🐐 Chapel Bill

Good Morning, Boston.

On this day in 2000 … the Red Sox inked Manny Ramirez to a then-franchise-record $160 million free-agent deal over eight years — second in MLB history at the time to the $252 million payday Alex Rodriguez got from the Rangers earlier that day. Ramirez rewarded them with eight All-Star appearances and two World Series titles. Boston’s still paying him about $2 million a year in deferred money until 2026, but it’s money well spent.

WHAT’S ON TAP TODAY:

The Red Sox “arm” up

Brockton’s own basketball star

Yer a wizard, Jaylen Brown

LET’S GET INTO IT…

LEADING OFF

“We’re on to Chapel Hill” 

Why did Bill Belichick turn his back on the NFL? With 15 wins left to set the NFL’s all-time coaching wins record and a host of jobs potentially on the table in 2025, Belichick spurned the NFL and accepted the University of North Carolina’s head coaching gig. That’s right: the greatest coach of all time decided he’d rather duke it out with Bill O’Brien for ACC Championships than chase a ninth Super Bowl. Why? Here are three big reasons.

He needs control. After parting with the Patriots last offseason, NFL teams essentially told Belichick they wouldn’t give him the overwhelming power he wielded in New England, no matter his lofty resume. So the 72-year-old Belichick said ‘f— you’ too, to quote ESPN’s Seth Wickersham. In college, head coaches rule over everything, and he can delegate whatever he can’t do to his trusted inner circle (Michael Lombardi, Matt Patricia, Josh McDaniels, maybe his son, Steve). It might be more work, but he likes it that way.

He’s a football fiend. It’s no wonder Belichick took approximately 333 different media jobs while awaiting his next coaching gig. This was the first season he hadn’t coached football since Gerald Ford was in the White House and the late Luis Tiant was on the mound at Fenway. He needs football the way most of us need water. The Hoodie is never more at home than when he’s on the gridiron. Aside from the NFL, what bigger and better stage to be in football than the college ranks? 

Geniuses need new challenges. Could Belichick have humbled himself and taken an NFL job? As much as it would’ve pained him, yes. But like Tom Brady leaving New England for the Buccaneers in 2020 (or trying out the broadcast booth), sometimes the greats feel the competitive urge to dominate new arenas. The idea of crafting one of the best pro-style schools in college football feels like a very Belichickian goal. Whether it works out or not isn’t the point. The pursuit of excellence is.

Win or lose, Belichick’s Tar Heels will be must-see TV. Well, maybe not on the football field. After all, Belichick won’t accept his first recruiting class until next year, and he’s probably not taking them from 6-6 to the College Football Playoff in just one season. But we’ll all be eagerly awaiting those stories of his stone-faced recruit visits and NIL talks with student-athletes. On paper, Belichick’s old-school approach feels like a major clash with today’s college football environment. But as evidenced by his “InstaFace” account, maybe Belichick can get with the times, after all. 

POLL

🤔 Which former Patriots coach will have more success in college?

BOSTON SPORTS

Quick hits & headlines

🔥 Red Sox trade for fire-balling lefty Garrett Crochet. Boston had to give up two of its best young prospects to make it happen, but they landed a 25-year-old southpaw in Crochet who struck out a whopping 209 hitters (over just 146 innings) in his first full year as a starter. Hopefully, that’s not all for a Red Sox team that’s reportedly still itching to add more talent. But it’s a good start.

😳 Brockton’s AJ Dybantsa commits to … BYU?? The top-ranked high school player in the country, Dybantsa announced his commitment to Brigham Young over a laundry list of blueblood programs on ESPN’s First Take this week. Two summers from now, he’ll be an NBA lottery pick and put the City of Champions back on the map. Book it.

🪄 Jaylen Brown nerds out over Harry Potter. The Celtics star is apparently a big fan of the popular book/movie series and unsurprisingly thinks he’d dominate at the airborne sport, quidditch. We’re going to need to work on his house allegiance, though: Slytherin ain’t it, Juice. Ravenclaw, come get your mans. (Quick, someone ask Joe Mazzulla what house he’d put himself in.)

💍 Bob Cousy gets another championship ring. The Hall-of-Famer received a special gift this past week: a 2024 championship ring from the franchise that drafted him in 1950. The 96-year-old Cousy has played for or otherwise witnessed every title-winning team in Celtics history. Talk about a living legend.

🥅 Jeremy Swayman’s rough night in Winnipeg. The Winnipeg Jets treated the Bruins’ handsomely paid goaltender like a turnstile in a brutal 8-1 loss, and captain Brad Marchand made no excuses for him after the game. If the B’s want to continue their current turnaround under Joe Sacco, we need the old Swayman back ASAP.

ASK A FAN

Is Jerod Mayo doomed?

“Khari, who would be the example you would look toward to turn it around? What other coach has had a season this bad and then became a GOOD nfl head coach with the same team during the same stint?” — @swarbleflop on Jerod Mayo.

Thanks for the question!

There are several examples, actually. Detroit’s Dan Campbell finished 3-13 in 2021 (losing his first 13 games). Now, he’s one of the best coaches in football. Three-time champion Andy Reid went 5-11 with Philadelphia in 1999. Bill Belichick (while not a first-timer) started 5-11 with the Patriots. Conversely, Matt Nagy went 12-4 in his first year with the Chicago Bears in 2018 and still flopped. The odds feel like they’re against Mayo, but it’s still too early to give up all hope.

Turning the Heels

GAME … SET … MEME

Get ready to learn football, buddy

🥍 Bill Belichick’s new recruitment strategy? Belichick’s love of lacrosse is well-documented, and he loves finding diamonds in the rough. If those UNC lacrosse players aren’t careful, he’s going to turn them all into Chris Hogan (not that that’s a bad thing).

🗞 That’s a wrap. I’ll be watching to see which backup QB Belichick transforms into a 1,000-yard receiver next year.

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