ESPN should have fired Curt Schilling a long time ago

Jesse Spector

ESPN should have fired Curt Schilling a long time ago image

It's tempting to say ESPN should not fire Curt Schilling for his latest foray into hate speech via Facebook meme, this time adding transphobia to his smorgasbord of disrespect for wide swaths of the human race.

The reason to say ESPN should keep Schilling on the payroll is that, not having fired him for any of his past misdeeds, or for simply being atrocious at his job, the network deserves to be stuck with him.

Such reasoning, though, does not work. Schilling, who should have been fired yesterday, should have been fired the day before that, should have been fired so many previous times, still should be fired, because not doing so remains tacit endorsement of the darkness he brings.

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Schilling's latest: On Monday, the retired star pitcher reposted (then deleted) a meme on his Facebook page depicting, apparently, what Schilling believes to be a transgender person along with degrading commentary about transgender bathroom laws. Details here, if you can stomach them.

Schilling absolutely has the right to say whatever he wants, be it in his own voice or sharing the most vile things he can find online. This is America, and we have the First Amendment. ESPN also has the right to kick him to the curb, because the First Amendment does not mean that you have the right to say whatever you want and be free from consequences in your personal relationships. As a corporation, and thus a person under the rule of Citizens United, Disney can sever its relationship with Schilling at any time.

Beyond that, anything to be said about Schilling isn't new, other than the particular line he crossed. The headline on Tuesday could easily be "You will TOTALLY BELIEVE what Curt Schilling said this time."

Even Schilling's bosses can believe it at this point. His behavior is not new, and it is beyond the pale. It's time for those bosses to embrace the belief, long held in so many other quarters, that Schilling is somebody ESPN should have no business associating itself with. 
 
 

Jesse Spector