Category: News

As the world championships and duck boat parades were piling up during the first decade of the 21st century, Boston Globe columnist Bob Ryan cautioned all to appreciate what was going on, in saying these are the good old days right now. The point was that all the winning by every pro team, including seven titles in the 2000s and four more in the 2010s, couldn’t last forever.

Well it’s now the 2020s and he was right. Those were the good old days. But what he didn’t say was how much of a disaster it would be when things went bad.

Consider the last week.

The Patriots: So much for the old adage “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas,” said to contain embarrassment over crazy things people do on visits to Sin City. Unfortunately for your New England Patriots, their actions played out on national television as they put the exclamation point on my recent pronouncement that their dynasty was dead with the single dumbest play in the 103-year history of the National Football League, a mortifying play that led a Bill Belichick team to be mocked worse than anyone since Mark Sanchez’s butt fumble in 2012. Except it was far worse, since it turned a game headed to OT into a dynasty-ending (and probably season-ending) loss as time expired.

I’m not going to go into the gory details. If you somehow missed it, count your blessings, ’cause it was gruesome.

In addition, by allowing the Raiders to score 14 points in the last 32 seconds to snatch a victory from the jaws of defeat, they gave the NFL its 21st-century answer to 1968’s infamous Heidi game.

The Red Sox: Can anyone tell me what Chaim Bloom is doing? This week he followed up the year-long lie that retaining franchise icon Xander Bogaerts was the team’s top priority when he plainly wasn’t by designating Jeter Downs for assignment, who was the alleged jewel prospect he got for Mookie Betts. A day later it was the same thing for heralded low-cost steal (in August) Eric Hosmer even though all the September at-bats at first base would be going to top prospect Triston Casas. So after 45 at-bats he’s DFA’d. Next was the two-year deal given to ex-L.A. third baseman Justin Turner. Except they already have a third baseman. Which after the Bogaerts lie-athon should have people planning Raffy Devers’ going away party.

Beyond getting (and overpaying) closer Kenley Jansen, please tell me what the plan is. That is, if there is one.

The Celtics: Just 10 days ago they were up on Phoenix by 45 in the third period and had the best record in the NBA. But then came the latest Jayson Tatum choke in a marquee game vs. Golden State to send them off on a four-losses-in-five-games tailspin. Two of which came at the Garden vs. Orlando, who had the worst road record in the NBA. While it could be just a mini-slump, one of the things they need to work out is finding how to score when the threes aren’t falling, because they became too dependent on three-balls as they ran out to their 18-4 start. And can we stop with the “Tatum is the best player on the planet” talk, Scal? Because until he can stop shrinking from the moment anytime he’s facing Steph Curry (who owns him) he ain’t that.

The Bruins: I’m not saying anything about them because I don’t want to jinx them.

Here are a few more thoughts of a positive nature to send us all off in the holiday spirit.

Congrats to the estimable Patrice Bergeron for joining the 1,000-career-point club.

Ditto to Bogaerts for his big score in San Diego and thanks for representing the region with such class.

Make it three for the American team for advancing out of group play in the World Cup. A fourth for the WC itself. But they have to go to a play-till-they-drop format to decide the winner of the world’s greatest event. Deciding it on penalty kicks is like seeing Game 7 of the NBA Finals decided by a free throw shooting contest.

While the loss to Vegas was a killer, the bright side could be it may help save the struggling Josh McDaniels’ job.

You certainly can make a case that a WNBA player for an international arms dealer wasn’t an even swap. But it is nice to see an American hostage freed and that Brittney Griner will join an effort that will try to help Paul Whelan and other Americans be freed from prison in Russia.

I’m hoping Mac Jones gets a real offensive coordinator, a QB coach who’s played the position, two good (and speedy) wide receivers and a major shot of confidence for Christmas, because right now that boy is lost.

Finally, for those who don’t know the story of the Heidi game. After the Jets scored a TD in the final minute of their 1968 game to make them look like sure winners, NBC cut away to air their hyped holiday special movie Heidi, starring the still big former child star Shirley Temple. But two minutes into the movie a crawl came across the screen saying the Raiders had scored twice in the final seconds, to stun everyone who’d seen the game. It was all anyone talked about the next day, as NBC got blasted for pulling out of the game. Though Patriots fans wished it was the opposite, so they didn’t have to see Chandler Jones (of all people) give viewers the most stunning ending since Pittsburgh’s Immaculate Reception win over the same Raiders. Which, oh by the way, happened 50 years ago this Saturday (Christmas Eve). Which makes me wonder, when you throw in the Tuck Rule, how do the Raiders always end up in these weird-ending games?

A happy and safe holiday to all.

Email Dave Long at [email protected].

They tell you never to make decisions when you’re emotional. So maybe it’s fortunate I had a few days before giving my reaction to the Red Sox letting their leader of 11 years walk out the clubhouse door on Friday morning.

Since I’ve been saying for a year they were not going to re-sign Xander Bogaerts, I wasn’t surprised when the news broke. But I was more annoyed than I’ve been since the Celtics dumped Isaiah Thomas after he gave up his body (and long-term earning power as it turned out) for the cause in a trade for Kyrie Irving that I said from the start was a mistake.

And here’s why.

The Contract: First I would not have given the 30-year-old Bogaerts an 11-year contract. But it never had to get to that point.

However, the owner and his GM assured it would with their ridiculous offer last spring. Like he’d take it, when his agent was Scott Boras, who always gets top dollar for his clients.

If they were actually serious about keeping him, they’d have made a real offer like the Yankees did with Aaron Judge by starting with a realistic figure. Like an overpay per year for a shorter term, like $30 million per for six years.

Instead they followed the same playbook that led to the Jon Lester disaster in 2014 with the same result.

Which, despite what he said publicly for a year, was mission accomplished for Chaim Bloom because he didn’t want Bogaerts.

The Issue – They Lied All Year: I’m hardly the only person who knew from the day Bloom signed Trevor Story last winter that he would become the low(er)-cost replacement shortstop for 2023. Yet Bloom denied it all year. I know it required a tricky answer, but I absolutely hate being lied to. It’s not the only rub here, but it is a big part of it, as it makes me question everything he says going forward. Because his actions say he’s dishonest. Ditto for team president Sam Kennedy and the owner John Henry, who condoned it through his silence.

The GM, Part I – His Brand of Baseball: I must admit I hate Chaimball. I don’t like his Tampa Bay bargain basement hunting, five-inning starters and most of all the stat geek approach. And most galling is that, because of the “numbers rule all” attitude, he has no idea what he just lost in Bogie. Bottom line: I don’t think he’s ready to be the GM and I have my doubts he ever will be.

What Did They Lose? Goodbye, leadership and a steadying influence. But if they’re moving forward with a rebuild around their young farm system guys, those exact qualities will be an important ingredient for their development.

It’s what the Celtics lost when Danny Ainge let Al Horford walk after 2018 and why bringing him back to have him influence his young teammates was the first thing Brad Stevens did as Celtics GM. And you can’t argue with the results.

The GM, Part II – Can He Judge Talent? Not that everything he’s done has been wrong, but I haven’t seen one thing he’s done that has impressed me.

Yes, I know Michael Wacha had a nice year. But he was just a low-cost guy he got lucky with as after several years of struggles there had been nothing in his recent past suggesting he could return to the solid guy he was early in his career with St. Louis.

Show me three more similar reclamation projects going that work and I may believe it was an astute move.

Of course the real proof lies in the guys coming up through his vaunted farm system — which, the way it’s gone with the hyped Jarren Duran,is not off to a great start.

I should also say that I’m not always right. I thought Stevens would be a disaster and he’s been just the opposite as Celtics GM.

But to this point the only thing that stands out outside of Story’s underwhemling season is the subtractions (Betts, Bogie) and the obvious miss of seeing perfect fit Kyle Schwarber walking to hit 46 homers in Philly for less money being paid to the now departed J.D. Martinez.

Who’s Masataka Yoshida? I had never heard of him before last week, so I have no idea how good he is or isn’t. But Rusney Castillo was the first thing that leapt to mind when I heard of the Yoshida signing. He was signed mid-way through 2014 with much fanfare. He turned out to be a titanic bust; in retrospect it was probably so because it was a hurried signing to distract fans who were ticked off that Lester had just been traded and the team was on its way to finishing in last place for the second time in three years. Fair or not, this seems similar.

The Owner – What’s Fair To Expect: Owners can’t guarantee championships and fans don’t have the right to expect that. But since the Red Sox have grown from being worth $600 million to now being worth $3.9 billion since Henry bought the team on the backs of his customers paying the highest ticket prices in baseball, Red Sox Nation has a right to expect Henry to spend to make it competitive.

I was OK with two years of payroll restructuring to lay the groundwork for the future. But the continued Tampa Bay wannabe approach is the opposite. Enough already. This is a big market team supported by a passionate fan base, which has money to spend. If he doesn’t want to spend that’s fine. But if he doesn’t want to, he should sell the team, because Red Sox Nation has done its part.

And if he won’t sell, the only thing that will get his attention is if you hit him in the cash register. So don’t buy tickets or merchandise and shop watching on NESN. Until he does.

Email Dave Long at [email protected].