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There have been many predictions about how Tom Brady will do in his new role as Fox’s No. 1 NFL analyst.
WEEI Boston radio hosts Andy Gresh and Christian Fauria used a benchmark Tuesday in discussing expectations for Brady: Will he be better than Fox’s current No. 1 analyst, Greg Olsen?
Brady confirmed Tuesday on the Front Office Sports Today podcast that he will be bumping Olsen from the No. 1 booth, where he’s worked with play-by-play announcer Kevin Burkhardt. That’s led to plenty of speculation about Olsen’s future, whether he moves to Fox’s No. 2 booth, or jumps to another network.
On their Gresh and Fauria mid-day radio show the co-hosts debated how Brady will perform, using Olsen as the reference.
Fauria, a former NFL player, disagreed with longtime Fox analyst Terry Bradshaw’s recent comments on a podcast that “America’s gonna like him. They’re going to love him No. 1, just because he is Tom Brady.”
“What I disagree with is what Terry Bradshaw said, that everyone is going to love him,” Fauria said. “I don’t think so at all. I think the love affair right now is Greg Olsen. The accolades and the praise is going to Greg Olsen … no one can stop praising him. He’s likable, he’s lovable.”
“I don’t think so at all,” Gresh said. “Greg Olsen is a nice broadcaster, he’s good at the role, but c’mon now, it’s Tom Brady we are talking about.”
Gresh went on to say Brady has been putting in some serious prep work, and “I think he is going to be really good at this.” Fauria countered that he didn’t think Brady would not do a good job, only that viewers are “going to be resistent and he is going to have to win them over.”
That led Gresh to level more praise for Brady, concluding with what sounded like a dig against Olsen.
“He is going to be better than (Tony) Romo right away and people will quickly forget about Greg Olsen. Again, it’s Tom Brady,” Gresh said. “Plus, he’s beautiful.”
[Barrett Sports Media]
Neighborhoods
Missed the viral Timothee Chalamet lookalike contest in New York? Couldn’t make it to the Tom Holland lookalike contest on Boston Common? GBH Kids and Boston Children’s Museum has the event for you.
The two groups are joining forces to host an Arthur the Aardvark lookalike contest on Dec. 20 in honor of the longtime PBS Kids show produced by GBH. The contest is set to take place at noon, rain or shine, in front of the Hood Milk Bottle, a representative from GBH said.
The representative said fans of “all ages” are encouraged to dress up as Arthur to compete in the contest. Participants may win prizes like Boston Children’s Museum tickets and the opportunity to have a photo of them dressed as the aardvark featured as Arthur’s official TikTok and Instagram profile picture.
GBH said attendees will have the chance to pick up some Arthur-themed swag at the event, and Arthur himself may even be around to snap some selfies.
The show, aptly named Arthur, was created in Boston for GBH in 1996 based on books by author Mike Brown. The anthropomorphic aardvark is known for his “signature look,” GBH said, which consists of a yellow sweater, blue jeans, and big, round glasses.
The Boston’s Children’s Museum even has an exhibit dedicated to the cartoon called “Arthur and Friends,” intended to encourage skills like “reading, understanding feelings, creative problem solving, and connecting with friends and family,” the museum’s website said. According to the GBH spokesperson, their “longstanding partnership” with the museum, and the exhibit, made the perfect recipe for a lookalike contest.
Doppelganger face-offs have had their share of viral moments lately, starting off with the Timothee Chalamet lookalike contest in November. Since then, multiple similar contests have sprung up around the country, including a Jeremy Allen White lookalike contest in Chicago, and yes, even a JFK lookalike contest here in Boston.
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The Boston Red Sox still have a long way to go before they can consider themselves World Series contenders.
It may be a harsh dose of reality, but it needs to be said. The Red Sox made a big-time trade last week, bringing in Garrett Crochet to be their new ace, but behind Crochet, the rest of the rotation still looks a bit iffy.
Tanner Houck, Brayan Bello, Kutter Crawford, and Lucas Giolito could all give the Red Sox strong seasons if things break right. But in today’s game, things almost never break right, especially with the constant injury risks pitchers are facing.
Should the Red Sox, then, make one more blockbuster trade?
Drew Koch of FanSided recently named the Red Sox as a possible trade destination for Houston Astros two-time All-Star Framber Valdez, who is entering his walk year at age 31. Houston already traded Kyle Tucker this winter, signaling that Valdez is likely available.
“The Boston Red Sox already emptied the farm system to land Garrett Crochet from the Chicago White Sox, but the cupboard is not bare,” Koch said.
“Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer are probably off limits, but a young shortstop prospect like Franklin Arias —ranked in the top 100 according to MLB Pipeline— could be the headliner of a trade package heading back to Houston. The Astros need to beef up their farm system, and Boston could help facilitate that.”
Valdez is projected to make $18.8 million in arbitration this season (via Spotrac) thanks to his excellent career to this point. He’ll likely command even more than that in free agency for several years to come, so this will be the cheapest opportunity Boston has to get him, even for one year.
This could be Boston’s opportunity to go all-in on the 2025 season. If Houston commands a reasonable price, which they should, considering there’s only one year of control left on Valdez’s deal, they should look at this situation as a true rental.
Sure, there’s potential for an extension if Valdez truly loves pitching in Boston. But why not put some chips on the table for the short term in a wide-open American League?
More MLB: Why Red Sox Insider ‘Would Be Shocked’ If Boston Doesn’t Sign Another Star Free Agent
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