I have a platonic female friend who has everything a woman could ask for: good looks, her health, nice career, great husband, a new baby who’s so cute that looking directly at her could cause temporary blindness. She’s got everything she could want with the exception of me, since I only have eyes for my own Sweet Irish Rose.
Nevertheless, this friend has spent the last several days furiously stalking (Q: Is there any other way to stalk?) one of her exes on Facebook. Specifically, the Facebook photos of her ex’s wedding. It seems this guy she used to go out with just got happily married, which has her in distress. In spite of the fact that she’s got a great family. And they broke up NINE years ago. And she dumped him.
Now this struck me as odd, even though one of the formative moments in my life was my brother Bill explaining to me, “No matter how much you like a woman and think you understand her, there are gonna be moments where you’ll be saying to yourself ‘WTF was THAT all about???’ ” It was a lesson I took to heart.
Even still, I had to ask my lady friend why she would care that one old ex of hers seems to have moved on and gotten happily married after all these years. And she explained it to me, at least to the extent that any woman can explain her own bug-eyed, crazy, irrational behavior. She said she never wants any guy she’s ever dated to get over her, ever. Never ever.
And in a weird way, that makes perfect sense to me. I can relate. I know of what she speaks. Not because I understand women. Who does? I understand because I’m a Boston sports fan.
Seriously, we’ve been there. Great athletes come and go from this town all the time. Some leave because they want to. Some because they were sent packing. Some on good terms. Some, not so good. And some are chased out of town by villagers carrying pitchforks and torches. And the one thing they all have in common is I don’t want them to ever get over us.
And this was never made clearer than this past week when our most recent messy breakup, Randy Moss, proved that he wishes he’d never walked out on us.
In case you somehow missed it, a Tennessee radio show last week took a call from a guy identifying himself as “Woody from Nashville,” who proceeded to rip Titans coach Jeff Fisher a new sphincter and insist he be fired. Now, every sports talk show in America takes 10 calls a day when some anonymous nitwit wants someone fired. But this particular call was different because “Woody” sounded exactly, exactly, like Randy Moss. Granted, no one has proven it was. Or admitted it. But neither the Titans nor Randy himself has gone on record denying it was him, either.
So as a shameless Patriots homer, I’m going to believe Woody is Moss for the same reason I believe somewhere out there exists a Scarlett Johannson sex tape: I believe it because I want to believe it.
Just like my platonic friend. I want to believe that Randy Moss is miserable without me. Without you. Without us. I harbor no ill will toward Randy. I look back at all that he accomplished in New England and I’m sincerely grateful. Over 3 1/4 seasons, he was productive, a decent citizen and a good teammate. And just as important, he kept his inner crazy where it belonged: suppressed deep, deep down inside him so it could form a little ball of rage that would grow over time then come out later and destroy some other team from within.
And I’ve gotten my wish. Moss is miserable. He does wish he never left. He can’t get over us. For almost four record-setting seasons he was part of something special. He was part of a great organization doing extraordinary things. He was appreciated. He played before a packed house every week in front of rabid fans who adored him. But he chose to turn his back on us and leave in search of something better.
He left us to go back running back to his first love, Minnesota. But that was a disaster, and they called it off after only four weeks. He rebounded with the Titans, who barely even know he’s alive. In six games with the Titans, Randy has five catches. In the last two games, he has none and they haven’t even looked at him.
And now? Well now he’s been reduced to the pro ballplayer equivalent of drunk dialing in a disguised voice. Because he knows we were the best he ever had, but he blew it. We gave him the best years of his life and he could’ve had us for keeps but he chose to walk out on us. So now he’ll end up alone in an apartment full of cats while we find happiness and fulfillment. And that’s how it should be.
The most satisfying part of all this is the fact that Moss ran back to his ex, the Vikings, and found nothing but misery. So the Pats went back to their ex, Deion Branch, and things are better than they ever were before.
Branch was another Patriot who years ago thought he could do better elsewhere. So he blew town for Seattle. Granted, he left on much better terms than Moss did. But that doesn’t mean we wished him well. As much as I love Branch, I wanted him to go to Washington, play in front of all those apathetic software engineers, poseurs and pony-tailed barristas and pine for the days of packed houses at Gillette with drunken Massholes screaming their lungs out and living and dying on every play he made.
And I got my wish. Branch has admitted as much. Things didn’t work out for him in Seattle. As much as he said he loved the Seahawks or how happy he looked in the pictures, he was miserable without us. Which is just the way we want it.
A couple of weeks back, Christian Fauria was on WEEI’s “NFL Sunday” show painting very much the same picture. He was talking about his post-Patriots career, playing in Washington and Carolina, and how hard it was to adjust to being part of such shoddy operations after being to the mountaintop in New England. And the Patriots left Fauria, not the other way around. But like with my friend, who leaves whom isn’t important. All that matters is that no one gets over us.
But sure, sometimes guys leave under the worst possible circumstances. Manny Ramirez comes quickly to mind. Manny bitched incessantly about how tough Boston was to play in and how much he didn’t much care for playing here under the microscope. So he left and ended up in LA playing in a city that quickly lost interest in him and was even more miserable. Watching Manny get divorced from the Dodgers in short order and then slowly fade into what Mike Tyson called “Bolivian” brings me nothing but joy.
The Sox were done with Johnny Damon when that split happened. And a lot of media members couldn’t figure out why Sox fans weren’t willing to wish him well when he went to the Bronx.
But it wasn’t pettiness on our part; it was human nature. When your wife moves in with your rich neighbor with the landscaped property and the three-car garage filled with Cadillac Escalades, you don’t wish her well. Even if you were the one who filed for divorce.
There are dozens of other examples of good players who left Boston, either by the teams’ wishes or because they thought the field turf ... or the Monster ... or the parquet ... was greener elsewhere. And even though you can wish them well, you really don’t wish them well. I want every athlete, coach, media member or executive who ever came through town to desperately long for us once they go. Even if I liked the guy when he was here, I want and expect that once he’s played in Boston he’ll be ruined for all other cities for life.
Again, that’s just human nature. Does it make sense? Probably not. But it’s not nearly as insane as this happily married woman Facebook stalking her ex. Or “Woody from Nashville” for that matter.
In the latest edition of the "It Is What It Is" podcast, Chris Price and CSNNE's Mike Giardi take a look at the Patriots offseason on both sides of the ball, try and get a handle on which new guys will make an impact first, and whether or not the Patriots have altered their style when it comes to drafting and developing wide receivers.
Mike Florio joined the program to discuss the Jets decision to release Tim Tebow, he said the situation is as disaster all around for the Jets and that the problems begins with owner Woody Johnson. Mike also said that he was disappointed with the Pats moving back in the first round.
One of the hardest working men in the biz, Mike Petraglia aka "Trags", sits down with Butch Stearns live in Foxborough to help break down all the latest Pats moves. He discusses his reaction to the trade in Round 1 and the guys those picks produced. Also, the boys talk about the decent trade the Pats made in acquiring LeGarrette Blount from Tampa Bay for Jeff Demps and a 7th rounder.
We check in with Danny Ainge for our first talk to him since the Celtics season ended last weekend. We talk about the future of the team, KG, Pierce, Doc Rivers and more, as Danny directly answers the rumors being floated by ESPN's Stephen A. Smith.
Jackie Mac joins the show to discuss the trade rumors swirling around Paul Pierce, KG, Doc Rivers and the Celtics. She also discusses the future of the Celtics head coach.
Stephen A. joined the program to discuss the trade rumors he has reported regarding a possible trade including Doc Rivers and the Clippers. Stephen A. also told the guys that he has heard that Danny and Doc may be tiring of working together.
Joe Castiglione talked with John Lackey after he picked up the W against the Twins. Lackey threw seven innings, and retired the 1st twelve batters of the game.
Dave O'Brien talked to John Farrell before the end of the Twins series. The Sox skipper said that Big Papi's success is no surprise given his work ethic.
John Farrell postgame press conference
Dale and DJ roll on with their puck talk and chat some more about the goalie matchup in this series, as well as the lack of a quality power play for both of these teams. In fact, DJ says the Rangers are even worse on the PP than the B’s! The guys also get into the resurgence of Milan Lucic and his deceptive speed and grit. Dale and DJ talk about the similar styles of play for these teams and look forward to Game 2.
Dale and DJ get into the two coaches and their polar opposite styles and demeanor. Both teams play a similar style, but the coaches certainly convey their messages in a different way. Dale isn't buying the Tortorella hype and thinks he's a little overrated. DJ thinks he's a good coach, but isn't a fan of anti-media stance. The guys also talk about Jagr and how he has not lived up to the hype. They weren't expecting him to light it up or be the savior, but DJ says he wasn't prepared for just how slow the aging veteran is. Another big topic for B's fans this season is the play of Tyler Seguin and why he has yet to become the superstar everyone anticipates he will be. This leads to Claude Julien's style and if he does actually have something against the younger players. That Iginla trade shows its ugly head again as well.
WEEI.com's DJ Bean joins Dale in studio for Sports Sunday to discuss the Bruins playoff run. Game 2 is later today and the guys discuss the results of the first game of the series. They get into the construction of the lines for the B's and if they would make any changes. DJ has a few ideas for the lines today. The boys also discuss the two goalies - Tuukka vs Henrik Lundqvist and wonder why people automatically think the Rangers have the edge at goalie. Finally, they get into the legacy and the decisions of Claude Julien and Peter Chiarelli.
Shawn joined the program to discuss another overtime win for the Bruins. When asked about Game 7 against Toronto, Thornton said that he would like to keep his specific comments in the dressing room private, but acknowledged that he encouraged Tyler Seguin to up his play and it paid off in overtime.
Barry joined the guys to help breakdown the Bruins overtime win last night in game one. Barry said that he has rarely seen a team dominate as much as the Bruins yet be forced to an overtime.
Boomer joined the program to discuss the tough loss for his beloved Rangers. Boomer told the guys that Lundqvist will be better in game two and predicted a seven game series.
Bruins rookie defenseman Matt Bartkowski has emerged as one of the young stars of the team and he joins Mut and Tom Caron to discuss his role on the team, why he's confident, and the trade that almost sent him to Calgary.
Millar joins the show to discuss the recent Sox slide, Jacoby Ellsbury's lack of power, and hitting in the big leagues.
Andy Brickley joins the show to discuss the Bruins Game 1 win over the Rangers, the play of the three young Bruins defensemen, and the fatigue Jagr has shown on the ice.
We talk all things game one with Jack Edwards of NESN, and get to hear a little from Jack's Finnish protege as well.
We tackle four topics we haven't yet touched upon today.. Joe Thornton and disappointing former Boston athletes, parking in Boston, buying jersey numbers and more...
We talk about the report that Rob Gronkowski may now be a candidate for back surgery with a disc problem. Is Gronk just an injury prone guy? Or is he not rehabbing proberly? Can the Pats build an offense around a guy who is so inconsistently on the field? We discuss.
The Bruins have almost finished raking the Leafs, the Red Sox struggle from the mound, Miami Heat fans show their level of class.
Daily Planet Wednesday May 8th
Today on the Daily Planet the Bruins take a 2-1 series lead, the Red Sox get a run-off win, and we hear about cannibals and bible thieves.
Sounds like a prostate exam to me!
Damn New Yorkers!
Sauce Man stylings!
Buster Olney joins the show to discuss the muddled AL East, the average play of Ellsbury and how that will affect him in free agency, and Tropicana Field.
More from this showLinda explains how the shootout transpired in Watertown during the early morning hours. She saw the first suspect mortally wounded and police beginning the manhunt for the second suspect.
More from this showJeff Bauman, a victim of the Boston Marathon bombing, joined the show to give the guys an update of his condition and a first-hand account of that terrible day. Jeff told the guys how he wrote the description of the bomber as soon as he could. Mr. Bauman added that he is aided every day with the knowledge that he is alive and the terrorist that detonated the bomb is dead.
More from this showBoomer joined the program to discuss the tough loss for his beloved Rangers. Boomer told the guys that Lundqvist will be better in game two and predicted a seven game series.
More from this showWe check in with Danny Ainge for our first talk to him since the Celtics season ended last weekend. We talk about the future of the team, KG, Pierce, Doc Rivers and more, as Danny directly answers the rumors being floated by ESPN's Stephen A. Smith.
More from this show