Guillen Gets Himself In Trouble
Guillen fined, ordered to take sensitivity training for slur (ESPN.com)
Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen on Thursday was fined an undisclosed amount of money and ordered to undergo sensitivity training for his use of a derogatory term aimed at Chicago Sun-Times columnist Jay Mariotti.
"On Tuesday night, Ozzie Guillen used language that is offensive and completely unacceptable," commissioner Bud Selig said in a statement. "Baseball is a social institution with responsibility to set appropriate tone and example. Conduct or language that reflects otherwise will not be tolerated. The use of slurs embarrasses the individual, the club and the game."
Guillen went into a profanity-laced tirade against Mariotti before Tuesday night's game against St. Louis and called him a number of names, including a derogatory term that is often used to describe someone's sexual orientation.
Guillen met with reporters Thursday before leaving U.S. Cellular Field to serve his suspension, saying as he did Wednesday that he used the wrong word. He said he agreed with Selig's punishment. He also vowed not to let up on Mariotti.
"The commissioner did what he had to do," Guillen said. "They don't agree with what I say. Me either. I agree with what I say about Jay. ... I'm not going to change. One thing I'm going to make clear is I apologize to the community, but to Jay, no chance. This thing is on and on for good."
Guillen crosses line with latest slur (Greg Couch, Chicago Sun-Times)
Guillen said that in Venezuela, that word is not a reference to a person's sexuality, but to his courage. He said he was saying that Mariotti is "not man enough to meet me and talk about [things before writing].''
He also said that he has gay friends, goes to WNBA games, went to the Madonna concert and plans to attend the Gay Games in Chicago.
In all honesty, it was insensitive. He should have called Mariotti that phrase that is sometimes used to describe a cat and left it at that. It would have been a bomb, but one directed at Mariotti and Mariotti only.
That WNBA crack was/is priceless, though.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 06/22/06 22:18 | Sports | Technorati
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Comments
It's pretty telling about the culture of the Wipesucks that the TEAM didn't punish him, so MLB had to.
And what's the deal with fining him "an undisclosed amount of money?" Makes me think he got off with paying a token $1.00 fine.
Should've suspended the bastard, like they did with Marge Schott. Even CBS fired Jimmy The Greek.
But those involved slurs and stereotypes of a particular race. I forgot that some are more equal than others.
Posted by John @ 09:25 on 06/24/06
So, if he had called the guy a homosexual or a girl, would that have been objectionable?
Was it just the use of the term "fag?"
Was it merely the reference to sexuality?
And *is* Mariotti gay? (If Mariotti is NOT gay, then it would seem that HE is the one with the beef, since he's been inaccurately labeled.).
It would be nice to know these things, so I can avoid offending all the easily offended sensitives with my own language.
Mariotti seems to have gotten exactly what he wants, which is attention. Funny, but it seems to me that sports columnists ought to be writing about the stories, not working so hard to be the story. But Mariotti is more of a hack than anything. Guillen should have used the term I suggested.
Posted by Kevin @ 10:37 on 06/24/06
Mariotti's a peripheral issue here. The central issue is Guillen's dismissal and derision of an entire community.
Suppose Mariotti IS gay. Does that somehow make his positions unworthy of Guillen's attention?
I think not.
Posted by John @ 11:09 on 06/24/06
I guess I'm still trying to figure out what exactly constituted "derision of an entire community," because goodness knows I wouldn't want to offend any hypersensitives who might be reading.
Ah, who am I kidding. Any hypersensitives who are reading should go away.
Anyway...
Guillen called out Mariotti mainly because Mariotti likes to take shots at Chicago sports figures, but is NEVER seen in Chicago locker rooms. Guillen freely admits that he was challenging Mariotti's manhood with the term he used, and that its a common Latino thing. Other writers have noted Mariotti's act:
http://chicagosports.chicag...
So, is your objection to the specific term Guillen used, and using a derogatory term for homosexual to challenge Mariotti's manhood? And if that's the objection, I presume then that you agree that a better way to do that would have been as I suggested -- to call him a p*ssy, because cats are less easily offended?
I think the Latino community needs to come to Guillen's defense. I mean, how many Latino managers ARE there in the bigs? And now all of these PC meanies want a Latino fired for his embrace of Latino machismo! How insensitive. Boo hoo hoo!
Posted by Kevin @ 21:01 on 06/24/06
Gerry Fraley is a voice of reason:
http://sportssay.beloblog.c...
Posted by Kevin @ 00:39 on 06/25/06
My specific objection is not the word "fag." It is that in the quote, he seems to use Mariotti's alleged homosexuality as a justification for not extending him the professional courtesy he would give others.
And then there's the fact that he brought it in at all. What does Jay's real or imagined homosexuality have to do with any point he was trying to make?
And, of course, there's the implied equation of "piece of shit" and "fag." I can't imagine why anyone would be offended at THAT.
Posted by John @ 09:14 on 06/26/06
And, of course, there's the implied equation of "piece of shit" and "fag."
That wasn't implied. Guillen clearly intended to challenge Mariotti's manhood with his reference.
I can understand homosexuals might take offense at that notion (which is why I think my term is better), but it's dishonest to say Ozzie Guillen called homosexuals pieces of shit. He called Mariotti a piece of shit in a way that offended homosexuals.
However, his criticism of Mariotti stands. If the guy doesn't come into the locker room like a legit sportswriter after he writes critical columns, then why should Guillen extend him the professional courtesy he extends to more stand-up sportswriters? Professionalism breeds professionalism.
Posted by Kevin @ 09:24 on 06/26/06
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