First, a confession. Curt Schilling once stood me up. So, I have do have somewhat of a personal bias on him. Back on May 9, 2002, I found Schilling on the 'net and asked him to do an interview for NetShrine. He agreed and I sent him the questions the next day - after spending a few hours on coming up with what I thought were good questions.
Two weeks went by with no reply - so, I wrote to him again. He got back to me (pretty quickly) and said that things were hectic; but, he "promised" to get back to me on the questions and assured that he would take care of it.
More weeks went by with nothing. Later that summer, when I read that his last child was born, I wrote to him, offered congrats on the baby, and repeated that we would love to interview him for NetShrine (still) - and said that he could answer the questions at any time and we would love to follow up on them (whenever).
I never got as much as an acknowledgment to my follow up note with the congrats. And, here we are, two and a half years later.
I've always thought it was low to promise something - and then promise it again - and then blow me off.
I have no issue with someone not wanting to do an interview. Just say it and I will leave you alone. But, if you say twice that you will do it, and I go to all the work of preparing the questions, you should do it.
Actually, I have no issue with someone changing their mind, after they agreed to do the interview. That's fine too. Just be a man and say it - make a BS excuse if you need to feel better about it. But, say something - - just don't leave the person hanging the way he did.
It takes less than 20 seconds to type an e-mail that says "I'm sorry. I can no longer grant this request. I will not be able to do the interview." But, again, that would require some class.
Of course, all this was just my personal opinion on Schiling based on one experience - and I always reminded myself of that - - that it was just me, and that (of course) I could always be wrong (and Schilling could be a great guy). The more that I would hear about his work with ALS and the like, I would remind myself of the possibility that I was wrong.
That said,
Jon Heyman recently painted a picture of Schilling that was also very ugly. Among the things said were:
Quote:
........it's hard to fathom a player who's more self-centered, self-aggrandizing and in-your-face than the con man they call "Shill.".......Schilling knows fans will eat up his words, no matter how false. He goes to astounding lengths to paint things in his light........
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There's a lot more in the article and you really should read it - and not gloss over the link.
Why share this? Simple, we've been hearing a lot about Schilling lately - and will continue to hear it through the World Series - and it's 99.9% "good" stuff. However, there's more to what you have heard (and will hear) and should consider "the total" picture of Schilling before anyone starts fitting him for a crown. He is not the king of a man that many make him out to be - not even close. Heyman confirmed what I once wondered.