Is there a public appearance DL?

Can I stop listening to Curt Schilling now? Please?

Is it alright with Red Sox Nation if we all stop listening to Big Schill? Does anything he says really matter anymore? I mean, the guy has sounded off on Barry Bonds, Kobe Bryant, steroids, Roger Clemens ... and during that time he's thrown exactly zero pitches. So why are we paying attention?

This week, in typical Schilling fashion, he went on WEEI and hammered Manny, saying his antics "disrespected" his teammates. Interesting point. Here's why I don't care.

For one, I haven't thought about Manny in weeks, and have been a happier person for it. Secondly, this is hardly an enlightening point. You mean people were growing tired of the Manny show? Your kidding. Did that have anything to do with all the veterans marching into Tito's office to demand the Sox get rid of him?

We all know Schilling has a mouth on him, and at times it's been compelling to listen to him. But this season has been different. Instead of commenting on things he's directly connected to, he seems to be mouthing off about any and everything just so we don't forget he's there. To me, he seems like an attention-starved athlete desperate to make headlines one way or the other. It's the old "Look at me, look at me" approach.

But why are we still looking? At its best, listening to Schilling is entertaining and humorous. At it's worst, it's like judging a wet T-shirt contest featuring the Patriots offensive line. It's one way to pass an afternoon, but what's the point, really? And this season has most certainly featured more of the worst.

Here's the thing: The importance of Schilling's opinion should be proportional to his impact on the field. When he's sporting bloody socks on his feet and shoving proverbial socks in the mouths of 50,000 Yankee fans, he can describe in detail the construction of a yo-yo and have me riveted. But when he's made exactly the same amount of appearances as me this season, I'm less inclinced to lend an ear.

As for his most recent comments, they highlight another recurring them with Schilling - he seems to enjoy ripping people he doesn't have to associate with. As one talking head on ESPN astutely pointed out today, he'd have had a lot more respect for Schilling and this commentary if it had been made DURING the problem period. But what does it matter now?

Look, nobody is discounting Schilling's impact on the franchise. What he did in 2004 is among the most heroic performances in Boston sports history, perhaps in Major League Baseball history. His sacrifice was a major part of the first title in almost 90 years. But I'd prefer to remember him for what he did on the field. What he's done off the field - from blogging about his appearance at a Celtics playoff game to his recent shots at Manny - seems to be only a cheap attempt to get the public to notice him once again.

I realize there are those who eat this stuff up; namely, those at WEEI who are raking in the bucks every time he's on the air. But the routine is getting a little stale for me. Make no mistake about it - I'm not trying to impose a gag order on Schilling. He certainly has a right to speak his mind. I just wonder if anyone else out there is ready to change the channel yet?