August 5th, 2013.
or
How to improve our Off-Seasons
Thank God for the Red Sox! After the bottoming out of the Celtics and the Hernandez fiasco, my faith in Boston sports teams is being questioned. Now, that’s not to say that the Celtics handled their off-season poorly, the Patriots don’t have a shot at winning it all this year, or the Red Sox aren’t having the most pleasantly surprising season of my life, but I, lucky enough, have been born in an era where Boston teams are dominant. And the thought of anything else is a little bit worrisome and all too nearby. Thank God Larchmont Village Pizza is just down the street because losing feels that much better with pizza in hand.
As your neighbor and fellow BOSTON fan in a sea of Lakers’, here are my concerns.
1. Who is Tom Brady going to throw to?
Now I know Tom is notorious for making the receivers around him better, but during his three Super Bowl campaigns it was a combination of that AND having a good defense that resulted in the Patriots’ success. And I certainly don’t think we have the latter. The Patriots defense will improve from last season’s primarily because it’s hard to have a secondary as bad as ours was last year two years in a row, but I don’t see it being anything above adequate.
You know it’s bad when I have to google “Patriots receivers.” But seriously, who the hell do we have? I’ll admit I am encouraged that we signed Danny Amendola as a possible Welker replacement (RIP my flawless Madden strategy of going Brady to Welker every down), but do we have one reliable deep threat on the roster? No one that I’ve heard of at least. I like what I’ve seen from Julian Edelman in recent years, and I expect to see a lot more out of him this year but he’s another Welker-esque player. Man, do I hope these rookie receivers are ready to play though because we’re definitely going to need them.
But remember, Tom Brady is on the Patriots and I’m not going to count out the possibility of Brady pulling off the impossible and making undrafted Kenbrell Thompkins a potential rookie of the year. Who had heard of Wes Welker before he was catching passes from Tom Brady? Not me. Who had heard of Riley Jameson before he was learning the ropes from Bill Simmons and the writers at Grantland? Well, not anyone. But Welker is now a household name for New England sports fans as could be Jameson if he refines his skills at Grantland and develops a post game.
Lastly, if Gronk stays healthy you can disregard 80% of my first and third worries. The dude is a beast at full strength. Tom Brady is going to throw to Gronk and the Patriots offense will keep rolling. To the top of the AFC East? Yes. To the AFC Championship Game? Quite possibly. To a Super Bowl victory? (I hate clichés but this is too fitting) N/A, defense wins championships. But again, this paragraph began with “if Gronk stays healthy.”
That “if” is the King Kong of “ifs.”
2. The Celtics are going to be too good.
With a starting five of Rondo, Bradley, Green, Humphries, and Olynyk/Melo/Wilcox, and a great, albeit rookie, coach, I don’t see the Celtics getting a lottery pick next year. Personally I’m not a fan of the Riggin’ for Wiggins strategy, but I will graciously take a couple years of trash over an era of losing in the first round. That’s why I like the Garnett, Pierce, Terry trade. Yeah I said it. Don’t get me wrong, it irks my heart to see Pierce and Garnett in another uniform, but that team was getting old and I don’t think anyone saw another Boston championship in the illustrious careers of either Boston legend (I know you think Garnett belongs to Minnesota, but I respectfully disagree primarily because I think I over-value championships and the “Anything is possible” speech. But I digress).
So we move on. Granted Garnett and Pierce have been my favorite NBA players for as long as I can remember, I think I took it pretty well. Or at least better than when I heard Nomar got traded and proceeded to throw away all the Nomar gear I owned (bobbleheads, jerseys, etc.) in what was quite the hissy fit, even for an 8 year old. But professional sports teams are businesses and the rationality of this Celtics trade along with 9 more years of being alive (I’m 17 years old) has helped me see this whole situation through an optimistic lens. In fact, I’ll take my optimism to the next level and mention the fact that the Red Sox won the World Series for the first time in 86 years the year Nomar was traded. Too much? I’ll balance it out with pessimism in just a bit.
My solution? Trade Rondo. From what I’ve read of your articles, I believe we are in agreement here. If we can find the right deal, I’m all for it. Bottom out and cash in.
3. The 2013/2014 sports season is going to be a Boston fan’s nightmare (especially if they are my age)
Think about it.
We know the Celtics are going to be garbage by Boston standards. That’s easy.
I don’t know about you but this is the shakiest I’ve ever felt during a Patriots pre-season during the Tom Brady era. Even before we found out Hernandez was a disgusting psychopath, I was worried about our receiving corps. And our defense this year, barring a huge improvement, is not going to be anything special. Add into that Gronk’s inability to stay healthy and we’re well on our way to a disastrous season. Again, and I have to stress this because otherwise disastrous is way too extreme of a word, this is by our standards as Boston fans.
And ahh the Red Sox. How could I possibly believe they are going to let us down this year? Well the truth is, I don’t. But doesn’t that make it all the worse if it does happen? Before this season, if I were told that the Red Sox would lose in the first round of the playoffs I would’ve said “Oh alright that’s a little bit better than I expected actually,” but now if I were told that I’d say, “You have to be kidding me.” My expectations are high and I think Red Sox nation is starting to believe too. As of right now, the Sox are tied for the best record in baseball. If they choke come October it could be a long year for Boston fans.
Now I’m well aware that I sound like Johnny, the pessimistic fan from Major League, that persistently says lines like, "They'll blow it in the playoffs... they will, they will." But that’s not what I’m going for. I’m spoiled. I’m not used to waiting 86 years for a championship. And, frankly, that scares me. So when I see what could be the worst year in my life as a Boston sports fan, I panic a little bit.
So why I am I writing you? Well really because I want to see Grantland’s off-season (and mine) be more of a step forward than the Celtics’. Grantland’s got a great veteran core surrounding yourself, Barnwell, Lowe, etc., but I would like to think you could use my fresh legs around the office to contend for a title. Of course you would be the ultimate judge of that but just wait until you catch a glimpse of my crossover.
I am a rising senior at Windward High School and am a three-year starting wide receiver on our championship team. I understand you may not have any spots left on your roster, but I hope you will consider me for an internship or volunteer opportunity. In addition to writing, I also do graphic design! Your writing and approach has inspired me (and an entire generation) and I want to contribute and learn from the best.
At the very least, I would love to grab a slice with you at Village Pizza sometime and commiserate on our Boston teams. I’m right around the corner from you at 317 S Lucerne Boulevard.
Warm regards,
Riley Jameson
317 S Lucerne Boulevard 90020 Los Angeles, California
Windward School
(310) 926-3213
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