Extra scrutiny may keep Ozzie from being Ozzie

[Controlled Chaos]

Extra scrutiny may keep Ozzie from being Ozzie

 

June 27, 2006

 

BY CAROL SLEZAK SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST

 

 

Midway through last baseball season, a veteran baseball writer asked me if I was offended by Ozzie Guillen's swearing. I confessed that the thought never had occurred to me, in part because -- gee, I hope my mom isn't reading this -- Guillen and I share a fondness for cuss words.

 

During the playoffs, a national sportswriter asked me if I ever had observed Guillen acting inappropriately toward female reporters. I confessed that I hadn't -- what, had I missed some good gossip? -- and added that I believed Guillen treated everyone the same.

 

In each instance, I could have elaborated. I could have added that Guillen is one of the most entertaining personalities I've ever covered. I could have said he is smart and honest and frequently offers insightful comments about both his team and the sport. I could have said he is the best thing to happen to the White Sox and major-league baseball in a long time.

 

Even after the events of the last week, I still believe all those things I didn't say. Yes, Guillen made a big mistake. Words do matter, and the f-word belongs on the same list as the n-word. But Guillen apologized for using the slur, and I believe his apology was sincere. While I am sure he initially offended many people, both gay and straight, I am unaware of any anti-Sox or anti-baseball backlash as a result of his remark. People do make mistakes. They are allowed to learn from them. They are allowed to apologize. We are allowed to forgive them.

 

It's time for everyone to relax and move on, and that includes the Sox. But judging from the comments general manager Ken Williams made Sunday, the organization is not ready to do either.

 

'Longevity' in question

 

 

 

"What I get concerned with more than anything is that my friend, my brother, is going down a road that does not necessarily lend itself to longevity,'' Williams said. "We've all seen how the movie ends when things are flamed to the degree they are beginning to flame [to] when he says things that are controversial.''

 

Although Williams also said nothing was "imminent,'' I got an uneasy feeling when I read his words. Now that he has publicly warned Guillen that further slip-ups will not be tolerated, Williams will be forced to follow through on his threat if Guillen slips up. Hopefully, that won't happen again. But whenever he speaks, we will be listening.

 

"We are trying to get him to understand that if he puts himself in that position, it will be, to me, one of the most unfortunate sports happenings in a long time,'' Williams said. "We need people like Ozzie Guillen out there to give a little bit of color and a little bit of flavor to the game.''

 

Yet much of Guillen's charisma -- the color and flavor Williams referred to -- lies in his spontaneity. Take that away from him, and you might as well make Harold Baines the manager.

 

Don't get me wrong. I believe Guillen knows the difference between right and wrong, in both Spanish and English. (And I trust he will pay attention when he attends his commissioner-ordered sensitivity training.) But I also believe the rest of us, particularly many of us in the media, are prone to getting carried away. Just look at how some commentators have tried to link Guillen's handling of the team's recent beanball wars -- neither of which was started by the Sox -- to his gay slur. There is no connection, but that hasn't stopped us from piling on. We're good at that.

 

A hard line to draw

 

 

 

Now I find myself wondering who will be the final arbiter when it comes to judging whether Guillen's future comments are controversial. Exactly which words will be on the forbidden list? Is Williams making the list, or can we all have input? I vote for including the c-word, as in chick. I don't recall having heard Guillen use it, but plenty of others seem to think it's an acceptable term. (And I suppose it is, to barnyard fowl.)

 

I'm also wondering exactly which groups will be on the protected list. I expect gays and racial minorities will be included, as they should be. But figuring out the subsets might get tricky. For instance, what constitutes a racial minority in baseball these days? Caucasians, perhaps? Chubby players? (Does that mean Guillen must never again comment on Caucasian closer Bobby Jenks' girth?)

 

Finally, I wonder if the context of the offending word or phrase will be taken into account. Because Guillen can be pretty funny. His pregame Q&A sessions with reporters can resemble a comedy routine, and comedians get away with insulting all kinds of people. I wonder if Guillen will be afforded that luxury now. (Sun-Times columnist Neil Steinberg recently ran a week's worth of blond jokes in his column. If Guillen were to tell a blond joke, would he lose his job?)

 

I don't believe that Williams, who incidentally happens to share Guillen's temper and feistiness, intended to make things worse for his manager, but that's what he has done. Guillen now will face even more intense scrutiny, and I'm not confident he can escape unscathed. I'm not sure any of us could.