You are here: Home / Morning Links / Curt Schilling – Hypocrite? Shocking, I know.

Curt Schilling – Hypocrite? Shocking, I know.

March 30, 2012 By

We know we can always count on Curt Schilling to have an opinion. While every Red Sox fan is fond of Schilling for what he did on the field, many cringed even during his playing career at his affinity for the spotlight – or redlight – whichever you prefer.

Today’s Globe sports media column from Chad Finn looks at Schilling in his media role with ESPN, and how he’s already become what he despised as a player.

Schilling behind desk does an about-face

The column smartly points out how Schilling always berated media members who suggested they knew what took place inside the Red Sox clubhouse. Who can forget Schilling taking on Butch Stearns for suggesting that Schilling and Pedro Martinez didn’t get along? WEEI still plays the clips of that call-in.

This week, on those same airwaves, Schilling suggested that things weren’t going well in the clubhouse in an appearance on Tuesday’s Mut & Merloni show. Josh Beckett had the perfect answer when he appeared on the Big Show yesterday – Is Schilling one of our pitchers?

I only heard a little of the Beckett interview live on WEEI, but Glenn Ordway’s question about Beckett putting his daughter and family above baseball had to be one of the most awkward, rambling questions I’ve heard in some time. It was John Dennis-esque. I love when media people spend time ripping someone, and then when talking directly to that person, use the “some people are saying” line.

Speaking of John Dennis – ranting on about the competition’s attempts at publicity for the charity work (he didn’t name him, but Fred Toucher and HIS rants about NESN not letting him promote it was the target) and then naming all the charity work YOU do, just seems a little disingenuous. Almost the entire D&C section of WEEI.com is a listing of their charity work, and they often post dozens of photos of themselves with sick kids. The work is great, but I don’t see the need to get into a measuring contest about it.

Media Roundup: Is Tiger Woods Returning To Form In Time For The Masters? - On my SB Nation Boston media column, I’ve got ESPN golf analysts talking about whether Tiger Woods is back in the chase for Jack Nicklaus’ all-time record for career Major championships.

Filed Under: Morning Links
  • latetodinner

    Thank you Bruce for bringing up the D&C rant this morning. Over the last two days there have been two very curious and to me interesting discussions on the D&C show. Yesterday a caller started his call by saying “I love your show, even though I disagree with you on politics”…John Dennis cut him off at that statement and said “have you listened to the show lately, when was the last time we talked politics”…he got real aggressive with the caller almost defensive about the new all sports focus of the show. The caller said again he loved the all sports talked on the show and quickly got away from the politics. I was struck when listening that the show nor station , to the best of my knowledge has not promoted a format or content change for D&C and yet Dennis was visible upset someone was suggesting they talked politics.

    Second, I heard the whole John Dennis and Gerry Callahan rant against T&R…mostly Fred I think, regarding the cuts for care event. I actually think Dennis has a good point. i think Fred T. spent a disproportionate amount of time bashing NESN for their perceived lack of support. His ASSUMPTION that the lack of support was because of the simulcast of the D & C show. I really believe this is a case of a media member being new to the area and not understanding how involved with the Jimmy Fund and Dana Farber the Sox and all of their affiliates have been going back 60 years now. Had Fred T not made things so personal with NESN I don’t think John Dennis would have said anything. You can argue whether fighting over who supports children’s charities more is good business or radio…but I believe Fred’s anger was misplaced to begin with and then he said some really stupid things on the air. I do think John Dennis was late to the party in defending WEEI and NESN but I don’t fault him for what he said.

    Having said that…John Dennis has to be the second most thin skinned mediot in Boston (Mike Adams retired that title years ago). Just because I agree with what he said or even if I don’t…I am not sure every slight needs to be addressed with such emotion, anger or intensity.

    • JTK177

      I listened to both D&C and T&R’s comments on this situation. I was suprised how well Fred handled it this morning without going nuclear. I remember a couple weeks ago how he was angry he could not go on NESN like he has in previous years to promote the charity. He did at that time think it may have been to do with D&C being on NESN.

      What I find terrible was Dennis thinking that T&R are only doing a charity to get publicity for themselves. Now I know he does great work, but he really believes he is holier than thou sometimes which is very misguided.

      • Big Jeff

        T&R spent a day and a half complaining about it and getting their fans all riled up on twitter to bother NESN, Dale Arnold and others. That’s exactly the point Dennis was making – Fred made it all about him.

        Instead of you know, picking up a phone and calling someone at NESN, he chose the nuclear option and couldn’t see the forest for the trees. NESN’s decision had nothing to do with the charity itself, it had to do with the fact that no network brings in someone from a competing network to do a broadcast. Just doesn’t happen. T&R know that, but they intentionally ignored that little nugget and wanted the world to think NESN hates kids with cancer because they wouldn’t let someone from a competitor on their airwaves.

        In prior years, WEEI wasn’t simulcast on NESN. Now they are. If Fred cared so much about the charity that all he wanted was them to have a player on, he would have arranged for it. It’s his event. That said, D&C didn’t cover themselves in glory talking about it this morning either.

  • Joe Gill

    Love to have both Rich and John make peace at Blogapalooza on June 12. We can make it a charitable endeavor.

    • Scott B.

      so, to recap, in a discussion thread regarding individuals who may be using their “charitable endeavors” to promote themselves, Joe chimes in (as if on cue) with an idea of a “charitable endeavor” to promote himself. You never disappoint Joe.

      • HighWireNickEsasky

        Who the &%# is Joe Gill?

      • Chuck Schick

        AND he got one of the people’s names wrong, and the date wrong. That’s makes it a perfect 10 out of 10 on the Gill Scale.

  • John

    I am not really seeing the hypocrisy here. Schilling was mad at Butch because he stated that Schilling and Martinez don’t get along, which Schilling stated was false. In the quotes Finn provided Schilling is giving his opinion that Valentine’s managerial style won’t work with this team. You can say he is wrong, but how is that hypocritical? Butch was trying to pass his opinion off as a fact, I don’t see Schilling doing that here. Maybe I am missing something and at some point, Schilling said that the media should never discuss anything other than on field play, but Finn’s article doesn’t support that.

    • APimpNamedDaveR

      I believe Butch said that “clubhouse sources” gave him the Pedro/Schilling rift information. Schilling’s response was, more or less, “what do you know, you’re not in the locker room.”

      Now, Schilling is saying that he’s “talked to people in the clubhouse” who tell him Valentine’s wearing thin on them already, etc. Kinda the same thing Butch was doing. Hence, the hypocracy claim.

  • 02062

    nice call on the ordway question bruce – very awkward and rambling.

    he also dusted off the old “people have said” or “some have said” when attempting to be critical.

    and the phone kept dropping out.

  • classless

    Heaven forbid someone brings up Ordway’s sick kid. WEEI should keep the questions to sports since it seems they want all Boston athletes to be platonic, single men witn no personal lives.

  • bsmfan

    1.) Unless I missed part of the fight, NESN/SportsHub/CSNNE/WEEI are free to promote as little or as much about charity work that their execs want to do, right? If WEEI doesn’t want to run one for a charity another station is promoting, isn’t that within their power? What happened to personal choice here and the decisions each network in town has to say yes or no on working with or airing something like this? Even if you did it in the past..

    2.) D+C articulated this: Schilling is doing his job. He’s trying to be a media member that is not just Nomar who won’t say anything bad about his previous team (likely going to happen for Tito and who knows how long you’ll last now). They also brought up why Joe Morgan was replaced and this being part of it (was it? I’m not sure). After reading about the background of how ESPN does things when Teddy blew up at 85 on NFL Live, unless Tito starts doing this, his contract won’t be renewed.

    • Scott B.

      hey, next time Finn writes something in the Globe about D + C, I expect they’ll acknowledge that Chad is “doing his job”, won’t they? And as Gerry has reminded us so many times this week, you know when the media is doing its job when its pissing people off.

  • bsmfan

    Could we go a show without Felger firing an ICBM at WEEI?

    “Over the top ball-washing” referring to how WEEI treats Tito, specificly Glen/Holley.

    This is getting fun.

  • NutCracker

    Schilling never met a microphone he didn’t want to make-out with. I lost any respect I had for Schilling back when he went on every radio show and TV program blabbing at length about steroid use in MLB but when he had an opportunity to speak in front of Congress he got amnesia and lock-jaw and wouldn’t say a negative word about the union or other players. You’re a fraud Schilling!

  • bsmfan

    So, with the Celtics now 1.5 games behind the Magic.. Magic looking like their usual first-round exit, DRose injuries finally starting to concern more than just Bulls fans, Heat being so “When do the playoffs start?”.. cue the green teamers in… ?

%d bloggers like this: