Ozzie's "homosexual" remark

[The Ginger Kid]

Morrisey's article on an offhanded remark made by Ozzie. I emailed him and said I think he should be a little more old school and let remarks like this slide.

 

Morrissey column

[Gene Honda Civic]

Morrisey is a Douchebag.

[Heads22]

Guillen's words miss mark

August 10, 2005

 

NEW YORK -- It has been well documented that Ozzie Guillen is incapable of letting a thought go unspoken. He probably filibusters in his sleep.

 

This is what the White Sox manager said Monday:

 

 

"Hey, everybody, this guy's a homosexual! He's a child molester!"

 

OK, deep breath. Where to begin?

 

Well, I was there in the Sox dugout before Monday night's game against the Yankees, along with about 30 other media members, when Guillen loudly greeted a longtime friend with those words. So I guess that makes me a silent co-conspirator to some pretty ugly language.

 

We're going to have a discussion of words now, of what they mean and of what happens when people from different cultures bring their own ways and attitudes to another country. There is no doubt Guillen, a Venezuelan, needs to watch what he says, but there's also no doubt he believes there were some mitigating circumstances.

 

When he delivered those words, he said he was being playful with a friend of 20 years, a friend who took no offense.

 

The pregame press gathering with Guillen had just ended, and he thought he was done being quoted.

 

And yet, those are not words we use lightly in this country, no matter what the circumstances are. It will be up to you to decide whether words always reflect a man's heart.

 

There have been at least two columns written about Guillen's tendency to make insensitive remarks, including a Newsday column recounting Monday's incident. Neither of them carried any explanation or context from Guillen, which matters. A man has a right to explain himself.

 

"I come from a country where we don't believe in treating people differently," he said Wednesday morning, before the Sox-Yankees series finale. "When you're a person, you're a person. It doesn't matter what color or religion or race or sexuality you are. We're just human beings.

 

"Obviously in this country it's a little bit different than our culture. I grew up in a country that was completely opposite from here. Now you have to learn the process."

 

It's obvious Guillen hasn't fully learned it yet. He has been in the United States for 25 years.

 

In a vacuum, the insinuation in his words is that being gay is bad and, worse, that it logically follows that homosexuals are child molesters. I know people who are gay and I can't imagine their seeing anything playful in that. But Guillen says he meant nothing hateful by what he said and that was my immediate impression. But I did roll my eyes. What if someone in the group were gay?

 

"I have no problem with [homosexuals]," Guillen said Wednesday. "I don't deal with that. To me, everybody's the same. We're human beings created by God. Everybody has their own opinion and their own right to do what they want to do. You have the right to feel the way you want to feel. Nobody can take that away from you."

 

Sox officials have talked with Guillen about being smarter about his choice of words. They believe there's no malicious intent in what he says, but they also believe the manager of the White Sox is the face and voice of the organization.

 

"When you're a manager and you're in another city, obviously you have to be careful," Guillen agreed.

 

He needs to be careful in his own city too.

 

He sometimes makes you squirm. Other times you shrug at Ozzie being Ozzie. During spring training, I heard him tell a Japanese man that he was a such-and-such "sumo wrestler." The man laughed. Does someone have to be offended for words to be offensive?

 

If an Italian came to this country and used ugly words about blacks, would it be explained away so easily? But Guillen says he comes at it from a Venezuelan perspective.

 

"My wife's nickname in Venezuela is Negra (Spanish for "black") because she's the darkest in the family," he said. "But here in the United States, the past is real strong [with slavery]. We don't have the past in Venezuela that you have in the States. I understand. But in my country, we treat people like human beings. It's something you have to learn in this country."

 

Guillen acknowledged he "said the wrong thing at the wrong time," but it's more than that. There's no right time for what he said. The clubhouse and the locker room might be the last place where men can be men, but Guillen has to live in the bigger world. He's the manager. He's not Don Rickles.

 

"I don't worry about losing my job," he said. "I just worry about respecting people. I worry about respecting the integrity of people. I represent a city and a team. I have to be careful what I say and when I say it. But I don't say anything to offend anybody."

 

In Ozzie's world, life is to be lived fully, people are to be embraced and jokes are to be made. Problem is, not everyone gets them.

 

[email protected]

[WHarris1]

Um shouldn't off the record remarks not be published?

[SnB]

and here's the negative "something" the medias has been looking for

[Kogs35]

can the tribune towers please burn down to the ground. off the record stuff should not be plublished. morrisey is a dumb ass

[3 BeWareTheNewSox 5]

That is lame, Morrisey is a loser, only someone without friends wouldn't know that everyone does it in fun, and this case sounds like he should've minded his own business, if the friend was offended, he would've done something about it.

[Gene Honda Civic]

This column was necessary because the Trib actually did sit on it for a day.... They got "scooped" by some douchebag at Newsday... I read this this morning.

 

http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/ny-...eball-headlines

[The Ginger Kid]

I've always liked Morrissey. Until now.

[nitetrain8601]

Morrisey was always cool with me until now. He's talking with his friends. That's how some people were brought up. They use those type of words in their environment.

[3 BeWareTheNewSox 5]

 

Hey, is your refrigerator running?

Because if it is, it probably runs just like you....very homosexually

[Balta1701]

Hey, is your refrigerator running?

Because if it is, it probably runs just like you....very homosexually

Aren't you Richard Simmons?

[Kalapse]

Aren't you Richard Simmons?

Aren't you Richard Simmons' bestfriend.... Richard Simmons?

[Texsox]

Off the record means a source will give you information and tell you it cannot be attributed to him directly and is "off the record". Ozzie did not do that. It was a remark made in public in front of a bunch of reporters. Ozzies an idiot for thinking he wouldn't be quoted.

 

People are quoted all the time in situations that are not formal press conferences.

 

It doesn't matter if the person the remark is made to isn't offended, if the other people in attendance are, and the public in general could be, the Manager of the White Sox should show some public relations skills and avoid that. The entire organization should be building the fan base, not doing things to alienate a portion of it.

[Shrunken Slugger]

I thought it was an odd article. The comments weren't going to offend anyone until they were published.

[Ozzie Montana]

Guillen's words miss mark

August 10, 2005

 

NEW YORK -- It has been well documented that Ozzie Guillen is incapable of letting a thought go unspoken. He probably filibusters in his sleep.

 

This is what the White Sox manager said Monday:

 

 

"Hey, everybody, this guy's a homosexual! He's a child molester!"

 

OK, deep breath. Where to begin?

 

Well, I was there in the Sox dugout before Monday night's game against the Yankees, along with about 30 other media members, when Guillen loudly greeted a longtime friend with those words. So I guess that makes me a silent co-conspirator to some pretty ugly language.

 

We're going to have a discussion of words now, of what they mean and of what happens when people from different cultures bring their own ways and attitudes to another country. There is no doubt Guillen, a Venezuelan, needs to watch what he says, but there's also no doubt he believes there were some mitigating circumstances.

 

When he delivered those words, he said he was being playful with a friend of 20 years, a friend who took no offense.

 

The pregame press gathering with Guillen had just ended, and he thought he was done being quoted.

 

And yet, those are not words we use lightly in this country, no matter what the circumstances are. It will be up to you to decide whether words always reflect a man's heart.

 

There have been at least two columns written about Guillen's tendency to make insensitive remarks, including a Newsday column recounting Monday's incident. Neither of them carried any explanation or context from Guillen, which matters. A man has a right to explain himself.

 

"I come from a country where we don't believe in treating people differently," he said Wednesday morning, before the Sox-Yankees series finale. "When you're a person, you're a person. It doesn't matter what color or religion or race or sexuality you are. We're just human beings.

 

"Obviously in this country it's a little bit different than our culture. I grew up in a country that was completely opposite from here. Now you have to learn the process."

 

It's obvious Guillen hasn't fully learned it yet. He has been in the United States for 25 years.

 

In a vacuum, the insinuation in his words is that being gay is bad and, worse, that it logically follows that homosexuals are child molesters. I know people who are gay and I can't imagine their seeing anything playful in that. But Guillen says he meant nothing hateful by what he said and that was my immediate impression. But I did roll my eyes. What if someone in the group were gay?

 

"I have no problem with [homosexuals]," Guillen said Wednesday. "I don't deal with that. To me, everybody's the same. We're human beings created by God. Everybody has their own opinion and their own right to do what they want to do. You have the right to feel the way you want to feel. Nobody can take that away from you."

 

Sox officials have talked with Guillen about being smarter about his choice of words. They believe there's no malicious intent in what he says, but they also believe the manager of the White Sox is the face and voice of the organization.

 

"When you're a manager and you're in another city, obviously you have to be careful," Guillen agreed.

 

He needs to be careful in his own city too.

 

He sometimes makes you squirm. Other times you shrug at Ozzie being Ozzie. During spring training, I heard him tell a Japanese man that he was a such-and-such "sumo wrestler." The man laughed. Does someone have to be offended for words to be offensive?

 

If an Italian came to this country and used ugly words about blacks, would it be explained away so easily? But Guillen says he comes at it from a Venezuelan perspective.

 

"My wife's nickname in Venezuela is Negra (Spanish for "black") because she's the darkest in the family," he said. "But here in the United States, the past is real strong [with slavery]. We don't have the past in Venezuela that you have in the States. I understand. But in my country, we treat people like human beings. It's something you have to learn in this country."

 

Guillen acknowledged he "said the wrong thing at the wrong time," but it's more than that. There's no right time for what he said. The clubhouse and the locker room might be the last place where men can be men, but Guillen has to live in the bigger world. He's the manager. He's not Don Rickles.

 

"I don't worry about losing my job," he said. "I just worry about respecting people. I worry about respecting the integrity of people. I represent a city and a team. I have to be careful what I say and when I say it. But I don't say anything to offend anybody."

 

In Ozzie's world, life is to be lived fully, people are to be embraced and jokes are to be made. Problem is, not everyone gets them.

 

[email protected]

I love how Ozzie is outspoken and not afraid of speaking his mind even though it may not always be ''politicly correct''. He tells the players what must be told and not what they want to hear. I also like how he manages with his gut and is not scared of putting his neck on the line every night. BTW I have no problem with the last sentence. Edited August 11, 2005 by Ozzie Montana

[GoSox05]

we all know ozzie loves everyone, except maybe the baltimore O's pitching staff and umps. But hey can you blame him.

[LosMediasBlancas]

It's a Latino thing, they'll never understand.

[whitesoxfan101]

You know how many times i've called my best friend "a homo"or made reference toward him "doing it R. Kelly style" if he likes a girl a year younger than him? Probably a hundred times, and most people out there can say the same.

 

Everybody does stuff like this, it's not even a diss towards gay people, it's just something that goes on. This article is pathetic and quite honestly, Rick Morrisey needs to be b**** slapped for writing it.

[Big Hurtin]

Is this Ozzie's friend?

[Steve9347]

Oh geez... I love Ozzie.

 

Now, let's look at this the right way. Many of us would do the same to our longtime friends... I call my friends "gay" all the time, just kidding and trying to give them s***. Now, do I have a problem with homosexuals? No. It's just something that is done, and I don't know why.

 

However, would I call my friend a "gay" in front of my grandmother? No, I most absolutely would not. I love Ozzie, but he needs to figure out that, with a bay of 30 reporters near him, most wanting to get that precious "Guillen quote," he shouldn't be yelling that kind of stuff.

 

It's called etiquette, Ozzie.

Edited August 11, 2005 by Steve9347

[Steve9347]

Is this Ozzie's friend?

 

hahahahaha... 8 year olds, dude.

[LosMediasBlancas]

Is this Ozzie's friend?

 

LMAO, eeeeYES.

[UC76]

I commented on Ozzie/Morrissey in my blog (if you care.) Morrissey is a douchebag. He went out of his way to write about a comment that would not have hurt anyone had it never been PRINTED IN A MAJOR NEWSPAPER!!!! Maybe he's a Cubs fan just trying to tear down the Sox.

 

Nice journalism, Rick. This is like some garbage Mariotti might pull.

[FlaSoxxJim]

Off the record means a source will give you information and tell you it cannot be attributed to him directly and is "off the record". Ozzie did not do that. It was a remark made in public in front of a bunch of reporters. Ozzies an idiot for thinking he wouldn't be quoted.

 

People are quoted all the time in situations that are not formal press conferences.

 

It doesn't matter if the person the remark is made to isn't offended, if the other people in attendance are, and the public in general could be, the Manager of the White Sox should show some public relations skills and avoid that. The entire organization should be building the fan base, not doing things to alienate a portion of it.

As always, a voice of reason.

 

Ozzie's an adult and he is the most visible face of the Sox organization. Why say stupid s*** in public (did the article say 30! media people were present?) that you have to know is going to come back and bite you?