Michael Wilbon left the Washington Post yesterday, and less than a day later, he joined ESPN Chicago as a columnist. He wrote a very thoughtful goodbye column in the Washington Post that appeared on Monday, in which he called his experience at the Post, "greatest adventure imaginable." Everybody in the D.C. area went, "Awwww, we're gonna miss you too mikey," and we let him go without grudge.
Then, his first column appeared on ESPN Chicago this morning, and the whole thing just seems kind of disingenuous. Dan Steinberg was the first to take umbrage with it. This is the part that really struck me.
There's no place, none, better than Chicago in the summer and people are sick of hearing me say that in metropolitan Washington, D.C., where I've lived for 30 years. I've got Midwestern sensibilities, and anybody who has lived in the East that long knows for sure Midwestern sensibilities do exist.
You can't have it all, Michael. I understand that you were claiming D.C. as your professional home, and Chicago as your heart. But that's not the kind of thing that people will let you do. You can't have two home towns, and choosing one means abandoning the other. Going back to Chicago means leaving D.C., in more way than one.
We still appreciate everything you did for the Post and covering sports in this area. But if this was your professional home and your profession took you elsewhere, there is nowhere left here for you hang your hat. It sounds harsh, but that is just the way it is.
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