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10:28:00 AM EST
Hearing David Bowie
Simmons Man Crushes the Epstein Story*
However fascinating, I hadn't weighed in on the Theo Epstein story for three reasons:
1) I haven't had a chance to read all about it.
2) I'm the DC Sports Guy, not the Boston Sports Guy (that's Bill Simmons ex-job).
3) No one cares what I think.
So, in my absence, here's the Boston Sports Guy's take on Epstein leaving Boston. It's a fantastic column, maybe one his best ever. An excerpt:
"Here's what I love about Theo (and why his stock rose with me for life): Not everyone would have the stones to walk away from their dream job. Putting myself in his shoes, my dream job would be running the Boston Celtics … and I'm pretty sure I could have done better than some of the bozos of the last 15 years. If I spent my entire life working towards that chance, and then I got it, only one scenario would make me give that up -- if I couldn't stand working for my owners and felt like they were constantly second-guessing and undermining me, and the situation deteriorated to the point that my quality of life was being compromised. Even then, I'm not sure I would walk away.
Well, Theo walked away.
When Dan Shaughnessy published his hideous mentor-protégé column in Sunday's Boston Globe -- a column covered in Lucchino's fingerprints that made Theo come off like an ungrateful, disloyal, incompetent jerk -- Theo decided to change his mind about staying with the team. How could he work for people that he didn't trust, people who would wait until both sides had agreed to terms before leaking a "Now take this!" column that was clearly meant to put him in his place. Imagine being Theo, waking up on a Sunday morning and seeing that slanted crap in your local paper -- a house organ with ownership ties to the Red Sox, no less? How could you come back to the team and live with yourself? They underestimated his character, his resolve and his willingness to walk away from the only job he ever wanted. At least he left with his dignity."
* Readers of this site know I have a bit of a man crush on Simmons myself. Read all about it and hear our interview with him.
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The Boston Globe, who is the 2nd biggest owner of the Red Sox, always has a "liberal" view of things exept for themselves. They will not allow their writers to appear on the local sports radio station because they do not agree with their views. Now this, they helped drive Theo out of town with their agenta of being in the Red Sox's back pocket. It's do as I say not as I do.
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"Shank" Shaughnessy is Bob Ryan's spiritual son... a guy who couldn't write a straight piece with a ruler. His column- like Ryan's- is one whine after another, day in, day out. Readers of the Globe can have no other supposition other than that both Ryan and Shank have grown to hate sports, but they can't take themselves away from it because their skills can fill no other job.
Shaughnessy's lead after the Nomar trade? "Thank God he's gone." It's sad to read a supposed fan of a team who simply hates everyone in the sport. The World Series win hurt his "Curse of the Bambino" book sales, and keeping his name up there is more important than giving a straight view of the news.
Bob Ryan's best column was one where he bemoaned the Pat's selection of All Pro Richard Seymour, instead favoring eventual flop Kenyatta Walker. He then began to skewer Belichick, who now won't give Bobby the time of day.
Shank's was one where he ridiculed Pete Carroll's plans to use Tebucky Jones as a "press cornerback." He claims to have spoken with "dozens" of NFL people who had never heard the term. Meanwhile, you can see it on Madden, and even a female soccer player can tell you that it is where you line a cornerback up on the line and blitz him.
They're reasons 1 and 1A why I get most of my sports news from the Internet.
11/5/05 12:52 AM
-Backwards K @Baseball Banter