On Thursday, both NBC’s Today and ABC’s Good Morning America reveled in ESPN firing baseball analyst Curt Schilling after the former all-star pitcher objected on social media to liberal demands that transgender people be allowed to use whichever bathroom they choose.
At the top of Today, co-host Savannah Guthrie announced: “He's out. Former all-star pitcher Curt Schilling fired by ESPN after another controversial post to social media. What he said this time that could cost him his job.”
Minutes later, correspondent Craig Melvin touted Schilling “standing on a mound of controversy” and explained: “The network firing him Wednesday after he shared an offensive Facebook post, seemingly directed toward North Carolina's transgender bathroom law....reposting this image, showing a man dressed as a woman. Schilling adding his own comments, saying, ‘A man is a man no matter what they call themselves’...”
Melvin listed a series of other “controversies” surrounding Schilling:
But this isn't the first time Schilling has sparked outrage. Last month, he appeared to violate ESPN’s policy on politics when he addressed Hillary Clinton's e-mail scandal....And in August, ESPN pulled him from coverage of the Little League World Series after he retweeted a post comparing Muslims to Nazis.
On GMA, co-host Robin Roberts proclaimed: “We have the latest now on Curt Schilling, the former baseball all-star fired by ESPN after sharing an offensive message on social media. It is not the first time his comments have caused a controversy...”
Correspondent Eva Pilgrim declared:
Curt Schilling finds himself in a mess he can't pitch his way out of....This incident just the latest in a long line of social media gaffes for the former superstar. Just last August, ESPN suspended Schilling from Little League coverage after he tweeted out a controversial comment linking Nazis to Muslim extremists...
Pilgrim oddly cited Schilling standing up to vile cyberbullying of his daughter as another “gaffe”:
“...and earlier last year, Schilling became the target of internet trolls when he posted a proud tweet about his daughter's college acceptance....He took screen shots of those mean tweets and posted them to his blog.”
The “mean tweets” from those “internet trolls” joked about raping Schilling’s daughter.
CBS This Morning only featured a 15-second news brief on the firing from co-host Norah O’Donnell:
And New York’s Daily News reports on the firing of ESPN baseball analyst Curt Schilling for social media posts and remarks about transgender people. He scoffed at allowing people to use bathrooms according to their gender identity. The network called the comments by the former Red Sox pitcher “unacceptable.”
Here are full transcripts of the NBC and ABC segments:
Today
7:11 AM ET
MATT LAUER: Also this morning, ESPN firing baseball analyst and former all-star pitcher Curt Schilling after he shared a controversial meme on Facebook. Here’s Today national correspondent Craig Melvin.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: ESPN Fires Curt Schilling; Axed Over Offensive Social Media Post]
CRAIG MELVIN: Red Sox fans know him as the legendary pitcher who played through a grueling ankle injury to help Boston finally end the Curse of the Bambino at the 2004 World Series.
MLB ANNOUNCER: The Boston Red Sox are now world champions!
MELVIN: But now, Curt Schilling, who became a baseball analyst for ESPN, finds himself standing on a mound of controversy. The network firing him Wednesday after he shared an offensive Facebook post, seemingly directed toward North Carolina's transgender bathroom law. In a statement, ESPN saying in part: “Curt Schilling has been advised that his conduct was unacceptable.”
CURT SCHILLING [WEEI 103.7 FM]: My comment was as innocuous and as non-aggressive as anything anybody could say. I'm still kind of trying to figure out how the hell this all happened.
MELVIN: Schilling says he felt blindsided by the backlash he received after reposting this image, showing a man dressed as a woman. Schilling adding 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: I stated a fact. Men's bathrooms were designed for people that stand up and women's weren't. And, it was nothing more than that. I mean, what if I had said, you know what, people make men's bikes just for men and women's bicycles for women?
MELVIN: Schilling says the post was private and claims, quote, “somebody was hunting” to get him fired. But this isn't the first time Schilling has sparked outrage. Last month, he appeared to violate ESPN’s policy on politics when he addressed Hillary Clinton's e-mail scandal.
SCHILLING: She should be buried under a jail somewhere.
MELVIN: And in August, ESPN pulled him from coverage of the Little League World Series after he retweeted a post comparing Muslims to Nazis.
SCHILLING: I've had people of all races, colors, religious, sexual orientations and whatever in my home. And never in my life have I treated somebody based on any of those factors differently.
MELVIN: A celebrated athlete now going to bat for himself. We reached out to Schilling for comment, so far we have not heard back. You might remember last year he created quite the stir on social media when he went after those cyberbullies that were targeting his daughter. Matt, Savannah.
LAUER: Alright, Craig Melvin on this story. Thanks, Craig, appreciate it.
GMA
7:35 AM ET[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: New This Morning; Curt Schilling Fired by ESPN; Sacked for Sharing Offensive Social Media Message]
ROBIN ROBERTS: We have the latest now on Curt Schilling, the former baseball all-star fired by ESPN after sharing an offensive message on social media. It is not the first time his comments have caused a controversy and ABC's Eva Pilgrim has his story.
EVA PILGRIM: He became a hero defeating the Yankees in a bloody sock.
FOX’s JOE BUCK [in 2004]: Perfect fifth inning for Curt Schilling.
PILGRIM: But this morning, Curt Schilling finds himself in a mess he can't pitch his way out of. ESPN firing the sportscaster after the former number 38 shared this meme on social media referencing the recent North Carolina law barring transgender people from using bathrooms or locker rooms which don't correspond with the gender on their birth certificate. He added his own commentary writing: “A man is a man no matter what they call themselves... Now you need laws telling us differently? Pathetic.” ESPN put out a statement saying: “ESPN is an inclusive company...his conduct was unacceptable.” This incident just the latest in a long line of social media gaffes for the former superstar. Just last August, ESPN suspended Schilling from Little League coverage after he tweeted out a controversial comment linking Nazis to Muslim extremists and earlier last year, Schilling became the target of internet trolls when he posted a proud tweet about his daughter's college acceptance.
CURT SCHILLING: I grew up playing sports. I know what it means to be a guy. Never in my life have I ever uttered half of the words that these guys were posting.
PILGRIM: He took screen shots of those mean tweets and posted them to his blog.
SCHILLING It wasn't a mistake. I mean, this was a conscious decision to be — to be an idiot and to say some pretty evil stuff.
PILGRIM: For Good Morning America, Eva Pilgrim, ABC News, New York.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Thanks to Eva for that.
