The Marlins today announced that they have suspended manager Ozzie Guillen for five games for comments he made to Time magazine about Cuban leader Fidel Castro. Marlins bench coach Joey Cora "will be the interim manager during the suspension." The team said in a statement, "The Marlins acknowledge the seriousness of the comments attributed to Guillen. The pain and suffering caused by Fidel Castro cannot be minimized especially in a community filled with victims of the dictatorship." MLB Commissioner Bud Selig today in a statement "supported the suspension." Guillen's suspension was announced prior to his public apology, which was delivered first in Spanish at Marlins Park (ESPN.com, 4/10). A source said that MLB "was reviewing the situation" (ESPN.com, 4/10).
Sports PR consultant Ari Fleischer wrote on his Twitter feed, "I love sports. I love politics. But sometimes sports is nitro & politics is glycerin. As Ozzie G just found out, don't mix em." ESPN Senior VP/Editorial, Print & Digital Media Rob King: "Sport offers no refuge from real issues. Ozzie joins Tebow, Lin and Griner in reinforcing that lesson." Esquire's Chris Jones: "The Marlins suspending Ozzie Guillen for speaking his mind is somewhat Castro-like, isn't it?" The Nation’s Dave Zirin: "If teams are publicly funded, why shouldn't 1st amendment protections apply to Ozzie Guillen?"
The Miami Herald tweeted an image of the protests outside the ballpark during Guillen's press conference: "It's getting ugly. There are more than 200 protesters pushing against front door of stadium."
