minimal number of journalists gathered in Louisville — I covered three Derbys — McCarthy didn’t mean to convey a wry twist. “All is well with Journalism,” he said, knowing the horse has won four straight races.
“That horse has a desire to win,” said Baffert, who has returned to the track where he was supended for doping his horses. “He just drops that head and comes running.”
Journalism must win for Altadena. Journalism must win for journalists. Journalism must win for people who want freedom of speech delivered with honor.
And if so, Trump should make a congratulatory call, as he destroys the rest of us.
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Jay Mariotti, called “without question the most impacting Chicago sportswriter of the past quarter-century,’’ writes general sports columns for Substack while appearing on some of the 1,678,498 podcasts and shows in production today. He is an accomplished columnist, TV panelist and talk/podcast host. Living in Los Angeles, he gravitated by osmosis to film projects.