By STEVE KRAUSE
Idle chatter while waiting for Curt Schilling to just shut up.
The Worldwide Leader in Sports, as ESPN calls itself, would look pretty ridiculous omitting the “bloody sock” game of the 2004 American League Championship Series even if it came up with a better excuse than the one it has used.
In a season of unparalleled thrills, that game, in which Schilling pitched on a surgically-repaired ankle and blood seeped through the sutures, has taken on mythical status. And it, along with Jason Varitek giving Alex Rodriguez a catcher’s mitt sandwich, are the two enduring images from that season.
But pardon me if I’m not shedding too many tears over Schilling, who’s about as big a blowhard as there is in the world today. Former colleague Rich Fahey once dubbed Schilling “the world’s foremost authority on everything.”
Schilling opened up his big mouth on Facebook a couple weeks ago and opined on the LGBT rights issue. He got into trouble. And then ESPN fired him.
Now, I don’t give two hoots about Schilling or ESPN. In fact, I think it may be a little hypocritical for ESPN to gas him, as they both would appear to deserve each other. ESPN wants to be cutting edge, and Schilling was more than happy to comply.
But you have to have enough sense to shut it if you think there’s any possibility your words might have a negative impact on who writes out your paycheck, and apparently Schilling doesn’t have that filter.
So now he’s all upset that ESPN hacked his one shining moment out of the “Four Days in October” 30-for-30 documentary.
Yeah, it’s ridiculous. But this is one of those times, Curt, when you really have to zip it and let others express the outrage. Most people are just sick to death of anything that comes out of that hole between your nose and your chin by now.
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There’s nothing sillier than the faux theater the NFL makes out of the draft. Then again, there’s nothing sillier than the NFL, which takes itself way too seriously and is comprised of executives who are oblivious to how ridiculous they all look. And that would include Bob Kraft, perhaps more than most.
Only a moron would describe the plight of a kid whose draft stock has plummeted due to a hacked video of him smoking marijuana out of some horrible-looking mechanism with a gas mask on as “exciting.” This is the man who has been given unlimited power to determine the fate of Tom Brady, the commish himself, Roger Goodell.
But every so often, a bit of unscripted theater finds its way into these proceedings, and that’s what Kevin Faulk gave us Friday when he got behind the podium with a Tom Brady jersey on to announce the Patriots’ draft choice.
Good for him.
I hope Goodell choked on whatever it was he was eating, or drinking, at the time he saw it.
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This has been the year of the rookie pitcher in Lynn thus far. Both Classical and English have had kids who have made their varsity debuts do well. Classical’s George Dimis has fared better in terms of wins and losses. He’s won both his starts for the Rams, including Friday, when he hurled six shutout innings in a win over Saugus.
Sophomore Dax Billingsley of English might not have the W’s next to his name to his name the way Dimis does, but he’s been very effective for the Bulldogs. They just haven’t hit when he’s been on the mound.
Billingsley gave up two runs in a loss to two weeks ago, and three Friday when the Bulldogs fell to Marblehead.
He’ll be known as “The Daxman” in no time if he keeps that up.
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Finally, ever since she was a small child, Carolyn Cole, who grew up in Lynn’s Pine Hill section, sang the national anthem at all the Little League opening days, the neighborhood civic association’s July 4 parades, and various other community events.
But Saturday, at the Pine Hill Little League’s opening day, Cole, daughter to Norm and Eileen Cole, was not the one singing the Star Spangled Banner at Chris Spagnoli Field inside Gallagher Park.
But it’s not because she didn’t want to. It’s because Wyoma Little League got her first.
“Imagine that,” said her father, a longtime manager and official in the league. “She’s at Wyoma today.”