It’s been a whirlwind of a week in Boston.

The Red Sox part ways with their manager and everyone wants to know the dirt inside the clubhouse.

The Patriots are 3-1 with a defense leaking more than a Cape House roof following a Nor’Easter.

And the Bruins are the feel-good story of the year. They raised their banner and got their just rewards – brand new Stanley Cup champion rings.

For the second straight year, Boston College football is in dire straits but this time there may not be a lot of hope on the horizon for a turnaround like 2010.

Plenty to discuss as I empty my mind into the Trags Bag:

Let’s start with the good.

Aside from a few minor appearances in the gossip pages, the Bruins have handled their first summer with the Cup since 1972 like a team that is happy but not satisfied with its crown. The perfect mix.

This all comes from the very top. Cam Neely is fulfilling his role as team president perfectly, establishing a mentality of toughness that mirrors the way he played, and everyone in the organization is on board with that.

That is precisely the problem with the Red Sox. The message from the top of the organization is confused. On one hand, you have an owner who has poured over a billion dollars into rejuvenating the franchise over the last decade, whether it’s payroll, upgrading Fenway Park or branding its TV network. But the overriding message at Fenway is that entertainment has become more of a priority than the baseball product on the field. (See my final rant below).

It’s why Theo Epstein left briefly after the 2005 season. And it’s why he may be out the door again for good now.

The Patriots, while a billion-dollar sports franchise, never let entertainment drive the football product on the field. Bill Belichick’s three Super Bowl rings long ago assured that.

As I will every week, I’ll take questions from my loyal followers on Twitter and address their questions in the Trags Bag. You can also reach me at mpetraglia@weei.com and on Google+. If you have a question – off the wall or not – I want to hear it.

Into the Bag:

@jboston19 writes: @Trags does spaz last the season?

Yes, AD Gene DiFilippo doesn’t want to kick the guy to the curb in the middle of a lost season anyway. While the lack of depth on the roster is his responsibility in recruiting, the incredible number of bad breaks (i.e., transfers and injuries) at the start of the season is out of his control.

More to the point, Boston College needs some semblance of stability. The only way this changes is if somehow there’s a coach out there available to step in and help with the recruiting in mid-season. Don’t think that’s the case.

@BostonRocks asks: @Trags Lets face it Mike. The Patriots have a terrible defense right now. Is it fixable? 

Yes, It’s fixable if the level of play of their secondary steps up, namely Devin McCourty and Patrick Chung. Bill Belichick went into the season expecting a lot of these two young players, which explains his release of James Sanders as the best cover safety on the roster. There were going to be growing pains and the first four weeks have left the Patriots plenty sore.

This looks like the defense from the real bad Patriot teams of the past. Is there any hope?

Ah, now that’s the more interesting and relevant question. Right now, with injuries to Jerod Mayo, Albert Haynesworth and Mike Wright, there’s no play-making depth to speak of. The Patriots may get Haynesworth back this week, or maybe not. Same with Wright, as both returned to practice on Thursday. My concerns on the D have to do with the age of the defensive line as Haynesworth’s back acts up, Shaun Ellis’ knees require more “maintenance” and Wright’s concussion requires close monitoring. The other players who need to step up are the safeties. It’s not been a good two weeks for Sergio Brown and Josh Barrett, the two players called upon to replace Sanders and Brandon Meriweather.

@medicallyminded asks: @Trags Odds that Aaron Hernandez plays this week?

I’d have to say under 50 percent, well under. With the Patriots offense rolling and the bye week coming up in two weeks, hard to see why the Patriots would take a chance on a knee injury that was initially expected to take 4-6 weeks to heal. That would take us comfortably through the bye. All of which means it’ll be a fascinating story when Hernandez returns Sunday and catches 10 passes for 144 yards and two touchdowns.

My final rant:

So this is what happens when you’re more worried about putting fans in the seats and getting eyeballs on your team-owned television network than you are putting a sound team on the field. 

Sure, general manager Theo Epstein and skipper field Terry Francona took their share of the blame pie.

But the September meltdown of epic proportions lies squarely at the feet of John Henry and ownership. 

And to their credit, Henry and Larry Lucchino answered all the tough questions on WEEI on Friday morning with Dennis & Callahan.

The Red Sox have been ultimately concerned about image and marketing and the success of their ‘brand,’ and the 2011 Red Sox is what happens when you do at the expense of baseball operations on the field. It’s why Theo left in the first place after 2005 and why he now might leave for good this winter.

It was widely known that NESN - the Red Sox' own network - wanted/needed to make a splash to keep interest/ratings in the team at a ridiculously high level because the financial margin of error is next to nil. The theory goes: Red Sox ownership sent out a directive to Epstein to go out and make a splash with high marquee names. 

Theo did the best he could last winter. But it came with a big price tag. They overpaid Carl Crawford in a seven-year, $142 million deal that nearly every veteran baseball executive laughed at when it was announced last December. It was a flashback to 2007 when they brought in Daisuke Matsuzaka and J.D. Drew for a combined $170 million commitment on two players who never consistently met their expectations in Boston.

Theo made a very bright and shrewd trade for Adrian Gonzalez and then guaranteed that he will be a franchise cornerstone for years to come with a seven-year, $154 million extension. The issue of Gonzalez' ability to handle the pressure of Boston long term is still up in the air after his post-game address to reporters after Game 162 when the collapse was complete.  

John Henry fancies himself an owner who knows baseball. In the end, he and his general manger relied on a faulty computer system that spewed out faulty data.

Henry, with the help of Larry Lucchino and Janet Marie Smith, did the absolutely improbable and made an antiquated Fenway an enjoyable place to watch and play baseball. Henry, Lucchino and Tom Werner put the money in the pot to revitalize a franchise that badly needed it in 2002.

Now, they just need to show Red Sox fans they can put all of those resources into players who can produce and handle another image makeover this winter.