Left-wing radio host wants Trump fan Curt Schilling wiped from Phillies' Wall of Fame over 'racist' tweets. Schilling calls host a 'special piece of s**t.'
In our latest episode of the Cancel Culture Chronicles, we find a left-wing sports radio host apparently looking for a little attention — and greasing the skids by zeroing in on legendary pitcher Curt Schilling, who's been making headlines of late.
What is the background?
Earlier this week, Schilling — an outspoken conservative and major supporter of President Donald Trump — claimed that AIG canceled his insurance over his "social media profile."
We will be just fine, but wanted to let Americans know that @AIGinsurance canceled our insurance due to my "Social Media profile"— President Elect Curt Schilling (@President Elect Curt Schilling)1610511562.0
The alleged insurance cancellation occurred in the wake of the U.S. Capitol riot last week, after which leftists — and the powers that be heeding their words — began vilifying and canceling conservatives at a dizzying pace. Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube pulled the plug on Trump, while Apple and Amazon took down Twitter competitor Parler.
Schilling posted a tweet hours after the riot — and it had some legs with the media: "You cowards sat on your hands, did nothing while liberal trash looted rioted and burned for Air Jordan's and big screens, sit back, stfu, and watch folks start a confrontation for s**t that matters like rights, democracy and the end of gov't corruption." His tweet was still active Friday afternoon.
Wanna be startin' somethin'?
Enter veteran sports talk radio host Mike Missanelli, a well-known figure in Philadelphia sports circles who was on the airwaves when Schilling and the Phillies were vying for a World Series title in 1993.
So Missanelli — who's as outspoken about his left-wing politics as Schilling is about his conservative views — let the former Phillies star have it:
In light of his tweets (racist among other things) following the seditious attack on the Capitol - re: today’s Inqu… https://t.co/71SEzW8ZPl— Mike Missanelli (@Mike Missanelli)1610643143.0
"In light of his tweets (racist among other things) following the seditious attack on the Capitol — re: today's Inquirer — I call upon the Phillies and John Middleton to immediately remove Curt Schilling from their Wall of Fame," Missanelli tweeted Thursday.
How did Schilling respond?
As you might guess, Schilling was not pleased with Missanelli's declaration and threw down with the radio host: "You know my family, you've known me for almost 30 years. It takes a special piece of s**t to do and say things you know are lies. Esp given you know my wife and her battle with cancer right now. Do me a huge favor, next time we're ftf call me a racist."
Missanelli replied as most folks on social media do — absent any clear and present physical danger, of course: "Your family is great. I sent your WIFE best wishes (it should have read). You turned into a traitorous asshole. There. That more clear for ya?"
He added in another tweet to Schilling, "You should be ashamed of yourself for your ignorant tweet DURING an act of sedition and for supporting it in any way."
It's worth noting that unless Schilling posted and deleted another tweet, the one in question was posted at 11:52 p.m. Jan. 6 — after the afternoon riot was over.
How did folks react?
Commentary on the dust-up has been a mixed bag. Some back Missanelli's wish to cancel Schilling. But others? Not so much:
- "Let me know when that goes down, Curt. I got your back," one user noted. "Would love to have a front row seat watching you beat the crap out of this bitter lowlife."
- "Mike is a scumbag Curt you know this already," another commenter offered. "Typical looney liberal."
- "'Remove all traces of people that disagree with me' is straight from the commie playbook for a reason," another user said.
Schilling's wife, who is battling cancer, even got in on the war of words:
@MikeMiss25 Just what I need right now is to see an old friend trying to take away what clearly was earned with the… https://t.co/1L2pqocWI7— Shonda Schilling (@Shonda Schilling)1610690259.0
Missanelli sent the following reply: "Shonda, you know you have always had my best wishes. And I pray for your good health. Your husband tweeting what he tweeted, supporting an act of sedition, DURING the act, is disgraceful. He can't now play the victim."
Anything else?
Schilling's outspokenness, particularly with regard to his conservative politics, has led to numerous controversies over the years:
- His June 2016 blog post in the wake of the terror attack at an Orlando gay nightclub lit into gun control advocates and Muslims.
- ESPN fired him in April 2016 for a meme he posted that mocked transgender bathroom laws.
- And the sports network pulled him off the air in September 2015 for the rest of the baseball season over a tweet against radical Islam.
Also it's long been opined that his politics have kept him out baseball's Hall of Fame, but a Philadelphia sportswriter wrote that "Schilling belongs in Hall of Fame even though his views are worthy of nothing but shame."
Just before Trump's 2017 inauguration, Schilling said his support of the president also was keeping him out of the Hall.
"I promise you if I had said, 'Lynch Trump,' I would be getting in with about 90 percent of the vote this year," Schilling told TMZ Sports, a reference to baseball writers' politics as well as their all-powerful votes that grant entrance into Cooperstown.