Legion Troll
A fine upstanding poster
Curt Schilling is remembered as an outstanding competitor and one of the best postseason pitchers of all-time.
Ever since his dismissal from ESPN, he seems intent on carving out a new identity as a martyr for the right-wing, raging against the supposed liberal bias that conservatives feel has overtaken America.
Schilling has always been politically outspoken. In 2004, just hours after the Red Sox won their first World Series in 86 years he sat out down with Good Morning America for a celebratory interview. But Schilling shifted the conversation to the presidential race when he endorsed George W. Bush for reelection. ”And make sure you tell everybody to vote, and vote Bush next week.”
Despite the narrative Schilling is currently peddling, ESPN allowed him to be vocal about his political leanings during his six years at the network. He wasn’t disciplined two years ago for railing against the theory of evolution or for saying Hillary Clinton should be “buried under a jail.”
On the occasions Schilling was suspended, such as when he tweeted a meme comparing radical Muslims to Nazis, it was for his crassness rather than his politics. The final straw came in April.
During his post-firing media blitz, Schilling often talks about the apparent hypocrisy at ESPN when it comes to politics. In a recent interview on SiriusXM’s “Breitbart News Patriots Forum,” he said ESPN employs “some of the biggest racists in sports commentating.”
It’s smart business for Schilling to paint himself as a victim who was reprimanded for his conservative viewpoints. As Fox News’ ratings show, there’s a sizable group of conservatives who feel disenfranchised.
There are several reasons Schilling was fired from ESPN, such as his refusal to follow orders or habits of posting crude material on social media.
It all fits into Schilling’s image as an unfiltered culture warrior for the right –– whether he’s publishing a nearly 1,500-word screed endorsing Donald Trump or opining on the Second Amendment during live Periscope sessions.
Schilling says he sacrificed his cushy TV job for the sake of social conservatism. He now has all of the credibility he needs to be a far right-wing folk hero.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/alexreimer/2016/05/17/after-his-espn-firing-curt-schilling-is-now-a-martyr-for-the-right-wing/#66ab3f8a3821
