ESPN, which now is more interested in promoting a politically correct agenda rather than showing true athletic heroism, has apparently cut out the legendary performance in 2004’s ALCS when Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling pitched with a torn tendon sheath in his right ankle, bleeding through his sock, from the network’s “30 for 30″ documentary about the iconic comeback the Red Sox staged against the New York Yankees. The bloody sock now resides in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Schilling was recently fired by ESPN for commenting on the North Carolina law banning transgendered individuals from using the bathroom of their choice. He had written, “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.”
On Sunday, ESPN aired “Four Days in October,” its 2010 documentary about the Red Sox historic comeback from a 3-0 deficit, the first time in baseball history a team had ever achieved the feat in the playoffs or World series. When Schilling found out that his performance somehow went missing in the broadcast, he tweeted, “ … now omitting about 4 hours of a game I think I played in. Hmm #integritymuch?”
In the original 65 minute documentary, Game 6 took up roughly 17 minutes; it was cut, according to ESPN, to fit into an hour-long time slot, with commercials.
“now omitting about 4 hours of a game I think I played in. Hmm #integritymuch?”
Curt Schilling, justifiably furious at ESPN
An ESPN spokesman told The Washington Post, “When a live event runs long, it’s standard procedure to shorten a taped program that follows. In this case, we needed to edit out one of the film’s four segments to account for the extra length of the softball game.”
Schilling posted a picture of his 2004 ring that was inscribed “Greatest Comeback in Baseball History”, commenting, “For sale, never used, rarely worn ring from player who didn’t actually have anything to do with getting it.”