Can't anything be simple in Boston Sports?

Yesterday the Lakers had a news conference introducing the newest members of the team, Chucky Atkins, Marcus Banks, Chris Mihm, all of which were a week ago Celtics players. What I found interesting was that the Celtics have not done the same with the players they acquired, Gary Payton or Rick Fox.

The reason is simple: both players, for different reasons, do not know if they are going to accept the trade and simply retire from the NBA. Payton didn't like the trade not because of Boston, but because he was assured by the Lakers that he was going to retire in LA and already planted roots including buying a house and enrolling his kids in school. Fox might retire because of injuries and his still "active" acting career.

This is just example Number 765 (Nomar-gate being Number 764) of fact that nothing is ever simple as far as how things go on a Boston sports team. Either the player leaving ripped apart by fans and media on the way out the door or a player wants to stay in Boston but the team doesn't want him even though they tell the fans they do (re: Roger or Mo, almost any popular Bruins player) or a player doesn't want to play in Boston or when he does come to Boston it's either by certain conditions (re: Curt wants his buddy to manage) or by being overpaid (re: Manny). There are many more reasons than that, but those are some of the most recent examples.

There is an exception to this rule these days: The Patriots. As much as a player or the media tries to make something out of anything, the team just shuts it mouth and moves along like nothing is wrong, at least on the outside. They don't rip a player on his way out of town. They obtain players that are labeled "trouble" by other teams and then never hear a peep from him. When in the off-season Ty Law tried to blast his way out of town talking to any TV, radio or newspaper outlet that would listen saying that he was lied to and is underpaid (at $9 million), the team doesn't respond through the media. Where is this player now? In training camp - wearing the jersey he said he'd never wear again.

How can the Pats do this when the other Boston teams can't? Winning 2 championships helps. The NFL not having guaranteed contracts also helps. But also the reason is that everyone from the owner down to the waterboys are on the same page. Players are coming here for less money than they would get anywhere else. The players have extreme faith and respect in the coach and the team. They know that if they do not perform they do not play. If they need to ship a star player out of town it won't be for a bag of balls (If you are not a star player they'll just release you).

As much as it pains me to say it, The Patriots are using alot of the same philosophy as....sigh....The Yankees. The only difference being that anyone causing trouble will be shipped out for a bag a balls as there is no salary cap. If they are unhappy about playing time, etc., they keep it to themselves not bitch to the media. But most of the time that doesn't happen because the players might respect the owner, but respect the manager no matter how much they make because they know with him, as with the Pats, they know that they have a better than average chance to win it all. And until The Sox get a manager like that, they will always be in second place.