Strong language

This is the lede sentence from Philadelphia Daily News writer Bill Conlin’s Monday column:

GOOD MORNING, Philadelphia. And how does it feel being Terry Francona’s bitch?

Now, it’s true that the word “bitch” has lost some of its shock value in recent years. From when Barbara Bush said Hillary Clinton was something that “rhymed with witch” to the near-constant use of “bitch” in rap songs, it just doesn’t pack the punch that it used to.

And the Daily News isn’t the New York Times. It isn’t even the Philadelphia Inquirer. But that is still pretty strong language for the sports section. And daily papers are usually the last places you’d expect to see anything offensive. They usually go out of their way to be politically correct and family friendly. And Conlin — you’ve probably seen his fat slovenly ass on ESPN’s “The Sports Reporters” — is old school. I’m really shocked that he used the “b-word”.

As for the accuracy of the statement, well, there’s no debating that. The Phils got handled by the Sox this weekend and probably would have been swept had not Francona chosen to rest Curt Schilling on Sunday, opting to save him for tonight’s game against the Yankees.