I’m not saying I want to see anyone lose their jobs but it’s
hard to feel sorry for people when they do it to themselves, you know? And
leaving any fandom or loyalties at the door Curt Schilling did it to himself. I
don’t dislike Schilling personally, I don’t know the guy, and while I didn’t
like him as a player, he killed us as an Arizona Diamondbacks player in that
2001 World Series and again as a Red Sox player during his tenure there, I have
no real beef with him since his playing career ended. I think he runs off at
the mouth sometimes and I think his skills as a broadcast announcer need some
work and fine tuning but that’s not for me to decide. It seems as though I’m
not alone though as ESPN decided to relieve Schilling of his duties this week
firing the former pitcher.
Schilling has had more than his fair share of hiccups and
instances that could have and maybe even should have got him fired during his
tenure with the Worldwide Leader in Sports. At the end of the 2015 season
Schilling was quoted on Twitter comparing “Muslim extremists” to the Nazi
regime in Germany during World War II. Also earlier this season Schilling was
quoted as saying that Democratic Presidential nominee Hillary Clinton should be
“buried under a jail somewhere” ruffling a few feathers with her fans and
supporters. The final straw may have been though when Schilling went on a
Facebook tirade this week against access to public facilities and bathrooms for
transgender people.
Schilling went too far whether you agree with the whole
thing or not. Schilling posted a pretty crazy photo that I won’t share here,
it’s not too hard to find with the world of Google, and went after people who
were angry with him. Schilling justified his actions and his feelings in his
own mind and he’s more than able and welcome to express those behind the first
amendment of this country but what a lot of people forget is that for every
reaction and use of that amendment there can and usually will be some sort of
punishment and lash back.
That punishment is that Schilling is no longer employed by
ESPN and honestly, he shouldn’t be. The network doesn’t need people like him
giving them a bad image or a bad name and they don’t need him pushing away
potential viewership in a business that is reliant on it. Schilling I hold no
ill will towards you but you dug your own hole, you covered yourself up and
you’re probably still talking as you buried yourself. I wish you well and hope
you find work and happiness elsewhere but I can’t lie and say I’m not happy
that it won’t be with ESPN anymore.
Schilling, get out of your own way pal.
