Oh, it was definitely insufferability. I don't miss people like this.

From Gawker:

Today’s (New York) Observer calls attention to Times metro reporter Sewell Chan’s signal accomplishment of the last year: 422 bylines, nearly 100 more than his closest competitor and more than twice the total for most other reporters. What we can’t quite decide is whether Gabe Sherman’s piece is designed to celebrate Chan’s accomplishment or to demonstrate his insufferability. We suspect the goal was the former, but we’re pretty hung up on the latter. To wit:
“I guess I’m really old-fashioned, but I’d rather be the one writing about the news,” Mr. Chan said, declining to comment any further.
He has been known to shower famous journalists with detailed praise, including specific citations of their work.
“There’s a lot of great, ambitious, smart reporters in the newsroom,” [Chan’s former editor Wendell] Jamieson said, “but he’s the only reporter I know who actually pitched me a story while I’ve been standing at the urinal in the men’s room.”