BRISTOL, Conn. (AP) — ESPN announced that it has fired network analyst and former Boston Red Sox star pitcher Curt Schilling following his comments on Facebook about transgender people.
The network released a statement Wednesday saying, "ESPN is an inclusive company. Curt Schilling has been advised that his conduct was unacceptable and his employment with ESPN has been terminated."
Schilling had been with ESPN since 2010.
On Monday, Schilling, 49, reposted an image of an overweight man wearing a long blond wig and revealing women's clothing. It included the phrase: "Let him in! To the restroom with your daughter or else you're a narrow minded, judgmental, unloving, racist bigot who needs to die!!!"
Schilling added his own comments, saying, "A man is a man no matter what they call themselves" and "Now you need laws telling us differently? Pathetic."
Schilling was apparently referring to laws in several states that restrict bathroom access to transgender people.
Earlier Wednesday, Schilling defended the post on his blog, saying he was expressing his opinion and those criticizing him are frauds.
This isn't the first time that Schilling has been in hot water with the network for comments he made online.
The former "Sunday Night Baseball" analyst was pulled by ESPN from a major league game and the network's coverage of the Little League World Series last fall after he retweeted a post that compared Muslims and Nazi-era Germans.
ESPN said the tweet was "unacceptable," but kept him on board.
At the time, Schilling said he'd made a "bad decision."
KCAL9's Tom Wait spoke to Cyd Zeiger co-founder of Outsports.com.
He broke the story about Schilling's transgender tirade and isn't lamenting the firing.
"That image was grotesque and he should have been fired for posting that," Zeiger said.
"If Curt Schilling had responded to the criticism with contrition and apology and a desire to learn more, maybe he wouldn't be without a job right now. But instead he blamed the victims, blamed the media," Zeiger said.
Wait noted that there was irony in Schilling attacking the transgender community.
Schilling's own daughter was attacked with crude sexual comments online when she got accepted to a college softball team – Schilling spoke out saying women need to stand up and reject offensive attacks made by men.
(© Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
ESPN Fires Analyst And Former Red Sox Pitcher Curt Schilling After 'Unacceptable' Comments He Made About Transgender People
/ KCAL News
BRISTOL, Conn. (AP) — ESPN announced that it has fired network analyst and former Boston Red Sox star pitcher Curt Schilling following his comments on Facebook about transgender people.
The network released a statement Wednesday saying, "ESPN is an inclusive company. Curt Schilling has been advised that his conduct was unacceptable and his employment with ESPN has been terminated."
Schilling had been with ESPN since 2010.
On Monday, Schilling, 49, reposted an image of an overweight man wearing a long blond wig and revealing women's clothing. It included the phrase: "Let him in! To the restroom with your daughter or else you're a narrow minded, judgmental, unloving, racist bigot who needs to die!!!"
Schilling added his own comments, saying, "A man is a man no matter what they call themselves" and "Now you need laws telling us differently? Pathetic."
Schilling was apparently referring to laws in several states that restrict bathroom access to transgender people.
Earlier Wednesday, Schilling defended the post on his blog, saying he was expressing his opinion and those criticizing him are frauds.
This isn't the first time that Schilling has been in hot water with the network for comments he made online.
The former "Sunday Night Baseball" analyst was pulled by ESPN from a major league game and the network's coverage of the Little League World Series last fall after he retweeted a post that compared Muslims and Nazi-era Germans.
ESPN said the tweet was "unacceptable," but kept him on board.
At the time, Schilling said he'd made a "bad decision."
KCAL9's Tom Wait spoke to Cyd Zeiger co-founder of Outsports.com.
He broke the story about Schilling's transgender tirade and isn't lamenting the firing.
"That image was grotesque and he should have been fired for posting that," Zeiger said.
"If Curt Schilling had responded to the criticism with contrition and apology and a desire to learn more, maybe he wouldn't be without a job right now. But instead he blamed the victims, blamed the media," Zeiger said.
Wait noted that there was irony in Schilling attacking the transgender community.
Schilling's own daughter was attacked with crude sexual comments online when she got accepted to a college softball team – Schilling spoke out saying women need to stand up and reject offensive attacks made by men.
(© Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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