ESPN fires Curt Schilling for being politically incorrect

Richars Sandomir reports for the New York Times,

Curt Schilling, a former All-Star pitcher and one of the highest-profile baseball analysts on ESPN, was fired from the network Wednesday…

Schilling, who had worked for the network since 2010 and most recently offered analysis on “Monday Night Baseball,” was dismissed after sharing a Facebook post this week that appeared to respond to the North Carolina law that bars transgender people from using bathrooms and locker rooms that do not correspond with their birth genders.

The post showed an overweight man wearing a wig and women’s clothing with parts of the T-shirt cut out to expose his breasts. It says: “LET HIM IN! to the restroom with your daughter or else you’re a narrow-minded, judgmental, unloving racist bigot who needs to die.”

To that, Schilling added: “A man is a man no matter what they call themselves. I don’t care what they are, who they sleep with, men’s room was designed for the penis, women’s not so much. Now you need laws telling us differently? Pathetic.”

“ESPN is an inclusive company,” ESPN said in a statement. “Curt Schilling has been advised that his conduct was unacceptable and his employment with ESPN has been terminated.”

…Schilling, a six-time All-Star, was one of baseball’s top pitchers over a 20-year career and compiled a record of 216-146 while pitching for the Baltimore Orioles, the Houston Astros, the Philadelphia Phillies, the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Boston Red Sox. He was even better in the postseason, with an 11-2 record and a 2.23 E.R.A.

He is perhaps best known for pitching in the 2004 American League Championship Series against the Yankees with his right sock bloody from a procedure that had been used to secure a dislocated tendon in his right ankle. Schilling pitched seven innings, and the Red Sox won, 4-2. Boston went on to win Game 7 and then the World Series.

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