Boston Globe: Inside the Collapse

[Pessimistic Pete]

Inside the Collapse

The indifference of Beckett, Lester, and Lackey in a time of crisis can be seen in what team sources say became their habit of drinking beer, eating fast-food fried chicken, and playing video games in the clubhouse during games while their teammates tried to salvage a once-promising season.

 

[shmessy]

Thank God I'm a Pats fan.

Beckett and Lackey should be run out of town wearing tar and feathers.

 

[reflexblue]

Thank God I'm a Pats fan.

Beckett and Lackey should be run out of town wearing tar and feathers.

At least Becket did something, Lackey is a BUM with a capital B.

 

[captain insano]

the thing that really pisses me off is ownership leaking stories to the media about tito. thats a whole new low. tito was and is a class act. i listened to two interviews with him on weei where he took full responsibility[and he didnt have to and shouldnt have] for what happened to the sox. he basically fell on his sword. and his reward is to be smeared by ownership with stories of pain meds and a failing marriage. john henry larry lucchino and tom werner can kiss my ass. take your team of fat self entitled lazy pigs[beckett lester ] and stick it where the sun doesn't shine. you want to change something? sell the team. congratulation's your team is now a laughing stock and embarrassment. just like it was before 03. your championship credit for 04 and 07 is now gone.

 

[Run DMC]

I knew Tito was out of it. He didn't get the name Fran-coma for no reason. Now we know why he was in a coma, the dude was stoned on opiates. Good times.

 

[blackglass3]

Huh, just a bad situation all around. Seems like the best thing to do would be to start over, player wise. When locker rooms go bad the only way to change it is cutting out the cancer and starting fresh, much like the 2009 Patriots.

 

[sdaniels7114]

I'm just glad that there's a good chance that this'll be cleaned up and might lead to guys like Ellsbury being happier here and could be behind Carl Crawford's funk this year. I hated the notion that we had no shot at signing Ellsbury once he made free agency and I hated the fact that a player I craved for Boston, Crawford, had such a tough year.

I remember vowing to quit rooting for this team if they hired Bobby Valentine as Manager. Now I have to wonder if there isn't someone tougher. What they need is the Baseball version of BB, if there is such a thing.

 

[captain insano]

I'm just glad that there's a good chance that this'll be cleaned up and might lead to guys like Ellsbury being happier here and could be behind Carl Crawford's funk this year. I hated the notion that we had no shot at signing Ellsbury once he made free agency and I hated the fact that a player I craved for Boston, Crawford, had such a tough year.

I remember vowing to quit rooting for this team if they hired Bobby Valentine as Manager. Now I have to wonder if there isn't someone tougher. What they need is the Baseball version of BB, if there is such a thing.

i dont know why you think there's a good chance it will get cleaned up? we are stuck with becket lackey and lester. they are all signed to expensive long term contracts and so is crawford.

 

[ausbacker]

I knew Tito was out of it. He didn't get the name Fran-coma for no reason. Now we know why he was in a coma, the dude was stoned on opiates. Good times.

I'd suggest the break up of his marriage would be weighing more heavily on him than dealing with pain medication for his knees.

Which ever way people choose to spin this, the smear campaign is a classless act on behalf of the people releasing the information. The guy brought two World Series Championships to Boston.

 

[raduray]

Here a thing about this article (character assassination) that no one else has picked up on and really ticks me off. The article cites three examples of personal issues that were possibly impacting Francona's performance: marital break-up, pain pills and concern about son and son-in-law's service in Afghanistan. So, having your family serve it's country is a dis-qualifier for the Red Sox?

As the article stated, this story was sourced by Red Sox management. Either Lucchino was the source or he's "lost control" of the organization.

 

[captain insano]

Here a thing about this article (character assassination) that no one else has picked up on and really ticks me off. The article cites three examples of personal issues that were possibly impacting Francona's performance: marital break-up, pain pills and concern about son and son-in-law's service in Afghanistan. So, having your family serve it's country is a dis-qualifier for the Red Sox?

As the article stated, this story was sourced by Red Sox management. Either Lucchino was the source or he's "lost control" of the organization.

it makes me sick that they would stoop so low. the good thing is its back firing on them big time. people at fenway opening day are going to boo the living crap out of that entire franchise next year. ratings are going to suffer. they have damaged the redsox brand in a huge way. they have succeeded in turning off even the biggest die hard redsox fan.

 

[Wolfpack]

Huh, just a bad situation all around. Seems like the best thing to do would be to start over, player wise. When locker rooms go bad the only way to change it is cutting out the cancer and starting fresh, much like the 2009 Patriots.

Except it would cost the Red Sox about a quarter billion dollars to cut the guys who caused many of these problems. Realistically they're going to have to eat tens of millions to trade them away.

 

[Run DMC]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, they need to BLOW THIS TEAM UP!

 

[scout]

A Boston reporter writes an article about the Sox pitchers drinking in the clubhouse. Goes on about how Youk never said anything about it, nor did any of the other veterans on the team. Blow up the team is the bottom line................................From what I've been told, drinking in the clubhouse by pitchers happens all the time. How does this reporter not know that, or is he trying grab some headlines.

 

[Wolfpack]

A Boston reporter writes an article about the Sox pitchers drinking in the clubhouse. Goes on about how Youk never said anything about it, nor did any of the other veterans on the team. Blow up the team is the bottom line................................From what I've been told, drinking in the clubhouse by pitchers happens all the time. How does this reporter not know that, or is he trying grab some headlines.

I have no doubt that the reporters knew about this. Hell, I knew about the "I like Beer" video back in July even though it got virtually no mention in the local media or sports talk radio. But when the team is winning, no one cares what goes on in the clubhouse.

However when the team is losing (or has lost the biggest September lead) then it's all too easy to pile on and all these stories conveniently come out of the woodwork at the same time.