Oh, the weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth yesterday when the White Sox announced that they had extended manager Ozzie Guillen through 2012.  From all corners of the internet poison pens were sharpened to a razor like consistency and the words of condemnation flew like flies in my garage.  And the question is why?  The Sox for once in their history made a smart move.

First, Guillen's existing contract was for 2008 with a club option for 2009.  Signing him long term ended any speculation on anyone's part that Guillen was done after next year.  This was a message to the players, the media and the fans that Ozzie Guillen wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.  It makes it easier for Guillen to focus on rebuilding (or, depending on who you talk to or read, retooling) the White Sox without fear of losing his job. And it lets any players who have issues with Ozzie know that they, not he, will be the ones that leave.

Second, Ozzie is not nearly as bad a manager as people (and most of them non-Sox fans) think he is.  Ozzie's career winning percentage of .529 is higher than Lou Piniella (.517), Terry Francona (.509) and Jim Leyland (.496) and is just a few points lower than the Genius (.535) and Joe Torre (.538).  And honestly, winning 53% of your games every year is a good start to getting where you need to go. 

Third, this year is a write off, an anomaly, a Murphy's Law on steroids and HGH year.  The Sox will have a problem if they same thing repeats itself next year, but I am confident that it won't.  I'm not saying they will win the world series or even the division, but I would be shocked if they played as poorly next year as they have this year. 

Finally, the Chairman has cried in his Heineken  since the day he allowed Hawk Harrelson to fire the Genius.  Of all of the dumb things Jerry has done (different blog for a different day) firing LaRussa is at the top of HIS (not my) list.  Fearing that Ozzie, a man the Chairman is very attached to may bolt or twist in the wind, the Chairman wanted to make a statement that as long as he runs the team (and that will be until 2012 when he hands it over to his son, oh joy, oh rapture) Ozzie will be his manager.  Say what you want about the Chairman (Lord knows I have) but he is like Horton the elephant about his employees.  If the Chairman likes and respects you, you'll stay with the team forever (Duane Shaffer and Hawk Harrelson are just two fine examples.) 

So, given all that, the deal to extend Ozzie really isn't a big deal at all.  And here's one more thing: Ozzie's contract is probably not guaranteed but has a buyout attached should the Sox need to make a change or should Ozzie's behavior warrant that the Sox have to let him go.  But Sox fans should be resigned to seeing Ozzie in the dugout for at least five more seasons.

I've said it before and I;ll say it again if not Ozzie, who?  The Genius is old, tired and probably so burned out that changing teams would be futile.  Leyland is going to be in Detroit for a couple of more years and then hand the team over to Gene Lamont.   Davey Johnson has personal issues, he's Wally Backman on vikodin. In fact, i can't off the top of my head think of anyone that I would rather see right now in the Sox dugout besides Ozzie.  (Okay, Ron Gardenhire.) And wouldn't you rather have Ozzie than say  Ned Yost,  Joe Maddon, Buddy Bell, Clint Hurdle, John McLahren, Sam Perlozzo, Jerry Narron, Terry Bevington, John Gibbons or Charlie Manuel?  Of course you would.  So weeping and wailing is probably a moot exercise. 

Now that Burhle, Dye and Ozzie have their extensions, let's hope the man who may really be on the hot seat, Kenny Williams delivers in the off season and the Sox can move forward and maybe, just maybe, repeat their glory year all over again.

Lighting Round

• The Sox drop another bullpen collapse related game to Cleveland 8-3. I saw a lot of the early part of this game.  I think Lance Broadway has some potential, especially coming in, getting into a little trouble and then getting out of it.  Even though Broadway got the loss last night, it was Matt Thornton who caused most of the damage by not being able to pitch out of the inning.  That's what bullpen pitchers are supposed to do.   The same thing for the disaster known as Mike MacUseless.  So, the last two nights, I've been impressed with Broadway and Pink Gavin Floyd.  Today's contest is a businessman's special as the Sox and Indians wrap it up at US Commiskey Park.  Fortunately for the Sox, one of their favorite batting practice pitchers, Jake Westbrook will be on the hill for Cleveland.
• The Brewers get a rare road win in Pittsburgh and coupled with the Cubs losing to the Astros in eleven innings, retake the top spot in the NL Central.  That loud thud you heard about 8:45 central time last night was the wheels falling off for the Cardinals.  They gone.
• Awful news for Tennessee Coach Phillip Fulmer heading into the annual battle with Florida.  It really doesn't matter as Tennessee won't beat Florida anyway.
• Music to the ears of Cheeseheads.
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  This whole thing with the Patriots and the video is pretty amusing, don't you think.  Riddle me this Batman: Will the same poison pens that attack baseball players for cheating take shots at Bill Belichick  and his legacy if these charges are proven true? You would think if the Pats were smart, they would just film the signals from the roof of the press box rather than the sideline?
• The suit against Don Imus et. all by a Rutgers player was dropped when somebody came to her senses.  The comment about "she wanted to concentrate on her studies and basketball" is spin for "someone finally convinced her she didn't have a chance in hell of not having a summary judgment go against her."  Look, I'm no Denny Crane, but even I know a frivolous law suit when I see one.
• It wont be a total reunion unless they dig up the corpse of Bonzo and prop it up near a drum kit.  But hey, Page and Plant together again is not such a bad thing.
• On a day where Fred Thompson caught Rudy Giuliani in the polls, Mitt Romney counters with a dastardly bogus website.  Gee Mitt, ever hear of an IP address?
• I didn't find  Kathy Griffin's speech at the backstage Emmy awards particularly offensive,  and certainly not as knee jerk as the Emmy people did, acting outraged.  It was just the movie industries  way of protecting their family business.  Because we know for a fact that it's not what you say or how outrageous the statement you make, it's how much money your statement will cost someone and how fast someone can act indignant and distance themselves so they minimize the financial damage.  Oh, yeah.  I love the representitive from the Catholic League who called it "vulgar, hate speech."  I don't think so, sir.  Not by a long shot. Griffin merely said "Jesus had nothing to do with this award.  This award is my God now." Being blasphemous in the eyes of the Catholic Church is neither vulgar nor hateful. It's having a difference of opinion, which, these days, is forbidden by organized religion.  In any case, this is certainly not the level of comments made earlier in the year by Isiah Washington and Don Imus, is it?
  
• I've had that stupid techno Heineken  song going through my head for several days, so for some unknown reason I went to the Heineken website.  They have a little viral deal where you can slap the face of you and some friends on dancing robots jamming to the Heineken song.  So, please welcome, the Ramsey family dancers.  The only complaint I have it won't accept dog faces and I couldn't put Butkus in there.