Letters continue to pour into Foxboro. On Monday, former Sox skipper Grady Little outlined why Bill Belichick ruined his life. Yesterday, Larry Lucchino sent the Patriots coach some words of encouragement. And today, free agent Red Sox outfielder Jason Bay:
Dear Bill,
I’m with you, dude. Why is everybody overvaluing defense so much these days? The writers, the fans, the coaches, the front offices. Everyone is doing it! Why can’t we go back to the glory days a decade or two ago, when runs (or points) on the scoreboards were what earned guys the big bucks?
Needless to say, I was right with you all the way when you went for it on fourth down on Sunday night. Minimizing the effects of a suspect defense and concentrating on such a worthy strength as high-powered offensive prowess is just fine by me.
Look, you’re talking about a top-tier offensive unit led by one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game. It’s pretty simple. If you can’t keep the other team from scoring, you better be able to beat them at their own game. Outslug the bastards.
Six or seven times out of 10, you would have picked up that first down and the game would have been over. I’ll take those percentages every time in my profession.
It’s really not fair when you think about it. Tom Brady throws for almost four hundred yards and three touchdowns. Yet, somehow, everyone forgets about that beautiful, high-flying home run ball to Randy Moss. All they want to talk about is some isolated, relatively rare moment when he didn’t manage to generate a positive play.
I’ll admit it, I’m a hockey fan. I’ve never understood certain things about football and punting is one of those things. There really is no place for it in the modern game. It isn’t 1950 anymore. Why is it that people insist on perpetuating antiquated concepts? Offense is what professional sports teams should be focused on these days.
When it comes down to putting asses in the seats, there’s nothing more effective, more exhilarating than a high-powered offense anchored by a guy who hits a bunch of dingers…or throws a ton of touchdown passes.
Punting on fourth-down-and-two? That’s like Big Papi or Youk laying down a bunt with guys on base. What a waste!
I weep for the next generation if this is the direction professional sports is headed. I really hope everyone comes to their senses in a hurry and realizes that Albert Einstein was right: ‘The best defense is a good offense.’
– Jay Bay, free agent middle-of-the-order slugger, walk machine, run producer (and outfielder)
Fenway Pastoral 