Schilling: Lots of ‘racists’ on air at ESPN
CURT SCHILLING says he isn’t racist — or homophobic or transphobic — but he can’t say the same of his former coworkers.
“Some of the most racist things I’ve ever heard have come out of people that are on the air at ESPN,” Schilling said, according to Newsday. “They’re some of the biggest racists in sports commentating.”
The remarks were made Wednesday during SiriusXM Satellite Radio’s “Breitbart News Patriot Forum” that was scheduled to air Thursday.
“You listen to Stephen A. Smith, and Stephen A. Smith was the guy who said that Robert Griffin didn’t play quarterback for (Washington) because he’s black,” Schilling said after the show. “No, Robert Griffin didn’t play quarterback for (Washington) because he (stunk).”
The former ace pitcher, who had been part of the network’s Major League Baseball coverage since 2010, was fired last week after sharing an insensitive Facebook post about transgender people. Schilling, a proud conservative, had been in hot water at ESPN for other social media posts in the past.
On Wednesday, the ex-analyst essentially said that ESPN executives are hypocrites for telling on-air talents to focus on sports while letting Tony Kornheiser compare “the Tea Party to ISIS” and Dan Le Batard discuss President Obama going to Cuba.
“To me that means focus on sports unless you want to talk about something that is part of the liberal agenda,” he said.
Schilling said he doesn’t mind Democrats at ESPN expressing their political beliefs, according to Newsday, but it’s unfair if Republicans aren’t granted the same freedom.
“Why would the voicing of an opinion GETTY be risking anything?” he said during the taping in Manhattan. “I get it in the Middle East, where that can get you beheaded ... The memo that went out to everybody went out to all of us the same, which is: If you are a sport person stick to sports, don’t get involved in the political arena.
“In the end for me it felt like that rule applied to me and me alone because I was conservative,” he said.
The unemployed analyst said he won’t work somewhere in the future where he can’t speak his mind but “has been fielding offers,” Newsday reported.