| New city...same Ozzie! 4 |
OPEN MOUTH, INSERT FOOT
In a recent interview with Time Magazine, Guillen was quoted as saying, "I love Fidel Castro. I respect Fidel Castro. You know why? A lot of people have wanted to kill Fidel Castro for the last 60 years, but that (expletive) is still here."
The line that was repeated (over and over and over AND over again) was the “I love Fidel Castro,” line. That went over like a lead balloon in Miami, with a substantial Cuban-American population, many of whom have loved ones who escaped Castro’s regime or were tortured, imprisoned, or killed by it. For those of you unfamiliar with Cuban culture in South Florida, just imagine someone making remarks of admiration, regardless of the context, about Adolf Hitler or Osama bin Laden.
Guillen, who is himself Latino, has said a lot of off color things in his managerial career. It makes him interesting. I don’t think Guillen had any clue of the kind of powder keg he lit with his remarks. I don’t think I have every seen Guillen offer as much as a token apology for any of the dozens of whoppers he has served up in the soundbite department during his career. Yesterday, Guillen came to Jesus.
| Guillen's shoe leather might be a bit overcooked, from that expression. 3 |
What does this teach us? In a day and age in which it is popular to defy political correctness (until the consequences of doing so come to fruition), words still matter. They can describe, explain, opine and regale. They can also inflame, agitate, hurt, and offend.
Still, the consequences of using offensive words should depend on each individual situation. No two situations are the same. Ultimately, I think the biggest driver of a reaction to offensive comments should be the apparent intent of the offender.
It is often said that being a repeat offender (for any offense) works to that person’s detriment when the consequences are implemented. In the case of Ozzie Guillen, whose track record of making controversial, often pithy, statements is as long as the day, I think his history works to his benefit.
Ozzie is Ozzie. The Marlins’ management knew when they hired Ozzie, that they hired a guy who would shoot his mouth off. I doubt they thought the topic would be, possibly, the Holy Grail of topics to avoid in Miami. I also doubt management thought they would have to get in front of an Ozzie Train less than a week into the season. All of that said Guillen’s past lends credence to the notion that he bit off more than he could chew with his remarks and that he was naïve to the sensitivity of the Castro topic in Miami. I think that by invoking the fact that people have unsuccessfully tried to kill Castro for decades supports the notion that Guillen was attempting, badly, to be glib and ironic.
| That entree of crow doesn't look very appetizing, does it Ozzie? 2 |
Guillen’s remarks triggered protests within Miami’s Cuban American community. Of course, some people called for Guillen’s job. The Marlins elected to suspend Guillen for 5 games – roughly a week of baseball. I personally think that after Guillen’s contrite, hour-long Tuesday press conference, the initial flames from this controversy cool off; the Marlins will be able to get back to the business of baseball.
I also think that Ozzie will get back to the business of being Ozzie. But, unlike the past, Guillen knows that politics is a “no-no” topic. He acknowledged so in his own words. Let’s hope that his future words reflect that.
| The axiom, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone," comes to mind. 1 |
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1) Image from www.ethicsalarms.com
2) Image from http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com
3) Image from www.nydailynews.com
4) Image from www.bleacherreport.com
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