The best thing about winning the World Series? Well, there’s the money, the ring, the bragging rights, the look on your neighbors’ faces when you’re in your backyard, barbecuing steaks with your pants around your ankles and the Championship Trophy planted next to you [At least that’s how I’d celebrate it. Gwen Stefani would likely be involved as well.]
Even more thrilling to the players, I’m willing to bet, is the sheer oddity of being catapulted into the theatre of the absurd that is popular culture. The Sox win the Series and bam! Letterman’s chatting up Johnny Damon. Leno’s got a couch full of Roberts, Timlin, Ortiz and Embree. Keith Foulke and Jason Varitek are Time Magazine cover boys. And, inevitably, you get to play poker with Ray Romano.
At least Curt Schilling does, tonight on Bravo’s Celebrity Poker Showdown [8:00pm, EST].
Joining Romano and the Schill-dog will be Brad Garrett, A Mighty Wind‘s Catherine O’Hara, and actress Sarah Rue, and goodgodalmighty my feeble mind can barely contemplate the sort of banter this crew will be engaging in. Can you, even in your thickest alcohol-induced haze, imagine Curt fielding questions about the bloody sock from Robert Barone? It promises to be one of the most surreal TV moments since Terry Francona brought Pedro into Game 7 of the ALCS.
So what’s next? Keith Foulke shows up as “the new guy at the office” on Will & Grace? Bronson Arroyo playing a guitar-slinging parolee on The O.C.? The MTV Beach House with Dale Sveum? After this, anything’s possible. And I can’t hardly wait.
