◼️ Jerod Mayo and the “Black” box

Good Morning, Boston.

On this day in 2015 … Julian Edelman did his best Tom Brady impression, throwing a game-tying 51-yard touchdown pass to fellow receiver Danny Amendola to help topple the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC playoffs. Kendrick Bourne — the last Pats receiver to throw a TD — has about nine months to respond. Both better than Mac Jones, TBH. 

WHAT’S ON TAP TODAY:

Young Vlad in Boston?

Boston’s newest hockey star

Belichick trying to bounce?

LET’S GET INTO IT…

LEADING OFF

Blackballed

Jerod Mayo’s firing was necessary … Robert Kraft said it best on Monday: he put Mayo in an untenable situation as a rookie head coach. A poor roster, an inexperienced coaching staff, and Mayo’s own greenness ultimately led to a chaotic 4-13 season where the Patriots regressed on and off the field. As a result, Mayo now ties Rod Rust for the shortest Pats coaching tenure ever. 

… but it also highlights an ugly NFL truth. The first-year coach’s dismissal, while justifiable, is still a bad look for the Krafts — and the league. Mayo, the Pats’ first-ever Black head coach, and the Raiders’ Antonio Pierce join a list of eight Black head coaches (out of 21 full-time Black coaches in modern NFL history) to have “one-and-done” seasons (as rookies or later). Meanwhile, Tennessee’s rookie coach Brian Callahan, who had a league-worst 3-14 record this year, kept his job despite his general manager Ran Carthon (who is Black) getting fired.

Black coaches like Mayo struggle for opportunities … No coach survives long when they don’t perform. But research shows Black NFL coaches are three times as likely to lose their jobs after one season and twice as likely to be fired with winning records, as was the case with Lovie Smith in 2012 and Jim Caldwell in 2018. Plus, Black coaches often spend “significantly longer” stints as assistants and frequently receive interim head-coaching jobs without achieving full-time status.

… and now are often used as tokens. Moreover, the Rooney Rule, designed to help minority candidates gain interview opportunities after years of purposeful exclusion, has become a punchline. Look no further than the Krafts, who quickly completed interviews with Black offensive assistants Byron Leftwich and Pep Hamilton — neither of whom is seen as a top head-coaching candidate — before meeting with Mike Vrabel and Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. Why? To check boxes so they can make their intended hire more quickly.

The Patriots have now become part of the problem. Make no mistake: firing Mayo was best for the franchise. Either Vrabel or Johnson will likely both be immediately better. But the move spotlights both the harsh reality of NFL life for Black coaches and executives: they’re the bedrock of the league on the field — but its most expendable assets on the sideline and in the C-suite. 

BOSTON SPORTS

Quick hits & headlines

Is Tom Brady trying to steal Bill Belichick? Brady, now a part-owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, is reportedly among several NFL executives gauging Belichick’s interest in leaving UNC and returning to the NFL. Belichick’s camp, for their part, insists he’s staying put in Chapel Hill. Then again, that’s probably what he told everyone before he left the Jets.

Vlad Guerrero Jr. wants to be a Red Sox. The Blue Jays slugger has reportedly stalled his negotiations with Toronto, and MLB insider Bob Nightengale claims Guerrero prefers to come to Boston next season if he hits free agency. If he does, it would be like having Gen Z David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez in the middle of the Sox order. Soto who? 

Jayson Tatum sauces up Brandon Jennings. The Celtics star trolled the former NBA guard for calling Tatum the “softest Boston Celtics superstar ever” because … his supporting cast is too good? Tough talk from a guy with no All-Star appearances or rings. They let anyone have a mic these days.

Buy your Hannah Bilka jerseys now. The Fleet’s rookie winger buried another goal in Boston’s overtime loss to Minnesota on Wednesday, her third point in her last two games. The fifth-place Fleet are struggling with just two wins on the young season, but it looks like they found a keeper. Can the Bruins borrow a fleet-footed scorer like her for this Florida road trip? 

Get some rest, Paige Bueckers! UConn head coach Geno Auriemma joked that “banning” the college superstar from practice to rehab her knee injury is like “Christmas Day.” But between her refusal to sit down on the bench and her love of TikTok dances, someone needs to glue Bueckers to a seat so she can heal up. Azzi Fudd can hold down the fort just fine.

POLL

🤔 Who would you rather see in a Red Sox uniform?

LAST CALL

Take your pick

What is the [head-coaching] better job, Patriots or Jaguars? — @Cmerc5 (X)

If I’m Detroit’s Ben Johnson — picking between them, it’s Patriots by a mile.

The Jaguars have a better roster on paper, but they still flopped. Plus, they’ll be tight against the salary cap soon with the unfortunately underwhelming Trevor Lawrence contract extension about to hit.

The Patriots have Drake Maye (who’s from Johnson’s alma mater by the way), more money to spend on free agents, the No. 4 pick, a more respected ownership group, and a far more established winning pedigree. 

A Johnson and Maye pairing would feed families.

Well-earned respect

GAME … SET … MEME

Bail-a-chick?

The “I resign” memes are side-splitting. If Belichick does ditch UNC to team up with Brady in Vegas, this is the only valid way for him to announce it.

🗞 That’s a wrap. I’m literally begging Belichick to take the Raiders job and come back to Foxborough next year with Brady. We might finally have a packed house at Gillette once again.

❗ We asked, you answered: 70% of people who responded want Mike Vrabel as the Patriots’ new head coach. But … half of you don’t want him hired before hearing what Ben Johnson has to say on Friday. Who knows? We might be announcing a new hire on Monday morning!

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