Poll & chat: Ozzie...Does get get fired?

[Sunstroke]

^^^ Nah...surely the media would never blow a story out of proportion!

[Dave Gray]

How many millions of Cubans live in Miami?  How many of those millions were directly impacted by Castro?

Here's where I say ignorant shit...beware:

I don't think that THAT many Cubans living here are directly impacted by Castro anymore.  They are 2nd generation Cubans, where hatred of Castro is built into their culture.  I know a guy that has a cigar box in his house of his family's old property deeds.  Guy never set foot in Cuba but feels that Castro's people acquired their family property, but that it's still his birthright.  By giving any recognition to Castro at all, he's basically forfeiting that land (though I think it's long since gone anyway.)  It built in him a blind hatred of Castro where all reason goes out the window (not that there's not reason to hate...but it doesn't even matter.)

I think that Castro still indirectly affects a lot of people and a lot have suffered.  My point is, you're not going to get people that emotionally invested to rationally think "What is Ozzy saying?  Should I be pissed about it?"  Instead, you're just going to get a vocal minority of people reacting, when in reality, most people probably don't give a shit.
 

[Pappy13]

You also have to take into account what Ozzie was to the fans prior to making the statement. I heard on Mike and Mike this morning that Ozzie got the biggest ovation from the fans on opening day. Not a player, Ozzie. This hurt his reputation, no question, but I think it will eventually heal especially if the Marlins have a big season with Ozzie at the helm. Ozzie was loved in Chicago until the Sox turned in a couple of sub-par years and then his comments started to grate on people. This is just Ozzie being Ozzie. Yeah it was dumb to say it and he knows it. He IS sorry. He's not a dumb guy, just a guy that absolutely HATES coach speak and sometimes bends over backwards to try to make a point and ends up saying something stupid. Even smart people say stupid shit sometimes.

[bsmooth]

Not to mention there was not that huge of an outcry as around 200 people showed up to protest.

[Landshark]

Ozzie Guillen basically supported a brutal dictator who has beaten, tortured and executed political prisoners whose crime is often only making disparging remarks about Cuba's communist regime or being related to someone who has.  A brutal dictator who caused hundreds of thousands of people to flee the island for their lives and leave family members behind to live in squalor. 

I agree with Maine, he picked the worst possible area to make such remarks in.  That said, I don't think he gets fired.  A heavy fine should follow the suspension and the money should be given to one or more organizations that help Cuban Americans. 

He has put himself in a bad light with the Cuban community with these comments and it will take a long time for him to get on their good side, if ever.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

Bill Maher pointed out the 9/11 terrorist weren't cowards in the US.   Granted he got fired over it, but quickly got another job.   

[Dave Gray]

^ Maher was correct.

Just because you use a word to positively and accurately describe a hated group, doesn't make it wrong.  Terrorists are scumbags, but people who lay their lives on the line aren't cowards.  It doesn't mean you support them.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

^ Agreed.  Mahar was correct.  Suicide bombing is a lot of things, but it ain't a cowardly act. 

But this is what Ozzie said,

"I respect Fidel Castro, You know why? A lot of people have wanted to kill Fidel Castro for the last 60 years, but that son of a bitch is still there."

He doesn't praise Castro for being a nice person, in fact he calls him a son of a bitch.  He just says he is impressed with his staying power.  And Ozzie is right.  How many times has a much larger and powerful county (US) tried to oust him, and he is still there.  Pretty darn impressive.  I respect his staying power. 

[Dave Gray]

^ That's exactly what I was saying.  In context, the quote makes total sense.  He wasn't praising Castro.

[Phishfan]

But this is what Ozzie said,

"I respect Fidel Castro, You know why? A lot of people have wanted to kill Fidel Castro for the last 60 years, but that son of a bitch is still there."

Revisionism. Ozzie actually said "I love Fidel Castro..." Now Ozzie says he mistranslated his own thoughts by using the word love and I expect that may be true but let's at least get the quote right if we are going to put it in quotes.

[Dave Gray]

^ I read it reported as "respect" as well. 

[Phishfan]

^^^ This link does not go to the full article (you need membership) but the first line is clearly, "I love Fidel Castro."

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2110450,00.html

The respect line is later and is actually in line with what Hoodie quoted which was my mistake. But the lead in was love.

[Pappy13]

Revisionism. Ozzie actually said "I love Fidel Castro..." Now Ozzie says he mistranslated his own thoughts by using the word love and I expect that may be true but let's at least get the quote right if we are going to put it in quotes.

It's the .... that are important though. He went on to explain what he meant by that. It's a little deceptive to use only the first 4 words of what he said about Castro to convey his true feelings about Castro. He shouldn't have said it, but I think it's obvious that it was a poor choice of words and didn't really convey his true feelings. I think most people understand that and they will get over it.