Last Night's The Franchise: Miami Marlins Distilled Down To Its Motherfucking Essence

The Miami Marlins all-access curse-fest that is The Franchise premiered last night on Showtime, and the first episode made for enjoyable viewing (more enjoyable, at least, than the ESPY Awards, which it ran against). Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria bet the house on the 2012 season, hoping a new stadium, new geographic identifier, and pricey free agents could solve the team's long-standing attendance issues—and maybe win some games in the process. So it's no surprise Loria plays a prominent role in the premiere episode, though as you can see in the video above it's tough to overlook manager Ozzie Guillen and his ever-filthy mouth.

He's not the only one cursing, of course, and there were a few other really interesting moments in last night's episode that made for compelling television. Chief among these is how Loria and team president David Samson broke the news to Ozzie Guillen they'd be suspending him for his Fidel Castro remarks, but other highlights include the friendship between Jose Reyes and Hanley Ramirez, Heath Bell's struggles and Guillen's faith in him, Carlos Zambrano's growth and maturity as a human being, and the acquisition of Carlos Lee.

Sadly, the negotiations for Lee are left on the cutting floor (or, more likely, were one off-limits area for Showtime/MLB's cameras) but the drama of Gaby Sanchez hitting a game-tying home run then immediately being informed of his demotion to AAA is spotlighted. The program's worth a watch if you're a Showtime subscriber; it's available in a variety of on-demand and online formats.