SteveSilver.net

Theo: The Morning After

Bill Simmons does it again- in what had to have only been a couple of hours, he has written a 3,000-word treatise in which he describes his thoughts on the Epstein resignation, touching on Theo’s history of moves with the team, the years of Lucchino/Epstein friction, the Sox/Globe media monopoly and at one point relating himself to Theo. After all, Epstein and Simmons are both Boston natives, about the same age, who have essentially lived out their lifelong dreams very early in life, and have found themselves asking "is that all there is?" I know I call everything Simmons writes a must-read but this, truly is a must-must-must-read.

Almost as good is the Boston Phoenix's Sox Blog, with a great anti-Shaughnessy rant. The best part:

As another man once said, "all this negativity that's in
this town sucks."

As any Boston sports fan knows, Shaughnessy's column was just the latest in an interminable string of ad hominem attacks, veiled and unveiled. He did it to Pedro, he did it to Nomar, he's done it to Manny. Now it's Theo's turn. Why?

He's got to know damn well that he's the most hated sportswriter in this city. But he doesn't seem to care. Simply put, it's all too apparent that Dan Shaughnessy doesn't really like the Red Sox. He prefers gossip, innuendo, and axe-grinding. Maybe he should get a new job.

Gordon Edes, who knows of which he speaks, says Kevin Towers is the most logical candidate, since he's worked for Larry Lucchino, and no one else would want to. And I do see a possibility, however remote, for emotions to cool and Epstein to agree to return within a few days. I’m not saying I predict it, but I am saying it’s possible.

And even more bizarrely, Philly sports talk station WIP, in a news update first broadcast at about 1 this afternoon and repeated throughout the day, said that Peter Gammons was reporting on ESPN.com that Gerry Hunsicker had been named GM of the Red Sox. But... there's no news of the kind up on ESPN's website or on TV, and no other news outlet has reported such a thing either. Was it up on ESPN briefly before being pulled, or did some jokester WIP staffer insert it into the update as a prank?

Closer to home, reports are that Pat Gillick is all set to be introduced as Phillies GM. He’s a good choice, someone who’s won two rings, and he’ll do a good job- even if he gives the Phils a manager/GM combo with a combined age of 130. And of course, everybody in Philly is in such panic mode about the Eagles, the transit strike, and everything else, so practically no one has even noticed.

Regardless, take a deep breath, Bosox fans. The hysteria today sounds eerily similar to that of the days after the Nomar trade- and we all know what happened just three months after that.

Posted by Stephen Silver at November 1, 2005 07:00 PM