Sox Shrine: Blown Way Out of Proportion

Dear Ms. Slezak,

I read your column yesterday, the one where you excoriated the White Sox organization for the players' blow-up doll "shrine" erected (no pun intended) in their Toronto locker room earlier this week.

You called it sexist and had some pretty harsh words for the players and their bosses:

I'm sure the players' moms, wives, sisters and daughters are really proud of them. Way to go, guys. And just so we're clear, the tired ''boys will be boys'' excuse no longer works.

But it starts at the top. I'm pretty sure Guillen was born without a sensitivity chip, but what about general manager Ken Williams and chairman Jerry Reinsdorf? What about commissioner Bud Selig, who ordered Guillen's 2006 sensitivity training? Verbal or not, intended or not, the blow-up doll shrine said a mouthful about how the Sox organization views women. And I don't like what I heard.

As a card-carrying member of the Estrogen Patrol, I just have to say (with thanks to John Riggins): Lighten up, Carol, baby.

It was a joke. I'm sure you've heard of them. You might have even laughed at a few now and then (though given your joyless sermonizing, I have my doubts).

Carol, you're a sports writer, not a gardening columnist. If you haven't witnessed anything like this before, you probably haven't been doing your job very well.

These guys are doing what they can to turn things around and try to win baseball games. Emphasis on guys. You know, the ones with penises. They think shit like this is funny.

Hell, guess I'm gonna have to apologize to the Blah Blah Sisterhood cuz I thought it was funny too. A touch dumb ass but entertaining, nonetheless. It didn't even occur to me to be offended.

You write:

Can you imagine the Yankees... building a similar shrine in their locker room, in full view of clubhouse visitors?

Good point, Carol. I'm sure the esteemed Yankees organization told Roger Clemens to take down that Miley Cyrus poster he had taped to his locker.

No matter what draconian gender laws are passed, however many sensitivity training sessions are held - however vigorously you try to shame the hormones out of 'em - there is a simple fact you cannot dismiss with a wave of your hand: Boys will be boys.

Why can't women just laugh at it? Why do we have to take everything so damned personally, turn every light-hearted moment into a Lifetime movie?

To me, the bottom line is simple. How do the players and owners treat real women?

Have you, Carol, ever received poor treatment from a member of the White Sox organization? (And by poor, I mean worse than they treat Mariotti?) Have you ever been denied a story or a quote or access to a player or executive? Have you ever seen a player or executive show disrespect to a female employee or fan?

If yes, then you have a bully pulpit, let's hear about it.

If you haven't, then get over it.

Better still, perhaps you might turn your critical eye onto your own profession. Do you have an equally dim opinion about the sports media that appear intent on placing living, breathing female blow up dolls on the sidelines of every game? Is that worthy of a column from you?

Carol, if you were offended by the shrine, so be it. You have every right to cluck disapprovingly about what these guys did.

But please don't claim to speak for me or other female Sox fans, much less player's mothers, sisters, wives and daughters.

You see, some of us have vaginas and a sense of humor.