Posted on 04/10/2012 7:50:22 AM PDT by ConservativeStatement
The Miami Marlins have suspended Manager Ozzie Guillen for five games, effective immediately, the team said Tuesday.
Guillen sparked a firestorm when he told Time magazine recently that he respected Fidel Castro for being able to lead Cuba for six decades.
"I respect Fidel Castro," Guillen said in the article. "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."
(Excerpt) Read more at news.blogs.cnn.com ...
You dumb gringos don’t understand Spanish!
Can we suspend Baraq for a week too since he loves Castro even more than Guillen?
I knew a guy who recently passed away: very Conservative and Cuban. I could only imagine his thoughts.
That’s not gonna be enough to placate their Cuban-American fans. They are gonna have to eat Ozzie’s contract and ship him off into retirement in Hugo Chavez-land.
What does anything he said have to do with baseball? And what does suspending him for his free speech accomplish?
LOL
The American left loves Fidel. Michael Moore loves Cuba and it’s healthcare system. The American left reveres Che Guevara, (a key and violent component of Cuba’s new Castro led government). But, the Cuban Americans in Florida who escaped Cuba equate Fidel Castro to Hitler.
It seems someone has a disconnect from reality? Why doesn’t someone point this out?
Cubans in Miami fill a lot of those Marlins seats. If they don’t accept his apology it will affect the ball club. As for his right to free speech, nobody made him shut up. He said what he thought but sometimes there are consequences that go along with speaking your mind.
This Gringo lived in Miami for over 10 years. Praising Castro is as bad as Blasphemy! Some things you just don’t say. Many Cuban-Americans lost family members and friends under the Castro Dictatorship!
You don’t have free speech in private employment.
“What does anything he said have to do with baseball? And what does suspending him for his free speech accomplish?”
He is the well paid public face of the franchise. What he says in a public forum matters.
No one is suspending his free speech. Guillen is free to say what he wants, and the Marlins ownership is free to react. Freedom of speech is not freedom from consequence. You should study up on the 1st amendment.
The Marlins are trying to build a fan base in South Florida and Ozzie’s remarks don’t help. THAT is what it has to do with baseball.
.
Baseball is entertainment; if you upset people you’re less likely to get their entertainment dollars. Ozzie’s free speech only means he can’t be prosecuted for saying whatever he wants about Castro - otherwise, he’ll learn his free speech can be very costly when viewed by his employer.
It will possibly placate the target market for what the Marlins are selling.
Private decision by a private for-profit business.
Guillen appears to be in a long slow process of self destructing anyway.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.