Ignorance has its privileges
Apr 27th, 2007 by Curt Schilling
Take Gary Thorne, John, Jack Joe or whatever his first name is, Heyman, Karen Vescey, Woody Paige, CHB, Jay Marriotti, Bill Plaschke, and a host of other people that litter the media landscape, and put them all on an island somewhere.
Does anyone stop reading their newspapers? Watching the shows they appear on? The answer to that is no. Instead of using the forums they participate in to do something truly different, change lives, inspire people, you have an entire subset of media whose sole purpose in life is to actually be the news, instead of report it. They have little to no talent at what they do and other than a mastery of the English language their skill sets are non-existent.
Watching Woody Paige or the plastered made up face of Jay Marriotti spew absolutely nothing of merit on sports, day after day, makes it easy to understand how Gary Thorne could say something as stupid, ignorant, and uninformed as he did the other night.
Before last night I’d only known who Gary Thorne was due to becoming a hockey fan and enjoying his calls of the NHL playoffs. I’ve always thought he was an awesome hockey announcer. Can’t say I’ve ever met him though so we certainly don’t know each other.
It was blood. You can choose to believe whatever you need to, but facts are facts. The 25 guys that were in that locker room, the coaches, they all know it. In the end nothing else really matters. The people that need to believe otherwise are people with their own insecurities and issues.
The only problem I have is this. If you look back, from the day of game six in the ALCS, through today, you won’t find a newspaper article, radio or TV interview in which I offered the blood, the sock, the game, any of it, as a topic. I haven’t talked about it since the post game interview room that night.
People have asked and I have answered, but the mileage the media got from the incident is all of their own making. When I walked into the room for the post game interviews and offered up my first response to the questions about the game I basically said that the night was a revelation for me. That my faith in God that evening showed me things I’d never believed.
As I uttered those words I could see pretty much every person in that room roll their eyes and smirk. That’s not what any of them wanted to hear, truth or not. That was not good copy. They needed more and what I didn’t give them, they got themselves.
I won’t belittle the night or the event because on a personal and a team level it was an incredible experience. I never took sole credit nor deserved it for us winning that game, or the series. Without Marks home run or Bronson and Keith doing what they did out of the pen we don’t win that game. Without Derek dealing in game seven, Johnny going deep twice, David’s home run and a host of other people we don’t win the series. What came out of that series from a public perception standpoint was not how we all felt. Was I proud of what I did? Absolutely, but I also never thought for a second that was the sole reason we won.
What I experienced in NY and again in game two of the world series was a deeply religious and deeply personal thing. I’ve never been one to hide how I feel and sharing what I went through was not something I had a problem with. I’ve forsaken my relationship with the Lord far too many times and wasted far too many opportunities to glorify him and what he’s done for me in my life. I also knew the media would have a field day with the comments. Obviously I didn’t care.
That somewhat changed yesterday. My only real problem is not that Gary Thorne said something stupid and ignorant, which he did, but that without a word being uttered by anyone in our clubhouse this somehow became a major news story.
If you haven’t figured it out by now, working in the media is a pretty nice gig. Barring outright plagiarism or committing a crime, you don’t have to be accountable if you don’t want to. You can say what you want when you want and you don’t really have to answer to anyone. You can always tell the bigger culprits by the fact you never see their faces in the clubhouse. Most of them are afraid to show themselves to the subjects they rail on everyday.
So Gary Thorne says that Doug told him the blood was fake. Which even when he’s called out he can’t admit he lied. Doug never told Gary Thorne anything. Gary Thorne overheard something and then misreported what he overheard. Not only did he misreport it, he misinterpreted what he misreported.
Doug is a good friend of mine and I knew the second I saw him that he felt horrible. He didn’t have to. I knew the second I was told what had happened that he didn’t say it. I felt horrible for him feeling bad and told him to forget about it. I also knew that being the friends we are, he wouldn’t. But even after they spoke Gary Thorne still covered his ass by lying about the conversation and twisting it in a way that absolved him from blame. Tito got phone calls all day, I did as well, and some other guys did too. It’s 2007 and this team has got a great thing going. The last thing we need is an idiotic distraction that shouldn’t even exist.
So now you have the actual Doctor that performed the surgery both times, my teammates and coaches all admitting it was real (as they did two years ago), yet people still want to think otherwise. The sock from game two of the world series has been in the hall of fame for 2 years now, anyone at anytime could have tested it if they truly wanted to know. However if they do that, and realize that the blood is real, what happens to the story? I’m still convinced that the sock from game 6 of the ALCS is in someone that works in the Yankee clubhouses home.
Remember this, the surgery was voluntary. If you have the nuts, or the guts, grab an orthopedic surgeon, have them suture your ankle skin down to the tissue covering the bone in your ankle joint, then walk around for 4 hours. After that go find a mound, throw a hundred or so pitches, run over, cover first a few times. When you’re done check that ankle and see if it bleeds. It will. There was less visible blood in game two because we recognized the amount of bleeding from the first game and Doctor Morgan put extra covering to stop the blood from running to the bottom of my shoe as it did the first game.
The other great part of this is knowing that anyone that wrote anything about a ‘conspiracy’ or a ‘plot’ is someone that is so far removed from understanding how physically and mentally challenging it is to play this game at this level you can almost laugh off their stupidity. Not to mention they obviously have shortcomings, bitterness and jealousy in their own lives that should probably get taken care of.
So for one of the first times this blog serves one of the purposes I’d hoped it would if the need arose. The media hacked and spewed their way to a day or two of stories that had zero basis in truth. A story fabricated by the media, for the media. The best part was that instead of having to sit through a litany of interviews to ‘defend’ myself, or my teammates, I got to do that here. As I said earlier, believe what you need to, whatever makes you sleep better at night is probably your best bet.
The saddest part in all of this is the following. Yesterday, as I was warming up for the game, I got to see a young kid, could not have been more than 20, who had served in Iraq. He was being honored by the Orioles and threw out the first pitch. He was a double amputee who’d lost the lower portion of both of his legs serving his country. He refused to use his cane and getting to see him do that was incredible.
Instead of finding this kid and writing a story that truly matters, something that would and could truly inspire people, the media chose to focus on a story that was over two years old and a completely fabricated lie. What a job.
Someone gave me a great idea to end this once and for all. No one will ever need to bring it up again. I’ll wager 1 million dollars to the charity of anyones choice, versus the same amount to ALS. If the blood on the sock is fake, I’ll donate a million dollars to that persons charity, if not they donate that amount to ALS.
Any takers?
Come on, Curt. Just admit to painting the sock. None of your present or past teammates like you, so the truth is going to come out eventually anyway.
By the way, Has Tito finished ironing your uniforms yet?
What I never understood about this type of thing Curt is the credibility factor, yea when I want the the truth your sock, I believe the Orioles announcers? seriously?
the most famous sock was the NY game, the first, and didn’t they end up in the Wash? If all you wanted was publicity, thats a pretty stupid thing to do. So if those ones bleed (logical conclusion) so would the HOF pair..
People are just ignorant, and that hoax argument just never made any sense, and why should it, it was a stupid idea.
Forgetting this Curt, What about what Josh Beckett is doing on the mound? How is he feeling? The team must be enjoying it
You probably don’t watch the programming, so you should probably know that the Around the Horn hosts were actually siding with you.
By the way, I would stop watching if those people left. And incase you didn’t know this, mostly everyone is siding with you and believes you. So stop acting like a self-important victim.
You keep playing the victim in everything. It gets really old fast.
Yeah, all Woody Paige did was jokingly suggest that there be DNA testing on the sock at Cooperstown. Shouldn’t be a problem since it’s real blood, right?
I agree. Big fan of yours, but you do come off like a jackass sometimes. It was pretty clear Gary Thorne was mistaken. He was a dope and didn’t understand sarcasm. You should have given him a chance to correct himself. Instead, even though we all took your side, you came off like an ass.
You’re a classy guy and you gave a classy response. End of story.
Curt,
Your true fans know that you didn’t paint the sock; you are far too smart for that. The media just needs to shut up about trivial things already and report the REAL news.
Also, congrats to Josh for the 5th W.
–Nollie
Way to silence the non-believers and BS artists. It’s amazing how a person can dig down so deep and give their all only to have their determination and dedication continuously questioned and labeled as a farce. This is one of the times that the media makes me want to vomit. Anybody who thinks you would paint or put ketchup on your sock is an idiot…jealousy is a powerful demon.
Cheri
Gary Thorne has a big ego from what I’ve heard. Maybe he said it to inflate it a bit though. But seriously, even if Doug did say what Gary alleged, he should have pressed him on it. That’s what a good journalist would do. Not just say something he thinks he heard live on TV. What a creep.
Curt,
I completely agree with you. The media has constantly focused on the wrong news items. I was at the game Wednesday night in Baltimore, and when that young man threw out the first pitch I was insipired as well. I hope everyone realizes that there are things that are truly important and that scandals and made up stories aren’t them.
“They have little to no talent at what they do and other than a mastery of the English language their skill sets are non-existent.”
I might be alone on this, but I don’t think many of them have that either.
I think starters should be allowed to rum out to the bullpen and throw pitches while their team bats. If a starter is rolling and then the offense has a big inning; they should be able to keep warm and loose, right? Does this idea make sense?
This is pretty damn sad. About the saddest excuse for a story I’ve ever seen. The depths of these people’s stupidity can’t even be charted. Who would put paint or dye anywhere near a wound? I dunno maybe these idiots would.
Pure ignorance, jealousy, or petty antagonism… whatever… I feel bad you’ve had to even answer to it. These morons don’t deserve the dignity of a response because they have no dignity, but as usual you’re the stand up guy.
Now just let it be the last word on the subject… and let’s see the dummies put their money where their mouth is for ALS. Nice one, three-eight!
I personally thought that the whole story was outrageous. It was obviously a falsehood since it didn’t come out for over 2 years, and who the hell knows who Gary Thone is anyhow? I think the media is completely irresponsible and will always go for the falsehood that makes the splashiest story (Bill O’Reilly, for example) over what is actual news. There was absolutely NO reason for this to become a major news story.
But with that said, Bob Lobel (who I can’t stand… I’ll be honest) was really pathetic in his reporting of this tonight. If I were you, I’d never open my mouth in front of him again. He implied that you were not truthful, and that the story was oh, so beneath his reporting skillage, but he’ll comment anyhow. Vapid little man.
Nobody who is a Red Sox fan is ever gonna believe that you painted that sock. For heavens sake, the blood spot grew as the night wore on. And we’ve seen your ankle all stitched up (which was not pretty!). We know it was blood. It’s OBVIOUS to anyone with a brian that it was blood. The veracity of this Thone character is apparently tainted. Hopefully, it will reflect on his future contract negotiations. It sure should.
Doug’s the man.. you’re the man.. screw those clowns, dude.
Anyone who is ANYONE knows that it was blood on your socks in both games. This stuff is legendary and I hope to share the story of how Curt Schilling stuck it to the Yanks in their own house in the ALCS and then did it again in the World Series against the Cards while he had a busted right ankle that many thought would sideline him for the rest of the postseason.
What a year, what a TEAM, and what a legend!
I’ll never forget it and thanks again.
Curt
I have the MLB extra innings package (i tape the games since im at work!) and got to hear first hand What Gary said…to be honest i spit my drink out when he said that…i called my brother to tell him what an ass he is and he couldnt believe it….(my brother also got kicked out of his class at school because we live in michigan and everyone here jumped the tigers bandwagon after last year and my brother called his teacher some names because he said you all sucked and my brother responded with “dont be jellous because the tigers wont win 80 games” i told him RSN would be proud!! anyway Pena really got a hold of the one tonight huh???
p.s. Gary made no appology on air tonight either (extra innings played the MASN broadcast thats how i know)
Gary needs to go back to doing hockey games
and I’ll take a million dollers if we’re giving it to charity
Phil
“But even after they spoke Gary Thorne still covered his ass by lying about the conversation and twisting it in a way that absolved him from blame.”
Word.
You’d think anyone with any class would retract their lie on the same platform they made it on.
O wait we’re talking about the media here.
For everyone who wants to bash Curt because he has the sack to say what he wants should just shut the hell up. Curt did something that not many athletes would do today. He let a doctor do something to him that was experimental, then he went out and pitched a hell of a game. It happens too many times in sports today when a athlete has a sprained big toe and won’t play or a hang nail. Guys like Larry Czonka who played with broken ribs or broken nose, that is what sports used to be about being there for your team. You don’t have too many guys like taht in professional sports today. Guys who go out and play day in and day out because they want to not because it is there job. That is the reason I watch sports to see guys like Curt who could have ended his career but chose to let a doctor stich him up and go out there and say I am ready, I want the ball, I want to win. Not someone who says hey let so and so go tonight I have a hangnail. So Curt you keep doing what your doing and I hope to run into you angain someday. God bless and Go Sox!!!
Charlie Z.
no one in their right mind would take that bet, we all know it was real.
Um… that sock is really important.
I’m a single father and started a company in 2004. We were having a hard time attracting business and the cost to get going was staggering. I was very divided about whether or not to continue until I saw you pitch with that bloody sock.
I decided to use that as an example of what to do when faced with adversity, and it has paid off in so many ways. Not only have I been able to keep the business going, we have thrived. I now employ over 15 people, there is money in the bank, and the company is able to fulfill a worthwhile social purpose that actually makes the world a better place (in its own small way).
Whenever things become challenging or I just get overwhelmed, I watch your game against the Yankees in the ALCS and come away with a renewed sense of spirit. Thank you for just having that surgery and pitching, some actions are more important than others.
The Baltimore news media is a cesspool of cranks and liars far worse than the hacks in Boston. Listening on the radio on the way to last night’s game, the talk show hosts were encouraging skepticism about the sock. They were taking calls from self-described conspiracy theorists who said Theo made you paint the sock as part of a Yale / Skull and Bones conspiracy. I tried calling in to be a voice of reason, and they were only taking calls from people who thought the sock was phony.
It just doesn’t seem worth it to fight these guys. They are in the business of putting knives in people’s backs and have no real interest in the truth. You know what you did and no one is ever going to be able to take that away. It’s been said that morality can be judged by how you act when no one else is watching, and I don’t know how all that fits into a big media world.
M
Curt,
I remember your first comments after the game, and I was impressed to hear you utter them and to reiterate your faith again hear. You are right, it is a better story but one they don’t want to hear and probably doesn’t sell. It takes the focus off of their own importance, I guess.
Lord knows, we’re not all perfect and as one who similarly has forsaken the Lord at times and failed to give him the glory He deserves, I just have to say to remember, we’re all in that struggle together.
I did read about the game after the fact and was glad to read the soldier got a standing O. It was inspiring and more info would have been a whole lot better to read than the whole sockgate saga.
It’s been a joy watching, listening, and following the team so far this year. Not going to tell you anything you don’t already know, but if your recaps follow your thoughts during the games, focus on the next pitch and don’t let thoughts of a CG creep into your mind. The CGs will come if the focus is where it should be.
i think maybe what you need to do Curt is stop trying to micro-manage the media into reporting what YOU want.
you are a egotistical bum, who is on his way out of boston because management is not stupid enough to pay you what you want at your age.
they have Dice-k and Beckett, plus Lester will be up soon so i’d start right now by putting your house on the market.
you are nothing more than a jackass and i can’t wait for the day when you leave because maybe then Tito will get some rest from doing your #@$ washing
I love the people who replied to this entry to defend the Around the Horn participants but obviously didn’t read the rest of your blog entries. If they had they would have noticed that a number of them, and Woody Paige and Jay Mariotti in particular, have drawn your ire much more often than just today. No wonder those people like Paige and Mariotti; much like them that see controversy and simply latch onto it. They think they’re saying something important, but all they’re actually doing is demonstrating that they don’t actually bother to read what you have to say when it’s not potentially controversial. They sadden me. Keep up the good work Curt. Some of us read every post because we find them to be interesting and informative; not because we’re salivating at the thought of you saying something stupid.
On an unrelated note, I was wondering: You’ve already said you have no intention of joining the media when your playing days are over. Have you given any thought to staying in baseball as a coach? You’re obviously a pretty smart guy, and few pitchers prepare for their starts with the fervor that you do. Can you see yourself as a pitching coach (or something like that) someday? Or are you planning on giving all of your professional attention to 38 studios? (You won’t get any complaints from me if you do, I’m a big fan of gaming.)
Curt,
The pundits in the press are just trying to create the news. Just look at CNN and tell me if they have one ugly news “presenter”. It’s all about appearance, and I really take the news with a grain of salt.
Glad to see you could put in a plug for the soldier who threw out that pitch. You could also challenge the media to showcase that guy. That would be the right thing to do.
Just keep doing what you do best and the team will excel. You guys are doing well…..Go Sox.
Man columnists and writers (Bill Simmons, Joe Posnanski just to name two) are incredibly talented, witty and enjoyable to read. The fact that Schilling is attacking random people when this entire situation was being ironed out without him is fantastic because it exposes him as a self-important egomaniac.
Seriously, stop playing the victim. It gets old really, really fast.
A very well done piece of work here Curt.
The initial reports made out that Thorne had a legitimate story from an actual source gained via an actual interview. As the hoopla progressed, it turned into a partial conversation he overheard someone having while he plods by them in passing. Something he got a piece of with zero knowledge of context, zero knowledge about what was really being said and without even being present for the entire conversation. He then chose to go public with his “exclusive” and never once even bothered to verify the “story” he figured he had with any of his “sources”, the guys who actually were having the conversation! A conversation he was not even a part of! Unbelievable! These guys actually have the brass ones to state over and over again that they represent the fans rather than the multi-national corporations that cut them their checks.
I’m a life long Sox fan. I remember you well from your days as a farmhand in the organization. Not to be insulting, but even when you were green as grass you were not shy about sharing your opinions but you stood up and took the hits from the media over it.
Well sir, you are putting your money where your mouth is on this one and I applaud you……
You know, it’s not only that the claim is ridiculous. It’s that the imagined motivation for doing such a thing — i.e., faking a bloody sock — is deeply insulting.
I’m a journalist. I don’t cover sports. But I do know it’s unethical and plain shoddy workmanship to walk by someone, catch a comment and then use it, IN ANY WAY, without making an honest effort to corroborate what you think you just heard, starting with the person who said it, if possible. What Thorne did isn’t journalism, it’s gossip, and we all know how reliable that can be.
I agree with Curt, those who are ready to believe such a thing likely have other issues.
The lady doth protest too much, methinks…
and in only 1549 words this time…
Why do you feel the need to defend yourself to this in the first place?
Finite24,
You probably have never been wrongly accused in front of millions before either, so shut your trap. If someone challenged your credibility in front of millions, your attitude would change, quickly.
Go back to cleaning sweeping the floors at the “Stadium” and spare us all.
I find the situation hilarious, it sounds like Thorne was just sort of eavesdropping on Mirabelli and another player joking about it and decided to report it.
Yeah, the sock was a pretty annoying story all day, and will probably continue today as well., I’d like to know why they didn’t just look back at the game and watch how the sock got bloodier and bloodier as the game progressed.
It’ll probably continue today because of what you said about Jay, Woody and Bill, can’t wait.
Kudos for what you said about Jay, I can’t stand him.
This blog is proving to be a valuable tool in your ability to get the truth out. Genius. Good for you. Good for the team. Good for the fans. Keep the drama on the field.
Nice to see Willy’s MoJo last night.
Too much fun.
Onward…….. to NY.
So Thorne et al apparently think that the Sox on their way to their first World Series title in 86 years wasn’t a big enough event? It needed a “publicity stunt” to put it on the front page? Come on… the Sox-Yanks play in April and it is national news… anyone who thought it was a “publicity stunt” doesn’t know the first thing about the history of the game and relative importance of Sox/Yanks.
Great job. Red Sox Nation stands behind you. You help bring us what many others have tried. We will be forever remembered for two games, and nobody can take that away.
What’s with Beckett this year. He looks like a 30 year old ace. It’s still hard to believe he is only 26. Just nasty.
I hope this puts this story to rest. Your performances in Game 6 and Game 2 are reasons why I love baseball and how envious I am that you have the ability to perform like you can. No one will ever forget those games. Too bad one ignorant comment can tarnish what you and the Sox did in 2004 for even a second. Why would any player talk to this guy again?
If anyone questioned the validity of the ” Sock “, they have no sense at all and no right to be a Red Sox fan or a baseball fan for that matter.
Curt, the reason they make SO MUCH fun of you having a blog is it SCARES THE LIFE OUT OF THEM! And you are so right! They can`t control your answers in your blog! YOU RUN IT! NOT THEM! THAT IS WHY THEY HATE YOU AND ALL BLOGS! PEOPLE ONLY HAVE SO MUCH TIME TO READ EVERY DAY! IF THEY READ YOUR STUFF THEY MIGHT NOT BOTHER WASTING THEIR TIME READING THEIR DRIVEL! AND I AGREE WITH VOXPVOXD-THEIR MASTERY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE IS OFTEN WANTING TOO! IN SHORT THEY ARE A BUNCH OF FOOLS WHO HAVE NO POWER EXCEPT TO RAMBLE ON ABOUT MADE UP STUFF! NO WONDER DEMOCRATS OFTEN BECOME JOURNALISTS! A JOKE! HA!HA!HA!
Thorne’s a pro, not a self promoter. I thought his explanation/apology was sincere. Seems it was an honest misunderstanding. Give him the benefit of the doubt.
Nice post, Curt.
As someone who has read far too much Terence Moore in Atlanta over the years, it always amazes me how far certain writers stray from the truth.
I think the only reason anyone watches the Around the Horn twits is that they are waiting for Wilbon and Kornheiser (sp?). . .
Curt, I concur with your thoughts; you did very well with this response and it is amazing to me that when athletes reference their faith, the left-wingers have a cow. That brave young man who was helping to protect our freedom should have been mentioned in a story but if you asked him, he would have been very modest about the whole thing. NC Fan (retired Navy)
If the Gary Thorne’s of the media wanted to find a way to prove how ridiculous that style of reporting is, consider it done. His credibility has taken an enormous hit, so any future reports from him will be questionable. He took an off-handed comment out of context, twisted it around to best fit his slanderous style, and then caused a huge ruckus just so he could be the centre of attention. A decent reporter, having heard a partial comment that spiked his interest would have investigated further,and at least requested clarification from the source, instead of running with it like a rabid dog with a frisbee.
Anyone with a brain knows the blood was real - your ankle injury was real, and the surgery done to allow you to pitch was just short of miraculous. The comeback was incredible, and only happened because of a team effort, but without your heroic (yes, I dare to use the word) effort, there would have been no victory for the Red Sox.
Please don’t let the media idiots tarnish what was the greatest team victory in history, and take anything away from your own personal performance. They should also not detract from what is happening this year in Boston - another great team dynamic working towards a winning season.
Thanks for what you did, what you are doing, and what you will do. Your fans appreciate you.
My wife and I both watched the game on MASN and unfortunately didn’t hear Thorne’s comment about Dougie and the sock (my 2 year old may have been screaming “GO RED SOX!” at the time, I don’t know), but the more I watch that channel, and the more I listen to him speak, I’ve come to the conclusion that MASN currently has the 2nd worst sports commentators (next to YES). Jim Palmer seems OK, so far.
Get over it, jobddt. I don’t care whether it’s important or not. When someone accuses you of deception, you ARE a victim. Curt has been forthright the whole time about this and everything else. I might not have always agreed with him, but dishonesty is something I would never accuse him of. He has made a life of being truthful and forthright. Of course he’s hacked off! That reputation is more important than his pitching numbers.
He’ll always be a hero to me, for his courage, talent, and yes, honesty. Thorne’s comments were cheap shots against a fine man. I found it an outrage too, even if you thought it was “just a story.” Re-read the piece above. Try to think about it this time.
I just think it is outstanding that Curt has his own blog. If there’s one thing the baseball world definitely needed, it’s his opinions on everything. He has been quiet for too long.
It made me happy to see that we both see this thing for what it is. Media in this country does way more bad than good. They distort the truth and it should be a crime because people out there actually believe most of the stuff that is reported without questioning. Over the years I have really grown to hate most media. I can’t believe that these people are in charge of who goes and who does not go the HALL OF FAME. It is completely ludicrous to think that people that probably have never touched a baseball could decide who is the best of their respective sport. I’ll some up media with one example. MAX MERCY! Any true baseball fan or player should know who this guy is, although a fictitious character, he is in my eyes what the media represents. I would probably bet that most of these writers have a framed picture of this jackass in their studies. For you people that don’t know who this guy is, just watch The Natural. Ted Williams, Albert Belle, Manny Ramirez, Barry Bonds, etc. just a few names that didn’t follow the so called rules of the media and became outcasts. The real crime is what I said before, people actually believe what they hear and don’t question it. Just keep being the person you are curt because you’ve helped more people in your lifetime then they could ever dream of. I’m sure you sleep well at night. For you yankee fans out there, why don’t you forget about the rivalry for once and know what’s right and wrong you arrogant pricks!
Curt,
Good post. I think, though, that some of us need to stop lumping all media together - Thorne is a play by play guy on TV, not a journalist as one poster seemed to believe. Play by play guys are all about the quick story and the soundbite, not doing investigative reporting. All of those other guys, Paige and Mariotti, Plaschke, et al., claim to be journalists and writers.
I’m not sure that makes what Thorne did better or worse, only that it makes it different. It’s hard to believe that he heard something wrong and just assumed that it was true for the past 2 years, that is sloppy, but maybe he is naive like that. And for all of you that are going to counter that he is an attorney, that doesn’t necessarily make you a reporter - Howard K. Stern is an attorney.
Anyway, there’s no doubt about what you did against the Yankees - it was great, and this is one of the rare situations where I believe that all involved were saying what they honestly believed; Mirabelli, Thorne, Francona, you, Millar. It is possible to be honest and have the best of intentions and still be wrong. I get a kick out of how all the “journalists” are quick to yell that someone is conspiring — that someone had bad motives or is lying is our default in society anymore, not that someone might have made a stupid mistake. I know it is naive, but I wonder what would happen if we believed the best about people until proven wrong instead of assuming the worst.
Best of luck during the year, but there is no luck to it, is there? Wish you were still an Oriole . . . the worst trade ever.
hey curt, although there were a lot a people siding with you on this one, i still agree with you when it comes to the media fabricating stories and not focusing on anything important. I mean yeah in boston we’re still talking about the sock, but that mainly because a lot of obsessed fans, like myself, are still in awe over it. But for the media to be talking about wether or not the blood is real or fake is completely stupid and a huge waste of time. for a while i wanted to go into this business but now i’m having a different view about it. This story is not something that should have been a major highlight during sports broadcast, they were even still talking bout it at like 12 last night on ESPN news. They also shouldnt report stories that they dont have proof or more coments on. Gart Thorne obviously made a huge mistake by reporting this, especially when he ‘misjudged’ the context of what maribelli said. Hopefully he’ll just stick to reporting hockey from now on because this wasnt even worth the publicity, and hopefully he smart enough to realize that by now.
Oh yeah congrats to beckett on winning his 5th game. He was amazing and it was a really good game.
Hi Curt,
Great post and great idea to solve this stupid dispute.
To all you calling Curt Self Absorbed, come on! You try pitching a great game, coming into the clubhouse to talk to the press, only to be told that a hockey announcer moonlighting as a baseball announcer said you are a lier and a fraud. Not only did Curt have to endure that slap in the face, but then he has to endure the media invading his personal life to continue to ask him if he is a lier and a fraud for the last 48 hours.
I think if you had to endure this in your work day, you would have gone off too, but you probably wouldn’t have had half the class Curt did in how he posted here today.
So for all you doubters, do what the man says…..put up or shut up!
i completely agree with you. not only in sports, but journalism today focuses on all the negatives in the world and never the positive, inspiring stories that might make people wake up and do good things to make our world better. as for the boston sports media, you can take dan shaunnessy as well as some of the other negative ego maniacs covering the red sox and throw them in the charles river. i never read their articles and have little use for what they say………….good luck in 2007….GO RED SOX…..
I guess part of being a public figure is occasionally putting up with idiots spouting nonsense about you and questioning your character. Sure, most of the media — most anyone who watches sports and has more than a couple neurons — agree Thorne’s comments were nonsensical. Doesn’t mean it’s not gonna piss a guy off, though. I don’t blame you for reacting like this. I’d be calling for the man’s job if I’d been Swift Boated in the same way.
Oh, you forgot Skip Bayless on your list.
“We journalists make it a point to know very little about an extremely wide variety of topics; this is how we stay objective.”
Dave Barry
Somehow, both the humor and truth of Dave’s quote just fits this whole situation. Anyone care to focus on what’s going down in the Bronx this weekend?
Mike C.
“Mastery of the English Language.”
Most of those guys can’t tell a semicolon from their anatomical colon.
Well put as usual! This #@clown should stick to NCAA hockey games where he is actually good.
I know you are too classy to do this but you should have “painted some blood” under his fresh broken nose.
Curt,
Despite what some of the media types have said about not only yours, but Doug’s response to this, I think you both responded appropriately. Yet, your “good friends” on the Big Show yesterday still feel somehow Doug should shoulder some of the blame for his intial response and for “backpeddling” yesterday prior to the 2nd game in Baltimore. It’s almost like they they felt the need to circle the wagons around Thorne, refusing to admit that he was completely and totally wrong on several counts. Doug should be commended for softening his tone towards Thorne. Unfortunately, that was seen by many in the media as an admission of guilt on his part. Truely pathetic. In a similiar vein, also pathetic is the fact that over a third of people polled still seem to think the bloody sock was anything but that. Scary thing about that is these are the same people who can go to the polls and cast a vote. It doesnt matter where your political alliances lie, there is a need to be concerned when, to steal a phase you’ve made popular, stupid ignorant people can actually cast a vote and possibly have an impact on our day to day lives. You hit the nail on the head in describing the lack of coverage of our war veterans. Wouldn’t it be nice if the media would take the time to report to us who these young men and women are instead of reporting them as just another number/statistic?……maybe not, that would be too much like work and they might actually have to write something positive about someone.
Hey Curt — you may want to check your ego just a little. Gary Thorne will be remembered as one of the best play-by-play men of his generation.
With more posts like this, you’re in line to be remembered as one of the biggest jerks of your generation.
Your little tirade was uncalled for and self-serving. If you wanted it to blow over, you would have realized that it already had and wouldn’t have posted anything about it.
And, by the way — Colossians 3:13; Luke 6:37; Matthew 6:14-16; Mark 11:25
Set a better example.
My goodness.
Open rant here so please bear with. How in the world Schilling is getting flogged for his responses is beyond the pale imho. He pitched a great game 6 (I was there and got a 60 ounce Pepsi dropped on me from high the balcony seats. Near miss actually, but anyway). So he pitches a great game when he’s banged up, doesn’t really make a big deal of what he did (regardless of what the pundits are saying, most of the noise was coming at him, not from him), and now he’s put in a defensive position and he’s dinged for it. No sense whatsoever.
And while I’d love to think Mirabelli is completely w/out fault in this, I have enough of the dope on locker-room dynamics to understand that there’s a kernel of something here that is being squashed. Thorne came out and said the right things today, but you know as well as I do that he didn’t extrapolate ‘Schilling painted his sock’, from an unassuming, ‘We got a lot of pr out of that one’ as Mirabelli suggests. No need to comment on this, but you know the drill here.
Anyway, nice post. Just keep pitching lights out and the rest of these f’ers will understand they can go to hell without you even suggesting it….
steve
“So for one of the first times this blog serves one of the purposes I’d hoped it would if the need arose. The media hacked and spewed their way to a day or two of stories that had zero basis in truth. A story fabricated by the media, for the media. The best part was that instead of having to sit through a litany of interviews to ‘defend’ myself, or my teammates, I got to do that here.”
This is why this blog is required reading for me. No spin, just your thoughts and words. Not being famous, I can’t imagine the annoyance of the past couple days for you. However, I, and I’m sure lots of people, now consider the issue closed after reading this.
I will admit though…Millar gave me a chuckle last night. Don’t want to know what was on *his* sock, though.
I thought I must have heard Thorne wrong while watching the game.
Hey, why’d you cut your hair? I do like it short, but I was just getting used to the waves sticking out under your cap.
Curt-I’m behind you 100% I’m proud of you, what you stand for, your religious convictions and I trust your sense of honesty!
As you said a while ago anyone chosing to believe otherwise about the sock is either bitter or stupid.
We see it everyday with the media, spinning and twisting the story to what they want the public to hear. They don’t want to report on the truth-it wouldn’t bring ratings.
Go Sox-World Series in 2007!
Curt, you are a donkey!!! You love this publicity. The fact that you have a blog, call radio stations, and put your face in front of a camera every second possible shows how much of an attention seeker you are. With that said, I don’t think you would go through the trouble of painting your sock. The announcer is an idiot, but then again, so are you!
Schill, the most frustrating thing about all of this is how completely irrelevant it all is. Last time I checked, neither a bloody or a painted sock helped anyone throw a fastball. Its all just such a perfect example of how the media needs to create a controversy to keep itself busy.
As a die hard Red Sox fan, I don’t really care either way. I just hate to see garbage like this distracting you and the rest of the team from winning some more baseball games.
Now, please excuse me while I go watch a cat playing piano on the morning news.
Thanks Curt for not shying away from your faith.
Let’s move on from the Sock and worry about the AL East… Another series with the Yankees and let’s not forget the Blue Jays… Vernon Wells would look GREAT in center field in Fenway…. In our uniform.
The media lies again. I love Curt for being honest.
Curt
I love how outspoken you are, I am the same way. It alway’s amazes me the way we have become a silent society. this ultimatlet will lead to our demise. Some will say this comment has nothing to do with sports. I will say that silence in any walk of life is dangerous. Just for the record I have never doubted the blood was real and I applaude your willingness to give the lord his due. If people only new the commitment it takes to play at the level you have for many years and the toll it takes on the body without ant serious injury. It makes what you accomplished in 2004 so amazing. i am partialy disabled with RSD as a result of playing hockey most of my life. I know the effect sports has on your body. Keep up the great work both on and off the field and thanks for giving us some great memories and hope there are more to come. God Bless
Hi Curt - Normal, sane people know that you risked your health and career to win us a World Series. We are eternally grateful. You look great this year. I hope you stay for 2008 and that you go to the Hall of Fame in a Red Sox uniform. Have a great season. –a loyal Democrat fan
I don’t understand why people who don’t care about what you have to say would read this blog.
I appreciate you taking the time to let us know what you’re thinking. I’m glad to hear that you and Mirabelli are friends, and this incident hasn’t changed that.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with all of us who enjoy watching you every five days and are thankful that you are a Red Sox! (no pun intended)
As odd as it sounds, I think a lot of reporters automatically believe that anyone who insists on publicly professing a faith in Christ is at best a sign of dottiness and at worst a sign of insanity.
They just don’t get it. Seriously.
“… the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil. / For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed. / But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.”
God bless you, brother. Don’t let them grind you down.
The only socks I want to hear about are the ones you are going to be wearing October 2007….
Josh really loves his gum. Glad to finally see Willy get some wood on the ball….
Gordon Lear
Sarasota, FL
You said before that anyone who doubts it’s blood is stupid or bitter. Apparently that still holds true. Sorry you’re still dealing with morons, and it’s a shame Mirabelli got dragged into it too.
sorry that you had to write this…on the plus side, it gives us red sox fans a chance to remember how amazing that ‘04 team was in october. not just you, everyone.
looking forward to this topic dying off and hearing more insights into the game.
Curt,
Your rant is uncalled for. Thorn fessed up and said that he misunderstood what was said. The people on Around the Horn were defending you and you come on here and attack them.
Hey old man do this… sit down, and relax, before your panties become the next topic of conversation for us!
Respectfully loving your antics,
Kopac
PS…I hope they DO test the sock…so we can here you cry about how “the sock from game 6 of the ALCS is in someone that works in the Yankee clubhouses home” LOL
So when I first heard about this I actually chuckled, but that was about all the real thought I gave to it. I emailed a friend and joked about it but that was about it. This whole bloody sock thing happened over two years ago. I mean who really cares one way or the other. My team won the games, not a stupid sock. I think what you did Curt in taking the chance of ruining the rest of your career to take the mound those few games is more important that a piece of laundry. That being said, this is all in the past, it is all about right now. I want to see you guys win another World Series, sweep the Yankess again this weekend, Beckett get 20+ wins, and you resigned for next year. I don’t care about what happened three years ago, two years ago, last year or even twenty years ago. It is fun to reflect and reminisce about but what matter is tonight’s game and the ones that follow. Just go out and throw the ball the best you can.
Well said Curt… I have just discovered your blog– I had heard about it on WEEI, but until this ridiculous sock-gate, I had not taken the time to read it.
The validity of the bloody sock aside (of which I have no doubt), I find the idea of bypassing the media via this blog fascinating. I have been a big fan of yours since your arrival in Boston — your integrity and dedication to the game are quite refreshing.
Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts — I will be a frequent visitor.
Curt, I wish I had a million dollars to bet you only because I think your charity is awesome. I first learned about your charity in 2004 when I was waiting for Surgery at St. Elizabeths in Boston. I had had my ACL repaired and a post-op infection had made me very sick. It was October 27th and I was facing the first of three operations to clean my knee out. I knew that I was going to have trouble staying awake that night to watch you win the WS and I was feeling sick and sorry for myself. As I was checking in I met a mid 50 year old woman and she was wearing a Sox hat, she was stuck in a wheelchair and she was smiling. She told me about your charity. I wish I had taken her name but I did not. The most impressive thing was the way she spoke about your charity and the hope that it gave her.
I do have another regret - I wish that not only that I had found out her name but I also wish I had done something with your charity. I admired your work, promised myself that I would get involved but now two plus years have slipped by. I now have a business associate that is stricken with ALS and again I think about your work. I can no longer ignore my past promises and made my first donation today to the ALS Association. I also am attending a benefit on May 4th in Norwood for the person that I know with ALS. Your efforts have helped make me a better person. (Not a good person yet, just a better person!)
Curt,
All of us that are your fans know the truth. All of your detractors want to knock you off the pedestal that we have put you on. You are a hero to us and I don’t understand why maggots like CHB and company feel it necessary to call us names and say we’re kissing your ass. When I was a kid, it was okay to look up to your sports heros. When the hell did that change? Why is this now unacceptable behavior for us? I miss the old days when people could just get along and live by the “if you don’t have something nice to say, then don’t say anything” credo.
Oh, and your first post here is another moron! Must be a Yankee fan!!
Curt Swift
Dale City, Va.
Curt,
This is your old assistant clubby from Rochester checking in.
I cannot agree with you more about some of the ignorant media people in this country. Gone are the days of factual reporting, as all reporters and writers now, are activists, all trying to push their “slant”.
Hey, why don’t you post the picture of your ankle from Boston Dirt Dogs, that to me says it all.
Everyone who has “half a brain” and thinks for themselves and doesn’t let the media do it for them, knows the truth.
Best of luck the rest of the way.
BEAT ALS!
Matt (aka “Slappy” from Red Wings Clubhouse)
Curt, you are in inspiration! Please keep up the good work. My Dad died 2 yrs. ago (Jan 31) of ALS and I just wanted you to know how much I appreciate what you and your wife are doing! God bless you both >
The mainstream media is a joke. I didn’t believe the story for a second. I enjoyed reading your response to this whole mess. On the other hand, I do feel that defending yourself in this matter feeds into the whole non-existent story. But if you feel like you needed to, that’s your call.
Maybe you can write that story about the double amputee Iraq vet, Curt. Never mind a future in video games, maybe your true calling after retiring from baseball will be journalism (that comment was tongue-in-cheek, of course).
You state ‘The last thing we need is an idiotic distraction that shouldn’t even exist.’
I’m a huge Sox fan but I would argue this blog is a huge distraction during the season. Why not save it for the off-season?
News flash people, Red Sox won the World Series in 2004! Does anything else matter?
I thought so.
Right on regarding the Iraq Veteran’s first pitch. And great job in general bypassing the media outlets to make these blog entries. I asked before, but again, any time you have the opportunity for a friend such as Doug or anyone else to make a guest appearance, that would help even more!
Please post updates later on any takers for your sock testing wager!
Give ‘em hell, Curt! Thrilled to see yo use this blog to give dipshits like Thorne what they have coming to them. We’re proud of you.
By the way, I was at Game 2 of the ‘04 Series, with good seats on the 3rd base side and a pair of great binoculars. At the beginning of the game there was already a red dot on your sock, and as the game wore on it got noticably larger. EVERYONE at the ballpark noticed it, and everyone was talking about it as it was just as inspiring as ALCS game 6.
Curt, I know you are telling the truth, and the Nation stands behind you. I, and thousands of others, are more than willing to testify to that under oath.
Now, any chance I can get you to sign my Game 2 ticket stub buddy?
I don’t think that there is a single fan in Boston who ever believed it, and I’d hate to see Mr Thorne’s inbox this morning. I’ll never understand why the media needs to keep trying to tear down something that is universally regarded as one of the most amazing moments in sports history. Even my brother-in-law, who bleeds pinstripe, regards what you guys did that year, and you personaly, as one of the most incredible team efforts and a display of individual soul and nerve that will never be repeated.
Be proud of the moment, know that we fans know better, and let those without brains (or chins) sit back and cast their stones
I hope someone takes your challenge - would be nice for ALS to be $1 million richer thanks to someone more interested in conspiracies than what matters.
If anyone has anything negative to say, the just don’t post it. Big Schill risked his body for the Red Sox in 2004 and to this day, I believe it to be one of the more heroic performances in sports history. He didn’t even have to throw another pitch with the Red Sox…He earned another World Series Championship and everyone’s love from TRUE sox fans. So take your negative comments and put them on a yankees forum or a hockey forum because they should be the only ones talking about this…Gary Thorne…dare I repeat…Gary Thorne is an excellent play by play man, but what he said crossed the line. It doesn’t matter though…Schill is great and the anchor of the rotation…and he doesn’t care who Gary Thorne. From a true sox fan…Big Schill…YOU Da Mon!!!!
By the way…my user name has nothing to do with johnny damon…absolutely nothing!
Don’t sweat the small stuff. You produced in 2004. That may be your ticket to the HoF.
I respect your work ethics. Just let it go, Thorne is not a threat to your career.
Great commentary, Curt. I am personally fascinated by what you point out as the media’s lack of accountability. I was furious all day yesterday because of what happened, because it shows people that you can state anything you want about someone, regardless of having a shred of evidence, and there seem to be no repercussions. What Gary said was a flat out lie, and he didn’t even have the courage to admit it. He offered some limp excuse about stating something he truly believed, but didn’t actually hear. How does that not equate to lying? I think rational people know what he meant whether or not he had the stones to actually admit it clearly.
The other part to this is the media on a national, and even international level (I saw the story on a Canadian website) propagated this fable like a virus around the world, and people on the respective message boards belonging to the media outlets reporting this, were so lemming-like I wanted to scream. All these people, for whatever underlying reasons were just regurgitating Thorne’s statements as fact, yet with no evidence whatsoever. At least in America, it seems people forgot about the whole “presumed innocent before being proven guilty thing.” I hope they have some baseless accusation thrown their way in life some time, and get to experience that for themselves.
In fact, I’ll start. Gary Thorn kicks kittens for pleasure, and his 1st grade teacher told me so.
Curt, Fk them all.. Really.. imagine being one of these celebs in hollywood with 500 people trying to take your picture in your back yard. Ridiculous. I would be in jail for beating one to death.
I don’t know how you guys put up with it. I look back to the patriots a few years ago. you’ve got several local guys making up a story which only would side track the players and keep them from doing what we all wanted them to do. When does it end..
I love the fact you can basically embarras them back with this blog.. keep up the good work an just keep on laughing at these idiots!
peace…JB Bridgewater..
I’ve stopped watching shows like Around the Horn, as they are nothing but cheap distillations of The Sports Reporters and other early journalist round-table shows; the difference today is that attacks, barbs, and wit are highly valued over substance. I remember watching the early interview shows - the reporters would introduce themselves at the start, and that would be it - no perpetual moniker on the bottom of the screen, no omnipresent reminder of the paper they write for, no shameless pimping of their latest book, nothing. They are sound and fury signifying nothing, endlessly stepping over one anothers’ battered corpses to stand at the top of the hill and declare that they are somebody important. They take and take, and give nothing back that isn’t in their own self-interest.
Now certainly the same can be said of some athletes, but at the very least, they are artists, performing a craft for the enjoyment and learning of others. Some, like our esteemed blogmaster, go above and beyond by interacting, listening, and giving back. Some do not. But that still puts them head and shoulders above the sports reporter whose only goal is to get the byline.
Not all reporters are like this - for example, I have tremendous respect for Peter Gammons, not only because of his outstanding writing, but also because his life in all its facets serves as a model for inspiring youth.
Gary Thorne, who I also enjoyed as a hockey announcer, is dead to me now. You only get to make these sort of mistakes once, because it forever reveals something fundamental about your personality and character - particularly when you can’t find it in your cold, dead heart to actually apologize. I could have easily made this mistake - and if I did, my first stop would’ve been 38’s locker with a personal apology, and my next stop would’ve been the nearest camera to make my apology to the fans. But hey, that’s just the way I roll.
Wow. Curt, you are a piece of work. What a blowhard. I used to like you but I can’t believe you took the time to write the book above to address something that was so obviously silly from the outset. You must really be a down home ignorant hillbilly. You’re what’s wrong with this country. Your only redeeming quality is that you can throw a baseball 95 miles an hour. Other than that, you’re nobody. Never lose sight of that fact.
Curt,
I could not believe what I was reading. What was Thorne thinking - Oh he’s brainless so he didn’t think, he just uttered some garbage to attract attention to himself. He owes you and Red Sox Nation an apology, but he’s not man enough to do that.
Yes, the real story that night was Sgt. Mark Ecker, 21 yrs. old from East Longmeadow, MA. It was just two months ago that he stepped on a land mine and lost both of his feet. To see him walking and throwing out that first pitch was a real inspiration. I have the honor of participating in a fund raising activity to benefit him and his family.
Freedom of speech should not include the ability to say things that simply are not true.
To pull something out of thin air over 2.5 years after an event has occurred smacks of self serving sensationalism and smacks of a deliberate attempt to besmirch a person and an event.
He compounded a foolish and malicious utterance with a refusal to accept responsibility for a ‘mistake’ by trying to blame Doug Mirabelli. His lack of character by minimizing his responsibility marks him as a person of poor character who is not to be trusted or respected. Gary Thorne deserves to be fired, ostracized and eliminated from his “profession” as much for his refusal to admit he made a horrendus mistake as his original gaffe.
And Curt, you have it right. Every single word you posted is correct. It is a sad commentary in our society that men of character and faith are maligned and besmirched for no other reason than they (the Gary Thorne of the world) do not understand what faith, self respect, integrity and honesty are all about.
Hey Curt, after naming all the media tools who are making themselves the story, I think a shout out should go to the Joy of Sox blog which heard the comments, sent emails out to a bunch of reporters, and brought down the nonsense of Thorne.
Plus, in Thorne’s defense, even though he said a stupid thing, he’s a good announcer. Especially for hockey, but for everything else, too. When the NHL was on strike, he did table tennis on ESPN and he was good at that. Everyone says stupid things. Forgive and move on.
Keep a good thing going 14-7, most wins in baseball at present, great team ERA, etc.
What else could have made news in Baltimore this week, certainly not the Orioles themselves - maybe the Ravens. I agree with you, I liked listening to Thorne do hockey - lost all my respect for him as a professional sportscaster. Maybe he can get a job with Entertainment Tonite and tell us what Brittany is up to?
Good luck in Yankee Stadium this weekend!!!
I can’t believe anyone would be so stupid to say that was a painted sock. It is clearly blood from the pictures that have been shown. Anyways congrads to Josh and his 5-0 start.
What a mess. For no reason. I totally agree with your post. The only thing I will say is that as a Bangor, Maine native I am shocked that this came from Thorne. I have never met him, but had read his columns for years, and listened to him do UMaine hockey for years. I actually live in DC now and because of the black out on Direct TV we are forced to listen to the Os feed rather than NESN. My husband and I were pleasantly suprised to hear Thorne and were actually talking about how far he had come. I can’t believe he made those comments. I am sorry it happened, we are on a roll and now you are dealing with this. I feel bad for Doug but think he has handled this very well. And as always, so have you Schill. Thanks for the post and I appreciate your comments about the Lord. The problem in this world is that there are too many people who roll their eyes when they hear someone praise him. Keep up the good work — PMR
You’re absolutely right to respond to these charges Curt. If someone doubted my integrity on a national stage, I don’t think I would have been as civil about it as you were. Which is only more proof of your good character.
Curt, as a fellow believer, I am encouraged by how you live out your faith in a real manner and am challenged by how you give God the glory for your success on the field, esp. to the media. As a fellow member of Red Sox Nation, I appreciate how you and Josh have pitched against Baltimore.
Wow…as a hard core Red Sox fan in Albuquerque, I was actually shocked that you were keeping your mouth shut when you were supposed to for once. It looked like you were staying above it all, allowing other people to do the talking and keeping a complete non-story / distraction minimized. I looked here last night, and when I saw that you hadn’t posted anything, I grinned from ear to ear. I thought it was funny that people were laughing about this and that you weren’t going to dignify it with a comment. ‘Of course you wouldn’t', I thought to myself. Then you go and open your mouth. All the people that you just slammed (i.e. Paige, Massorroti, etc.) were actually coming to your defense.
Kevin Millar said it the best…why are we even talking about this? Nothing about this little drama came close to passing the giggle test. You know, this blog of yours is interesting. I think that to this point it has helped you, because it guarantees that you have a place to have an unfiltered, un-edited venting session. But this is one time where someone should have suggested that you take a pass on commenting on this one. You should let Shonda be a front line filter for you. I’ll bet you anything she told you to calm down and just let it pass.
But you can’t do that, can you Curt? All you did is wind up looking like a knee jerk, overly emotional child. Sorry Curt, but you need to do a little less playing into the drama and get yourself into shape…mentally, physically, and emotionally. You could have done yourself a favor and burned a little less emotional energy on this and spent a little more time on the tread mill and in the gym. You came into camp completely overweight and out of shape. Then you demanded that the Sox give you an extension, when clearly you didn’t look like you wanted or earned it. You look like hell, Curt. You shouldn’t have time for this kind of drama.
I’m a Christian as well, and you know what? As much as you and I love baseball, I don’t think God cared one bit about any one of those baseball games. There’s a lot of stuff going on the world that’s just a tad more important. Or didn’t you know that? By the way, there’s a lot of Christians in the Yankees and Cardinals dugouts, too. For once show a little class and know when to say something and when to shut up. Two of my sons (11 and 9) absolutely adore you. So do I for that fact….most of the time I think that your lack of filter is amusing and somewhat refreshing. But I’d like to see you keep your role model status a little more justified.
By the way, since when did mastery of the English language become such a liability. C’mon Curt…pull your head out and keep your eye on the ball. Quit swinging at pitches in the dirt. All the Shaugnessey’s, Thorne’s, et al all get paid because we all like to hear people talk about what they think about this incredibly captivating topic of baseball. They don’t force us to watch or read anything anymore than someone held a gun to my head to vistit your blog. Get a grip, get perspective, and keep posting things that are interesting and informative. This was just ignorant and I was incredibly disappointed in this.
Is Marriotti the first responder in this thread renaming himself “schillsucks” or is it CHB :)?
As soon as I heard this I pictured Mirabelli saying something like “yeah man, it was paint, just paint we’re just messin’ with your heads” and walking away. The problem with the media is that they are literal when someone speaks figuratively and they take total sarcasm as word. What IS wrong with these guys?
It seems to me I heard this rumored out of Baltimore a couple years back…which is more likely where Thorne got it.
Your right, these guys say whatever they want about whomever they want to. It is in a word: pathetic.
There isn’t a RS fan worth their salt who didn’t realize and appreciate the great risk you took to yourself and your future in order to make that start. Thanks Curt for all you and your teammates did.
Media be damned!
If any of the folks on this board got their good name dragged through the mud, I am willing to bet that they would come out and defend themselves in exactly the same manner. You are more than justified. The media, especially in Boston, is always looking to make these non-issues into something bigger than they really are. I couldn’t even imagine living my life in that sort of spotlight (although a getting paid a few million bucks would certainly help me to grin and bear it).
Anyways, I (and I am sure many others) am of the opinion that whether the blood was real or not (I’m more than convinced it is) - who cares? The fact remains that the guy voluntarily got stitches put in his foot in a procedure that the doctor who performed the operation admitted may or may not work and went out and pitched a helluva a game. With some others’ (DL, DO, KF, etc. etc.) help, Boston wins the WS - case closed.
Good luck the rest of the way and keep an open mind about coming back next year.
Mr. Schilling,
I’m a die hard yankee fan living in NY, and while I cannot stand you for various reasons, anyone who watches baseball knows it was real blood. I almost wish it WAS fake as it would make many Yankees fans feel better, but we still really have nothing venemous to throw at you. you talk too much, but you go out and deliver when it counts. I hate you, but I respect you, and just know that if you get heckled in the bronx about the sock, They are not from real baseball fans, just fairweather fans that were “die-hard” met fans in the 80’s.
Curt,
Thank you….You didn’t need to defend yourself, Curt…Anyone who cares about you and knows of your faith — would understand that these careless statements were offensive to you and anyone who cares about this wonderful TEAM…The BOSTON RED SOX…Let’s focus on defense and offense…on the field…Thank you for everything you do on and off the field. You are an inspiration to many who look up to you.
Lois (”Mom” away from Mom)
Im glad you posted on this even though I feel its unnecessary but maybe it will put an end to this issue (yeah right we are in Boston it will be carried on for weeks despite what the sox are doing right now!!). I heard this ridiculous thing and just started laughing. I don’t see you doing this for a “PR” thing when you can get as much press as you want anytime. As one that has been conned before and now questions everything, this is just something I don’t question. The only thing I couldn’t figure out is why this guy named Doug but apparently Doug said SOMETHING to this guy, probably joking around or something and this guy twisted it around to create a story with his name attached to it. My Dad said this guy is respected in the broadcast world but you never know what motivates people to do things, Attention? Money? Anger? Who knows, we just need to ignore it regardless!
Again, another non-issue blown up to be huge in the Boston media. I guess all those other teams between 1918 and 2004 should consider themselves lucky they didn’t win a world series and have media attempt to ruin the joy that came with winning those championships!!
To the first few idiots who responded,
Get a life would you? Curt is making a big deal out of this because it’s a big story, and it shouldn’t even be a story. The man risked his career and produced two spectacular cames at the most important time of the year. And what’s crazy about it is, he doesn’t even bring it up! Calling him selfish? If he was selfish he could capitalize on what happened in ‘04. But, instead he shares the well deserved credit with his teammates.
Curt, what you did was amazing, and anyone watching that game could have easily seen that blood spot grow in front of their eyes. I own the DVD box set of that 2004 ALCS and World Series, and so anytime I want, I can watch that amazing effort. I have said it before and ill say it again, Thank you for what you and your team did for me, this city, and Red Sox fans around the world. Without you have the nuts or guts to do what you did, as one part of that experience, we may be talking about 89 years of frustration.
What, if any advice, have you or anyone else given to Dice-K about how to pitch from the stretch versus the windup? I dont know about you, but I picked up a shortening in his delivery when he was ineffective in the stretch. When he pitched well in the stretch, his delivery was full and he followed through. Can you elaborate on that?
Good response, Curt. Thanks for having the guts to stand up and put this to rest once and for all. We all saw what you did in ‘04; for anyone to try and diminish it now, so long after the fact - it’s just an insult.
Reading some of the responses on here as well - unreal. One wonders from the first toad’s retort above if maybe that’s the screenname of CHB (…or Marriotti?) Ha! Seems you got under his/her skin for certain.
Love the $1M challenge. Talk is cheap, and something like that should deep six this whole sock thing once and for all.
Thanks again for your testimony as well. Many will just never understand that aspect of you, what it means to want to somehow be thankful and then try to honor God - and it’s sad. I was blown away by your interview with Kenny Albert, live on FOX, on October 19, 2004. Just fantastic. Watched it with my sons, and I’m forever grateful that you had the awareness that you did in that moment. For all of the ‘eye-rollers’ out there, realize that there are just as many of us that are truly grateful. Being the accomplished athlete that you are, some of us really appreciate you for THAT aspect of your ‘game’ - you do not shy away from what you believe. In this crazy world, that is hard for many to do.
Keep on bringing it, 38. Glad you’re on our side!
I could not agree more with CS. Why didn’t somebody pickup the story of the double amputee? That’s the story I would want to read.
As far as the sock goes, it is history –Red Sox history. There is no team in history I can think of with that much grit. It is completely fitting they went on to win the championship.
I am no doctor, but for that particular game, as I understand it CS’s tendon was stablized outside of his skin. The blood was just a reminder to us what he went through to be on the mound. More recently, the veteran’s wounds were also a reminder of what he went through to toss out the first pitch at the Oriole’s game. The veteran was not out there for us fans. No matter how much we think we appreciate him, the moment was a much bigger thrill (and time of healin