Ozzie Guillen Apologizes for Castro Comments, Suspended Five Games

Miami Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen has been suspended for five games by the team after making some seemingly favorable comments about Cuban dictator Fidel Castro. If you haven't heard, Guillen was quoted in Time seemingly giving some props to Castro.

I respect Fidel Castro. You know why? A lot of people have wanted to kill Fidel Castro for the last 60 years, but that mother(expletive) is still there.

Obviously that didn't go over well in Miami, where many Cubans now live after having fled from Castro's brutal regime. A lot of the talk on sports radio today revolved around 'time and place.' Back in 2008, Guillen made basically the same statements, but he was living and working in Chicago at the time, so it didn't get the kind of attention as now in Miami.

Today, Guillen tried to clarify his comments at a press conference, but the damage is done. Some in Miami want him fired, but I think that would be a little extreme. Guillen was contrite in his apology and I believe his explanation, that he was just trying to express disbelief that Castro survived so long despite so many wanting him dead.

Guillen made sure to say that he has never agreed with Castro's politics. I thought it was obvious what Guillen was trying to say when he made the comments, but he chose his words poorly. 

This whole incident goes to show that there's too much emphasis on cultural and political events being shoved into sports these days. There's a weird need now to try to have athletes weigh in on world or national news. Let athletes be athletes, because I honestly don't need to know what they think about politics. I just want to know how they're going to win the next game.

Article by Eric Gray