May 2, 2016

ESPN Re-Airs "Four Days In October", Edits Out Schilling's Performance

Ken Fang, Awful Announcing:
It's aired on ESPN and ESPN Classic numerous times. Boston Red Sox fans love rewatching the 30 for 30 documentary "Four Days in October" chronicling the historic four game comeback against the New York Yankees after being down 0-3 in the 2004 American League Championship Series. ...

The 30 for 30 aired Sunday afternoon on ESPN2 in anticipation of the Yankees-Red Sox game on Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN. But a funny thing happened during the re-air. One particular segment was missing and it was Game 6 of the ALCS which was a pivotal game in the Red Sox comeback. That was the game where then-Red Sox hurler Curt Schilling pitched wearing a bloody sock in the wake of having surgery to correct a sprained ankle earlier in the 2004 postseason.
Bernie Augustine, Daily News:
[G]iven Schilling's recent firing from ESPN, it seems like a petty move on the network's part.

But, they have an explanation: The doc was meant to be filler programming between the end of a college softball game and the start of SNB.

"When a live event runs long, it's standard procedure to shorten a taped program that follows," ESPN said in a statement to Awful Announcing. "In this case, we needed to edit out one of the film's four segments to account for the extra length of the softball game." ...

If you're not buying that story — we'll just cut out the most memorable game of the series to make it fit — you're not alone; Schilling isn't either.
Providence Journal:
Schilling himself, who last week lashed out at the network for showing hypocrisy in his firing, tried to make light of the situation on Sunday. He tweeted out a photo of his 2004 World Series ring, which he described as a "never used, rarely worn ring from player who didn't actually have anything to do with getting it," and followed up with this observation: "Btw please don't make me victim. You saw it, I lived it, still got the ring. This is what happens when you embarrass powerful people. And Nothing more. It's why we are where we are at as a people and as a nation. Time to change that #standup"

3 comments:

FenFan said...

Wait, ESPN did something questionable? Schilling may be a homophobic twit but, if memory still serves me, he played a key role in that series. I smell bullshit...

allan said...

The timing is quite odd, to be sure. If they were really pressed for time, they could have cut Game 5 (which is actually my favourite game of the series). But doing that wouldn't have taken a shot at Schilling and gotten him all riled up, which I'm sure ESPN knew would happen.

This is what happens when you embarrass powerful people

... by being a ignorant, hateful bigot?

allan said...

Shonda Schilling:
Couples who get divorced don't usually stoop this low to get the last word in. I know (ESPN's) brand is to be true to Disney. That doesn't mean you have to act like a child. I don't remember any Disney films I ever saw that said to try to embarrass you if you want to be heard. Just one last thing, ESPN, people are not mad at what you did they are embarrassed for you."