Mike and Mike Wrong on Guillen

Posted by Mark Barnes Sep 21, 2006

I have a great deal of respect for ESPN radio guys, Mike Golic and Mike Greenberg, affectionately known in the sports world as Mike and Mike in the Morning. I must take issue, though, with one of their recent takes about Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen and his response to a media question about comments from a former player.

Guillen, who has already apologized many times for poorly-chosen words, is well-known for his loud mouth and untamed bravado. Recently, he was drawn into a war of words, though the media, with former White Sox outfielder, Magglio Ordonez.

A reporter told Guillen of a statement by Ordonez, in which the latter suggested that Guillen and his players would now get their turn to be jealous of him and his Tigers, who will be in the 2006 MLB playoffs. Ordonez had said that he was extremely crestfallen to see his former team make it, without him, when the Sox won the World Series in 2005.

The reporter who got Guillen to spout off, left out part of Ordonez' comments, and in classic Guillen style, he ripped Ordonez and suggested that the White Sox were much better off without him.

For their part, Mike and Mike vilified the reporter and the media, in general, blaming them for Guillen's remarks. If Guillen had been told all of Ordonez' comments, he would have reacted differently, he said. Mike and Mike boldly backed Guillen on the matter.

Blaming the media for something an adult Major League Baseball manager says is utterly ridiculous.

Why is it okay for Guillen to rip Ordonez one minute but say he'd have reacted differently, if he had known the entire story? Guillen should learn to behave like a mature, courteous human being all of the time, instead of making excuses every time he says something insensitive.

Even if Ordonez was wrong, Guillen should have simply said "No comment."

Greenberg and Golic should have called out Guillen, not the media. Athletes are afraid of things being taken out of context, the ESPN radio guys suggest, and this is why so many sports figures won't open up to the media. What horse bleep!

People need to be responsible for what they say and do and stop blaming others for supposedly being drawn into misspeaking or being quoted out of context. Good guys are never misquoted.

Michael Jordan never cried about the media, and he was tormented as much as anyone. He is total class, though. Ozzie Guillen is not.

Mike and Mike have a huge and faithful audience, which listens carefully to their criticism. I like them, but they deserve a little criticism, in this case.

Next time, they need to think a bit more carefully, before letting a guy like Ozzie Guillen off the hook.

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