patsrule213

News that the Red Sox are talking with Bobby Valentine appears to mean one of two things for the flailing Bostons, who now are the only major-league team without a manager:

1. There is a total lack of direction and the Red Sox don't even know what they want anymore.

2. Ownership has seized the steering wheel from rookie general manager Ben Cherington and now is controlling the process.

Either scenario is not good, a far cry from the well-oiled machine that won the World Series in 2004 and 2007.

The first scenario is evidenced by the dramatic contrast between Valentine and the initial group of candidates they interviewed: Dale Sveum, who was named Cubs manager Friday, Sandy Alomar Jr., Gene Lamont, Pete Mackanin and Torey Lovullo. Of that group, only Lamont has prior major-league managerial experience (Mackanin was the Pirates' interim manager in 2005 and the Reds' interim pilot in 2007). All of those guys veer toward the quiet and unassuming and, to an extent, could be controlled by management. Valentine is brash, has years of experience and is his own man.

The second scenario is evidenced by the fact that Sveum veered in the Cubs' direction in short order following a lunch with Red Sox ownership on Wednesday. He was the only candidate brought back for a second interview. Clearly things did not click between Sveum and Boston's ownership. What we don't know is whether Sveum told Boston the Cubs were his first choice or whether Red Sox ownership pulled the plug on him.

Either way, it speaks volumes.

Obviously, Cherington did not think experience was a necessity when this process started. Valentine was on the shelf, available, when Terry Francona was let go. If the Red Sox were that interested in Valentine, they could have had him in place weeks ago. Why waste time first-dating all those first-timers?

Unless ... they arrived at Valentine once ownership lost confidence in Cherington.

Now there are more questions than answers:

Who would have thought all four wildcard teams would win?  Nice job with the Ravens & Chiefs!
Here are my picks for the Divisional Playoffs:
Patriots 27  Jets 17Ravens 24  Steelers 20Falcons 24  Seahawks 13Packers 20  Bears 17