Ozzie Guillen suspended 5 games by Marlins for Castro Comments

[bravos4evr]

Apparently the Miami community didn't take kindly to Guillen saying he "loves" Castro

http://content.usatoday.com/communit...1#.T4RHOKv2aHQ


Regardless of how you feel about Castro or Guillen or wtvr, this is a little too thought police for me. Can't anyone have personal opinions anymore without risking getting fired?

[FrankEC]

Originally Posted by bravos4evr

Apparently the Miami community didn't take kindly to Guillen saying he "loves" Castro

http://content.usatoday.com/communit...1#.T4RHOKv2aHQ


Regardless of how you feel about Castro or Guillen or wtvr, this is a little too thought police for me. Can't anyone have personal opinions anymore without risking getting fired?

Under normal circumstances I would agree, but in this case given the huge Cuban population in his "home" city his statements could actually cause the Marlins to lose anywhere from 7 to 10 ticket sales or roughly 7-10% of their normal gate on any given day. They had to do something.

[KB 34]

I disagreed with the John Rocker suspension and I oppose this one as well. First off I don't care what the opinions of players and managers are. Secondly, I think he has a point that going between languages for 2 hours could be difficult. I would say I lost more respect for Bud Selig but I haven't had any for him as long as I can remember.

[bravos4evr]

Originally Posted by KB 34

I disagreed with the John Rocker suspension and I oppose this one as well. First off I don't care what the opinions of players and managers are. Secondly, I think he has a point that going between languages for 2 hours could be difficult. I would say I lost more respect for Bud Selig but I haven't had any for him as long as I can remember.

marlins suspended him KB not Bud. This was a total business move as he damaged the relations with the local customers.

[KB 34]

Selig supported the suspension, so he's part of the problem to me. The following quote is from the above article.

"Major League Baseball supports today's decision by the Marlins to suspend Ozzie Guillen. As I have often said, Baseball is a social institution with important social responsibilities. All of our 30 Clubs play significant roles within their local communities, and I expect those who represent Major League Baseball to act with the kind of respect and sensitivity that the game's many cultures deserve. Mr. Guillen's remarks, which were offensive to an important part of the Miami community and others throughout the world, have no place in our game."

I will be rooting for the Marlins to run into financial chaos, since money seems to be the language the ownership understands. I'm a big fan of sports being a politically neutral arena. For example, I enjoy seeing every sort of political figure volunteering to be the human hockey puck at a hockey game. The Marlins have jumped into the political arena and have taken sides and more importantly dragged their manager through the gutter. His explanation of mis-translation was important. He also put on a nice act as the organization likely demanded. I'm rooting for Ozzie.

[BFH]

Originally Posted by bravos4evr

Can't anyone have personal opinions anymore without risking getting fired?

In a simple reply, no.

I agree that people should be entitled to their opinions and should be able to state them freely and what not.

Yet...there comes a time when a person in Guillen's position (equivalent of an office manager, in an office setting, I'd say) needs to watch what they say. I mean...I'm highly positive there are managers out there that think dog fighting is cool and that steroids are great...hell, there may even be homosexual managers. Who knows?

But the fact of the matter is...there are things that managers in any type of work place need to keep to themselves. All managers need to mind their mouth and some just have issues with what they say, Guillen's one of them. Usually it's talking smack about another team....or throwing his players under the bus....but this time it was making a remark about a dictator that is pretty much universally hated. I'm sure he wouldn't have made it very far if he had loved Hitler too.

I dunno. I guess I'm just the opinion that it takes a little common sense to talk to the media and not dig yourself a grave. Some guys have it (Cox was pretty good, among countless others) and some guys don't (Guillen is one, Francoeur as a player comes to mind over a few incidents I'll never really forgive him over). Should Guillen be fired? Nah, that'd be an overreaction....but he absolutely does deserve a suspension. He needs to learn that despite what the constitution says about the right to free speech, you can't say anything and everything you want and get away with it.

[Andy G.]

You're a lucky S.O.B. if you get to become a millionaire as a Major League baseball player and/or a Major League manager. Ozzie Guillen can say whatever he wants when around his friends and family. Just don't say stupid **** to the media that's going to bring negative attention to your franchise. Is it that hard of a rule to follow? I have no sympathy for that moron, nor do I care what he has to say about anything.

[bravos4evr]

i myself am looking forward to the massive s h i tstorm that the Marlins are going to devolve into. All the people who picked them to win the division or win 90 games are friggin morons... Seriously? reyes, Ramirez, Zambrano AND Ozzie? that's like a latino fireball of epic proportions!

[The Rap]

LOL there is a lot I would love to say but can't because his place doesn't allow it. In fact, it isn't even as political as historical. Most here are too young to rememebr when Castro took power.

[Middle Man]

Ozzie apparently lives on the moon when he's not doing the baseball thing.

[-Dr. Brave-]

Originally Posted by Middle Man

Ozzie apparently lives on the moon when he's not doing the baseball thing.

It's the only place he could go where we can't hear his big mouth.

[Dreamscape]

Originally Posted by Andy G.

You're a lucky S.O.B. if you get to become a millionaire as a Major League baseball player and/or a Major League manager. Ozzie Guillen can say whatever he wants when around his friends and family. Just don't say stupid **** to the media that's going to bring negative attention to your franchise. Is it that hard of a rule to follow? I have no sympathy for that moron, nor do I care what he has to say about anything.

This is so key to me. I could care less if Ozzie feels any which way. But he represents an entire organization and when he says stupid stuf that is also incredibly offensive, he should get a suspension. It's not overly PC to me.

[The Rap]

well calling it "stupid stuf that is also incredibly offensive" is still highy debateable. My feelings is that he works in Miami and should have more brains. Reminds me of when I married a younger woman from Boston and we lived in NJ and wee taking a drive through West New York. For those who don't know West New York is a town in NJ that is like an extension of the Cuban community in Miami. I remember jokingly saying to her 'Hey honey, want to get your head blown off?" She asked how? I said, "just roll down you window, stick out your head and yell Viva Fidel!!"