The White Sox remain the gift that keeps giving. One day, Ozzie Guillen is calling the White Sox Chicago's biznatch. The next day he's letting reporters see his club's crude blowup doll collection, complete with suggestively placed bats and the slogan "You've got to push." Yep, that's going to rile the locals: But this isn't about reporters' feelings. Reporters are conduits to the fans. What a team does behind closed doors is its own business. But once the locker room opens, the franchise is on public display. So, how do you like your team now, Sox fans? Do you think the players respect women? I'm not so sure about that.I hate it to break it to Sun-Times columnist Carol Slezak, who is obviously right here, but it's not exactly Earth-shattering news that a bunch of brutish professional baseball players might not be paragons of sensitivity to women. They might -- and I know this is a shock -- they just might ... objectify them! Who knew?!
Ozzie Guillen's not apologizing for the display, but you can give that a day or two. Soon, Kenny Williams or Jerry Reinsdorf or somebody is going to come down to the locker room, pretend to give a really angry talk to Ozzie, and Ozzie will be forced to give a half-hearted apology. While we wait, I'm going to celebrate the brilliance of the White Sox, and the way they make this blogger's life way too easy.
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Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 1)
1. How can you say that the White Sox don't respect women? You are not seeing the point here. I am 1) a woman, and 2) a White Sox fan. This isn't going to change that!!! As far as I'm concerned Ozzie can do what ever the hell he wants to that team. He is, in fact, the MANAGER!!! Who gives a shit what they do to get themselves ready for the game. You can't judge or single out any one player, or the whole team for that matter, just because you wan't something to write about. You don't know how these guys are around women. Why do you even care anyways? Last I checked the game of baseball is about the GAME. Not, how they think or treat women. You are the one sounding like a cry-baby girl anyways, so maybe you should think about that one first before you start ripping on the White Sox.
Posted at 2:36PM on May 6th 2008 by Jenni
2. Men are the ones making a big deal out of this, not women. Some people need to lighten the hell up!
Posted at 8:56PM on May 7th 2008 by The Ween
3. "Last I checked the game of baseball is about the GAME. Not, how they think or treat women."
The outrage isn't about the game, however -- it's about the people. See, as much as we like to deny it, professional athletes are role models, to kids and adults alike. So their conduct -- in this case, in regards to how they think of and treat women -- is important to us.
Of course these athletes have the legal *right* to do whatever they want to their blow-up dolls. But people have the right to do a lot of things that most people wouldn't condone. They, as people, have the right to think of women however they please. And we, as members of the public, have the right to be outraged when their objectification becomes a spectacle on the world stage.
Posted at 9:11PM on May 9th 2008 by Ashley B