Bostonopoly anyone?

Are the Patriots being run by the same group of heartless businessmen as the Red Sox?

I don't mean to knock ownership of two of the four professional sports teams in Boston at once, but that’s the only explanation I can come up with after the news of Adam Vinatieri’s departure from a Patriots team that won three Super Bowls in four years. This is a city that places him (well, his foot, at least) on the highest of pedestals. How does Vinatieri leave the Patriots? How does he turn his back on a city that idolizes him for being THE clutch performer in the NFL?

Maybe my question should be, how do the Patriots not bend over backwards to KEEP him?

Its gotta be the Sox. After the recent shafting of Bronson Arroyo, I’ve come to terms with the fact that Red Sox management is a PURE business, guided only by their bottom line. If there was any loyalty factor behind their decisions, either to the players or the fans that adore them, it has certainly been tossed to the wayside. It truly has become a case of Root for the Laundry, not the Player.

Besides Arroyo, look at the list of stars the Sox have either let go or run out of town: Fisk. Clemens. Vaughn. Lowe. Martinez. Damon. Hell, the entire 2004 World Series team at this point. Some did it with grace, but most of ‘em looked over their shoulders with disgust at how the front office handled their contract negotiations.

Don’t get me wrong, here, I’m not trying to defend a group over million-dollar babies that didn’t get the few extra bucks for that bigger yacht they’ve had their eyes on. Some of those guys (coughDAMONcough) were just in it for the payday anyway. But it’s a trend that you can’t ignore.

And now it seems that same principle of management has seeped into the upper ranks of the Patriots. Over the past few years, some high-profile players have disappeared from the New England roster, most notably Lawyer Milloy, Ty Law, Drew Bledsoe, and this year so far, Willie McGinest and Adam Vinatieri, with Troy Brown yet unsigned. I’m not even a Pats fan, and am still disgusted by this.

The Pats seemed to do a great job of keeping talent on the team, especially the fan favorites. Hell, they even signed BC legend Flutie as a backup for a while, even letting him try the first drop-kick extra-point in the NFL since 1941, just for shits and giggles.

So why the shift in ownership mentality? Why are the good guys suddenly scooting off to rival cities for bigger contracts? Is the Red Sox model of management that appealing?

I'm stumped. All I can say is, don't get too attached to that Tom Brady jersey.

Sometimes I just don’t get our justice system. Tank Carter, brother of Pittsburgh Steelers safety Tyrone Carter, had an additional 4.5 years tacked on to a 6-month prison sentence recently. Tank was supposed to report to prison on January 6, but blew off the date in order to head to Detroit to watch his brother play in the Superbowl.

Okay, obligatory citizenship statement: Sure, he should have reported as instructed, and the additional time was his own fault. He even admitted he’d do it all over again given the chance, but we’ll see how he feels after spending 5 years in jail.

But let’s break this down. First of all, the offense he was reporting for was driving with a revoked license. Not exactly a serial killer or pedophile on the loose here, just a bad driver. There may be more charges behind the stories that are in the news, but if they were that serious, it would probably be more than just 6 months to begin with.

Secondly, the guy was REPORTING to prison. The state left it up to HIM to show up for his jail time, meaning they thought he was as much a threat as the grocery bagger at your local supermarket. This guy obviously isn’t dangerous or they wouldn’t have trusted him to pop into jail on time.

So why was his jail time increased by 900%? What point are they trying to prove? Is driving without a license THAT big a deal in Pompano Beach, or is this judge just trying to get his name on the map?

Again, I’m not saying that he shouldn’t pay a price for blowing off jail for the Superbowl, but I don’t think he should have to pay THAT hefty a price for it.

Besides, the guy’s name is Tank. He should get a little leniency for that alone.