December 1, 200322 yr Curt clicks with Red Sox fans Paola Boivin Morning juice Nov. 30, 2003 12:00 AM The post on the MLB.com Red Sox message board came in at 2:41 a.m. Friday. The author was Curt38. "I know it'll be a stretch to believe this, but I am posting here for a few reasons. The main one is to squelch any and all of the stupid rumors that have surfaced since this whole ordeal began . . . " The message board went crazy. Is it Curt Schilling or is it not? "What are the odds this is really true?" pedrofan1 wrote. "Like 1/100000000000. Common (sic) guys." At 3:39 a.m., this came from Curt38: "Not sure how to make you believe it's me. I have two dogs, Patton is my Rottweiler, and Shonda and the kids . . . bought me a puppy for my birthday, kids named him Rufus, not sure why, but it stuck. By the way, it's Shonda. Not Shanda, Shondra, Shandra." It was indeed Schilling, the pitcher confirmed to The Arizona Republic on Saturday. "I started reading all this misinformation," he said. "At that point I didn't think (the trade) was going to happen. I wanted to make sure (Red Sox fans) understood that if it didn't happen, it wasn't because one side didn't want it to happen. There were just some issues that needed to be resolved. I really wanted to clear up some of the misinformation." In his first post, Schilling said he did not demand a guaranteed three-year extension and has not asked for a guaranteed $15 million per season. Schilling posted several times, and as of Saturday afternoon, his post attracted more than 700 responses. He also entered a private chat room with several Red Sox fans and engaged in discussion about the trade for several hours. "It was funny, cool, flattering, unbelievable," he said. "They're so passionate and knowledgeable. Someone said, 'When we said Thanksgiving prayer, we said your name.' My God, that's one of the things I just can't comprehend. It's unbelievable." The Internet has played a fascinating role in this trade, from the rumors that circulated to the pitcher's use of it to tap a large Red Sox fan base. Some will poke fun at Schilling's cyber dalliance with the masses, but he should be credited for his approachability. It's not uncommon for professional athletes to jump on message boards, but most do it anonymously. Curt38 didn't hide behind a false name. . . . When the deal didn't come together as quickly as hoped, Schilling invited Red Sox General Manager Theo Epstein and team President Admin Lucchino over for Thanksgiving dinner at Schilling's Paradise Valley home. "Talk about pressure," Schilling's wife, Shonda (left, in photo with Curt), said Saturday. It was the first Thanksgiving dinner she had cooked. "At that point I was just worried if the turkey was the right side up," she said. "But it went fine. Now my friends are all joking that that's what sealed the deal." Never underestimate a good dish of yams. link Some of his posts link link
December 1, 200322 yr Damn. Thats cool to have a player on a forum. Come on AJ, and Lowell, get on Marlinsbaseball.com!
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