FOLIO
by TOM WEPPEL
Wrong turns…
In this past week, we’ve had bad deals come down for two different managers.
In MLB, Miami Marlins Manager Ozzie Guillen is serving a five-day suspension for making some not-so-cool comments in relation to Fidel Castro. To be doing this, and now with his employer having fairly strong ties to the Hispanic community down in South Florida, is not a good thing at all. Earlier this week, Guillen apologized for making the comments…something he has not done very much of in the past.
Still, while some fans have come out and said they accept his apology and are looking forward to seeing what he can do for and with his team, others are not very happy with him at all, suggesting he be fired or released. I’m sure the topic will be up for debate for a while.
Obviously, the repercussions are still going to be felt over a period of time, and I’ll be damn curious to see how Guillen is received when he makes his first appearance down at a Marlins home game. I actually think a lot of it will depend on the performance of the Marlins themselves! If they come out winning ballgames, then most fans will stay cool and calm about the whole issue. But if the Marlins aren’t doing so hot, I can guarantee you some fans will be up in arms as to the status of Mr. Guillen…
In the meantime, things are in even more turmoil at Arkansas.
The last two season, the Arkansas Razorbacks had done a great job on the football field, getting into major Bowl games, and posting some good wins.
A lot of that had to do with the leadership of the Head Coach…Bobby Petrino. He had come in from Louisville and Atlanta and turned the program around like Hog fans wanted it!
Then in the last few weeks, Petrino got himself into some damn hot water, first suffering a motorcycle accident, then lying about letting anyone know he had a little 25-year old honey riding along with him!
Turns out not only was she riding with him…she was also involved with him in a little fling…all while she had been hired to work for Petrino and the football staff! He had thrown her a little $$$…and all this, while Petrino has a wife and four kids!
The bike mishap caused Petrino to suffer a couple of broken ribs and a fractured neck vertebra. As things have continued to swirl, the dirt has come out, with Petrino on the bad end of this whole deal. Unfortunately, Arkansas AD Jeff Long felt compelled to go ahead and terminate Petrino from his coaching duties, costing Bobby a guaranteed $25M contract!
And so, with both Guillen and Petrino doing some thing that really aren’t so cool, the interesting angle here that a lot of media have not given their attention to is this…how will all this affect the players for the teams that these guys were coaching?! Will the Marlins come out and perform and play to their highest ability, despite not having Guillen around for a couple of games to start off? And how will the Razorbacks college players come out for Spring football practice, now under the tutelage of interim HC Tafer Johnson? How will they feel, not having the guy they had felt so good about for guidance and leadership?
It should be very interesting now to follow both the Marlins and the Arkansas Razorbacks and see how they do within their respective seasons…
You noticed I mentioned two coaches of major teams/organizations, without even getting into the New Orleans Saints situation!
Imagine that!
Well, the bottom line here is that Sean Payton will not be allowed to hang with the Saints this season. Instead, looks like they will be turning to assistant coach Joe Vitt to lead them, even though HE will be suspended for the first six games of the season as well! Trying to put this whole jigsaw puzzle together has been a mess for the folks in New Orleans, and the NFL hasn’t even come out and mentioned whether they will be suspending or fining PLAYERS for their involvement!
For me, I just want to see QB Drew Brees signed and sealed as ‘the guy’! Once I see that, I would feel a lot better about the whole mess. Until then, it seems like all we’re going to be getting are episodes coming out like they are a part of a reality TV show!
And we’ll see how and what the Saints do in a few weeks for the NFL Draft…and for their practices afterwards. Should be interesting…
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