Today is classic Shaughnessy. CHB picks up the phone to call his old friend Schilling and as he says, he does so to take a "rare hike on the high road." This is a classic case of CHB instigating news so that he can write a column. Once again, he injects himself into the story as he does so often. In this case, it is actually an interesting story. As CHB puts it himself, it is Rosie versus Trump. And I am actually liking the CHB-Rosie analogy.
Shank has long standing issues with Schilling and his latest bone to pick with Schilling is the pitcher's recent announcement that he plans to pitch another year despite previous comments that 2007 would be his last. CHB believes that Schilling is playing the Sox and CHB definitely has issues with it. Schilling is articulate enough in his own defense and I would tend to side with Schilling's explanation as opposed to siding with Shaughnessy's distrust.
Perhaps Schilling's timing could be better but you know Schilling's case is nothing compared to what has become an annual rite of summer...that being the issue of Roger Clemens holding the Astros, Red Sox and Yankees hostage, subject to his "Do I want to play?" whims. I don't think Schilling even comes close.
I do give credit to Shaughnessy credit for running this quote from Schilling about CHB
"I think there's things that you write that are absolutely and totally unequivocally uncalled for. I think you take personal vendettas to the paper. I think you rip people in the paper because you don't like them whether they're good people or not. As an athlete, that bothers me, but as a teammate of these people, it bothers me even more . . . I certainly came in with a little bias, but I don't think that given what's happened that it's unmerited."
I think that quote in a nutshell sums up much of the reason why this blog site exists in the first place. Shaughnessy doesn't fight back at the comment and my sense is that he included the quote with a perverse grin on his face as he typed. He probably considers it a badge of honor. If so, Shaughnessy just doesn't get it.
After some additional thought, I am intrigued by Shaughnessy's thought process as he posted the quote from Schilling which is critical of Shaughnessy. As I wrote yesterday's column, I took the perspective that CHB views it as a perverse badge of honor. I do wonder however if Shaughnessy was trying to make Schilling come off as an ass and in so doing undermine Schilling's comments? Either way, I still don't think Shaughnessy gets it.
ReplyDeleteThe thing I found irritating about this column is Shaughnessy's apparent belief that he was bravely stepping into the arena with Schilling for a mano-a-mano confrontation. I could almost see him preparing for his epic phone call by playing death-metal rock at full volume, guzzling Red Bull, and bashing his head against the wall. Yep, CHB is truly a gladiator, a heroic figure for our time.
ReplyDeleteNaaaah. He's just a guy with a computer and a bad haircut. He's asking questions, not fighting for his life with sword and scabbard. This was no battle to the death; it was an interview. Get over yourself, Danny Boy.
Well said jvwalt. The column screams "LOOK AT ME! LOOK AT ME!" in huge flashing neon letters.
ReplyDeleteI vote perverse badge of honor. What he is doing is shoving it in our faces. He wants us to know what we think about him and that he doesn't care and won't change.
Jvwalt's description brings images of Dwight from the Office before a sales call.
ReplyDeleteHis objective, silly, was to draw out provocative comments on a provocative topic. And he did it.
ReplyDeleteThe jock-sniffers, meanwhile, are cooing over Schilling playing another season when a similarly hard negotiating stance by Pedro Martinez was ridiculed. Shaughnessy will no doubt pick up on this over time and the jock-sniffers will be outraged that he is taking "cheap shots" at the grandest self-promoter ever to wear a Red Sox uniform.
Boston still likes its superstars white.
Boston still likes its superstars white.
ReplyDeleteThat is hilarious coming from CHB's biggest supporter. Keep it up bruce.
I actually agree with Bruce on this one. Schilling is self promoting, arrogant, and loves dramatizing almost everything, and loves doing it through the media. To me, this is exactly like the Pedro situation. If one is going to call out the media they have to do the same with the players.Come to think of it, Schill and CBH are strikingly similar, just on different sides of the situation.
ReplyDeleteWhat about Clemens? I still maintain his act is a lot worse than Schilling's.
ReplyDelete"Boston still likes its superstars white."
ReplyDeleteRiiight! David Ortiz, Dave Roberts, Bill Russell, Jim Rice, Manny, Pedro, Paul Pierce, Luis Tiant, Robert Parish...et al. Yeah, those guys are white. Give me a frickin' break!