Ozzie Guillen's Tirades Brings Hypocrisy Out of Media

Since taking over as manager of the Chicago White Sox in 2004, Ozzie Guillen has been nothing less than controversial.

And since he was thrust into the spotlight after winning the 2005 World Series, Guillen has drawn more criticism than praise from the media for his choice of words in multiple interviews—specifically for calling out his team, staff, or management when the White Sox are playing poorly.

Critics of Guillen usually dismiss what he says as moronic, crazy, unnecessary, and often offensive. But here's where the hypocrisy comes in.

How are the things Ozzie says any different from that of Jim Leyland? Or Charlie Manuel? Or even the beloved manager from only a few miles away, Lou Piniella?

In today's day and age, it's not uncommon for a fed-up manager to go on an obscenity-laced tirade when their team isn't playing up to par.

Leyland seems to do it almost monthly, Piniella has done it in Cincinnati, Seattle, Tampa Bay, and now Chicago. Even little-known Seattle Mariners' manager John McLaren got into the act after a recent loss.

Unfortunately for Ozzie, these managers get a break. When Leyland or Piniella go off, they're doing what they do. They're "firing up their teams" and "inspiring them to play up to their potential."  But when Ozzie does it—he's crazy.

It's an unexplainable hypocrisy.

Some critics say the reason for this double-standard is that Leyland and Piniella have been doing their job much longer than Ozzie. It's a "respect factor" of sorts.

Well what exactly can a manager do to earn this respect? Win a World Series?

Ozzie's done that. Something no manager in the city of Chicago can say since 1917. So that can't be it.

Maybe it's earning players' respect. But that can't be it either.

Ozzie has had a fun-loving relationship with a majority of his players since joining the team. Even befriending the ever-angry Frank Thomas during his latter years with the squad.

The Spanish-speaking players who have come to Chicago (Jose Contreras, Orlando Hernandez, Juan Uribe, Octavio Dotel, just to name a few) have looked at him as a brother and a friend.  And the long-time White Sox who have played under him (Mark Buehrle, Paul Konerko, Joe Crede) have said nothing but the most positive things about him as a person and as a manager.

The only possible explanation for the double-standard would be regarding the one time Ozzie truly crossed the line. When, in 2006, he called Chicago-Sun Times columnist Jay Marriotti a homosexual slur.

The criticism Ozzie was warranted for that was that it was completely unnecessary and disrespectful for him to use that language. However, for that one moment to define his whole career is just not fair.

Billy Martin's career as New York Yankees' manager was defined by his fight with Reggie Jackson. Enough so that a poorly-made ESPN mini-series was made about it. 

Nevermind that he won two World Series titles, a third pennant, and had a .553 career winning percentage. To critics, Martin was a hot-headed jerk, not a great manager. And unfortunately for Ozzie, that's the road he's headed for.

But just remember, the next time you hear Leyland call out his underachieving Tigers' squad or Piniella storm out of a dugout and kick dirt on an umpire, and if they're doing so to inspire their team, that's no different than what Ozzie does each and every time he makes news for being, well, Ozzie.