After creating quite a stir by praising Fidel Castro, the communist thug who controlled Cuba for decades, Miami Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen has been suspended for five games. Now he’s working on repairing relations with the Miami community.
The suspension by the team takes effect immediately. It was announced shortly before Guillen held a news conference to explain what he said.
The 48-year-old Venezuelan told Time magazine he loves Castro and respects the retired Cuban leader for staying in power so long. In response, at least two local officials said Guillen should lose his job.
At the news conference, Guillen said his comments were misinterpreted by the reporter, and he doesn’t love or admire the dictator.
“I was saying I cannot believe somebody who hurt so many people over the years is still alive,” Guillen told the news conference.
But Guillen took responsibility for the uproar, and said it left him sad and embarrassed. He also said he accepted the team’s punishment.
“I’m very sorry about the problem, what happened,” said Guillen, who is only five games into his tenure with the Marlins. “I will do everything in my power to make it better. … I know it’s going to be a very bumpy ride.” (Read More)
He went on to say that “When you’re a sportsman, you shouldn’t be involved with politics.” I guess he found that out the hard way, but seeing that in the past he was willing to go on the air with Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez, it remains to be seen whether he’s really learned the lesson.
In case you’re wondering, according to the article linked above, Guillen’s pay has not been suspended but he said he will donate it to charity.
Update: Linked by Frugal Café where Vicki McClure Davidson wonders why certain politicians and movie stars are given a pass for praising a ruthless dictators, while baseball managers are not. I guess it’s just another sign of the times. Sad.
Let’s hear it for free speech!!!!
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Ship his punk-ass back to Fidel!
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Where was the outcry when the Democrat party’s Congressional Black Caucus went on a field trip to Cuba, drooled and fawned over Castro like he was an aging rock star, and came back blaming America for Cuba’s poverty? Where was the outcry when elite members of Hollywood, like Jack Nicholson, Oliver Stone, Steven Spielberg, and others have sung praises to Castro? Guillen claims that what he meant to say came out wrong, and I’m inclined to believe him. It was wrong to say it, but he’s apologized and is trying to make up for the pain he has caused. Which is much more than elected liberal members of Congress have done.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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Conservatives call out anyone praising communist dictators, at least I do. I don’t know about Guillen. Maybe he really is sorry, or maybe he’s sorry that he royally screwed up his new job. Either way, he showed a shocking lack of judgment. Thank God he doesn’t hold elected office.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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Think you hit the nail on the head….. he isn’t en elected official. He is a sports professional. He has an opinion – a ridiculous one but nevertheless an pinion. Is every baseball team owner now required to examine the political views of all his/her employees? This whole thing smacks of elitism for reasons already stated by others. We can always rely on MSM to wave that particular flag.
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LC, my bad. My questions were meant to be rhetorical. I know that you and many other conservatives have tirelessly denounced the evil Castro and other dictators like him. It’s the blatant hypocrisy within the statist media and the Democrat party that makes praising him acceptable within one group and not acceptable in another that has me torqued and flummoxed. Much like Rush Limbaugh’s “slut” remark about Sandra Fluke wanting others to pay for her birth control vs. all the vile, misogynist slurs liberal pundits have spewed against conservative women and the tea party.
The Congressional Black Caucus is an embarrassment and disgrace for their stunning admiration of Castro. After their trip to Cuba, several were up for reelection, like Rep. Laura Richardson and Rep. Barbara Lee of Calif. and Rep. Bobby Rush of Illinois, and were reelected. That they get a pass by voters and the media but Guillen is crucified, even after apologizing, is par for the course. You’re right that he showed a horrid lack of judgment.
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Yeah, I figured that out after I read your post. It’s quite disgusting, isn’t it?
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[...] now that Miami Marlins team manager Ozzie Guillen has been suspended for five games for a dumb, regrettable remark he made in a Time magazine piece about the despicable Castro, a [...]
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So much for 1st amendment and free speech – This is stupid
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It has nothing to do with freedom of speech. He’s free to say whatever he wants. But as a representative of an organization, earning millions of dollars per year, he has a duty not to go out and offend that organization’s customers. Miami has a large Cuban community. Many of them came to the US to escape the tyranny of Fidel Castro. They have every right to say they will not spend their hard-earned money supporting a team that pays his salary. He showed a terrible lack of judgment, but at least he owned up to it for the most part. If he’s lucky he’ll be forgiven, and perhaps he’ll learn something from this experience.
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