from espn.com

Guillen calls columnist Mariotti homosexual slur


On Tuesday to reporters, White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen referred to Chicago Sun-Times columnist and Around the Horn contributor Jay Mariotti as a derogatory name for a homosexual.

Angry with a recent column by Mariotti critical of Guillen's handling of recently demoted relief pitcher Sean Tracey and upset with Mariotti with columns of the past, Guillen said to reporters when referring to Mariotti before Tuesday's game with the Cardinals, "What a piece of [expletive] he is, [expletive] fag."

Mariotti was covering the NBA Finals Tuesday night and was not present to hear what Guillen said.

Columnist Greg Couch of the Sun-Times wrote a column Wednesday in response, calling for commissioner Bud Selig to suspend Guillen for his use of a "hurtful homophobic" term.

Before writing the column, Couch asked Guillen for an explanation. Guillen defended his use of the term "fag" by saying this about homosexuals and the use of the word in question: "I don't have anything against those people. In my country, you call someone something like that and it is not the same as it is in this country.''

Guillen said that in his native Venezuela, that word is not a reference to a person's sexuality, but to his courage. He said he was saying that Mariotti is "not man enough to meet me and talk about [things before writing].''

Guillen also told Couch that he has gay friends, attends WNBA games, went to a Madonna concert and plans to go to the Gay Games in Chicago.

"I called that of this man [Mariotti],'' he told Couch. "I'm not trying to hurt anybody [else]."

Scott Reifert, the White Sox's vice president of communications, offered to apologize on behalf of the organization when approached by Couch.

"To anybody who was insulted or hurt by that comment ... as an organization, we'll certainly apologize," Reifert told Couch.




Why did he point out that he attends WNBA games? OOOHHH, because obviously someone might think that's what gay people do.

mariotti is a fuckin fag

I was going to post, "NEWSFLASH: Ozzie Guillen is right for once," but thanks for beating me to it.

My favorite part is the "I attend WNBA games" comment.

Talk about digging a deeper hole. I'm sure the WNBA loves to hear things like that!

Guillen rulz.

i hate how these comments get blown out of proportion

Well, somebody's gotta have something to write a story about apparently.

Jay Mariotti consistently blows everybody out of the water on 'Around the Horn'. He's leaps and bounds smarter than most douchebag sports talking heads.

Hahhah moar Ozzie plez

woodie is the man, hes better than mariotti

Woody is about two IQ points from mental retardation. He doesn't make any sense most of the time. But because he lets it fly sometimes, they put him on everything, cold pizza, around the horn, dream job, etc.

Guess what bud. This ain't Venezuela.

As somebody who sympathises with sportswriters because I am one, it's kind of ridiculous that he can get away with it. It's funny as all hell, but seriously...

shut up fag

hahaha, thats why i love him, ill watch him over everybody but wilbon and kornheiser(spelling?)

its entertaining

Not to mention Ozzie has been part of American culture for, what, 20 years?!

If I have to hear "Viva Venezuela!" out of his trap one more time, I might scream.

pwned WNBA style

Go read some more Hemingway, fag

stop it. i was insultings will's "courage"

that bitch still hasnt stolen Julius Jones' jersey and sent it to me....

I get it. Ozzie has the courage to be seen at WNBA games.

I agree, he is entertaining...