Opening day for the Boston Red Sox is just a week away. The team hopes to defend its World Series title by starting a series in Baltimore. With a newly inked, one-year, $16 million deal, the Sox will also have fan-favorite David Ortiz batting cleanup. Everything seems to be great in Red Sox Nation, right?
Wrong.
Last week, we were reminded about the murder charges facing Jared Remy after the death of his girlfriend Jennifer Martel. Jared is the steroid-fused son of former second baseman and famous NESN announcer Jerry Remy, who has been dubbed “RemDag,” “Voice of the Red Sox,” and “President of Red Sox Nation.”
The details of Jared Remy’s long and abundant history of charges ranging from domestic violence, wanton behavior, and irresponsible adult activity were laid out in an article in The Boston Globelast Saturday. The story quelled the idea that The Globe would no longer report negative stories about the Red Sox organization after its purchase by John Henry, who is also owner of the Red Sox.
Here is the official report from The Globe: “Jared Remy was the king of second chances. A review of hundreds of pages of court files and police records revealed accounts that he terrorized five different girlfriends starting when he was 17, and that courts repeatedly let him off with little more than probation and his promise to stay out of trouble. He rarely did.”
Now 35 years old, Jared has been arrested and brought to court for allegedly murdering Martel, who is also the mother of his child. Although he was repeatedly let off the hook, Jared’s latest accusation of stabbing Martel to death in cold blood looks like it will bring a different fate to the infamous son of a star.
Jared’s troubled past began nearly 17 years ago, and it is still causing problems today. Jared worked as a security guard at Fenway Park in 2004 when the team captured a World Series championship. He was assigned to drive the trophy for an appearance at the Berkshires in the offseason, and was pulled over for going 92 mph on the Mass Pike, according to RMV records. The Red Sox employed Jared for over four years, even after he served jail time for assaulting his former girlfriend in 2005. Jared was later fired from his position for steroid distribution in 2008. Although Jared is no longer directly affiliated with the Red Sox and his father, his name continues to pop up in news stories about violence over the years.
So, should the Red Sox fire longtime broadcaster Jerry Remy over the actions of his son? Many argue that the Red Sox, who own over 80 percent of their broadcast channel NESN, must part ways with Remy in order to protect a positive television rating and public opinion.
There are many people who argue that Jerry is responsible for his son’s actions. BostInno blogger Alex Reimer argues that, “It’s time for Jerry Remy to resign from NESN,” while an anonymous author from Obnoxious Sports Fandeclares that NESN viewers “unknowingly helped to finance Jared Remy’s way of life for years,” by financing Jerry’s salary as an announcer.
But what did Jerry Remy do? He wasn’t the one who was accused of stabbing his girlfriend to death in cold blood. There are countless felons who play professional sports, and fans hardly complain about them. There is also no evidence that his father used his influence to get Jared special treatment over the years-it does seem that Jerry Remy paid for his son’s superb legal defense, however-similar to what many fathers would do for their sons.
Jared’s trial isn’t scheduled until this fall, but more troubling discoveries are likely to be made about his past throughout the summer-about the same time that Jerry will be broadcasting to millions of Sox fans on NESN.
I do not believe that Jerry should be fired over his son’s behavior, but more disturbing discoveries throughout the year could jeaporadize Jerry Remy’s position-costing baseball one of its greatest broadcasters.
