When Ted Kennedy passed away the other day, the family said that they were going to have a private memorial service for the Senator. Well, as I'm typing this, the Ted Kennedy funeral procession from Hyannisport to Dorcester is being carried on no less than 10 channels (even Fox News, if you can believe it). That seems a bit excessive to me. Remember when funerals were private? Now news cameras are in churches (which I have always had a bad reaction to) and hearses are followed by helicopters like it's a speed-limit version of the O.J. car chase. Apparently the only thing that's going to be private about this whole thing is the mass inside the Kennedy home. This is where the practice of sitting shiva makes so much more sense.
I get that he was a public figure, but do we need wall-to-wall coverage? It's a lot like the Michael Jackson story to me. I had initial shock, but seeing as how I didn't know the man personally, I don't feel I need to be this included. I'm curious about the story, but only need the big picture details. Perhaps a photo of the hearse as it goes past the stand where Mayor Menino will be paying his respects, maybe a quote or two from family friends. That seems like enough to me. But when you have this much air time to fill you invariable get into all the minutiae that crosses the line from relevant to "I just can't have silence here." All I know is this: if you didn't vote for Ted Kennedy but are a big fan of soap operas you, my friend, are shit out of luck today.
-Now that he's been released by the Red Sox (finally - should have traded him back in May when he still had some value), I'll give you Brad Penny's line for the first game he pitches in the National League: 6 IP, 3 ER, 2 BBs, 4Ks. Just you watch, he'll sign with some National League team still in the wildcard race (my money is on the Rockies) and be a good starter for them, right up until they need him to pitch against a quality line-up. Between Penny, Smoltz and Saito, this was not a banner offseason for Theo Epstein.
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