Thought these two were interesting
Curran's Sunday notes: Smoke rises from Gronk camp | Comcast SportsNet - CSNNE.com
Curran's Sunday notes: Smoke rises from Gronk camp | Comcast SportsNet - CSNNE.com
Von Miller bribed the piss guy. Jim Harbaugh and the 49ers put the health of a 24-year-old kid secondary to his playing in a game last Sunday. And Sean Payton’s return from a season-long suspension for his team taking out bounties on opposing players was framed as “triumphant.” And the Patriots’ use of video to record the opposition’s defensive hand signals after a league memo asking teams to stop the practice remains an INDELIBLE STAIN ON THE LEGACY OF BILL BELICHICK!! Just wanted to make sure I had that right.
SELECTIVE SCRUTINY BY THE GLOBE
In 2009, The Boston Globe was vigorous in shining a light on the Patriots’ desire for a pedestrian footbridge over Route 1 that would use stimulus funds. Robert Kraft’s ranking on Forbes’ list of billionaires (468 at the time) was deemed pertinent enough to include in the first paragraph of the article.
On Friday, the Red Sox’ sweetheart deal giving them the right to use two public streets – and the air above it – was written about in the Globe. No mention of John Henry’s current standing on the Forbes’ list (he’s scuffling along at 327).
I kinda knew it would unfold this way last May. That’s when the Globe was busy burying the Sox’ early machinations to purchase streets that they’d rented for $186,000 a year. It was a deal the Sox used to make $45 million in profit. So now, the Sox have spent $7.3 million to officially purchase something that profited them more than $50 million in the past decade. And that $7.3 investment will net them how much over succeeding decades?
One would think that, given the fact Henry is in the process of buying the Globe, he and the people with editorial control would stress the importance of appearing even-handed. One would be naïve to presume that.
My personal view is that, if the Krafts want a bridge over Route 1 linking Patriot Place to the parking lots across the street, the $9 million can probably be cobbled together. Even though they built their stadium without public funds and the bridge would help promote non-Kraft industry, ya know, they can afford it. But for the Globe to be as inciting as they were about that relatively benign proposal while ho-humming through the Sox’ purchase is laughable.