And The New England Patriots Starting QB Is...

Shank takes a look at the soap opera like debate over the starting quarterback position for the Pats:

Should the Patriots play Drake Maye over Jacoby Brissett? It’s not about who starts, it’s who finishes.

These are days of agonizing reappraisal in Patriot Nation. Who is the starting quarterback?

Veteran Jacoby Brissett or rookie Drake Maye?

Before the start of the preseason schedule, beginner coach Jerod Mayo said there was going to be a quarterback competition. With the preseason come and gone, Mayo says that Maye has outperformed Brissett. (Third-year backup Bailey Zappe, who started eight games over the last two seasons, was cut Tuesday morning.)

So who starts? And who sits?

It is a question of the ages … for the ages.

Most of you know the history. The Bill Belichick Patriots heaped too much too soon on 2021 first-round draftee Mac Jones, and Mac has been banished to NFL Siberia (Jacksonville).

The history of NFL rookie quarterbacks taking charge immediately is not great.

From there, Shank does a good job of looking back at similar situations with previous high draft pick QB's and doesn't draw a conclsion on the current Patriots' QB situation, a situation that's now moot with this morning's announcement that Brissett will be the starter for Week 1.

Happy Birthday, Yaz!

Shank catches up with the former Red Sox left fielder:

Catching up with the great Carl Yastrzemski as he turns 85, and other thoughts

Picked-up pieces while trying to learn the NFL’s ridiculously complex new kickoff rules …

▪ Carl Yastrzemski is New England’s historic, hardball J.D. Salinger. He’s our Garbo. Yaz gave us great work for 23 big league seasons and now he just wants to be left alone.

The greatest living Red Sox player — and the team’s career leader in games (3,308), runs, hits, and total bases — turned 85 Thursday. He says he’s no longer fishing or playing golf, but he’s watched a lot of Sox games on TV this season and keeps close tabs on his 34-year-old grandson, Mike, who’s in his sixth season with the San Francisco Giants.

The West Coast night games are tough on Grandpa Yaz.

“They get going at 9:45 and I’m sleeping by then,” he said with a chuckle.

To Play Or Not To Play?

Obvious headline aside, Shank calls on former New England Patriots coach Bill Parcells (who's still speaking to Shank) to discuss the pros and cons of starting a rookle quarterback (I.e. Drake Maye):

To play or not to play a young quarterback? Bill Parcells discusses the pros and cons.

Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells knows all about veteran journeyman quarterbacks, first-round franchise quarterbacks, and quarterback controversies.

He also knows a thing or two about the Bob Kraft franchise and the mind-set of New England football fans. He knows the Patriots are rebuilding and that there’s going to be pressure to play No. 3 overall pick Drake Maye over eight-year veteran (five teams) Jacoby Brissett.

“Fans always want to see what’s new, particularly if you’re losing games,” Parcells said when I tracked him down on the phone this week.

No specifics, please. Parcells worked for the Krafts for four full seasons — it ended badly, perhaps you’ve heard? — and has mentored Brissett since he was a 15-year-old high schooler in West Palm Beach. The Tuna roots for Brissett to succeed, but won’t butt into New England’s football operation.

Yeah, we heard, Shank - you were one of the writers cirling like pirhanas.

DHL Dan CCXX - The Heat Is On

After Thursday's preseason game with the Philadelphis Eagles, Shank points out the obvious - that New England Patriots' top rookie quaterback played fairly well (and a whole lot more then in six snaps the previous game) and it might be decision time in Foxborough:

There is going to be a lot of pressure — and soon — for the Patriots to play Drake Maye, and other thoughts

Picked-up pieces while reminding you that the King of Rock and Roll (Elvis Presley, 1977), the Queen of Soul (Aretha Franklin, 2018), and the Sultan of Swat (Babe Ruth, 1948) all died on Aug. 16 …

▪ Welcome to the 2024 New England Patriots, also known as “Tomato Cans R Us.”

This is Season 5 of Life After Brady and Season 1 of Life Without Bill. The Patriots are projected as NFL bottom-feeders, and it’s pretty obvious there’s going to be a lot of noise about Drake Maye between now and January.

Maye, the anointed franchise quarterback, got his first meaningful snaps of the preseason in Thursday’s 14-13 loss to the Eagles, and it gave desperate New England fans something to get excited about.

After leaving Maye on the shelf for all but seven plays of the first consumer-fraud exhibition against the Panthers (every other 2024 first-round quarterback got meaningful minutes in Week 1 of the preseason), New England’s rookie head coach, Jerod Mayo, let the 21-year-old Maye play two quarters against Philly, and it made us want to see more.

“Tomato Cans R Us” - is this the schtick Shank's gonna roll with all season? Stay tuned!

Larry Lucchino, The Final Farewell

Shank covers the Jimmy Fund, where the team said it's last goodbyes to the former general manager:

John Henry and Red Sox offer a final — and well-deserved — salute to the late Larry Lucchino

Red Sox owner John Henry and the Boston ball club said their final goodbyes to former ownership partner and CEO Larry Lucchino at Fenway Park Tuesday.

On the first day of the 22nd WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon, Lucchino — who died April 2 — was feted in Fenway Park’s function rooms by a procession of speakers including Henry (who also owns the Globe) and former US Senator and (2000) presidential candidate Bill Bradley, who was Lucchino’s star teammate when Princeton went to the Final Four in 1965.

The hard-charging Lucchino (think of him as Harry Sinden with a law degree), who ran the Orioles and Padres (and built Camden Yards and Petco Park) before coming to Boston, oversaw the refurbishment of Fenway Park after Henry’s group bought the club in 2002.

Major Embarrassment

Celtics legend Bob Cousy is not too happy with US Basketball coach Steve Kerr:

Bob Cousy speaks out about Steve Kerr not playing Jayson Tatum: ‘This is an embarrassment’

Celtics legend Bob Cousy turned 96 Friday and had a lot to say about US Olympic men’s basketball coach Steve Kerr not playing Jayson Tatum in Thursday’s critical 95-91 semifinal victory over Serbia in Paris.

“This isn’t just a snub,” Cousy said from his Worcester home Friday morning. “This is an embarrassment for that poor kid all over the [expletive] world. The Olympics have gotten that big. Everyone’s going to think that there’s something wrong this this kid.”

Thursday’s benching vs. Serbia — a game in which the US trailed by as many as 17 points — marked the second time Kerr has chosen not to play Tatum for a single minute in the Olympics. The US plays France Saturday in the gold-medal game.

“Somebody from Boston should stand up for this kid,” Cousy said. “In my judgment, this is going out of your way to embarrass one of your players.

Make that two players, as Tyrese Haliburton got fucked over as well.

DHL Dan CCXIX - Wondering About The Red Sox

Although he's been covering the team for decades now, Shank doesn't know what to think about the 2024 Boston Red Sox:

We're still wondering exactly what the Red Sox are, and other thoughts

Picked-up pieces while worrying that Jerod Mayo might be the second coming of Daddy Butch Hobson …

▪ The 2024 Red Sox were built to make money, avoid the luxury tax, and probably finish last. After an offseason promise of “full throttle,” the Sox became Fenway Sports Group’s “golf widow” and were tossed into the 162-game grind with almost zero hope.

Then came the surprise. Under the guidance of Alex Cora, and some nifty magic by pitching coach Andrew Bailey, the Sox exceeded expectations and became an interesting watch. There were stretches when they were winning more than any other team in baseball. They worked their way to 11 games over .500 and achieved the illusion of contention that upper management covets.

Galvanizing nicely, Boston’s Dom Smith All-Stars have gifted New England with the thing we really want from our local baseball team: games that matter in August and September.

Fair to say the Red Sox stumbled into some success so far this year. But wait - it's gonna get worse:

The Sox have played two-thirds of their season. They’ve given us a nice ride, but things are trending in the wrong direction. Going into the weekend, they’d lost eight of 12 and given up a whopping 94 runs in 12 games since the All-Star break. Eighteen of those 94 runs were unearned. Boston relievers have a 7.35 ERA since the break.

The vaunted Bailey pitching corps has gotten worse every month. The March-April ERA was 2.59, May 4.12, June 4.38, and July 4.91. The Sox lead the majors in errors and unearned runs.

Yes, the Red Sox are contending for a wild card. So are Tampa Bay, Minnesota, Kansas City, Houston, and Seattle.