by Scott Thomas
Ozzie Guillen, manager of my beloved World Series Champion Chicago White Sox, said a really stupid thing. Ozzie Guillen was insensitive. Ozzie Guillen was offensive. When Ozzie Guillen called Chicago Sun Times columnist Jay Marriotti a "f-----g fag", he offended not only homosexuals, but thousands of grown adults who've learned to express themselves in ways that show an intelligent command of language. Ozzie Guillen was flat out wrong.
That fact that he offended the gay community is easy to understand. The fact that he offended many others, simply by using that derogatory term is easy to understand. But, the fact that many members of the sports media seem to be greatly offended...that I don't quite understand.
Like many managers, coaches, players, sportswriters and sports talkers, Ozzie Guillen expresses himself in the language of the locker room. And, that language has nothing to do with the word "fag". To my knowledge, that is the first time he has used that word within earshot of reporters. They heard it. They broadcast it. They printed it. Now, much of the world is offended.
But, for years, in press conference after press conference, Ozzie has used the word "f-----g", and nobody gets offended. To further describe Jay Marriotti, in the same paragraph, Ozzie called him a "piece of s--t". Again, no offense taken in that. Ozzie, like many in the sports world, drop f-bombs like rabbits drop "pellets". Day after day, year after year, curse after curse, these same reporters listen and report, and nobody is offended. But, say the word "fag", one time...
No excuses for Ozzie. I am offended by the word "fag". But, no more offended than I am by the word "f--k", or any of the other scatological gems uttered by sports figures and sportswriters every day. I find it extremely hypocritical for sportswriters to spend the better part of two weeks analyzing, criticizing, and condemning Ozzie Guillen's one word, while joining him in the rest of his offensive vocabulary.
More hypocritical than the sanctimonious sport writers, however, are pompous sports-talk radio hosts. In the last week, while listening to a half dozen sports-talkers express their outrage and/or disgust with Ozzie, I have heard them all use phrases, on the air, such as, "he can kiss my a--", "you must be a retard", and "he's a son of a b----". I heard the Lord's name taken in vain countless times. I've heard crude locker room-like referrals to male and female body parts. And, you simply cannot listen to more than 15 minutes of sports-talk radio without being invited to a strip club or encouraged to chemically enhance your sexual performance.
I find all of that completely offensive. But, with regard to these guys commenting on Ozzie Guillen, I find it completely hypocritical. You can hardly criticize, with any integrity, someone who defends Ozzie's use of the word "fag", by calling the defender a "retard". Or, are the mentally challenged not owed the same sensitive consideration as homosexuals.
Everyone in sports media. Shut up already. You are all pots calling one kettle black.
