Some people never learn their lesson. Curt Schilling is one of them.
For a while, it seemed like every week, Curt Schilling would say something offensive. It was almost as though he was going out of his way to anger as many people as possible, ascending to the muddy skies of stupidity, and then wondering why people had such a problem with his bigoted or insensitive statements. Finally, it seemed as though he got the message, as he just disappeared.
Then came Adam Jones and his problems at Fenway Park. After stating that he was the target of racist statements, and that a bag of peanuts had been thrown at him, several other black players in the game admitted that they had been the target of racism in Boston as well. It was not just Jones who had to deal with such issues.
Naturally, this was enough to get Schilling to come out from underneath whatever rock he was hiding under. Because he himself never had to deal with such things, Schilling essentially called Jones a liar for saying that he heard racial slurs directed his way. Because, you know, everyone would want to make something like that up.
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His argument, at its core, is that no one else heard anything. Well then, explain how so many other black players rushed to Jones' defense, and said they heard the same? Or how, the very next day, a fan was kicked out of Fenway, and barred for life, because of racial taunts towards another fan? But, you know, it doesn't happen there in Schilling's world.
It is not as though racism is anything new in Boston. The Red Sox were infamously the last team to integrate, only doing so in 1959 when Pumpsie Green made his debut. Tommy Harper dealt with organizational racism for decades. The fans in Boston are known for their racism, regardless of the sport. But this is just a fantasy in Jones' head?
In a way, this asks a larger question – why do we continue to pay attention to Schilling? We know what he is at this point, and his continued ignorance and insistence on sticking his head in the sand is tiresome. And yet, every time he opens his mouth and his ridiculousness spews forth, plenty of words are typed to decry his latest foray into his own universe. Maybe we should all stop paying attention.
Seemingly every time Curt Schilling opens his mouth, he is saying something utterly ridiculous. It's time we begin ignoring him.
