Curt Schilling – MAN!

It was with a sense of sadness, yet a little bit of joy, to hear that long-time MLB pitcher Curt Schilling is retiring after 20 MLB seasons (23 years in professional baseball).

Schilling’s stats are very, very good, though some may argue that they are not “hall-of-fame good”. Of the three major pitching statistical categories, his win-loss record (216-146) and ERA (3.46) are not great. The only category that really stands out is his 3116 career strikeouts – which ranks him 14th in MLB history. In my opinion, however, Schilling is still a first-ballot hall-of-famer, because he has an almost invincible 11-2 record in the post-season. Basically, one can circle Schilling in for a win in the post-season. His NLCS and World Series MVP awards in 1993 and 2001 testify the very fact that Schilling is the pitcher you want to give the ball to when it matters the most.


And who would forget the “bloody sock” from the 2004 playoffs? Playing with a torn tendon that was basically “stapled” together temporarily by sutures, Schilling literally bled his blood on the playing field, and willed the Boston Red Sox to an improbable comeback against the New York Yankees before winning the world series against the St. Louis Cardinals. The World Series win was Boston’s first since 1918, and the image of Schilling’s bloody sock will be remembered for many, many years to come by most baseball fans.

What I respect the most about Curt Schilling though goes beyond his on-field prowess. Schilling is never afraid to speak his mind, and his criticism against baseball players who use performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) has been sharp and harsh. For example, he has suggested that admitted steroids user Jose Canseco’s records “should be erased,” and that Rogers Clemens, another user of PEDs, should have his Cy Young Awards stripped.

Schilling is bash, and arrogant, and I don’t always agree with what he has to say, but I respect his honesty and frankness. His blog, 38 Pitches, is an insightful blog that is almost always an entertaining read. In his latest entry where he announces his retirement, Curt Schilling had two special thank you’s to give:

“To my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for granting me the ability to step between the lines for 23 years and compete against the best players in the world.”

“To my wife Shonda and my 4 children, Gehrig, Gabriella, Grant and Garrison for sacrificing their lives and allowing baseball to be mine while I played. Without their unquestioned support I would not have been able to do what I did, or enjoy the life, and I am hopefully going to live long enough to repay them as much as a Father and Husband can.”

Curt Schilling, a man. MLB is a better league because of you. Thank you, and happy retirement!

Death Is Not a Joking Matter

As someone whose “jokes” have gone too far in the past, I am still extremely appalled by the latest “joke” that has gone bad by the Fox late-night show Red Eye. For those who do not know, host Greg Gutfeld has this show where he and a panel of guests discusses and pokes fun at various current events. On the March 17 episode, Gutfeld and one of his guests mocked the Canadian Forces, noting Lt.-Gen. Andrew Leslie's recent comment that the military may need a year to recover after Canada's mission in Afghanistan ends in 2011.

Gutfeld (left) said, "Meaning, the Canadian military wants to take a breather to do some yoga, paint landscapes, run on the beach in gorgeous white Capri pants." His guest, comedian Doug Benson chimed in and said, "I didn't even know they were in the war… I thought that's where you go if you don't want to fight. Go chill in Canada."

All this while more Canadian soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan. (Below, from left to right, Master Cpl. Scott Vernelli, 28, Cpl. Tyler Crooks, 24, Trooper Jack Bouthillier, 20, and Trooper Corey Joseph Hayes, 22, are seen in this combination photo.)

Gutfeld has since apologized for his gaffe, after strong criticism from Canadians, including Defense Ministry Peter MacKay.

CBC Report:

Canadian Press Report:

Like I have said, I am a person whose jokes have gone too far in the past. And, I am the last person to say that there is no place for humour in our lives, that we should all day just be taking about serious things and have a stern face on. But something is just out of bounds. A life-threatening disease is not funny, a person’s disability is not funny, a person’s religious and/or cultural rituals are not funny, and death is NOT funny. I know this episode of “Red Eye” was done BEFORE the latest weekend where four Canadians were killed in Afghanistan, but this has been an ongoing mission, and people have been dying in the mission for a very long time. It is as dispicible as those losers who clapped their hands when the Twin Towers fell in 9-11.

The line between humour and flippancy is sometimes not all that clear, but as a public figure, Gutfeld and many, many others need to check themselves ever-more-closely: I always think you can be classy without being boring, and funny without being offensive. Sadly, many public figures cannot do that.

Monkey Business

Just a random thought for the spring break:

My wife and I went swimming last week. After going for a few lengths, I went to the whirlpool to relax just a tad.

After walking in, a young couple walked by. The man dipped into the whirlpool across from me. His partner, meanwhile, sat down behind him. She then proceeded to put her legs on his shoulders, and crossed her legs in front of his chest. The two then began chatting. I did not take much notice of that.

Soon after, the young woman began massaging the young man’s shoulders and his head. As she massaged her partner’s head, this woman started going through every strand of the man’s hair, either just playfully, or maybe she was trying to pick out her partner’s white hair. She went on and on, her fingers working skilfully amidst his hair. I wasn’t wearing my glasses, so I could not see very well, but I could tell the woman was extremely attentive at her work. The man, meanwhile, was stroking his lady’s leg up and down the entire time with his eyes closed… The entire scene, for whatever the reason, only reminds me of this:

(In case you are wondering, this is a picture showing a monkey going through another's hair to pick out the fleas. The "picking monkey" would then proceed to eat the fleas that it catches).

So, as you can imagine, I have had about enough. I left the whirlpool and went on to swim a few more lengths before calling it a day.

Maybe I am over-reacting, but I honestly have a problem with couples publicly demonstrating their intimacy. No, I don’t have a problem seeing a couple holding each other’s hands, or seeing them embrace one another; a peck on the cheek or on the lips I find to be quite sweet as well. But there are some acts that belong to the privacy of the couple, and are not meant for public consumption. Yes, you have a “right,” I guess, to do whatever you want, wherever you want, as long as it is not breaking the law, but I think the public also has a right not to be forced to see your intimacy.

An Incredible Chess Match on Ice

A little “off topic” here, but this is my blog.

I don’t know about you, but I really like the sport of curling. As my title suggests, I think this is a chess match played on ice. Curling often gets a reputation (fair or unfair, who is to say) to be a game that features people screaming “hard,” “hurry,” “easy,” (this is not meant to be suggestive, but I notice it will be), people carrying brooms and brushes, and people just gliding on ice with these strange-looking shoes. Yes, curling is all of that, but it is also a game of strategies. 

If you have spent any time watching the Scottie’s Tournament of Hearts the last two weeks, you would know what I am talking about. From the first rock thrown by the lead to the final one curled by the skip, curling is a see-saw battle that involves a competition of will and wit, on top of the skills that are required to play the sport well. 

I am especially impressed with the way Team Canada played. Similar to last year, skip Jennifer Jones and her team did not get off to a good start, and was actually on the very brink of being eliminated from playoff contention. But, in exactly the same way as the team did last year, they came back to win a tie-breaker game against PEI to qualify for the playoffs, followed by three straight wins to capture the team’s third national title and a chance to represent Canada at the World Championship. To achieve the feat once is impressive; to achieve the same feat twice is just incredible – it demonstrates that, mentally, this team is impossible to break. 

This incredible mental fortitude can be best explained by their performance against Quebec (I actually missed the championship game against BC, but read that it was even more the case). Taking advantage of Quebec’s sloppy play at the start of the game, Team Canada easily went up 5:0 after just two ends of play. Quebec came back strong in the next two ends and tied the game at 5. Canada went back up 7:5, only to see Quebec tie it again. At that time, Team Canada could have gotten frustrated, rattled, angry, etc., but they did not. The team just somehow felt that they were better, and would prevail no matter what. And they did. Opposition can rattle Team Canada’s confidence; they can frustrate them, but they can seemingly never defeat them. 

The Brier is coming up (that’s the men’s national championship). For those who have not watched curling before, I would strongly suggest that you put in some TV time for the sport – it is easy enough to understand that you don’t need someone to explain the sport to you. Once you get over the screaming and yelling, and see the strategies and mental conflicts that are displayed in the game, I believe you will enjoy the game too.