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**laurat99** · 04-10-2012, 08:29 AM

Guillen, manager of the Miami Marlins made this statement about Fidel Castro to Time magazine's online edition: “I respect Fidel Castro,” Time reported Guillen as saying. “You know why? A lot of people have wanted to kill Fidel Castro for the last 60 years, but that mother f----r is still here.”

Do you think Guillen should be fired for saying this?

**Tiarali** · 04-10-2012, 10:03 AM

Hmm... he wasn't saying that he likes FC, or that he thinks he's a good man or whatever, just that he respects his longevity. I don't really think that's offensive. Although if there was more said in the interview, it might look more offensive. I wonder if he was just trying to give a humorous way to sidestep what could be a difficult question he wanted to avoid, and it backfired.

Which is a completely separate issue to whether or not a person in a sporting position should be fired for making offensive political statements anyway.

**Phatchick** · 04-10-2012, 10:23 AM

If we had to fire every sports figure who ever put his foot in his mouth, ESPN would be a ghost town.

04-10-2012, 10:25 AM

(04-10-2012 10:23 AM)Phatchick Wrote: If we had to fire every sports figure who ever put his foot in his mouth, ESPN would be a ghost town.

How true is that? I listened to a local sports talk show today and at least 3 times, some sports idiot made an ass out of himself.

**laurat99** · 04-10-2012, 10:55 AM

Tiarali, Guillen manages in Miami, which is home to a large Cuban-American community. In fact, their staduim is located in the "Little Havana" area of the city. People's family members were murdered and imprisoned by Castro, and the wounds are still fresh. The support of the Cuban-American community is key to the Marlins long-term success.

Guillen's response was that he was thinking in Spanish and then spoke in English, sounds reasonable, but Guillen has made numerous gaffes before. His team suspended him for 5 games. We'll see what MLB has to say

paul · 04-10-2012, 05:02 PM

If George Lopez or some other Hispanic actor said this, do you think their network or studio would drop them? Do you think they would be fined by the company they work for (network/studio)? I seriously doubt it.

I don't like Guillen at all. I don't like what he is to baseball, and I don't like the way he manages his players. His way of playing the game is not what I think baseball should be. But I do support 100% his right to make a personal statement no matter how much of a dumb-ass it might make him look like and no matter who disagrees with it.

drvenkman · 04-10-2012, 10:15 PM

(04-10-2012 05:02 PM)paul Wrote: If George Lopez or some other Hispanic actor said this, do you think their network or studio would drop them? Do you think they would be fined by the company they work for (network/studio)? I seriously doubt it.

I don't like Guillen at all. I don't like what he is to baseball, and I don't like the way he manages his players. His way of playing the game is not what I think baseball should be. But I do support 100% his right to make a personal statement no matter how much of a dumb-ass it might make him look like and no matter who disagrees with it.

True, but personal freedom to say/do something doesn't mean he's free of consequence.

Had he said something about Castro while still in Chicago, it's no big deal. In Miami, it's a bit of a touchier subject.

Fired? No. But if the Marlins want an excuse to remind him who's in charge, this was just the first big opportunity Ozzie's mouth gave them. Won't be the last time either.

**RobMille** · 04-10-2012, 10:17 PM

I don't think Ozzie *should* be fired, but I think it's still likely that he will be. People should realize Ozzie is a complete moron & says stupid stuff all the time without having used the brainpower of a kitchen sponge to think about the meaning of what he is saying or if he should say it. If you like to laugh at trying to figure out what people who form meaningful sentences are trying to say you should follow his tweets. I don't think the spanish ones are much more coherent either.

I just saw on FB tonight someone claiming Ozzie was being censored. Kind of unbelievable the lengths people will go to, to be outraged.

04-10-2012, 10:44 PM

(04-10-2012 08:29 AM)laurat99 Wrote: Guillen, manager of the Miami Marlins made this statement about Fidel Castro to Time magazine's online edition: “I respect Fidel Castro,” Time reported Guillen as saying. “You know why? A lot of people have wanted to kill Fidel Castro for the last 60 years, but that mother f----r is still here.”

Do you think Guillen should be fired for saying this?

No. Who gives a rip what a major league baseball coach has to say about politics.

Disco_Dancing_Hyles · 04-19-2012, 12:09 PM

Brother Jack Schaap became good friends with Ozzie Guillen. Schaap could usually be seen at Comisky Park to watch the Southsiders and he even threw out the first pitch a couple times and a had one of his students be the chaplain for the White Sox. Funny how Schaap is a huge White Sox fan and dislikes the Cubs and Hyles was a huge Cubs fan and friends with Jack Brickhouse.