Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.
“I think it’s a PR move. I think if a guy wants a beer, he can probably get one.”
– Terry Francona
He’s right.
Bitter? Probably. Sensitive? You bet. But Terry Francona (already far more outspoken as an analyst than I ever imagined) proves that being blinded by bias doesn’t always get in the way of finding the truth.
I swear this column will feature my final chicken and beer references of 2012. Even by Boston sports media standards it was and is a spectacularly overblown issue. But this back-and-forth between Francona (formerly the manager of the Red Sox and now an ESPN analyst) and Bobby Valentine (formerly an ESPN analyst and now manger of the Red Sox) is guilty fun, right?
“Remember,” Valentine said on Monday when asked about Francona’s “PR” assertion, “you’re getting paid over there [ESPN] for saying stuff. You get paid over here for doing stuff. I’ve done both. … How was it PR? It means like 20 teams are looking for PR and that’s why they’re making good decisions.”
WEEI: Sox ban on beer is meaningless
I agree with Minihane, this is becoming a fun battle as Valentine and Francona swap jobs. You can count on the battle keeping up during the season because Valentine likes to be in front of a camera and he will surely respond to any criticism.
As far as the comment of the ban being a PR move, that is also true. The fans are not happy, for the most part, with the results of last season and the actions in the clubhouse. Though, some of the decision can be attributed to Valentine changing things to his way and that was one of the things on the checklist.
I hope the talk about the ban is pretty much over, but we all know it will linger for the entire season. They are big boys, they'll get their beer and someone will have to write about it.
Related: Herald: Terry Francona fans flames in wake of beer ban
The rest of the links:
CSNNE: Morales slowed by strength issue | Ortiz, Bard understand Beckett's distractions | Picard: An example of why Varitek was a man of respect | Globe: Captain's Call | For Red Sox, history repeats | Pitching plans into motion | ESPNBoston: Photos: Varitek through the years | Morning Report: Will success beget success | Herald: Bard's doing what he's always done - pitch
