Never one to mince words, sometimes it can be hard to tell whether Ozzie Guillén just had a hot mic moment or if he intended for that to go out over the airwaves.
But during NBC Sports Chicago’s Wednesday night White Sox postgame show, I think it’s safe to say Guillén fell victim to every broadcaster’s worst nightmare, the hot mic. Coming back from a commercial break, the screen briefly went dark following a Verizon ad, and “burn that shit” was prominently heard on the broadcast.
“Shit” certainly isn’t the worst hot mic gaffe and it definitely doesn’t deserve to be a punishable offense. It wasn’t even the first time Guillén publicly used the word on Wednesday, considering the former White Sox manager tweeted “don’t talk shit” during his raucous feud with MLB insider Jon Heyman.
But after hearing the hot mic incident, it’s hard not to wonder what Guillén was referring to when he said “burn that shit.” Why would he do that? And what’s interesting about the “burn that shit” comment is what followed the “burn that shit” comment. A live image and ad read for Jet’s Pizza, a restaurant chain that specializes in Detroit-style pizza.
Immediately after Guillén could be heard on a hot mic, the camera focused on a fresh pie from Jet’s Pizza, as White Sox postgame show host Chuck Garfien began the live read, thanking the restaurant for sending food to the NBC Sports Chicago crew Wednesday night.
I’ve never had Jet’s Pizza and probably never will and I certainly don’t want to slander the brand, but I couldn’t stop myself from wondering if Guillén was chiding the pizza that was prominently displayed on the screen. Maybe he was complimenting it, some people prefer burnt pizza. Or maybe his “burn that shit” comment wasn’t in reference to the pizza at all. But the timing was too perfect to ignore.
