Dennis Miller really compared ESPN firing Curt Schilling to North Korea

Michael McCarthy

Dennis Miller really compared ESPN firing Curt Schilling to North Korea image

Curt Schilling has been telling everyone that that he was fired by ESPN because of the network's allegedly left-leaning politics. The new sport of ESPN-bashing in conservative media continued Wednesday night as former "Monday Night Football" announcer Dennis Miller and Fox News' Bill O'Reilly took aim at ESPN.

Citing ESPN's recent editing out of Schilling's famous "bloody sock" game from its Red Sox vs. Yankees "30 for 30" documentary, Miller mockingly compared ESPN to communist North Korea Wednesday night. The bias at ESPN has just gotten "silly," he said.

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“It's like ESPN-O-R-T-H Korea is what it’s turning into over there," he told O'Reilly.

The stand-up comedian previously served as a "MNF" game analyst at ESPN's sister Disney network ABC from 2000-2001.

Still, Miller noted ESPN is justifiably wary of any employee (no matter their political views) who put their foot in their mouth given the various personnel scandals cited in James Andrew Miller's tell-all book, "Those Guys Have All the Fun: Inside the World of ESPN." 

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“ESPN devalued the Schilling because while they knew he was a great righty, they had no idea he was a great righty," Miller said. "He’s got to remember that in the world of sports, bloody sock puppets are in charge of the programs. So he's got to use his head over there.”

ESPN has said its decision to edit Schilling's heroic performance out of the recent re-airing of the "30 for 30" doc had nothing to do with him or his politics.

Instead, the network said it had to cut down the length of the program to switch to its coverage of a live event. ESPN Sage Steele brusquely cut off the lead singer of Arcade Fire to get to a live event when he tried to lecture Americans on the wonders of the Canadian health care system.

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O'Reilly, meanwhile, played a clip of Schilling defending himself on "The Dan Patrick Show."

ESPN has a double-standard when it comes to on-air talent talking politics, said Schilling. While conservatives like himself get punished, progressives like Tony Kornheiser of "Pardon the Interruption" who compare the Tea Party to ISIS are not. O'Reilly seemed to agree with the former pitcher about ESPN.

"If you look at their mainline guys, most of them are left-wingers, there’s no doubt about it," said the host of "The O'Reilly Report" without naming any names. "Southpaws Billy, southpaws," Miller corrected him.

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Most TV networks are biased toward two thing: ad money and ratings. ESPN recently allowed outspoken conservative Mike Ditka to keep his job -- although he called President Barack Obama the "worst" in U.S. history. 

I've never seen a guy try as hard to get fired from a TV job as Schilling. As Schilling himself admitted, ESPN specifically told its on-air talent to avoid politics and other non-sports topics that might turn off some viewers.

But here's the bottom line: ESPN's problem with conservative media and politicians is not going to go away. Especially during a presidential election season when politicians can use ESPN as their poster boy for a supposedly biased media.

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Former Republican contender Ted Cruz used Schilling's firing as the basis for a campaign ad. Schilling, declared Cruz, was a victim of "PC Police" at ESPN for his controversial Facebook posting about North Carolina transgender laws. 

Conservative media such as Breitbart.com have attacked ESPN as the "Worldwide Leader in Hypocrisy" for allowing on-air guests to mock Republican politicians such as Sarah Palin.

Michael McCarthy

Michael McCarthy Photo

Michael McCarthy is an award-winning journalist who covers Sports Meda, Business and Marketing for Sporting News. McCarthy’s work has appeared in The New York Times, Sports Illustrated, The Wall Street Journal, CNBC.com, Newsday, USA TODAY and Adweek.