Terry Francona, the greatest Red Sox manager of my life if not in the history of the franchise, will find life more difficult in his new job as manager of the Cleveland Indians than he did in his eight years as the skipper in Boston.
The intense media scrutiny in Boston coupled with the intense pressure to win at a high level every season makes the Red Sox job one of the hardest in baseball. However, ownership is not shy about spending big on payroll and the Red Sox usually field a team of All-Stars which makes the manager's job easier (unless you're Bobby Valentine and the players don't play up to expectations).
Francona won two World Series championships in Boston with the likes of Pedro Martinez, Manny Ramirez, Curt Schilling, and David Ortiz on his roster. I'm not taking away from the job he did as manager but it is easier to win when you have the best players.
In Cleveland, that will not be the case. The Indians ownership will not spend like John Henry did in Boston. Francona won't be able to go to management with player requests and have them filled like they were by Theo Epstein during his time in Boston. He will have to make due with what he has and in a division with big market teams like the White Sox and Tigers, what he has probably will not match what his opponents have.
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On the topic of managers, it looks like the Red Sox have set their sights on John Farrell to replace Valentine.
Farrell was the team's pitching coach prior to getting the job of Blue Jays manager before the 2011 season. He is well versed in what it takes to succeed in Boston and his expertise with the pitching staff just might be what the doctor ordered for Jon Lester, Daniel Bard, and some of the other Red Sox pitchers in need of a bounce back season in 2013.
The Blue Jays won't just let Farrell walk away without getting something in return (he is under contract through 2013) but if he desires to go to Boston than Toronto would be wise to negotiate a trade with the Red Sox and move in a new direction themselves.
If it's not Farrell, I would like to see the team take a shot with former Cubs second baseman and Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg. Sandberg has paid his dues in the minor leagues with the Cubs and Phillies (who just named him as third base coach) and would have instant credibility in the Red Sox clubhouse for his accomplishments as a player.
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Chip Kelly's high octane offense at the University of Oregon has not only won the Ducks three straight Pac-10 conference championships and the 2012 Rose Bowl - and has them back in the hunt for the national championship - but it also might win Tom Brady a fourth Super Bowl.
Yes, you read that right.
Kelly, who was friendly with former Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien and was in attendance at some of the Patriots OTA's this spring, has shown the football world that a fast paced attack run by a smart quarterback is tough to beat and the Patriots have taken notice. O'Brien had them playing fast last year and now Josh McDaniels is following the same script after the team's unusual 1-2 start.
If you have been paying attention to the Patriots tempo this year, Brady is getting the team to the line of scrimmage quickly, reading the defense, and choosing either a run or pass based on what he sees from the opposition.
That has resulted in big wins against the Bills and Broncos. In both games, Brady directed a balanced attack that featured power running from Stevan Ridley and Brandon Bolden and a slashing passing attack that has seen Wes Welker re-emerge as one of football's top threats.
There is a lot of football to be played by both the collegians and professionals but in the end, Chip Kelly's system and influence could result in championships on both levels.
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Speaking of Chip Kelly, wouldn't the Carolina Panthers be wise to see if he is ready to jump from coaching on Saturday to coaching on Sunday?
The Buccaneers almost got Kelly last offseason and the Panthers, with Cam Newton as the perfect prototype to run Kelly's "spread and shred" offense at the professional level, should be first in line to speak with the Ducks head coach come January.
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Okay, one more final note relating to Chip Kelly.
Kelly's former boss at the University of New Hampshire, Sean McDonnell, should be the first person called when Boston College pulls the plug on Frank Spaziani.
McDonnell has done nothing but win at UNH and I believe that UConn made a mistake in not hiring him to replace Randy Edsall a few years ago and I also believed that BC should have fired Spaziani a year ago and hired McDonnell.
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Yes, that anticipation that is building around Boston is for the Celtics.
I can not wait for this season to start. The depth that Danny Ainge as added to the roster should make Doc Rivers job easier and should take pressure off of aging stars Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce in the regular season so that they are ready for the playoffs.
The depth is the key to this season, just look at a possible depth chart:
5: Kevin Garnett, Darko Milicic, Jason Collins
4: Brandon Bass, Jared Sullinger
3: Paul Pierce, Jeff Green
2: Courtney Lee, Jason Terry
1: Rajon Rondo, Avery Bradley
The Celtics are deep, versatile, and hungry to avenge a Game 7 loss to the Heat last spring in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Heat will be the favorite to repeat as NBA champions, especially after adding former Celtic Ray Allen to serve as resident sharp shooter, and the Lakers and Thunder will also dominate the conversation about championship contenders but the Celtics will be right there at the end and could grab the franchise's 18th title.
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