"I'm only a man...just like you, brothers and sisters, just like you."
Somebody on a message board I frequent asked me what I thought of Ozzie's apology in the wake of him calling Jay Mariotti a 'fag,' which went like this:
Before Wednesday night's game, Guillen acknowledged that his use of the word might have offended some.
"I shouldn't have mentioned the name that was mentioned, but I'm not going to back off of Jay," Guillen said, using another profanity to describe Mariotti.
"The word I used, I should have used something different. A lot of people's feelings were hurt and I didn't mean it that way."
Guillen said he had spoken to White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf about the incident.
"Jay, I think I made this guy a lot of money and he's famous. If not for Ozzie Guillen, no one would have heard of him," Guillen said. "If I hurt anybody with what I called him, I apologize."
* * *
Guillen was asked Wednesday if he would be open to taking some sensitivity training considering his recent comments.
"I've been here for 20 years, but people have to know that I grew up in a different country. That's not an excuse. I called the guy that name, but, no, that's the way I grew up, that's the way I've learned that language," he said.
"I don't have an excuse to say that, I have been here enough to know you can use so many words in the States. That's not an excuse, but I wasn't calling people that. I was calling him that."
Since I'm too lazy to compose any new thoughts, I'll just copy and paste my response:
Sniff, sniff.
I need tissue.
Why, that was one of the most sincere, heartfelt, uninhibited releases of pure human emotion and raw regret I've ever had the privilege of hearing. Goosebumps. The emotional depths of this man are limitless and intimidating. I'm literally crying here - cutting tears of sadness that such a pure man be held to the same social limitations as you or I, cleansing tears of joy now knowing that such a soft, virgin heart does actually exist (who knew?) - over the fact that Ozzie had the balls to admit to his mistake and lay bare his tortured soul for all the world to judge and, if it be so kind, forgive him. (Can we even dare dream this cruel, cruel world do so?) Confessional, vulnerable, accesible. Just a man, just a man. His course outer layer has been removed and we see the sensitive essence that emanates from within, the soul of a creature not all good, not all bad. We can all only strive to be so aware of our frailities and so willing to seek self-improvement, to desire, in the end, simple love and understanding. Too much to ask? I commend Ozzie in his battle. I have faith he will overcome. Soldier on, my friend.
Bravo, Ozzie, bravo.
Or, more simply...Mariotti is a major tool, Ozzie called him out as such, and he used a small three-letter word that has a meaning that stretches beyond what he intended. Foolish on his part, but no big deal in the big picture.
Now can we get to the real news, like the Sox scoring 33 runs in the last two days on the NL's best team?
