Updated: Jun 21, 2006, 3:56 PM

Vote: Has Ozzie Guillen gone too far?


Ozzie Guillen
If one of Ozzie Guillen's goals as a manager, as many proponents claim, is to take the pressure off his players by putting the spotlight on himself, he's mastered the art.

For the second time this month, Guillen is in the news for something other than his team's wins and losses. This time, Guillen is in hot water for directing a homophobic slur at Chicago Sun-Times columnist Jay Mariotti in response to Mariotti's criticism of the White Sox skipper. Guillen, who has been playing or managing in the United States since 1985, justified his use of the term by saying it carries a different connotation in his native Venezuela.

Just days ago, Guillen drew the ire of Mariotti and many others by appearing to berate rookie pitcher Sean Tracey in the dugout after Tracey was unable to hit Texas' Hank Blalock with a pitch. Chicago catcher A.J. Pierzynski had previously been hit twice by Texas pitchers.

So what's your take on the controversial manager, SportsNation? Is he a genius who pulled all the right strings in leading the White Sox to the World Series, or is he a callous, calculating and egotistical? Or are the two mutually exclusive?

  • 1) Should Ozzie Guillen be suspended for using a homophobic slur in reference to Chicago Sun-Times columnist Jay Mariotti?
  • 2) Is Guillen's excuse that the word has a different connotation, dealing with courage instead of sexuality, in Venezuela valid?
  • 3) Do you believe anyone else in the White Sox organization would be suspended or fired for saying the same thing in public?
  • 4) Would Guillen be suspended if he had used an ethnic or religious slur?
  • 5) Which incident do you find more troubling?
  • 6) What is your overall opinion of Guillen?
  • 7) What do you think has more to do with Guillen's frequent newsworthy quotes?
  • 8) Where do you think Guillen ranks among baseball managers?
  • 9) Will Guillen win another World Series with the White Sox?
  • 10) How long will Guillen remain manager of the White Sox?

ESPN Conversations


You must be signed in to post a comment

Already have an account?

You are fully responsible for the content you post. Content that includes profanity, personal attacks or antisocial behavior (such as "spamming" or "trolling"), or other inappropriate content or material will be removed. We reserve the right to block any user who violates our terms of use, including removing all content posted by that user.